The game sector has quickly advanced over the past two decades. Gaming has become more than an enjoyable pastime due to its transition as a niche hobby by various people. The industry’s growth has come a long way, thanks to new technology and mobile gaming fad. And as it matures and expands, the gaming and tech conventions have to follow likewise.
If you’re a gaming enthusiast, then you probably know that there are many gaming conventions that happen all year round. But which is the best to look forward to? No need to research further, this article will provide all the information you need.
Here’s our top five list of well-known gaming conventions you should be familiar with.
#5 DreamHack
DreamHack is a revelation to snatch the fifth spot! It is a Swedish production enterprise that offers professional eSports tournaments, live music, and tons of cosplaying fun. In fact, DreamHack was recognized by Guinness Book of Records for putting on the largest local area network (LAN) party of all time in 2011. This trade show typically holds events in North America and Western Europe.
#4 Game Developers Conference (GDC)
We know you’re looking for GDC, and it grabbed the number 4 mart! GDC is one of the USA’s largest and best-attended video game shows. Its annual events are designed not only for professional game developers but to aspiring ones as well. Unlike shows that highlight video game fans, this one centers on educating and inspiring professional game developers. So for those involved in video game development, this convention is to die for.
#3 GamesCom
You’re into the biggest game fair in Europe at top three! If you’re the type who only watches live game press conferences, then you might have the impression that GamesCom is simply E3’s European smaller version. But that couldn’t be more true.
Gamescom is more about showcasing the latest games and electronics directly to consumers, whereas E3 focuses on networking and presentations to journalists. Another significant difference between them is that the former is open to the public. And as a result, it carries a larger number of visitors and exhibitors. In fact, its 2019 event was able to gather 373,000 attendees to Mess Cologne, a number that’s far more than E3 can pull.
#2 Tokyo Game Show (TGS)
Surprise, surprise! The Tokyo Game Show grabbed the second-best spot! TGS is one of the critical markets in the gaming sector. When they started in 1996, their primary focus was on Japanese games, including two of the most successful gaming brands up-to-date, Sony and Nintendo. Still, few international video game developers, like Microsoft, choose to gather here later on to showcase their upcoming releases.
What makes TGS remarkable is how the event organizers created the best of both worlds for every gaming expo enthusiast. The general duration of the event is four days, which is segmented to two halves. The initial two days were exclusive to industry professionals, while the remaining two were open to the public. This strategy shrunk E3’s annual attendees, especially when TGS held its 20th anniversary, which garnered 270,000 people.
Many love TGS as it serves as their one-stop-shop to Japanese gaming. This includes educational programs from top Japanese universities, merchandise sales, gaming tournaments, and new announcements and hands-on presentations in its Western counterparts. Although those who don’t speak the language may feel a little off towards the event, the Asian audience thinks otherwise. They perceive TGS by far the most fascinating annual gaming experience ever.
#1 Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3)
And the gaming expo that landed on our top 1 spot is E3! We all know that it’s really impossible to talk about video game conventions without mentioning E3 in the picture. Yes, E3 isn’t the first event to showcase gaming hardware and videogames, but it was the first one to exclusively highlight them.
It was back in 1995 when the show began to bang on trend by attracting all major gaming publishers. At the time, E3 was able to convince the industry leaders to make their big announcements during the show’s press conferences. This tradition still lives up to this day and has been imitated by other exhibitions.
Although the show has been entirely open to trade marketers, each of E3’s press conferences is always streamed live to the public nowadays. So even if they experienced low attendance numbers in 2019 (about 66,000 attendees), they got back at garnering 500,000 to 1.5 million hits in viewership. This made E3 score for a third straight year as the most-watched conference in the world. It’s no wonder why E3’s been at the top of the ladder for 25 years.
Take Away
Game industry events can be deemed as a great way to support gaming businesses worldwide. If you haven’t experienced exhibiting, attending at least one from the featured list above might be a game-changer for your company. Go for it and make sure to work with an experienced trade show builder. They surely have all the things you need to maximize your exhibit potential.
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