Gamescom has been one of the major trade shows for the video games industry in recent years. Most of the big publishers, developers and manufacturers use it as an opportunity to further hype forthcoming products and to build on the excitement from E3. Gamescom has also been an event where many new games and technologies were initially announced. But for 2015, Sony has decided not to use the show as a platform for making any major announcements, as they have confirmed that they will not host a press conference at the event this year.

The reason, according to Sony, is because the earlier schedule for this year’s show (from August 5 to August 9) makes it difficult for them to promote their products across a broader range of the calendar year in order to sustain their momentum. Gamescom was usually held towards the middle August in the past, but the earlier window for 2015 just doesn’t suit Sony’s marketing needs.

Instead, Sony is going to have what they are calling an ‘international media briefing’ on October 27 during this year’s Paris Games Week. Given Sony’s current status as the leader of the console race, it’s hardly surprising that they would make a move like this so close to the 2015 holiday season. The media briefing will likely be very similar to the Nintendo Direct announcements we’ve all been getting for the past few years now, and indicates a potential change in Sony’s marketing strategy for the long term. Microsoft and Nintendo are also on board to exhibit during Paris Games Week and could have media presentations of their own planned.

Gamescom will be taking place in Germany from August 5 to August 9 this year. Paris Games Week will take place from October 27 to October 31 of this year.

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