Gamescom Organizers Prevented Theft Victims from Calling Police to Protect Event and Cologne Reputation

The situation has become so severe that people have accepted it and call what is happening the “cost of holding an exhibition in Germany.”

Organizers and participants of gamescom are facing a new wave of criticism due to security issues at the event. Representatives from Ukiyo Studios stated that two years ago, a computer was stolen directly from their booth, but an attempt to contact the police was allegedly blocked by a gamescom employee.

According to the developers, a representative of the exhibition stated at the time that filing a police report “would reflect poorly on the reputation of the exhibition and the city of Cologne.” The company expressed hope that other affected participants will now be able to seek justice and that the situation will finally attract the attention of the organizers.

The developers also emphasized that they participate in more than 15 gaming events worldwide every year, yet gamescom is the only exhibition where they have to use a separate room to store equipment. Every evening after the booth closes, employees pack all computers and peripherals into the room, after which it is locked.

Even with these measures, the company says it has not been able to avoid problems entirely. Representatives claim that something has been stolen from them every year at gamescom. Until now, these incidents have been treated as a sort of “cost of holding an exhibition in Germany.”