Gamescom Crime Spree? Three Exhibitors Report Their Laptops Were Stolen (tomshardware.com) 34
From the gaming news site Aftermath"
Game developer and consultant Ryan Laley traveled to Cologne, Germany from Essex, England to showcase his upcoming horror social deduction game Mimic at the annual Gamescom event. He paid "thousands of pounds" to get a booth at the show, where other game developers and press could try the game ahead of its October release. But Laley's Gamescom was cut short when he realized Friday morning that his brand new Alienware laptop, purchased for the event, was missing. The laptop was stored in a cupboard in the booth, and Laley started asking nearby vendors to see if someone had moved it. That's when he realized it was stolen — and that he wasn't alone. Laley's booth in Gamescom's business area, specifically in the International Game Developers Association Lounge, had been hit in what appears to be a string of thefts at the convention center. The business area of the convention is not open to the public, only press and others with specific tickets. Laley said Gamescom advertised this area as having 24/7 security and limited access after hours...
Publisher and merchandiser iam8bit, in a nearby booth showcasing Escape Academy 2: Back 2 School and Petal Runner, had two laptops with game builds stolen Thursday night from its booth, a representative confirmed to Aftermath.
"Meanwhile, Tessera Studios had two laptops and a Steam Deck taken from its cabinet," reports Tom's Hardware: Gamescom organizers responded to the issues, saying that although they have arranged for uniformed guards to provide general security, individual booth security must be booked separately. They've also advised exhibitors to have insurance against theft, and said these warnings are noted in the terms and conditions for participants, as well as in the event's technical guidelines. "All cases have been reported to us and to the police, and investigations are already underway," the organizers' statement read. They also said that security is one of their priorities at the event, but also added, "At an event of this size, however, there will always be individuals attempting to take advantage of the situation."
Publisher and merchandiser iam8bit, in a nearby booth showcasing Escape Academy 2: Back 2 School and Petal Runner, had two laptops with game builds stolen Thursday night from its booth, a representative confirmed to Aftermath.
"Meanwhile, Tessera Studios had two laptops and a Steam Deck taken from its cabinet," reports Tom's Hardware: Gamescom organizers responded to the issues, saying that although they have arranged for uniformed guards to provide general security, individual booth security must be booked separately. They've also advised exhibitors to have insurance against theft, and said these warnings are noted in the terms and conditions for participants, as well as in the event's technical guidelines. "All cases have been reported to us and to the police, and investigations are already underway," the organizers' statement read. They also said that security is one of their priorities at the event, but also added, "At an event of this size, however, there will always be individuals attempting to take advantage of the situation."
maybe the low paid rent a cops took them. You know (Score:2, Redundant)
maybe the low paid rent a cops took them. You know that gpu / ram has big ebay value. Nice that Gamescom covers their ass by saying Individual booth security must be booked separately. They've also advised exhibitors to have insurance against theft, and said these warnings are noted in the terms and conditions for participants, as well as in the event's technical guidelines.
Re:maybe the low paid rent a cops took them. You k (Score:5, Insightful)
Or maybe it was a competitor who wasn't interested in stealing the laptop so much as stealing the game before its release?
In any event, "The laptop was stored in a cupboard in the booth." The whole point of a laptop is its portability. While the venue and convention organizers could certainly have done a better job, anybody who leaves something that valuable in the booth at night is a fool.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
tracking/recovery mechanism built into or attached to the hardware maybe but if you rip the ram / ssd / gpu that can be useless.
Re: (Score:2)
Or just not let it connect to the internet.
Re: (Score:2)
In any other timeline, I'd agree. But given Gamescom has been going on for years and such stuff hasn't really been a thing, stealing laptops of some indie developer doesn't really get you much.
I'd think it was more for the hardware - tho laptops may not be worth too much, but you can bet they would have 64GB of RAM and likely a nice SSD, both of which can net you north of a grand. Plus S
Re: (Score:2)
...and if the laptop drive wasn't even encrypted, even more of a fool.
Sucks to have stuff stolen, but the individual is responsible for taking at least basic precautions to protect property - including intellectual.
Re: (Score:2)
I'm shocked that anyone would think "out of sight, out of mind" would be a good security choice. What doesn't surprise me at all, is
Re: (Score:2)
Re:Never heard of cameras? (Score:5, Informative)
I would depend on my own hands and not someone else's camera to secure the laptop away from the show floor
Re:Never heard of cameras? (Score:4, Informative)
I would too but a few cheap cameras beats security guards in this situation.
Re: (Score:2)
I'd think Gamescom should have guards at the door scanning badges (so there is a record) as well as cameras covering the conference floor.
Re: (Score:2)
I would too but a few cheap cameras beats security guards in this situation.
So would a policy of investing in a $100 backpack for a $10,000** laptop you never leave out of your sight.
** - The price RAMmed up a wallet by the end of this sentence, because we all need cats playing Beethoven reggae. Badly, apparently.
Re: (Score:2)
I don't see how an event like this doesn't have event security cameras scattered around?
Re: (Score:2)
The venue should have security cameras. That's an appropriate use of internal surveillance systems. Nothing like Flock.
They are blocking police reports... (Score:3)
I have seen at least one post online that claims Gamescom has told exhibitors not to report thefts to the police because it "makes Gamescom and the city look bad". If they don't want police reports, could there be something dodgy going on?
Re:They are blocking police reports... (Score:4, Interesting)
They don't want vendors demanding more security which will reduce GamesCon's profits. They don't want vendors realizing their merchandise isn't protected and refusing to pay (and participate).
It's a simple "fuck you, I got mine" response after GamesCon provided contradictory assurances about event security. Although, to be fair, vendors should have assumed the lower standard would be supplied.
Re: (Score:2)
They provide general security, but claim you also need booth security?
Yeah. There is something dodgy going on. That bullshit.
Now go find the thieves selling booth muscle, Holmes.
Re: (Score:2)
Rather, this is 100% about stealing what was on those devices, and the potential value could be hundreds / thousands of times higher than the cost of the lost hardware itself. Imagine a pre-release build of GTA VI, almost certainly without the DRM baked in yet so it doesn't embarass th
Re: (Score:2)
It's 2026.
If a companys physical security policy hasn't yet figured out that the information on every laptop is worth more than the hardware every time, then they're earning the results of not mitigating theft.
And nothing you've said dismisses how or why they needed to offer booth security above and beyond facility security. If that additional "insurance" didn't exist 10 years ago, ask yourself why. Then follow your gut instinct.
Re: (Score:2)
Peace, friend!
What were these guys thinking? (Score:3)
Anyone who's ever worked a conference ought to know you don't leave anything worth stealing on the exhibitor floor. Doesn't matter if you have a security guard: Things get legs.
I got no tears.
Re: What were these guys thinking? (Score:4, Informative)
The business area of the convention is not open to the public, only press and others with specific tickets. Laley said Gamescom advertised this area as having 24/7 security and limited access after hours
Re: (Score:2)
Re: What were these guys thinking? (Score:3)
Things that you shall expect getting stolen are pens and T-shirts, but those have promotional value.
Anything of value has to be glued down or made devalued with permanent markers and stickers.
kensington locks? (Score:2)
Make the theif regret it (Score:2)
Bring a laptop that displays a GOATSE or other "MY EYES, THEY BURN, MAKE IT STOP" image if you power it on without pressing "magic keys" that enable a normal boot.
If you are worried about people stealing things for the value of the parts, equip it with hardware-self-destruct that goes off when the cover is removed (but have some way to deactivate it in case you need to remove the cover).
I see a future where travelers going to high-risk areas use laptops with everything soldered onto the motherboard AND wher
Re: (Score:1)
Beter security, but for extra (Score:2)
"At an event of this size, however, there will always be individuals attempting to take advantage of the situation."
Sounds like they were planing on there being thieves at the event from the start. "That's a nice new game you got there. Would be a real shame if anything happened to it while you're here" vibes.
Just sayin'
Leaving their home office for the first time? (Score:2)
Stolen from controlled area - I'd be pissed ! (Score:2)
AirTags (Score:1)