Yes, we can't wait for August 21 to come around, especially those of us lucky enough to receive advance holiday tickets for the Games Convention 2008 event. In anticipation of yet another high turnout this year, the folks at Leipzig are hard at work in making sure the venue will be a great (and safe) place to check out what's new in the gaming world. Details in the full article!

If you're short on ideas on what to give that gamer friend or relative, then you may want to consider this option: advance tickets to the Games Convention 2008 in Leipzig! It's never too soon to grab your tickets for one of next year's biggest gaming events, after all.

Check out the GC Christmas campaign freebies and other information in the full article!

In the midst of Leipzig Games Convention 2007 where more than a few dozen games scrambled for the crowd's attention, The Hunt was among those that could've slipped past your noses. The tandem of Orion Games and Buka Entertainment probably doesn't ring a bell, but this trailer will definitely pick a bone or two.

We haven't heard much about this dark and gritty game, but we do know The Hunt is an FPS set in 2025 where civilians get "marked" by the government; that's not a good thing, because a mark tagged on you means your head is for the taking. Motto here is: "You can run but you can't hide."

The trailer runs for barely a minute, but we get some footage of The Hunt's eerie atmosphere. Various locations are showcased along with enemies we expect to encounter in the game. Check it out yourself by watching the video below.

With the tremendous success of the recently-concluded Leipzig Games Convention 2007 in Germany, plans are already being drawn up to expand the show and move it to a bigger venue in a busier city.

Event organizers say that Hamburg, Munich, Cologne, and Frankfurt are all bidding to host the 2009 iteration of the GC events to accommodate some 300,000 visitors from Germany and all over Europe.

"After 2008 we’ll never have to go to Leipzig again," says Marius Hopp of German magazine IGM. "If the show was held in Munich or Cologne, there’s the potential to get 300,000 visitors. There’s a chance for something new, either for us in Germany or in the UK."

Visitors from the UK showed strong support for GC 2007 as they flocked in to form the event's biggest foreign contingent. Germany and the United Kingdom are the biggest game markets in the region.

Next year, however, is a different thing as a GC 2007 spokesperson says that the event will stay in Leipzig for the moment. "The show was good and everyone was so happy that I think that debate has ended for now," he says. "It will take place in Leipzig again next year, for sure."

Because it ain't over until we've covered things we might've missed, we're taking a gander at some of the hot featurettes of games coming to your favorite platforms from the wake of the Leipzig Games Convention. This blogger has rustled up some late GC videos dating to a week ago for Need for Speed ProStreet (PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, PS2, PSP, DS) just for folks who've been hoping for an update or two.

And what we've got here are three videos featuring lengthy desert circuits and drag racing, all showing you just how much faster your muscle car can achieve in Need for Speed ProStreet. Drag racing is worthy to note here, for those familiar with Carbon's drag racing mode would have a lot to drool for this time around. Queue in the burning rubber.

GC 2007: Need for Street ProStreet Street Racing Cam Gameplay

Drag racing videos follow at the full article!

Buy: [Need for Speed Prostreet (Xbox 360)]
Buy: [Need for Speed Prostreet (PS3)]
Buy: [Need for Speed Prostreet (PC)]
Buy: [Need for Speed Prostreet (Wii)]

Now that the Leipzig Games Convention has ended, organizers Leipziger Messe GmbH had a chance to look back on this year's standings for the Games Convention (GC) and Game Convention Developers Conference (GCDC). And in quick summary, the Leipzig trade show has made large strides forward in both number and event achievements.

Back in 2006, the Games Convention reeled in 183,000 exhibition attendees. This year, they've listed 185,000 visitors. Although less than the targeted 200,000 visitor count, more visitors were satisfied with this year's turnout than last year - that's 85% against 75%. In addition, that count included 12,300 trade visitors, a huge jump from 8,700 from a year ago.

The Leipzig convention also brought in more media attention after a recorded 3,300 press personnel from 46 countries attended, compared to 2006's 2,610 from 38 countries. About 20% of those visitors were female, while 52% of visitors were over 20 years old. It was reported a few days ago that the exhibitor list rose to 410 entities. The actual recorded count of exhibitors was very much higher: 509 exhibitors were found.

The recently concluded trade show also marked a first for GC Freestyle, a festival of interactive entertainment sorts, which included concerts, summer activities, and sports. A 3,000 count for overnight stays was noted, while surveys claimed that the event itself was well-received. GC family also grabbed a special place in the visitors' hearts, as 75% of those who did attend GC 2007 took a keen interest in A Hall of Its Own (Hall 5).

Grab your comrades, pull on your fatigues, and check if your PC has enough memory. The much awaited World in Conflict demo has finally been deployed and well, it seems Massive Entertainment and Sierra Entertainment are showing us a lot of love.

At least you don't have to fly to the Leipzig Games Convention or the Penny Arcade Expo to try your hand at the game, right? The demo weighs a hefty 1.2 GB (or 1231.1 MB, to be exact) and includes something for everybody: single player, skirmished, multiplayer, and tutorial. Those who pre-ordered World in Conflict (Xbox 360 and PC) get extra love with extra content in the form of multiplayer maps.

Before you scamper onto World in Conflict's website to download the demo, we'd like to remind you that the full strategy game will be available in September 18 so better flex your RTS muscles. Click on the Read link below to get the download.

Roll out the red carpet! Leipzig Messe has just announced the winners for the "Best of GC" during the Leipzig Games Convention 2007. The awards span across all current generation platforms and other industry-related tidbits showcased during the event, all dispersed under ten respective categories.

Among the list of 85 hardware and software entries, a lineup of finalists have been revealed. And with those finalists, it seemed to be a tough call on which to choose as the winner. Each of the finalists had their own big plus to bring into the table, that's for sure. Regardless, the winners have already been announced.

Here's the full list of winners of the Best of GC, each in their own category:

• God of War: Chains of Olympus (Sony Computer Entertainment) - PSP
• Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 (Konami) - PS2
  
• Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 (Konami) - PS3
• BioShock (Take-Two Interactive) - Xbox 360
• Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games (Sega) - Nintendo Wii
• Eye Training (Nintendo) - Nintendo DS
• Crysis (Electronic Arts) - PC
• Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures (Eidos) - Online
• Wii Balance Board - Hardware/Accessory/Product

An award was supposed to have been given for the Mobile category, however, there weren't enough participants to have warranted the prize.

How cool would it be to take an adventure through the frozen tundra with an armored polar bear? Well, since that is definitely the stuff of fantasy, we'll only be able to explore it through an upcoming movie tie-in video game, The Golden Compass from Sega. Today, we've got a trailer for the said title straight from the Leipzig Games Convention 2007 (GC).

It's based on a book that's part of a trilogy by Philip Pullman, and you can probably tell that it is of the fantasy fiction genre. The Golden Compass' story follows the adventures of Lyra Belacqua who is given an alethiometer, a device that can measure the truth (nifty eh?). Anyway, in the trailer, we see snippets of the movie and some in-game shots. It looks pretty grand.

We'll leave you to check out the trailer. The Golden Compass will be coming to multiple platforms: PC, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PS2, PlayStation Portable, DS and Wii and is scheduled to hit the shelves on December 4. In the meantime, enjoy the video.

Buy: The Golden Compass (PS3)

Buy: The Golden Compass (360)

Buy: The Golden Compass (Wii)

Buy: The Golden Compass (PSP)

Before the Leipzig Games Convention, Far Cry developers, Crytek, expressed that they will leave their home base in Germany if the authorities choose to tighten its rules against violent video games. The Federal Ministry of Family Affairs, which handles that area, is currently considering changing their stance from banning "violence glorifying" games to simply banning "violence dominated" ones.

Crytek, who had a brush with the Ministry in the past for Far Cry, is already considering other areas to move to. Some countries have already contacted them, like England, Scotland, Austria, and Singapore. The rise of video games as a major industry would make Crytek's decision a very profitable one for the country they choose. It is predicted to become a US$ 48 billion industry by 2011.

The decision to move may have been spurred on by Crytek's new game, Crysis, which cost EUR 16 million (US$ 22 million) to produce and, like Far Cry, has its own share of violence. Far Cry's first version was banned in Germany for its violence, and a second version had to be written to downplay the gore. A tighter grip on the ban wouldn't bode well with Crysis' developers.

Crysis is slated for a release on November 15.