New gaming event GAMESCon is set to take over the yearly Games Convention in Germany...

Leipzig, the annual European games convention, will apparently run for one last year before being taken over by GAMESCom. At a joint press conference yesterday between German trade association Bundesverband Interaktive Unterhaltungssoftware and Cologne's trade fair business Koelnmesse, a deal was made which would provide 284,000 square feet of exhibition space along with 80,000 hotel beds available in the surrounding area.

Last year rumours began circulating that publishers were desiring more space for consumers and exhibitions that wasn't possible if the expo stayed in Leipzig. GAMESCon will take over next year and be held in Cologne in September 2009.

This decision has saddened Messe Leipzig, the owner of the Leipzig convention hall. "Messe Leipzig regrets the BIUs decision to no longer support the Games Convention in Leipzig,". Burkhard June, the mayor of Leipzig and Thomas Jurk, the area's economics minister both said they were disappointed, stating that the move was a 'harsh blow' for the region.

So far no word from Messe Leipzig has been revealed as to whether or not Leipzig could continue with a Games Convention from 2009 regardless of the new rival, though the company did state that they would always be available to the industry with 'the brand and the know-how', if it were needed in the future.

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