Looking for exciting gaming events to attend or on which to follow updates during the year? Here at VGR, there are a lot of gaming events we love to follow and report on. There are many gambling events yearly that gamers can attend. For example G2E which takes place in Las Vegas, Macau and Manila is a great opportunity to stay on top of what is new in gambling. Below, you can check out a ranked list of some of our favorite gaming events.
1. E3
The Electronic Entertainment Expo, or “E3” for short, was our favorite gaming event for a long time here on VGR. Whether it will remain so or not depends on its future. E3 is organized by the Entertainment Software Association (ESA). The first E3 event ran in 1995.In the past, only industry insiders were allowed to attend. But in 2017, 15,000 general admittance passes were available to members of the public.
Alas, the future of E3 is in doubt. In 2019, Sony decided not to attend while “exploring new and familiar ways to engage our community in 2019.” And then, in 2020, E3 had to be cancelled physically because of coronavirus. Nevertheless, ESA does believe it will be going forward with E3 2021. If you look through our archives here on VGR, you can find comprehensive coverage of past E3 events. We will continue to cover E3 in the future if the event remains prominent.
2. Tokyo Game Show
The Tokyo Game Show (TGS) is another long-running gaming expo. It dates back to 1996, being inaugurated just one year after E3. Running for four days every year, the Tokyo Game Show is for industry insiders only during the first two days, and invites in members of the public for the last two days.
This, of course, is the big event for those who are passionate about Japanese games. But you also may want to follow it if you are interested in other games by developers from around the world who sometimes attend. It is also a big event for cosplay.
3. Global Gaming Expo
With the worlds of video games and gambling moving ever closer, we also like to follow the Global Gaming Expo (G2E). The inaugural event took place in 2001 in Las Vegas, so this is one of the newer gaming events we follow. Each year, Global Gaming Expo events take place at Sands Expo in Las Vegas, the Venetian Macao in Macau, and Marriott Manila in Manila.
G2E is the event to attend if you want to know what is going on in the world of gambling. Indeed, after launching, it rapidly became the largest industry exhibition in North America.
4. Gamescom
Gamescom (often written in the lowercase as “gamescom”) is another huge annual event in gaming which is worth following. Indeed, as of 2018, it was the largest gaming event on the planet measured by attendance and exhibition space. In fact, the first Gamescom took place in 2009, so you can see that the event has enjoyed rapid growth to become one of the world’s favorite gaming events. It is held every year in Germany, and currently is run by game – Verband der deutschen Games-Branche (Association of the German video game industry).
5. DreamHack
If you are into esports, you will definitely want to keep up with DreamHack. This Swedish company operates the largest “digital festival” in the world in the form of a massive LAN party. DreamHack also hosts multiple esports competitions with more than 3 million SEK up for grabs in its prize pool. Other Dreamhack events which take place throughout the year include expositions, live concerts and digital arts competitions.
Amazingly, DreamHack in its original form in the early 90s was nothing more than a few students hanging out together and gaming in the basement of their school. But it only took a few years for their event to become an important regional attraction. Soon, DreamHack was setting LAN party records. By 2011, it was hosting esports competitions. Modern Times Group purchased the company in 2015, and still runs it today. Events take place in Europe and North America.
6. Sony State of Play
Finally, we also like to keep an eye on Sony State of Play events. Unlike the other favorite gaming events we have listed here, these are not expositions. State of Play is a livestream series which Sony runs on a regular basis.
During the State of Play online broadcasts, Sony exhibits the hardware and software it is working on. Watching State of Play live, we get to be among the first to check out exciting new trailers, announcements and reveals.
Now you are familiar with some of our favorite gaming events here at VGR. Follow along with our posts throughout the year to keep up with announcements, trailers and more from E3, TGS, and other events!