Recently I had the pleasure of working and attending one of Australia’s largest gaming conventions. Though the great southern continent isn’t known for having a thriving gaming industry, the major gaming retailers are aiming to turn this around. EB Games is one of the leading retailers in games sales, and as such have taken it upon themselves to host what is known as the biggest gaming event in the southern hemisphere, being able to pull the interest of major games developers and publishers, while never forgetting the little guys and providing a hub for indie developers and smaller games companies to show off new and upcoming titles and talent.
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| Darth Aus and his force boomerang |
Dubbed the EB Expo, the event runs for three days in October providing gamers all around Australia to come and experience, test and witness the newest and upcoming titles and hardware for the year to come. This year, gamers were particularly blessed with being able to get their hands on the new generation consoles which are soon to be released in November. Major developers took advantage of this to show off new software running on the new consoles, opting to give players a chance to experience games like never before, and hinting a taste at what is to come.
But what kind of convention would this be without cosplay I hear you ask? Well, EB Expo also catered to our cosplaying friends by throwing a massive cosplay competition with prizes up for grabs for those who had the best voted costumes. As I worked the expo floor, I saw an assortment of Links, Mario’s and Assassin’s from all walks of life. They were all quirky and wonderful, bringing a much needed gaming atmosphere to what would essentially have been a hardware/software show and tell.
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| One of the truly amazing cosplays that walked past me |
There was an assortment of tournaments ranging from some of the best League of Legend players to Australia’s best World of Tank teams. There was so much to see, that even as a staff member I couldn’t fit it in one viewing session. Each year, the EB Expo gets larger, grander and encompasses more of the gaming industries facets and niches. It gives hope that the Australian industry isn’t quite dead or stifled. There is still growth in our industry, and these annual conventions helps to promote that growth and encourages it to flourish.
And now what we’ve all been waiting for. Charmander vs Squirtle in the ultimate pokemon showdown.
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