Zion and I were seated next to the wonderful Nicholas Serpa. All about Nintendo Liam, on the other hand, has started running towards an audience that is presumably centered around PlayStation. When the show started, it was honestly amazing to experience a live showcase after E3 was cancelled.Admittedly, the game featured was not all Certified banger, but in Mortal Kombat 1, alan wake 2and Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth Everyone was present, so I really couldn’t complain.
The biggest surprise was the one and only Nicolas Cage on stage with Jeff Keathley. I love this man and I love his work. face/off and con air to recent performances mandy and color outside space. It was a real treat to see him light up the stage in a flashy green suit and one he won’t forget anytime soon.
change of plan
After the show, we went to In-N-Out Burger (meeting Manon Gage from the amazing FMV game) immortality on the way) and proceeded to pick up my pass to the Playday event.
Afterwards, we were scheduled to attend The Mix, an indie showcase showcasing 40 upcoming games. However, just before arriving, I received an email saying it was canceled last minute.
oh.
The fire department and the Los Angeles Police Department shut down the venue just as the developers had almost everything ready, as it turned out that the venue didn’t have the proper permits to host the event. Needless to say, the organizers were heartbroken. We did not participate in Completionist Gilad saved the day And he hosted a special live stream from his office showcasing The Mix’s indie games. We talked to him the next day and I can tell you he was exhausted. Great job, man.
While this was going on, we trotted to a few venues, which turned out to be perfect for meeting vidya game folks and personalities. Before the Playdays properly begin, I have a wonderful Nick Apostolides (Leon Kennedy, Bio 2/Bio 4 remake), Ben Starr (Clive Rosfield, FF16), Susie Hunter, Britney Blombacker, Lord Cognito and others.
hustle and bustle without hustle and bustle
Moving on to the actual Play Days event, the whole setup was perfect. Perfect. It happened all over a place called campus. Several small buildings are grouped together for easy access.
Considering this event was purely for partners and media/creators, the atmosphere felt incredibly relaxed. You can walk stress-free from one appointment to the next, shake hands with developers and have conversations, and easily get food and drink with almost no lines (except for the very popular pizza stands). .
Room for expansion, but not that too I have high hopes. There were many exhibitors there (including Warner Bros., Disney, Bandai Namco and Square Enix), but a few more heavyweights were missing, along with other key representatives from retailers and accessory makers. There is no doubt about that. We knew in advance that Nintendo would not be participating. Obviously that would have been a boon.
Nevertheless, the two-day event was probably the best E3 alternative event we could have asked for. It was really hustle free of hustle and bustle. We’ve already dived deep into hands-on impressions of games like Mortal Kombat 1, Foamstars, Disney Illusion Island, Sonic Superstars, Oxenfree II, and Little Kitty, Big City. But that wasn’t the only thing we saw. Also Fae Farm (an unglamorous amalgamation of every farming game I’ve ever played) and Hot Wheel Unleashed 2: Turbocharged (a solid racer that I’m hoping will hold up well on Switch). I checked.
Naturally, we ran into some prominent figures in the industry. On Saturday, I left the office with my head down on my phone to see what was next. I looked up and there was Phil Spencer on the Xbox. there is, walking towards me. Naturally, I stopped him and had a little chat with him. He’s a really nice, humble guy and was just as excited to check out some new games as I was.
Elsewhere, Zion spots Sonic Team’s Takashi Iizuka taking a walk, so of course I had to say hello to him too, but when he recognized my name, my Sonic Although I had my doubts about waving my finger at Frontier reviews. He was incredibly friendly and made sure I told Sonic that he was genuinely excited about Superstar.
But my strangest and most pleasant encounter happened outside the event on Saturday morning. Zion and I were hanging out at the hotel cafe, but Liam had already gone out. I was writing my review of Mortal Kombat 1, and just seconds after I started walking to the event, I ran into Ed Boon from NetherRealm walking in exactly the same direction. In the end, we chatted with him for 20 minutes before we arrived on campus, and it will remain a cherished memory forever.
And finally, Kit and Krista were the first to meet at the Summer Game Fest, in what can only be described as a coincidence. Kit and Christa! In fact they are just as nice as we expected and we look forward to future collaborations.
Ultimately, Summer Game Fest’s Play Days felt like a great industry-focused event, but they certainly lacked: earth-shaking This year’s announcements were well executed to allow for a relaxed session on new games and a great opportunity for industry peers across development and media to mix and exchange information. Decorated with comfy sofas and foliage on all sides, I hope this building will maintain the same style and atmosphere in the future.
A party like no other
To cap off what has already proved to be a memorable trip, a chance encounter between Liam and Giant Bomb’s Jeff Grubb led to the launch of Giant Bombs at Night, a live coverage of the Summer Game Fest. was invited to We didn’t attend the live stream, but it was so surreal that we attended the accompanying party. We hooked up with people like Greg Miller, Tim Gettys, Blessing Adeoye Jr., Snowbike Mike, Andy Cortez from Kinda Funny, plus the awesome people at GameSpot and Kotaku.
And no trip would be complete without visiting the Los Angeles Convention Center and witnessing the main venue for E3. It was certainly an impressive sight in itself, but of course, it was completely empty there. We said our goodbyes and headed off to get some beers and snacks.
tired but grateful
Sunday, just after the Xbox showcase (we watched it from the comfort of a hotel rooftop with a swimming pool and Dr. Pepper), it was time to go home. I said goodbye to Zion and Liam (both of whom had been in LA for some time) and headed to the airport.
The Redeye flight was scheduled to depart at 5:30pm PT and arrive at Heathrow Airport at 12:30pm BST the next day.I felt that way because I can’t sleep on planes. rough. The rush back to Euston station and the overwhelming heat certainly woke me up, but by the time I got home I felt sleepy and satisfied. time for bed.
I really want to participate in Summer Game Fest again. If this actually proves to be a permanent fixture on E3’s old slots, it truly has the potential to become the most prestigious and popular gaming event of the year. It’s true that we need bigger and bolder game announcements, but as an industry-focused event that companies claim to be, “no” For the overwhelming hustle and bustle of a big event with a larger crowd, we couldn’t ask for more.
