Video gamers set for world's biggest trade show

The world's largest video game trade show, Gamescom, opens its doors on Tuesday in Germany at a sensitive moment for an industry battered by layoffs and studio closures. "I see studios that inspired me going out of business and it terrifies me," David Rabineau, a French developer who heads independent studio Homo Ludens, told AFP. - 'Sharp downturn' - At least 11,000 workers have been given their marching orders already this year, more than for the whole of 2023, according to Game Industry Layoffs, a website that tracks the numbers.