Monday 26 August 2013

Back From GamesCom

My last proper post about the GamesCom was this one from 2011, in spite of me having been to work there again in 2012, but I did not take pictures then and was convinced it was going to be my last fair. Well, never say never - this year, I was back, after I had been persuaded by my friends at EA that it would be really interesting for me again.
And they were right!
Ever since the first "The Sims" game came out and my husband bought it for me, I have been playing the game(s). In fact, I had never been interested in computer games before, and still don't play any others besides all the Sims games and the Harry Potter games. You don't know what "The Sims" is all about? Wikipedia gives you some info here in a nutshell, and of course, there are the official websites for each of the games.

Not long after I began playing The Sims, I discovered the forum for the players on the official German website. I learned a lot about the game there, and enjoyed communicating with other players. I was soon able to help new players, giving them advice if they were "stuck" with their games or having technical problems with the game running on their computers. Someone noticed that, and one fine day, I received an email from EA, asking if I'd like to become part of the team of moderators on the website. I talked about it with my husband, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Although I stopped moderating more than a year ago for various reasons, I am still in touch with my former "colleagues", and over the years, I have made good friends among the German and UK branch of EA. They keep inviting me to come back to the GamesCom every year, where I work at EA's Sims booth to promote my favourite computer game, talk to the fans, meet the producers, and generally have a lot of fun.

This year, we showed the latest incarnation of the Sims series to the public for the first time: The Sims 4!
While at first I was sceptical about "yet another" Sims game, what I was able to see of it so far (it is still pre-alpha, so, very early days yet) makes me believe that this could very well become my new favourite game and shift The Sims 2 from the top of my list. 
There are some screenshots, a welcome-letter from the Executive Producer, a gameplay trailer and more information about the new game here.
(By the way, I am not getting paid for telling you about this - it is just to make you understand what I have been doing all of last week and what my favourite game is all about!)
My work-place for a week. People were to watch a presentation in the left part of the booth before moving on to the right part, where 24 PCs were ready for them to have a first hands-on look at the new game.
The first Sims I created in Sims4.
Titanfall is another new EA title. This "Titan" was one of the most photographed parts of the entire EA booth; an average person reaches less than knee-high.
It was, as always at the show, a busy week. Almost twelve hours at the booth every day, including Sunday, is hard work, but I would not do it if I did not enjoy it. During GamesCom week, I stay at a hotel EA books for me; this year, someone messed things up a bit, and two weeks before the show, I still did not have a room - and it is next to impossible to get hotel rooms in Cologne when 350.000 visitors are in town for the show. Well, someone worked their magic, and I had a good standard room from Tuesday to Friday, only three tram stops from the fair. 
Friday night, I had to check into a different hotel - and imagine my surprise when I found that I had been booked into a suite there! It was rather luxurious, almost the size of my flat at home (just without kitchen), consisting of a large bedroom, sitting room, and bath room. Breakfast was excellent, and I enjoyed those final two days very much, although of course I did not spend much time at the hotel except for sleeping.
Last night, I returned home in the pouring rain; I have today off in order to get everything sorted, my washing done and my feet and brain rested before I begin work again tomorrow.
Summer is over, in more than one way. Every year, the GamesCom for me marks the end of summer; it is one of those events you don't want to end, while at the same time you long for home, peace and quiet, and can't help wondering every now and then why you keep doing this!

I'll be at my parents' for lunch today, which reminds me that I have not yet posted about my Mum's birthday. Plus there are two more book reviews waiting to be written - being away for a week creates a bit of a backlog. Also, I'll have plenty of catching up to do with your blogs, something I am going to start in a minute.

17 comments:

  1. Yes, i've been in a few of those situations -- fun and exhausting and you don't want it to end but at the same time you want to get back to your own space and place.

    It sounds like, overall, a good time was had by everyone.

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    1. I guess it was :-)
      Now that I have been home for two nights and one day, I am really glad I have my own bed and everything again. That day off was really good.

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  2. Oh, the end of August, I should have remembered this is the time you go to Cologne for that big GamesCom! I love that suite they gave you, I think I would just drop onto that comfy bed and sleep for weeks! (I know you couldn't and I can't either but I would still want to!)
    My joke is that I have a hard enough time coping with this world, there is no way I could attempt another life on a computer! (I am only half joking, that is closer to the truth!)
    I must tell you, I loved that your Mom left that comment about your cupcakes, that everyone loved them and went back and finished them off later!

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    1. I would not want to attempt another life on a computer, either, Kay; I love my real life too much :-)
      But playing this virtual doll-house is my kind of relaxing fun, especially at that time of the year when it is too cold, wet and dark to spend much time outside.
      That comment of my Mum about the cupcakes is very typical for her. She did not want me to feel bad about them, but I am still convinced that people did not really like them all that much; they ate them all because their wasn't much else to do and no other sweets left during that rainy night. Never mind, I'll just know not to make them again for that same group of people.

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  3. As I've said before I loved trade fairs and miss them in a funny sort of a way. I made a lot of good acquaintances and so friends too through trade fairs. In fact, thinking back, a large part of my life was altered by a single trade fair back in the early 1980s. That seems so long ago. Sorry, Meike, I've rambled on one of your posts. As always, though, you have made me think as well as providing an interesting and informative post.

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    1. Your "ramble" is less than five lines long here, Graham, so it can hardly be called that. Besides, you are always welcome to add your own thoughts and experience in a comment - I guess I am much "worse" when it comes to leaving comments on other people's blogs.

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  4. This looks quite fascinating! I did a bit of one of the Sims games long ago when Andy got me into it a little, but it isn't really my thing, though I enjoy hearing about them.......

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    1. For me, the second Sims-game (The Sims 2) is still my favourite game; I never got as much into The Sims 3 for some reason. I wonder whether The Sims 4 will make a difference to that!

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  5. Welcome home! And happy birthday to your mum. xoxox

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    1. Thanks, Carol!
      That birthday was two weeks ago, and I still haven't really posted about it...

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  6. It is awfully nice staying in a suite in a hotel. I don't know why, really because I have such things as a lounge in my flat, not to mention a microwave... and yet it still gives me a buzz.

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    1. For me, that was only the 2nd time in my life that I've had a suite and not just a room. I felt like some minor celebrity :-)

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  7. I'm jealous that you got to go to Gamescon! But I love the look of the Sims you created and am very excited that you think it may become your favourite new Sims game because I can see how much you love Sims 2. (As do I!).

    Did you find out much else about gameplay/build buy mode?

    Now I need to go catch up on all your Sims blogs after being away. :)

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  8. What a great room! I would love to have gone to Gamescon, it looks very exciting, and how fun to meet other Simmers from around the globe.

    If you think the Sims4 might become your favourite Sims game then knowing you love Sims2 as I do, makes me very excited to see what it's about!

    Did you find out much about gameplay or build/buy mode?

    The Sims you created looked good too- great to see different looking sims once more!

    Well I need to go and catch up on blogs after my holiday, :D

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    1. Welcome back from your holiday :-)
      Well, yes, I did learn some more about gameplay and build mode, but the information is under embargo until later this month when all the fan sites will be allowed to release more official information.
      I had to sign a document that I wasn't going to tell anyone or write about the additional information before that date, and now I'll leave it to the proper fan sites and the official channels.

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  9. It must be a great experience to actually attend Gamescon. I have only dreamed of attending this event, and especially this year when the Sims 4 was being unveiled for the first time. However, I guess that's what you get for being a loyal Sims fan. Thanks for sharing your story. It was a good read.

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    1. You are very welcome! This one was, I think, my seventh or eighth Gamescom. It was certainly a lot more interesting to me this year than last year, when we did not have a Sims-game at the booth, "only" SimCity.

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