- The prices to showcase a new game’s trailer at Gamescom ONL have risen significantly since 2022
- Despite that, all slots for the main show are already taken
Gamescom Opening Night Live is coming closer and studios are prepared to spend hundreds of thousands to show their new games at the event.
Gamescom ONL Slots Cost a Fortune
One of the most important things for a game developer is to have a good way to spread the word about their product. No matter how good your game is, if it’s not out there, it simply won’t be played that much. For this reason, many studios spend significant funds to make sure their title is being showcased at big events such as those organized by Gamescom.
One of the best ways to do this is to work with gaming conventions which often have segments for showing trailers of upcoming games. However, if you plan to do this during Geoff Keighley’s Gamescom Opening Night Live ceremony, then you’d better be prepared to cough up a lot of cash for the privilege.
According to Gamescom’s official booking form, the prices start at €57,500 (about $62,500) if you want to show just a short 30-second trailer. However, that’s just the cheapest price, as the fairs can go up to €132,500, or about $144,000. What’s worse is that these prices are only for securing a time slot for showcasing the trailer. Studios have to pay an additional fee to even enter the Gamescom Opening Night Live ceremony, meaning that if they want to showcase their trailer at the event, they could pay up to €265,000 ($288,000).
There is one saving grace for companies who do not want to spend so much however as they can show their games on the pre-show. However, that’s still not very cheap as a 120-second slot costs roughly €132,500 ($144,226). For 90 seconds, it’ll cost about €107,500 ($117,000); for 60 seconds, €82,500 ($90,000); and for just 30 seconds, it’s still €57,500 ($62,500).
How Do the Prices Compare to Previous Years?
The cost of showcasing a game trailer at the event has risen up quite a lot in the past two years. For example, a one-minute trailer during 2022’s Gamescom Opening Night Live would have cost €125,000, which is €40,000, or about $43,000 less than this year’s price. This large gap in the previous and modern prices only grows with the length of the trailer.
In 2022, a 90-second video would have cost €165,000 but now the same trailer would set a studio back with €215,000 ($233,000), marking a €50,000 difference. With prices like this, it’s safe to say that indie studios such as Catchweight Studio, who just released the WW1 horror game Conscript will likely not be able to afford a spot at Gamescom Opening Night.
Despite the huge numbers, all of the slots for the event’s main show have been sold out, proving how important the exposure is for game studios. It should also be noted that there are some games that are essentially editorially chosen. This means they essentially “earn” themselves a spot during Opening Night Live without having to pay for the privilege, meaning not everyone will have to pay these huge prices.
Gamescom Opening Night Live will air on August 20th at 2 pm Eastern (11 am Pacific), and you can catch it via Gamescom’s official YouTube and Twitch channels.
