Producer and presenter Geoff Keeley shares details about organizing major gaming showcases, such as the upcoming Gamescom Opening Night Live, and explains the principles behind show project selection. Keeley said that while any appearance of a game on stage is essentially advertising, not all developers will pay for airtime.
The price of participation remains high: according to previous years, placing a 60-second video at Gamescom ONL cost about $120,000, while a 3-minute video at December’s Gamescom cost about $120,000. Game Awards Can reach $1 million. However, Keely personally selects projects for free display based on the project’s “editorial merit.”
This allows small independent teams from around the world to showcase their ambitious new products to an audience of millions for free. The main criteria for getting free slots are the high news value of the project and major announcements, while games released a few weeks after the show mainly fall into the category of paid advertising slots.
