Industry must "choose" between E3 and gamescom, says Namco Bandai boss

E3 or gamescom? Los Angeles or Cologne? Cob salad or German sausages? Those are some of the choices we may have to make soon, according to Namco Bandai Partners VP Oliver Comte.

Speaking in an interview with CVG during the firm's recent Level Up event in Barcelona three weeks ago, he said the industry must make a choice between the two events due to the costs of attending two massive trade shows in the space of two months.

"I really wonder how E3 is going to be this year because we seem to have come back on track," said Conte, referring to last year's revival of the event in its old form before 2007, back when the show was a invite-only event.

"I wonder if this year it will be E3 like three or four years ago - a very big event. This is how I feel.

"If this is a case then it's clear that the industry will have to choose between E3 and GamesCom, because two events within three months that cost a lot of money for all of the publishers will be too much."

Conte added that due to E3's being in the US, which he cites as "very important", some publishers may abandon the German event.

E3 begins in a week-and-a-half on June 14, while gamescom kicks off in Cologne on the week of August 16. We will, naturally, be at both.