Gamescom is one of the only remaining trade shows that allows members of the public to play forthcoming titles from all the major publishers. In 2009, more than 245,000 gamers attended, and this year’s event in Cologne’s enormous Messe exhibition grounds looks to be even bigger. Players from around the world have heeded the call to “celebrate the games” and swarm the show floor, with queues for the most popular titles meaning an hour-long wait.

The show kicks off every year with conferences from the platform holders, and though this year was rather light on announcements, it certainly wasn’t on spectacle. Gearing up for the launch of Kinect, the full motion-control camera for Xbox 360 that utilises the player’s body as controller, Microsoft hosted a full play day to show off its forthcoming titles and finally confirmed a European launch date for Kinect of 10 November.

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