- Fans hail Trump's 'guts' as he returns to site of rally shooting
- Lebanon state media says Israeli strikes hit south Beirut
- Miami on track for MLS record points after win in Toronto
- Monaco take top spot in Ligue 1 with win at Rennes
- Madrid beat Villarreal to level Liga leaders Barca
- Thuram treble fires Inter past Torino and up to second
- 'Fight': defiant Trump jets in to site of rally shooting
- Mexico City's new mayor sworn in with pledges on water, housing
- Israel on alert ahead of Hamas attack anniversary
- Guardians maul Tigers in MLB playoff series opener
- Macron criticises Israel on Gaza, Lebanon operations
- French rugby player whistled but 'serene' on return amid ongoing rape case
- Retegui hat-trick fires five-star Atalanta to hammering of Genoa
- Heavyweights Australia, England off to World Cup winning starts
- Visiting UN refugee agency chief decries 'terrible crisis' in Lebanon
- Spinners come to party as England defeat Bangladesh at T20 World Cup
- Search continues for missing in deadly Bosnia floods
- Man City sink Fulham to get title bid back on track
- France's Auradou whistled on Pau return in Perpignan loss amid ongoing rape case
- A 'forgotten' valley in storm-hit North Carolina, desperate for help
- Arsenal hit back in style after Southampton scare
- Hezbollah heir apparent Safieddine out of contact after strikes
- Liverpool stay top of Premier League as Arsenal, Man City win
- In dank Tour of Emilia, Pogacar shines in rainbow jersey
- DR Congo launches mpox vaccination drive, hoping to curb outbreak
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- Careless Leverkusen held to Bundesliga draw
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- Liverpool suffer Alisson injury blow
- Habosi helps Racing beat Vannes before Auradou's playing return
- Thousands march in London in support of Palestinians, 1 year after Oct 7
- Israel readying response to Iran missile attack
- Schutt, Mooney help Australia beat Sri Lanka in Women's T20 World Cup
- Liverpool extend Premier League lead with win at Palace
- Djokovic 'shakes rust off' to make third round of Shanghai Masters
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- Gauff fights back to reach China Open final
- Recovering Stokes ruled out of first Pakistan Test
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- Alcaraz, Sinner breeze into third round of Shanghai Masters
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- Alcaraz breezes into third round of Shanghai Masters
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Cosplay and queues at Germany gamers gathering
Armour-clad warriors mixed with cosplaying Super Marios and monster hunters on Thursday, as gamers braved hours of queuing at the sector's biggest trade show, Gamescom in Germany's Cologne.
"We'll have to run," said Mark Nass, a 20-year-old German who queued from 6:30 am outside the glass and steel Koelnmesse convention centre.
Nass was among many aiming to be first in line to play "Monster Hunter Wilds", one of the most popular games at the annual Gamescom gathering.
The event serves as a celebration for fans, who get sneak peaks at new releases and chats with developers while spending time with like-minded folk.
But it is also a massive deal for the industry.
Although Microsoft is dominating this year's event, hundreds of smaller companies are battling for a share of the attention.
- 'A bit like Cannes' -
Marina Diez from German independent studio BTF was showing off the game "The Berlin Apartment".
"We're showcasing it in a big event for the first time, before releasing the next year," she told AFP.
She said getting opinions from players at the conference was vital to feed into the game design.
The stakes are getting higher for smaller studios, who rely on making deals with publishers to get their games out into the world.
But publishers are also struggling as major financial backers shift their focus to AI and other sectors.
Thousands have been laid off and many studios have shut down.
Gamescom gives creators a chance to do deals and secure vital funding.
"It's a bit like the Cannes Film Festival in terms of business," said David Rabineau, director of the Parisian independent studio Homo Ludens.
- Mario vs Poppy -
Crowds swelled on the conference floor during Thursday, the first day the public were allowed into the event, which runs until Sunday.
Shouts and applause erupted periodically from behind high partitions separating the stands from the alleyways, as attendees got to see trailers and snippets of gameplay.
Long queues formed in front of the "Assassin's Creed Shadows" stand to get these invaluable titbits.
At other stands, attendees were able to play new games -- some that have not been released yet.
Waiting patiently in the queue for "Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO", 25-year-old German Lars was decked out in a red cap, blue overalls and a fake moustache.
"Everyone likes Mario! I like him because I used to play it when I was a kid," he said.
But at an event expected to attract 370,000 attendees, some players were inevitably going to miss out on their number one game.
"I hoped to play 'Monster Hunter Wilds' but it was already full," said Ype, a 28-year-old Dutchman decked out as Poppy from "League of Legends", with pointed ears, blue face and two-metre-long hammer.
But he was not going to let that disappointment deter him.
"It's cool to discover new games and meet people," he said, before heading elsewhere to test the latest "Warhammer" release.
L.Henrique--PC