Sega to Miss Gamescom 2010

Sega has confirmed that it will not attending the upcoming Gamescom trade show in Cologne this year. The decision was made "purely for commercial reasons."

A statement made to VG247 made clear that Sega would be interested in the event in future years - but indicated that attending the European event in 2010 could stretch the purse strings a little too much. "gamescom 2009 was a very successful show for us and continues to be the most important European event in the calendar," reads the statement.

"The decision not to show at this year’s event was not down to the location of Cologne and will not mean that Sega will never attend gamescom in the future, but simply a commercial decision made for 2010." Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1, Vanquish, Valkyria Chronicles II and Shogun 2: Total War were to be shown, but will now be absent as a result.

The news follows a structural re-organisation in the company back in April, that saw 36 staff in San Francisco and 37 London employees laid off. Sega West has since been organised as such that its London offices serve as the region's main headquarters, with San Francisco focusing on digitally distributed content.

It is likely that Sega will still make an appearance at September's Tokyo Game Show in Japan; until then Sega may have to look at alternative methods to market their 2010 lineup.