Gamescom Opening Night Live, hosted by Geoff Keighley, employs a selection process for its featured game trailers and reveals, balancing paid advertising with editorial consideration. Keighley explained that while many participants pay for trailer placement, with reported costs around $120,000 for a 60-second spot at Gamescom and up to $1 million for a 3-minute slot at The Game Awards, some games are included without charge.
These complimentary inclusions are reserved for titles that offer significant "editorial value" or present something "brand new and exciting," Keighley stated in a Gamescom pre-brief. This applies to a wide range of games, including those from small independent teams. "You'll see many small teams, games made by three, four people, that get selected to be inside of ONL, because we believe in those titles, and we believe in those teams and want to support them," he said.
Keighley likened securing these editorial placements to earning prime real estate at the physical Gamescom event, where exhibitor floor space can cost as much as $235 per square foot. "Companies and partners often earn the ability to have editorial places with the level of news that people are bringing to the show," he noted.
Conversely, games slated for release in the immediate future, which are already known to the public, are less likely to qualify for these editorial spots. Keighley suggested that these titles lean more towards traditional advertising, as they are essentially promoting a game whose existence is already established. This contrasts with world premieres or significant new announcements that generate buzz and surprise for the audience.
Confirmed titles set to appear at the upcoming Gamescom Opening Night Live include Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, Gears of War: E-Day, and an upcoming Witcher 3 DLC. The inclusion of Gears of War: E-Day, launching in a few months, raises questions about whether it falls under the paid advertisement category or if its presentation offers sufficient newsworthy content for an editorial slot.