The three-day License 2 Play games show that closed on Sunday left much to be desired but, ultimately, it provides us with a promising glimpse at how a games show can be run successfully in Singapore. GameSync gives its take on what the organizers got right and what they need to improve on before it will be come a must-attend landmark event.
For an event that positions itself as “packed with interactive fun and excitement” and a “showcase of the latest digital media, computer games, entertainment software and hardware”, it was quite jarring to find, on entry, that the show looked like it had more in common with one of the four mega IT and electronics fairs held in Singapore than with a showcase event like Games Convention Asia or the World Cyber Games.
I was expecting to see flashy and inspired vendor booths, open spaces for the crowd to gawk and mingle at the latest and greatest and to top it off a main stage with constant activity located at the epicenter of the exhibition. The reality, however, was that nearly all the booths did not stray from the default cubicle, the corridors were cramped and the main stage did not have any presence to it – the design did not stand out and it wasn’t even facing the entrance.
Thankfully, there were exceptions such as the Asiasoft GameFest 2009 booth. It definitely stood out, befitting their billing as the anchor partner for L2P. Their booth was well designed, had a huge banner that screamed for attention and, most importantly, had interactive demos of Asiasoft games that the public could try out. Unfortunately, Asiasoft was tucked into a corner of the hall instead of occupying a centrepiece position.
And despite L2P being billed as a game show, only half the floor space was actually devoted to gaming. The other half was taken up by a consumer and household electronics fair that sold everything from digital cameras to LCD TVs and even washing machines and stand fans. Seriously, washing machines? There were also two vendors at the electronics fair side that were constantly trying to draw attention by shouting the latest cut throat prices and discounts. Not only was it annoying, it totally ruined the atmosphere and made it difficult to hold any meaningful conversation.
Was L2P all bad? It wasn’t. While it left much to be desired, there were glimpses and hints of what could very well become one of the mainstays of games event calendar in Singapore.
The addition of an electronics fair, despite it shortcomings, was a brilliant touch on the part of the organizers. Say what you want, but games on their own could never have drawn the estimated 200,000-strong crowd that thronged L2P over the three days. The organizers should go one step further if they intend to bring L2P back for a second year. Why not turn the electronics fair into a real showcase of cutting edge technology and hardware? There is no real technology trade show targeted at the public, such as the Consumer Electronics Show in the US, locally in Singapore. It’s a market hole that L2P could fill, and in the process turn the event into a premium showcase of what’s coming up next in the technology world.
It was also great that L2P brought different genres of game competitions to the show than the usual FPS and RTS games. Battlestations, a Facebook game, and World of Warcraft Arena were both held as an offline competition for the first time ever at L2P. The addition of the Darkmoon Faire WoW trading card game tournament was a welcome nod of acknowledge to the TCG community. If possible, more games should be brought in both for their respective communities to enjoy and as a way for game developers to showcase their games. It would also be nice to see other TCG competitions besides WoW.
The workshops conducted at L2P, targeted at the casual gamers and general public, helped to bring gaming down to a level that everybody could appreciate and understand. Covering topics from cyber wellness and Internet safety to professional gaming and games development, there was a wide array of topics that would appeal to anyone willing to find out more about what they (or their children!) are doing and where they expect to go in the future.
This mix of a gaming and electronics showcase, alternative games competitions and education workshops will go a long way in differenting L2P from the other major events on the Singapore gaming calendar. With a little love and attention to detail, we could soon see L2P join Games Convention Asia and the World Cyber Games as major events that gamers look forward to every year.
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