The Play Expo - Manchester thread

[nakamura]

Nintendo have nothing to show this year. PES 2015 is excellent.

QC, brilliant to meet you. Sorry I didn't get out earlier to chat and play more games. Hope to catch up again.

Gang Beasts did indeed impress. So much fun but I was only watching. It's on Steam apparently.

[RuBiQ]

Nintendo have nothing to show this year. PES 2015 is excellent.

QC, brilliant to meet you. Sorry I didn't get out earlier to chat and play more games. Hope to catch up again.

Gang Beasts did indeed impress. So much fun but I was only watching. It's on Steam apparently.

Smash Bros
Toads Treasure Tracker
Starfox game
New Zelda game
Splatoons
Mario Maker
new Kirby game
new Yoshi game

I thought there was loads of incoming Nintendo stuff for them to showboat off to the fans, more than last year even..

[importaku]

LOL ?150 for a powerglove

[nakamura]

Star Fox and Zelda are nowhere to be seen yet. Smash would have been a good idea. The rest are kinda middle of the road though not saying they aren't good.

[Arashikage]

I went yesterday and while it was an enjoyable day it really did seem to miss that certain something that made last year's show.

The big companies seemed to abandon this years show and it was replaced with PS4 demo kiosks that were running already released games. The retro console section was a lot smaller than previous shows (an X68000 that I spent an unhealthy amount of time on last year was absent, I instead spent time finishing 1080 Snowboarding on a PAL N64 with a blurry picture and a broken controller) The arcade section had a lot of knackered machines (which isn't surprising seeing how old a lot of them were). At least Star Wars Trilogy Arcade was fixed from last year, I spent most of the day playing that.

All in all it was worth the trip but only just. Not even Craig Charles wearing his hangover shielding sunglasses made the day an out and out success.

[QualityChimp]

Yes, it was fab to meet you and wander the floor for a bit together, nakamura.

There was a lot of interest in the Smash Bros. contest, so Nintendo missed a trick, really. I'm not sure how many people were won over by Konami's PES demos, but the amount of people putting FIFA on the PS4 pods shows they must have won a few fans by merely having a presence there.

Ooh, I played Spyhunter too! I got my head right in the cab to hear the awesome bassline of the Peter Gunn theme.
Wonderboy, Pac-Land and a random game of Hyper Sports with 3 other guys was great.

I'd not been before, so I can't compare to previous years, but it was massive, had loads to do and was really well organised inside.
I don't think they were ready for the queues outside as they snaked around the block.

I've been to Revival at Wolverhampton Race Course, which is a bit more intimate and less corporate, but there's a lot less to see there.
Both have their places, really.

[QualityChimp]

I forgot to say alongside the Gundam kits, I was really tempted by Micro Drone 2.0, a quadcopter with a camera on it and the JXD S7800B looked great on the Funstock stand, especially as you can hook it up to the telly.

[Neon Ignition]

I enjoyed it, very nice to finally play a Virtual Boy and see a Panasonic Q in the flesh but it was comfortably weaker than 2013's which was itelf weaker than 2012's. Definite vibe that content is becoming an issue. I can see me not bothering next year as the focus is beginning to rely very much on the awful cosplay and overpriced trade stalls. A shame, as Manchester area events like this always die off for some reason. Solidly run though, hopefully they can pull new content in to make it worth sticking with

[QualityChimp]

Firstly, why on Earth didn't you let us know you were coming? I'd have loved to have met CrazySuperTaxiManFallsNext! Or at least one of your clones, as I don't think it's physically possible for one man to play all the games, watch all the films and TV shows that you manage to get through!

very nice to finally play a Virtual Boy and see a Panasonic Q in the flesh

I've played the Virtual Boy before at Retro Revival and was really impressed with the 3D effect. Virtual Force, I think. As for the Panny, it was running a bonkers Japanese wrestling game, which I think was Ultimate Muscle. I had the little figures for it when I was a kid! It always seemed to have people on it, but people playing Gang Beasts seemed to be having more fun with a bigger crowd.

but it was comfortably weaker than 2013's which was itelf weaker than 2012's. Definite vibe that content is becoming an issue.

What's your issue with the content? Were you expecting more new games? Maybe some current developers other than Konami? I don't think it's trying to be E3 or EGX.
I was chatting to some people and they said it was bigger this year. The Screen.Play section (DeLorean, Game of Thrones throne, Starwars and Red Dwarf cast) was all new.
I really enjoyed it because it was my first time there, so I couldn't compare it to previous years, but I was expecting a retro videogame show and got that and more.

I just thought it would be some old arcade cabs and consoles, but I was really pleased at what was there. The cabs were plentiful, had a massive selection and there were lots of brilliant dedicated ones. The consoles were grouped really well, so shmups, FPS, peripheral games etc. were all next to each other - DJ Hero next to Taiko No Tatsujin, for example.
I agree with Arashikage and some of the screens were a bit iffy and cheap, but it was fun for a quick blast.
The pinball area was huge and had some classic and modern tables. I loved the Starship Troopers one.
There were lots of people there, but you could usually get on something fairly fast.
The PS4 section was a pleasant surprise as I didn't know they were going to be there. Played/watched a little Sleeping Dogs, MGS and Uncharted.

I can see me not bothering next year as the focus is beginning to rely very much on the awful cosplay and overpriced trade stalls.

I really didn't see this as a problem as lots of people were having fun and you could easily avoid the cosplay shows. The stalls were interesting to have a look around and look for a bargain or laugh at the prices, but didn't dominate the hall, the games easily took up the majority of space.

I usually go to Retro Revival in Wolverhampton which is a much smaller affair, but is mainly about the games and a handful of stalls. I'll definitely do that again as it's so near, but I'm planning on doing Play.Expo next year as it was lots of fun and had so much content.

[Neon Ignition]

I was there on the Sunday, mooching about like a skulker Virtual Boy did surprise me to be honest, the red could definitely do your eyes in but the picture quality and 3D effect was really good. Kind of made me sad it had failed.

I think, and this is mostly because it was my third year, it was held back as the retro section/arcade/pinball was pretty much the same stuff as previous years. Nice to see them but you get to a point where there's stuff you want to see but isn't there and you're just seeing things you've already seen. It increases a dependency on the new section but that seems to have died, the first year was great and last year was fine if a bit small but it was close to non existent this year and without that bit I do wonder if it'll last. It was pretty busy and probably the best laid out of the three years but definitely less busy at least in feel. Though the lack of queuing was a nice change.

Sitting in the DeLorean though? Bucket List moment right there.

[QualityChimp]

I'll let you off as I was there Saturday! I think it was loads busier too as the queue to get in went around the building and looped around the burger van!

I see what you mean about repetition, but there was a lot of different machines from Revival, so was mainly fresh.

There were loads of different PS4 games, but it wasn't really about companies promoting their new games.

Should've sat in the DeLorean, but my pic in the "What Do You Look Like" thread is me with Doc and Marty next to one...

[QualityChimp]

Right then. Who fancies going to Play Expo this year?!

http://www.playexpo.net/

10/11 October 2015.

It's in Manchester, so it's North of South and South of North, so there's no excuses!
Plenty of time to organise your calendars too!

Would be nice to have a decent Bordersdown turnout at the same time in the same place.

[CMcK]

I'm off that weekend. Need to make a wee trip down I think.

[nakamura]

I'll be there.

[^Katsu]

As if I'd be anywhere else? Gwaaaaan Chimpy & CMcK get to the Manchester. Would be great to see you IRL CMcK after all these years!

I'll also see any of you peoples at the Margate one in August too