Nintendo not present at ´Games Convention´

Nintendo will not be present at this year´s ´Games Convention´, Europe´s largest computer and videogames fair. The show will take place in Leipzig for the last time in August this year. In 2009, it will be replaced by the ´GAMESCom´ in Cologne.

Nintendo Germany announced their withdrawal from the fair only an hour ago in a press release (German, registration required), which I have translated here:

In August 2008, Nintendo Germany will not be present at the Games Convention in Leipzig with its own booth.

Over the past months, the company has had many positive experiences with smaller, local events and national promotional tours, at which it presented the highly original gameplay concepts for the portable Nintendo DS and the home console Wii.

Going into the second half of 2008, Nintendo will favour being present at nationwide events rather than a central trade show: its videogames will be experienced at various outings and within different surroundings.

"Following the E3 trade show this year, Nintendo will start a nationwide roadshow, in order to inform our media and trade partners about the newest games as early as possible," Nintendo Germany´s General Manager, Dr. Bernd Fakesch added.

The press release goes on to clarify that this decision is in no way meant as a criticism of Europe´s largest trade show. A decision about attending the show´s successor, next year´s Cologne GAMESCom, has not yet been made.

Source: press release (German, registration required)