EGamesExpo 07
The EGames Expo was on again in Melbourne’s Exhibition Centre, and they’ve learnt a lot from the first event held last year.
Key differences over last year were
- The booth babes were hotter
- There were more booths
- There were more freebies
- You could bring bags in (and cameras!)
That being said, it still seems to have a long way to go. We (chickz0r and I) went today (Sunday, the final day), and it was packed but lacked excitement. Perhaps a combination of weather and being the closing day, but exhibitors and attendees just seemed to be a bit down on the whole day, compared to last year.
Fury again was one of the main attractions, but after being an alpha tester for the game, I had no interest in it. They had a “super special” on Fury, $30AUD for one, or $50AUD for two, instead of the RRP of $89.95. That isn’t limited to EGE, you can also pick it up for about that price (or cheaper, given the exchange rate) from Auran’s store. Auran had their own stage, with competitions (to win a Core2Quad system, I think), as well as a dozen or so other computers setup to play Fury. They really sure have spent a bit more on the demo systems they brought down from the Sunshine State…performance was worse than that of last years pre-alpha demo!
Crysis came in second for most coverage on the grounds, with PC’s setup in a competitive “NetCafe” environment, as well as more casual ones setup on lounges with large (30″+) HDTV’s. They were plagued with problems – many computers had to have the three finger salute (Ctrl + Alt + Del) performed on a regular basis by the staff operating the systems, some were even running in windowed mode!
Sony actually had something to present other than the PSP this year, with their PS3, but the majority of their systems were PSP and PS2′s; they did however, have one large booth and competitions for Resistance: Fall of Man. Microsoft had a giant inflatable Master Chief helmet, with many 360′s showing of Halo 3, to be expected. Nintendo rounded up the console giants by occupying the exact same spot as last time (right at the front door), but mostly had Wii sports going – rather disappointing!
I’m hoping that the cosplayers today weren’t all that turned up for the event, because if they were, my Soundwave costume (if I had of finished it..) had a serious chance to take out best costume. I know I’m being overly critical for somebody who didn’t dress up, but the Cosplay Parade had nearly half the audience leave before the second Cosplayer was on stage.
Freebies last time were nonexistent, however this time we managed to score 4 or 5 Seagate pens, and an Intel keychain. Not great, but we weren’t there for long. There were other freebies being handed out (or thrown out in the case of the Frisbees), so at least some exhibitors have learnt.
I think over time EGE is going to get better and better, it is still in its infancy and isn’t sure how the audience is going to react. This year was packed, so hopefully next year they learn a better layout and to include more consoles/pc’s so people don’t have to line up for more than half an hour to play one thing. I’d love more freebies, but what can they really give away?
Overall, I had less fun than last year, but it was good to see that the event is going strong and will more than likely continue on next year.
