Hot Games

Sunday 10 June 2012

UK Games Expo 2012 - still disappointing ...


Over-priced food, inadequate parking, grown (!?) men dressing up as Star Wars stormtroopers and games not turning up - yes it must be the UK Games Expo once again!
We've been along every year and in recent years we (well at least me anyway) have said "never again". This year will almost  definitely be the last. So what is most wrong about the Expo:
  1. It just hasn't grown appreciably - the number of exhibitors is still minimal. 
  2. There were no major game releases this year, even worse the one key new game that even graced the Expo's programme failed to appear. 
  3. There are not enough retailers there to generate any price competition between vendors.
So, enough of the negativity, what was good about the Expo:
  • There is plenty of space to play games - we had enjoyable games of Anchorage and Extra!
  • I got to see the Going Cardboard film which was very good
  • We used the trip to visit Imrans on Ladypool Road for an excellent Balti
The future of the Expo seems to be in creating a UK equivalent of Origins at the NEC Metropole. Currently the Expo exhibitor space is around a third of the size of the Origins Dealer Room and considerably less interesting.
I hope the Expo grows and thrives - maybe I'll check it out in a few years time. In the meantime, roll on Essen!

3 comments:

  1. I have refrained from writing anything about the Expo this year; all that happens is I get whinged at by the organisers about how difficult it is.

    As for Essen, chance would be a fine thing.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I think if you pay your entrance fee then you're entitled to call it as you see it. I'm not sure that the UK market will ever support a decent event, but I don't think the Expo has improved noticeably in the last 5 years.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I'm entitle to, yes; but then there's nothing to stop the non-constructive response I know I'll get.

    There's no reason the UK cannot support a decent event; it has done in the past. There are many ongoing niche events which get along fine without being watered down by dressing-up, t-shirt stalls and other silliness. They pull in the punters they need to keep going without compromise.

    Mind you. if we want Spiel in the UK, we have to make room for the silliness; there are whole rooms devoted to it at Essen!

    ReplyDelete