Tweet
For me, the biggest thing happening in gaming this week was actually over on your side of the pond - the Eurogamer Expo. I love this kind of event: it's where gamers can get together, see and play new stuff, and (hopefully) have a great time. Unfortunately, I couldn't make it this year - but I really wish I could have been there. In the US, we have the PAX shows, but there's something special about London-based events. That might sound rather strange, but I've been to many shows in many different countries, and the most memorable ones for me have all been in London. It's a great place, and the crowds are always really positive and enthusiastic. I particularly remember some of the expos of the late 80s and early 90s, which were just brilliant. I'm glad EGX has picked up from where they left off and brought them bang up to date.Of course, I did go to E3 this year, but while it's an incredible showcase for the industry, it's also just that: an industry showcase. Yes, I love seeing all the new games, but it's work. I'm there to report on what's going on and to do business, and generally speaking, if you're doing it right, there's very little time to have fun. Sure, I always carve out a bit of time at the end of the show to go back and spend time with the games I'm personally most interested in, but for the most part, E3 is a heaving, sweaty, hyper-competitive, sleepless, wall-to-wall meeting, blur.
E3 is also trade only. Expos like EGX and PAX are for the public, and I believe these are exactly what gaming needs. In the early days of gaming, arcades made things very social, and (maybe it's just me) there seemed to be a lot of local micro fairs and general “computer club” type activities where people would get together. During the 90s, gaming became more of a focused group activity through events like LAN parties, and as we rolled into this century, online really began to kick in and players were able to connect remotely. Gaming suddenly became massively social again - but not in the physical sense. But while being able to connect with people online is a great thing, there's still nothing quite like getting together with people in a physical space to really precipitate meaningful conversation and exchanges of ideas. For the most part, I find if I'm socially gaming online, the activity is the focus. When I engage in physical social gaming, the experience if far richer, because the conversations are more interesting and the competitive aspect of gaming is far more visceral and fun.
Read more…
More...