By pairing GDC Europe with gamescom, Europe's leading consumer and industry show, the conference can offer content to address the development community at a central location in the heart of Europe and command the critical mass of the European games sector.

The event marks a return for the successful conference, which in 2009, its first year, saw more than 1,500 participants, including 130 international speakers, 40 exhibitors and 240 media representatives.

With the growing expansion of German and European developers focused on online and browser-based games, GDC Europe will focus one day of the event, August 17, to cover social networks and online games, as well as key emerging markets in the region.

In conjunction with this new focus, GDC Europe will also provide a major platform for online game companies to host press conferences on the second day of the event.