'That criticism is justified': Gamescom apologizes for its callous response to developer hardware thefts
Overview & Key Takeaways
Gamescom said it is "committed to jointly reviewing and further improving security," but doesn't mention any compensation for affected exhibitors.
Last week, in the wake of a rash of developer hardware thefts at this year's Gamescom, the event's organizers provoked a wave of outcry by publishing a statement that many perceived as callously placing the blame on exhibitors who hadn't adequately insured their equipment.
Today, Gamescom released an additional statement on X, admitting that its initial response was inadequate and committing to improving the rigor of its security procedures with input from affected exhibitors.
"Over the past few days, we have received a great deal of criticism for the way we communicated about the theft of hardware belonging to several indie developers. That criticism is justified," Gamescom said. "Our first response did not strike the right tone, and it did not show the people affected the empathy they deserved. We are sorry."
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After acknowledging the emotional, financial, and professional cost of the hardware thefts, Gamescom said it has "been moved by" and is "grateful for" the outpouring of support for affected exhibitors, which "says a great deal" about the industry and its consumers.
However, that generosity does not, it said, "relieve us, as the organizers, of our own responsibility to work together with our exhibitors and partners to create the best possible environment for everyone. We are therefore committed to jointly reviewing and further improving security."
(Image credit: Hesham Elsherif via Getty Images)
In addition to its standard post-event assessment of exhibitor feedback, Gamescom said it's committing to both "a dedicated review of security for indie exhibitors" and to hosting a roundtable with indie booth organizers "so that we can develop concrete measures together." Gamescom also urged any additional exhibitors who suffered thefts during this year's show to report those incidents to both the event organizers and to police.
What the statement doesn't mention is any possibility of compensation for affected exhibitors. PC Gamer contacted Gamescom's organizers at Koelnmesse GmbH to ask how many incidents had been reported, whether any compensation has been investigated or offered to exhibitors whose equipment was stolen, and what forms of vetting and oversight Gamescom security staff are subject to. Gamescom PR offered no response beyond referring PC Gamer to its two published statements about the incidents.
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"Our commitment has always been to keep making Gamescom better—together with the community, not just when things go well," Gamescom said in today's statement on X. "That is exactly what we will do here."
