GAME>PLAY saw a diverse crowd of gaming fans play old favourites, reach new high scores and experience immersive indie games. Hosted by Exeter Phoenix, the South West’s foremost multi-artform venue and supported by Exeter City Council, Tech Exeter CIC curated the free event on Saturday, 23rd February, which saw hundreds of people of all ages join in the fun.
Along with the chaotic, colourful and engaging ‘Incredible Playable Show’, GAME>PLAY offered interactive and immersive experiences for all tastes.
Joypad Arcade offered a variety of retro gaming consoles, with games ranging from Duck Hunt to Mario Kart. 2times.do are inviting keen makers and developers to build their own controllers, switches and adapt ‘PONG Rewired’. Over 35 switches were made by children, parents and enthusiastic game playing adults.
Immersive experiences included Triangular Pixels’ showcasing their newest indie Virtual Reality games, which encouraged participants to don VR headsets to explore virtual worlds driven by some of the best tech available.
Exeter-based RGCD showcased some of their latest releases on real Commodore hardware, including upcoming releases for the Amiga in 2019. The Acer Predator gaming van was parked up outside of the venue to give visitors the chance to experience and trial their latest gaming hardware. With over a dozen different retro gaming stations, interactive experiences and award-winning shows, there was a real buzz at the gaming festival.
TechExeter Director Kris Sum said: “It’s been fantastic to see people get a chance to try out new tech, rediscover old favourites and to experience gaming in a positive and inclusive fashion. Without the generous help of Exeter Phoenix and the support from Exeter City Council, we would have not been able to organise such a high-quality event and appreciate the support and time given to the festival by our volunteers. We are looking forward to bringing GAME>PLAY back next year and are already collecting ideas and potential partners to work with.”
Watch the video of the event: https://youtu.be/fkw5Gg5byCs
Tech Exeter runs tech meet-ups, events and conferences, supporting the wider digital and tech scene in the South West.
For more information on Tech Exeter: https://techexeter.uk/