Tag: gaming

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Publishers: please hold more gaming events in Canada

Fan Expo Canada 2022

Every year, I put together a round-up of all the gaming-related programming at Fan Expo Canada.

When I did this last year, the list ended up being pretty empty outside of a few prominent voice actors — no demo-filled exhibitor booths in sight. At the time, I chalked this up to COVID; after all, it was a scaled-back show and there were a bunch of restrictions. I expected 2022 would be different.

Narrator: it was not.

 

Ubisoft had an admittedly nifty Assassin’s Creed booth with a few demo stations to showcase some of the series’ games on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, but not a single publisher was present last week with a booth to let you try upcoming games. Moreover, PlayStation and Xbox completely skipped the show, while Nintendo was present only for a Splatoon 3 photo op wall and arts and crafts station. I’ll confess that I was quite disappointed.

Even before COVID, gaming events in Canada have been few and far between. Fan Expo Canada 2019, the last pre-COVID show, had a really solid lineup of game demos, including Final Fantasy VII Remake (PlayStation), Gears 5 (Xbox) and Luigi’s Mansion 3 (Nintendo). Also that year was the Enthusiast Gaming Live Expo (EGLX), which had a huge Nintendo booth. However, that pretty much covers it in terms of major events, and even then, EGLX also quietly went away the following year.

By comparison, the U.S. has historically had so many gaming events. The massive PAX West is happening this weekend in Seattle, and it’s just one of multiple PAX events across the country. E3 shifted to a public-media hybrid show before COVID, and it aims to do that once more in 2023. Geoff Keighley’s Summer Game Fest is also set to have a physical event next year, and that’s to say nothing of The Game Awards that he hosts in Los Angeles, or even Gamescom, Europe’s largest gaming show that he partners with. Before COVID, Xbox also held its own ‘XO’ events in countries like England and Mexico.

Xbox XO19 London

Xbox’s XO19 fan event in London, England.

Now, if you’ve followed our gaming coverage here on MobileSyrup, you may know that Canada is a gaming industry powerhouse. We’re talking third-largest producer of games in the world. Assassin’s Creed, Mass Effect, FIFA, NHL, Rainbow Six Siege, Cuphead, Gotham Knights, Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, Luigi’s Mansion 3, Dead by Daylight, PGA Tour 2K23… these are just some of the many games made in the Great White North. You would think, then, that publishers would do a better job promoting that here in Canada.

Sure, digital demos have been making a big return, and that’s certainly a wonderful way to bring games to people at home. But there’s something special about getting to try them out in person — that communal experience with friends and complete strangers alike. One of my fondest memories of previewing a game was playing Sea of Thieves with a bunch of people I hadn’t met before. Besides, other countries benefit from getting demos at home as well as in-person shows, so why can’t Canada?

And it’s not even just about demos. Take PAX West — you can attend panels with legends like ex-Nintendo boss Reggie Fils-Aime, Monkey Island creator Ron Gilbert and adventure game pioneer Roberta Williams or even meet The Last of Us‘ Neil Druckmann and Troy Baker, among other cool opportunities. Of course, I’m not expecting that such big names would routinely come to hypothetical Canadian events, but even if we’re looking at our homegrown gaming talent, there’s so much to choose from.

To be clear, some publishers have done some really cool things in that regard. At this past Fan Expo, developers from Quebec City’s Beenox and Sledgehammer Toronto held a panel to talk about what it’s like to work on Call of Duty in Canada. At the last-ever (?) EGLX, Ubisoft Toronto hosted demos and meet and greets for Watch Dogs: Legion. And for this year’s Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase, the Halo maker held a rad ‘FanFest’ event in Toronto, years after its awesome “Media Showcases” in the city. Game companies are notoriously secretive, so it’s always nice to let the public put a face to the people who make the games they love, and to give developers and others in the industry the chance to engage with their fans. Shoutout to the companies who have been doing this in Canada!

And hey, I’ve never put together a big event. I can’t imagine how difficult it must be to organize. A lot of time and money and planning goes into this sort of thing. It can’t be done overnight. I get all of that! But I keep looking at everything that happens in the U.S. and abroad and lament the fact that we don’t really have anything like that here. Moreover, it feels like a missed opportunity to not capitalize on Canada’s immense developer pool. Celebrate the fact that we have some of the best game makers in the world! Even if we don’t have dedicated events on the scale of PAX or E3, something smaller like EGLX or even one-offs like Xbox FanFest would be great! Ideally, these would be held across the country, too, and not just in Toronto.

I say all of this because I’m very fortunate to have been able to travel to international events for work. I’ve seen how exciting they can be, and I don’t take that for granted. If anything, it makes me want to share some of those experiences with others! Who knows what the future of gaming events will be in Canada, but hopefully, we start to see more of them in the coming years.

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4 Annual Gaming Events You Shouldn’t Miss

man playing pc games

There are some incredible video game expos out there, hosting talks, reveals, and demonstrations from all the biggest and best in the industry.

While most people have heard of E3, there are other great gaming events that showcase the latest gaming news, releases, and hardware. Let’s take a look at four annual gaming events you shouldn’t miss.


Gamescom takes the title of the largest video game event, boasting an impressive 370,000 visitors and over 1000 stalls in 2019.

Taking place in August, this four-day video games fair covers everything from cutting-edge hardware to boundary-pushing video game engines. During the online event in 2021, it accrued over 63 million users and 5.1 million hours watched.

In 2022, after a two-year hiatus, the event will be back in its physical location in Cologne, Germany, rather than all online. Tickets for the event range from $32 for a day to $10 for just a single evening. Of course, there is also live-streaming of the more significant parts of the fair, but for the full experience, a visit to its host city of Cologne is necessary. If the distance is too far, then the event is live-streamed across its YouTube channel as well as a number of others, such as Xbox and IGN.


This monster of an event is no doubt the king of the shows, but making the pilgrimage may be a little too far for some. For those who make it to the actual event, there are both sections for the business side of the convention for a chance for developers to rub shoulders with potential industry contacts and a much more hands-on area.

For the average visitor, this entertainment area will be the main reason for a visit, being able to try out all the newest games and tech while speaking to the people who develop it is an unmissable opportunity.

Originally called Penny Arcade Expo, this event was started in 2004 as a means to have an expo dedicated to all things games. PAX shares its focus across tabletop, arcade, and video gaming, so has a slightly wider range than the other events on this list.

PAX is held over a number of locations around the world over multiple dates throughout the year. PAX East starts the year in April taking place in Boston, MA, a few months later PAX West is in Seattle, WA during September. Melbourne, Australia hosts the third event of the year during October, and the final event, PAX Unplugged, finishes up the year in Philadelphia, PA.

PAX East, West, and Australian ticket prices range from $235 for a full four-day ticket down to $62 for just a day ticket. PAX Australia is the cheaper option, but PAX east is by far the more popular event. All events can also be streamed on its Twitch sites. Find out how to watch the event on Twitch with our handy guide on how to use Twitch effectively.

PAX Unplugged is an event slightly apart from the rest, it was started in 2017 when the organizers recognized the demand for the more manual side of its fan base. Unplugged focuses entirely on the tabletop, card game, and role-playing side of the event.


The other three events focus on all things gaming with huge showcases of the newest tech, platforms for indie studios to really exhibit their work to potential investors, and massive tournaments. A weekend of music, demos, and talks will satiate any video game enthusiast.

After the cancellation of the in-person event in 2021, the Tokyo Game Show, commonly referred to as TGS, now takes place in person in the Makuhari Messe convention center.

This event takes place over four days, showcasing the very best from mostly Japanese gaming companies with a number of companies from outside the country permitted when announcing the bigger releases. Starting as a bi-annual event in 1996, this Japanese game fair now runs only once yearly and attracted over 280,000 people in 2018.

This event runs slightly differently from the previous two, with its four-day run time split into the first two days reserved exclusively for industry and the second two days open to the public. This gives time for publishers to really spend time with the people who keep the money moving around the industry before putting on the big show for the public.


Japan is without a doubt a front-runner in the video game industry, with huge studios like Konami, Square Enix, and Capcom all stemming from the island. There will always be some big announcements from some of the most prestigious and longest-standing studios, with new IPs announced and new additions to some long-running favorites that keep the industry alive.

In 2022, after a two-year break from the in-person expo, the event will take place both online and in person. It advertises a highly enhanced online experience and has all 46 programs live-streamed across YouTube, Twitch, Facebook, and Twitter.

If you feel like you’re missing out on the group experience, you’ll be glad to know you can watch YouTube with friends. Tickets for the event can be bought for $7.50 online or $9 on the door.

Started in 2014 by host and producer Geoff Keighley, this show primarily focuses on game awards, as the name suggests. There have also been many game announcements during the show and further looks into previous announcements. A key moment for video game news seekers came in 2014 when Legend of Zelda: Breath of The Wild showcased its first-ever gameplay reveal at TGA.

The Game Awards runs for only one day and is live-streamed for free over the whole world. It can be watched via almost every streaming platform including Twitch, YouTube, Facebook Live, and Steam. Boasting an impressive 85 million viewers in 2021, this show streams every December to higher audiences each year.

This event may not be at the forefront of gaming news and announcements, but there is usually guaranteed to be one new, exciting event that will keep the video game industry talking for a few weeks. This free one-day event is worth tuning into just to find out who has won Game of The Year, so you know what to add to your collection if you haven’t already.

What Will Be Your Next Gaming Event?

There are plenty of opportunities to stay abreast of what’s going on in the ever-changing world of video games aside from E3.

With a broad choice of events ranging from the awards based events such as The Game Awards to Gamescom, the huge four-day event in Germany, there is something for everyone. Which gaming event will you keep an eye out for?

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What do you want to see from June’s gaming events?

What do you want to see from June's gaming events?

Tech nerds know October (and September) as “Techtober,” a month full of tech events, but gaming geeks know that June is a month full of gaming keynotes.

However, as outlined in Brad Shankar’s round-up of June’s big gaming events, E3 is cancelled. Luckily, there are several events this month that will replace it.

With that in mind, this week’s community question is, what gaming news do you hope to see in June?

While we’ve already seen trailers for God of War: Ragnarok and Hogwarts Legacy, it would be great to get official release dates for both titles. My guess is that we might learn more information about the titles on June 9th during Geoff Keighley’s Summer Game Fest event.

Additionally, it would be great to see gameplay footage of Bethesda’s now-delayed Redfall. It’s likely we’ll see this info alongside information about Starfield at Xbox and Bethesda’s showcase on June 12th.

It’s been years since we’ve seen anything from Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II so hopefully, more information about this title will appear in June as well.

And while I doubt we’ll hear anything from FromSoftware, Elden Ring DLC would absolutely make this a great month for me. Oh, and last but not least, I want to learn more about the upcoming Fable reboot.

Let us know in the comments below what you’d like to see from this June’s gaming events.

Image credit: Xbox

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Here are all the big gaming events coming up in 2022

Here are all the big gaming events coming up in 2022

A new summer means new big gaming events! We’ve already got a few confirmed events to look forward to, and more will be announced in the weeks ahead.

Even with E3 2022 being canceled, there are some other major showcases to check out. With plenty of great games on the way in 2022 and beyond, anyone interested in getting updates on previously revealed upcoming games and seeing some big surprises will want to check out these shows.

Summer Game Fest — June 9

Like in the past couple of years since the pandemic first threw a monkey wrench into many companies’ plans, Summer Game Fest is returning. The show will be hosted by Geoff Keighley, who also hosts Opening Night Live at Gamescom and the Game Awards. It’s being held on June 9 at 11 a.m. PT / 2 p.m. ET, and will feature “game announcements, reveals, and more.”

In previous years, Keighley’s shows have had a wide variety of games, with Summer Game Fest 2021 notably concluding with Elden Ring getting a trailer and a release date.

Xbox and Bethesda Games Showcase — June 12

Like in 2021, Xbox Game Studios and Bethesda Softworks are teaming up with a combined Xbox first-party showcase. The Xbox and Bethesda Games Showcase will be held on June 12 at 10 a.m. PT / 1 p.m. ET. While most Xbox summer showcases run for around 90 minutes, an exact timeframe for the show has not yet been confirmed.

Microsoft says the showcase will feature a “diverse lineup” of titles from both the Xbox first-party division and “partners around the world.”

PC Gaming Show — June 12

The annual PC Gaming Show is returning and will be held on June 12, 2022. Few other details are known right now. The PC Gaming Show has traditionally focused on PC versions of multiplatform games, or PC-exclusive titles such as simulation and strategy games.

THQ Nordic Digital Showcase — Aug. 12

THQ Nordic, one of the many publishers under Embracer Group, is holding its own showcase on June 12 at 12 a.m. PT / 3 p.m. ET. According to the press release, the showcase will feature “everything from intense, dark and gritty to light, colorful and just plain fun!”

QuakeCon 2022 — Aug. 18-20

While QuakeCon isn’t returning in a physical presence this year, there’ll still be something for Bethesda fans to tune into. An all-digital QuakeCon is being held, though there aren’t many details on what’ll be present yet. The event will begin on Aug. 18 and runs through Aug. 20.

More to come?

These are just the big showcases that we know about so far. We’ll be sure to keep this updated as other publishers will undoubtedly share their plans for 2022 as time goes on. E3 2022 might not officially be happening, but the summer period is always packed with gaming announcements, and even with the weirdness of the last couple of years continuing, we’re not expecting that to change.

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E-sports charity event is just the beginning

E-sports charity event is just the beginning

WATERLOO REGION — Three local e-sports enthusiasts can win a combined total of $750 worth of prizes at an upcoming charity tournament.

The Waterloo E-Sports Commission (WREC) is hosting the event starting at 10 a.m. on April 10, where players will battle it out in four rounds of Rocket League.

Each round will last about an hour and prizes include gift cards, tickets and passes to local events.

“This is one small step toward a bigger goal of ultimately hosting these larger tournaments and competitions, but also growing the (e-sports gaming) sector as a whole,” said Jeremy Dueck, the commission’s chair.

This includes through collegiate programs, and building regular events and leagues.

Rocket League is a game where players use cars to play soccer in a virtual arena.

The final two championship rounds will be livestreamed at 2 p.m. so that viewers can interact with each other.

Registration opened in early March at $10 per person, allowing those of all ages, both local and those from out of the region.

“There’s this phenomenal grassroots level of e-sports locally,” said Dueck.

“Finding out who enjoys playing e-sports, who enjoys building games and getting those people involved — I think it’s really about participation and community engagement.”

Participants will play from their homes, with use of video cameras encouraged.

The local e-sports commission’s vice chair, Allister Scorgie, hopes this event, as the commission’s first tournament, will be one of many. He looks forward to possibly doing in-person events in the future.

“One of the things we’re trying to do is create community using e-sports.”

“It’s gone from an activity that a lot of people did on their own and played from home, to something where there is a social component to it,” said Scorgie.

The group hopes to reach 120 players who would sign up to join the event. The commission partnered with the City of Kitchener to host it.

All of the tournament’s proceeds will go to the Every Kid Counts Program, which gives children with disabilities access to City of Kitchener and City of Waterloo summer camps. Dueck said a $400 donation would put a child in summer camp for a week.

To sign up for the tournament, go to www.challenge.wrec.gg.

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Event firms join metaverse bandwagon to offer immersive experience

File photo: An attendee wearing a VR headset during a concert experience in the metaverse at the Mobile World Congess in Barcelona. (Photo: Bloomberg)

Instead, it purchased digital real estate in Decentraland, a blockchain-based game that allows players to interact with each other through virtual avatars in a 3D virtual world and buy land within this virtual world, and even sell or rent it to other brands or individuals.

The virtual space Atom bought is now the company’s metaverse office, which it hopes to use to reach out to global clients and use as a place for ‘metaverse’ events and interactions too in the near future.

Yash Kulshreshtha, the national creative head of Mumbai-based firm, says those in their early 30s are already too old for today’s internet. He believes that much like how the older generation found the shift from newspapers to online articles drastic, the ‘90s generation is today content with what the present internet, or Web 2.0, already offers.

While the company has four virtual avatars to cater to this virtual space right now, Kulshreshtha says that one day, this facility could become just as valuable as the agency’s physical office – and in fact help the company expand its footprint beyond India. “The thing with the metaverse is that the young generation growing up today will find it completely natural,” he insists.

The ‘metaverse’, as of today, remains a vaguely defined and understood area of technology. While some, such as Meta (erstwhile Facebook), Nvidia, Microsoft and the likes have showcased virtual worlds with avatars that resemble the real person, items scaled to the real world, replication of actual areas, roads and much more, others have often used the ‘metaverse’ as a catch phrase given all the hype and attention around it.

In the distant future, the metaverse is supposed to be a single virtual world which runs parallel to our physical world, akin to worlds imagined in movies like Ready Player One.

Atom is just one among the many event management companies that are exploring this space.

In January 2022, Punjab-based events agency, Cryptic Entertainments, hosted what they claimed to be ‘India’s first metaverse concert’ on Ethereum-based 3D virtual platform, Somnium Space. About 30 individuals ‘attended’ the concert by 23-year-old Indian singer, Sparsh Dangwal. Since then, India has also seen its first ‘metaverse wedding’.

Such events show a rising trend of curiosity among individuals and organisers alike in terms of exploring a new technology. As Gautam Seth, co-founder and director of virtual event company Dreamcast Global, said, “Over the past year or so, there are many event companies in India that are trying to understand how the metaverse can apply to events. Some of the early movers are looking at ready metaverse platforms such as Decentraland and Spatial, and use their non-fungible token (NFT) avatars for their characters to design an event.”

Dinesh Dulhani, founder of Immersive Realities, a firm that develops immersive virtual experiences, adds a similar narrative. Over the past decade, Dulhani has offered virtual reality (VR)-based experiences in events that involve product showcases, or converted an audio-visual clip into a VR one. Today, Dulhani says that there is an increasing volume of attention in this space, for sure. “I have received enquiries and interest from the Singapore-based Publicis Group regarding hosting a metaverse event, and I have pitched such ideas to many of my clients as well,” he said.

Atom’s Kulshreshtha said that as of now, he has received queries from an Indian e-commerce platform regarding creating a metaverse platform, and has also pitched a metaverse concept to an FMCG brand regarding one of their promotional activities. Such plans, though, are still in early-stage conversations – showcasing the flipside of the ‘metaverse’ buzzword.

“Numerous brands are looking at a slightly toned-down solution, or more of a VR experience rather than the full-scale metaverse experience that platforms such as Decentraland provide. These brands typically want more control over what an attendee in their virtual event can do,” said Seth.

Alongside brands being conscious of what these experiences can bring to the table, Seth further said the technology is also a hindrance. “Today, the basic cardboard-like VR headsets are not good enough for metaverse events, because they are not really interactive. As an organizer, I cannot expect all individuals attending a metaverse event to have an Oculus Rift or similar VR headsets, along with a powerful computer, at home,” he added.

Dulhani, in fact, believes that even over the next couple of years, even as more companies express interest in ‘metaverse’ events, the experience will largely remain a non-VR one. “Back when Facebook acquired Oculus, everyone thought VR has arrived. But it still failed to get large-scale adoption from consumers, because of the issues with the headset. Over the past 4-5 years, VR has seen increasing adoption in enterprise use cases and gaming, but for it to become truly mainstream, the hardware has to evolve a lot,” he said.

To sum up, Kulshreshtha believes it is obviously a nascent phase for agencies and companies exploring the metaverse. “It may seem like a small augmentation of the virtual interaction experience that we have today, but for the generation that will follow us, interacting through a metaverse workplace will feel more natural. Such opportunities will let us advertise our products well beyond our present market, and take our agency global,” Kulshreshtha said.

“Look at Nike’s investment in RTFKT. If such big brands are making a push for NFTs and the metaverse, there’s definitely a big scope in the industry,” he added.

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