A very special premiere will take place this year at Gamescom. Chancellor Merkel will personally open this year's games fair in Cologne.

The annual Gamescom is the world's largest event for video and computer games and starts on August 22, 2017.

Gamescom 2017

The managing director of the BIU, the Federal Association of Interactive Entertainment Software, said:

“We feel it is a great honor and recognition that Federal Chancellor Dr. Angela Merkel will take part in the opening tour of gamescom this year. The visit of Dr. Merkel underlines the importance of the games industry for Germany as a cultural, digital and business location. Whether virtual reality, gamification or 3D simulations: the technologies of the games industry are already playing a central role in the digitization and networking of business and society. Germany needs a strong games industry in order to secure a top position in the digitized economy. "

After the Internet was still unknown territory for our Federal Chancellor in 2013, this is a big step and gives hope for more social recognition for all gamers. In other countries such as Japan, computer or console games are also a common entertainment medium for adults. The increasing acceptance is certainly also due to the development of smartphones and mobile games. Nowadays you don't have to buy a PC or a console, every commercially available smartphone offers functions similar to those of a Gameboy in the past. As a result, the medium of games nowadays reaches people who otherwise would never have come into contact with it. 10 years ago, phenomena like Pokemon Go would have been unthinkable.

The fact that celebrities from other areas are now also interested in our favorite pastime is a good sign.

Gamescom 2017 starts on August 22nd for trade visitors, from August 23rd the fair will also be open to the general public.