Sony to Skip Gamescom Press Conference This Year

Sony has decided not to host a press conference during Gamescom 2015, making this the first time it will ever miss hosting an event at the annual convention.

Representatives from Sony Computer Entertainment Europe have confirmed to VideoGamer that their company will not be hosting an on-stage event during Gamescom 2015, which is set in Cologne, Germany and starting in August. In light of this absence, Sony will be hosting what it calls an "international media briefing" at the Paris Games Week event, taking place a month later. For the past six years, Sony has been hosting press conferences during the the annual Gamescom convention.

Here's what a Sony spokesperson had to say about PlayStation's absence at Gamescom:

We're delighted to announce that we will be hosting an international media briefing at Paris Games Week on 27th October. With the changes this year of E3 taking place a week later and Gamescom taking place earlier, we feel that both PlayStation and the wider industry would benefit from a major news milestone later in the year, during the most important period for gaming. We are excited about our plans and look forward to sharing some exciting announcements. We will share more information closer to the time.

Due to Gamescom 2015 beginning a week earlier than Gamescom 2014 and E3 2015 taking place a week later than it did the year prior, there's less time between the two major events. As a result, Sony decided to arbitrarily choose a different event for its major announcements in the fall. Furthermore, Sony's own PlayStation Experience convention is likely to happen in Dec. 2015, where the company is likely to make even more announcements than it would at either event.