Eurogamer expo family experience
We arrived at Earls Court in London after a long journey, I was not sure what to expect from the Eurogamer event itself; all I know is that we had all been discussing every game possible on the way.
My kids and husband were extremely excited to get their hands on the latest titles and consoles the gaming industry had to offer. Events like these are great because you get the chance to see what the hype is all about, and I must say Eurogamer and the vendors at the exhibition did not let us down.
Chilling out in the press area!
Above the boys pictured discussing what they want to play next.
We all have such different interests in our home but we really did manage to get a feel for a whole lot of games from independent developers all the way to the likes of Ubisoft, DICE,Nintendo,EA,Konami and Microsoft.
Not only that! but we had a chance to play games on the latest consoles Xbox One and PS4, this as you can imagine exited all of us.
Nintendo Zone at Eurogamer
Jake playing the Wii U with a great Nintendo staff member!
Wow, this area was brilliant and such great fun, Nintendo has so many unique characters which instantly touch all age groups, they have such a brilliant approach to gaming in my eyes because it has such a wide range of games which everyone can play either solo or as a Family. The area itself was great and every time you played a game one of the staff would stamp a Nintendo card, once you had two stamps you got the chance to spin a wheel which had loads of free Nintendo products to win, the arrow would stop on a prize and you walked away with something every single time. We came home with loads of different things including a Sonic the hedgehog wearable spikes and a Pikmin teddy, you could also win die cut stickers and badges. The staff in the Nintendo zone stayed with you whilst you played the games and although they must have been stood there all day they still had plenty of time to talk to you and assist whilst being friendly, knowledgeable and extremely enthusiastic.
If standing had got too much to bear you could also grab a bean bag in the ‘Street Party’ area and relax and play on your DS and 3DS consoles against other gamers and members of the Nintendo team, here you had the chance to win prizes too. You could also take part in gaming events whilst the Nintendo staff commentated rather excitedly.
I have always be a donkey Kong fan!
Mario and Luigi
Games we had chance to play in Nintendo Zone were Super Mario 3D World, Pokemon X and Y, Zelda The Wind Waker HD,Zelda A Link between worlds, Coaster Crazy Deluxe Donkey Kong Country:Tropical Freeze, Sonic:Lost World. These are to name but a few of the major titles Nintendo showcased crossing all gaming platforms from Nintendo handhelds all the way to the WII U.
Minecraft Tournament
This was another one of our children s favorite area’s at Eurogamer, they had the chance to play the game and compete against some quite famous Youtubers.Furthermore if you managed to win your games and become a victor you won some really great prizes. The Minecraft game continues to evolve and yet keep the same feel as it did from day one, my kids have always played this and they were so excited to get stuck in and try to win, unfortunately there were some great players at Eurogamer and they didn’t managed to get a prize but I could see they loved every minute of it.
Just Dance 4 Zone
Just dance 4 by Ubisoft was brilliant, the ubisoft team had set up a large trailer with a great big screen inside. The music was blaring out some of the latest chart hits and I we managed to work up a sweat dancing on a couple of occasions. Literally everyone seemed to be really enjoying themselves and the best thing about this particular game is that your whole family can get involved at the same time. You would see many mums and dads taking on their children and its so funny to watch because you could see how competitive the fathers became when dancing, this stand did make me chuckle on several occasions.
FIFA 2014
FIFA 2014 by Electronic Arts did a great job, the ques didn’t take that long at all and we played a few times on this game. FIFA is a timeless classic and by changing to classic controller mode you can pick up where you left off in Fifa 2013, I lost as per usual to my eldest who beat me pretty much every time. The fact that even though I lose fairly often on this game and I keep coming back for more shows why this game is so good (I do want to win one day hopefully). I did think the graphics were much more crisp and plenty more detail has been added to the stadiums and crowds.
Call of Duty: Ghosts
Call of Duty: Ghosts was another eagerly awaited game in our house, we got to play this on the Xbox one, the game is fast paced and has plenty of hiding area’s in the maps for you to take down your opponents. The opponents come at you thick and fast and the multi-player experience is phenomenal, the game itself is totally different from Battlefield 4, the graphics are equally as slick but the pace is far quicker. I have always struggled with the speed of the game but to be honest I found myself wanting to head back to have another go of this awesome title. Just for the record I did lose on this game too my son won the round and pretty much destroyed me, along with all the others that came above me as well. This area was really well organised and the staff continued to fill the seats so the wait times were not as long.
Over 18 Zone at Eurogamer
The over 18’s Zone not for the faint hearted.
Battlefield 4
One of the most anticipated games of 2013 was showcased at the event, literally ran to play this title experiencing a 64 Multiplayer player game in obliteration mode it was carnage on the Xbox One. The queues were massive but so was the amount of spaces available for gamers to play this awesome title, you quickly got to have another go. The game has been super tweaked and the gameplay is strong, the in-game graphics are literally out of this world, totally immersing you in battle. The dynamic maps make you feel as though you are actually playing on a real battleground and we can’t wait until this game is officially released . Plus I love the word ‘Levolution’ which is what DICE have named they way the maps develop throughout the entire game, you can use the maps to your own advantage like shooting the lights out and turning on the infrared to take down your opponents in the dark.
Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z
I could see why this title was in the over 18’s zone due to the level of violence in the game, but my god I had fun playing the demo and believe me I think anyone who plays this game will really enjoy the manga style graphics. You play the game as Yaibu who is a Cyborg warrior running around destroying zombies galore and I mean galore, the bosses are really well thought out and instantly pose a challenge.
Also included in the over 18’s zone at Eurogamer expo Wolfenstein: The New Order ,Watchdogs theater and Assassins Creed: Black Flag, Dark Souls 2,Dead Rising 3, Dying Light,Payday and Titanfall.
The over 18’s euro gamer zone was extremely well monitored and you had to provide Identification proving your age before you could actually enter the zone, so no fear of younger eyes seeing these games, which I thought was well thought out.
Retro Zone at Eurogamer
Eurogamer had a large Retro Zone including all of your favourite consoles of the past, I really enjoyed this area it certainly was one of the more relaxed zones to be in throughout the entire time we were there. It’s great to be able to play all of your favorite titles that you may have forgotten over the years, however I always seem to find when playing a game you haven’t seen for a while really does make you happy. This Retro Arcade will always be popular amongst everyone because these games created a unique platform for the games we know and love today.
PS4 Zone at Eurogamer
This area was packed with awesome games allowing you to play the ps4 and get a hands on feel before its release this year, Skylanders Swap Force was certainly one of the more anticipated games my youngest son wanted to play in this area. Excellent and friendly staff covered the area ready to answer all of your questions and you could pre-order the console prior to its release later this year. My kids are totally split on which console they would like and therefore I was unable to pre-order anything, the PS4 Zone really did a good job of showing you what was on offer… which is it to be PS4 or the Xbox One?
Games in the PS4 Zone at Eurogamer Include Doki Doki Universe,Hell Divers, Ratchet and Clank Nexus,Gran Turismo 6,Drive Club, Reso Gun,War Thunder, Octodad, and the over 18 section which was also in the PS4 Zone Included Killzone Shadow fall multiplayer, Warframe, Fifa 14 PS4 Version. More titles were available these were just some of my favourites from the Eurogamer Expo.
The gameplay was slick and the resolution on the screen makes the detail exceptional, the characters retain the look and feel we love but with that little bit more of an edge. The obstacles you face interact beautifully and my son was almost drooling over the new characters with their new interchangeable characteristics.This game is certainly going to be on Jake’s christmas list and for the amount of fun and excitement he has already had from the earlier games I know this will continue and be well worth the purchase.
Skylanders swap force Screenshots
Jake looking rather impressed at Skylanders Swap Force
Check out this Video Filmed at Eurogamer giving you a look behind the scenes.
XBOX ONE Zone at Eurogamer
Xbox One Zone at Eurogamer was really fun, above the games the XBOX team seemed to know how to connect well, really well in fact with their gamers. The XBOX One stage was constantly packed with gamers whilst the Xbox team showcased plenty of games and gave away plenty of freebies and prizes. Again extremely friendly staff who were happy to answer all questions that were asked of them. Some of the free gifts were amazing and the show hosts who gave you the low down on the latest titles and features for Xbox had us laughing and screaming the whole way through. A few lucky people managed to get themselves an Xbox 360 to take away with them on the day, although they did have to do some silly yet amusing things like acting out being a sea-lion and dancing like a zombie.
Look how the Xbox one takes pride of place on the main Xbox stage.
Forza at Eurogamer brought their car for us all to check out!
Xbox one consoles already set up…. Could not wait to have a go.
Xbox games to play on the day included: Forza, Dead Rising 3,Fable Anniversary,Fifa 14,Fifa 14 Xbox One,Zoo Tycoon Xbox One,Call of Duty:Ghosts Xbox One,Killer Instinct,Kinect Sports Rivals Xbox One and many more.
Gaming Merchandise and Accessories
Turtle Beach,Razor and Alienware were all in attendance showing some of their latest products and gaming accessories to add power to your setups. This was great because we made a decision on some of the gifts the boys would love this year,getting hands on always helps. This also showed how popular Eurogamer Expo is because all the top brands had their own personal stands which looked extremely impressive, one of which had its own DJ playing some great music keeping us really entertained.
The Eurogamer Tournament Area
Again another great area for gamers to test their skills against one another on the stage, Gamers again have the chance to win some pretty amazing prizes and when you sit watching these events you have a tendency to get drawn into the whole atmosphere of the tournament.
Oculus Rift
Well this was extremely interesting the concept of the technology is to allow you to place a pair of goggles on your head and it immerses you inside the video game itself, will it work. Well I tried the oculus rift and WOW just WOW, gaming is changing at an alarming rate and the oculus rift will be taking us forward. When you look around 360 you are in the game it’s so difficult to put into words but this will take off I am sure, I had great fun on this. When you take the goggles off after being inside the game you do feel disorientated because you literally have been thrown into a new world.
Cosplay Zone at Eurogamer
It’s great to see what others are interested in and the amount of people who dress up as their personal favourite characters is brilliant. The level of detail which people put into their customs is outstanding and they should be extremely proud of themselves. The Cosplay stage had special talks on how people developed their designs and what ways the achieved the overall look and finish to their costumes. Also the great thing is that the gaming community get to see some of their gaming heroes brought to life all in one place. I love cos-play I just wish I had the same talent to design my own costume.
Check out this Eurogamer Cosplay Video
What to Expect from Eurogamer
An amazing day out filled with all the games you could possibly want, the best thing is that there is something for the entire family at this event and I can see why this venue is so important to the gaming industry. You literally get to try out everything you could possibly want ranging from old school gaming all the way to the future of gaming, what more could you ask for from a day out. There was also a board gaming area that I have not mentioned because I didn’t have chance to attend,but if you can make sure you book more than one day next year.
Here are some more pictures as if I hadn’t put enough already but I really want you all to see them, I hope you enjoyed this post and if you would like to know what other games were like please ask.
Full list of games at Eurogamer this year
Batman:Arkham Origins, Beyond:Two Souls, The Bureau, Call of duty: Ghosts, Caribbean, Castlevania:Lord of shadow 2, The Crew, Defense Technica ,Democracy 3 , Doctor Kvorak, Dream, DriveClub , Droid Assault, Eador: Masters of the broken world,Elder Scrolls Online, Ethan: Meteor Hunter, Fifa 14, Final Fantasy XIII, Forza Motorsport 5, Foul Play , Frozen Endzone, Gran Turismo 6, Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number, Infamous: Second Son, Infinite Crisis, Injustice:Gods among us, Bayonetta 2, Coaster Crazy Deluxe, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, Knytt Underground, Putty Squad, Pokemon X and Y, Q.U.B.E: Directors Cut , Scram Kitty and his buddy on rails, Tengami , The Legend of zelda: A Link Between Worlds and The Wind Waker HD, The Wonderful 101 , Just Dance 4 , Killer Instinct , Killzone: Shadow Fall , Kinect Sport Rivals , Knack , Lego Marvel Superheroes,Lightning Returns, Luftrauser , Might & Magic:Duel of champions , The Mighty Quest For Epic Loot , Montagues Mount, Need for speed rivals, PES 2014 , Prison Architect , Project Spark ,Ratchet and Clank , Redshirt , Rocksmith , The Room two , Ryse: Son of rome, Shadow Warrior , The Shield , The Sims 4 , Sir, You Are Being Hunted, The Chaos Engine, Stronghold: Crusader 2 , Surgeon Simulator 2013, Ultratron , Velocity 2X, Volume , War for the overworld , World of tanks.
Over 18’s Zone
Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, Battlefield 4 , Dark Souls II, Dead Rising 3, Dying Light , Payday 2, Titanfall, Wolfenstein: The New Order, Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z
Take a look at this YouTube video
PLAY EXPO REVIEW 2012
Now this looks like a really fun expo. We are not gamers, but my son just discovered Mine craft and is totally into it.
What an amazing day out this looks like I’m sure my other half would have adored it as well 🙂 x
I could not be there but what a great event!
Interesting a lot of info to get through
Wow, gaming heaven!
my son would have been in heaven!
wow gaming fun
Sounds like a fun event to be at, my techie other half would have totally loved it !
gaming heaven
My hubby would love this
Wow..this looks like a fun day out. We must go next year.
Omg I bet you had so much fun, would have loved to try out new and exciting games, gives you a great idea what ones the kids would like to have for birthdays christmas ect. My son would have loved to have been there.
Mario & Luigi!!!!!!!! My favourite all time characters!
Son and Grandson been to one of these exhibitions (They are addicted to games lol ) I cant see the attraction Angry birds does me 😀
I’m so jealous. I would love to go but London is so far away
It looks fantastic. Mind you, I’m still struggling with Candy Crush. Oh the shame x
My son would have LOVED to have gone to this event, he loves gaming.
Wow this look Amazing. Fun for all xx
looks like a great day out for the family
Looks a lot of fun.
gamer heaven, looks like fun!
What a great (and probably exhausting!) day that sounded like! Think my favourite area would have been the Retro area – the N64 was discovered again when the boys were home from uni – lots of Goldeneye was played with lots of laughs too!
thanks for giving us such a great review of this experience it looks like all of you had a great time as a family and indvidually (if you know what I mean) We have never been to anything like this as before reading your review always thought they were geeky and I would be bored, will definately have to go now as a family
my whole fam would ove it
This event looks great. I would loved to of been there
It was an amazing experience, great for the whole family.
My sons would love this x
looks fantastic
What an amazing day out
this event looks great 4 all the family 2 enjoy
If I ever had money and time i’d love to go to places like these
my 9yr old asd son would LOVE to go here! His idea of heaven
Looks like great fun!
Gaming is life, life is gaming.
Awesome stuff!
love to win this for my 10 year old son
My kids would love to go to this – sounds great now I’ve read about your experience
Gonna make this my goal next year to take my kids to one of these they would love it so would I too
I’m going to start saving now – looks like a great day out
Wow, looks like a lot of fun! My son would absolutely love to go to one of these events. Shame there usually in London, would love one closer to me in Leeds 🙂
Thats looks like so much fun…… I’m upgrading from my Wii and finally have my Wii-U arriving on Monday and I can’t wait to play The Wind Waker on it. It was a great game on the Gamecube and I hope the upgrades on the Wii-U don’t spoil it!
My grandchildren are too young for this at the moment. But not for long, my grand daughter 3 years can already switch my phone on and play the games I have on there…
Looks awesome my son and I would have loved this
What an amazing day out for gamers! My son and daughter would have been in their element in the Minecraft section 🙂 x
My whole family are all gamers, all into different things, always wanted to go to this, now you have completely made my mind up! Just always seems to be something else going on! My five would definitely love this day out! Wicked!
I would definitely go next year if you get the chance.My boys want to go to E3 next, they just keep upping the stakes!
Looks like a lot of fun
What a wonderful day our – so much to see and interact with. My son and daughter would have adored it – and to be honest I would too as I dabble in games from time to time.
Blimey you must be a god to your kids x
brilliant , a lot of info.x
so jealous – would have loved to go to the expo – but then again, we probably wouldn’t have got past the first stall – once we saw the games you couldn’t have dragged us away
my son would have loved that,he says he`s going to be a games designer when he leaves shool
Wow, you lucky things! This would have been both my eldest son and middle daughter’s dream come true!!
Eurogamer is an excellent website.
My son would have loved the Minecraft tournament! Looks like you had fun!
Gaming heaven for any kid !!
Quality family time,what’s its all about.
It looks like lots of fun! Can’t wait for my little boy to get a little older to take him to things like this.
This is like my boyfriend’s biggest fantasy…
I would give anything to go there
Looks like you had a wonderful time!
Looks like fun x
Great event…my boys would have loved it!
My son would have had the time of his life!
My son would love the Minecraft zone.
I would of loved to go to this so would my son. Shame i didnt know about it really
WOW what a great event…my Son would have loved this,boys dream day out 🙂
loooks like you guys had an amazing say, i must try it someday my boy would be in his element xoxox
this looks amazing – i would love to surprise and take my son and partner to this, we are total gaming geeks, this would be our mecca!!
wow my son would love this
I wish I could visit one of these Expos but they very rarely come to Bristol. Though we’re having a new stadium built so fingers crossed!
my hubby and son would think they’d died and gone to heaven attending a games expo
As an old school gamer that started off with an Atari 2600 it’s amazing to see how far the graphics, as well as the games have progressed.
My son would love this!
That eurogamer car is something to look at. My fav colour as well
Looks like you guys had a great time ! I would have loved to have met Sonic 😀
looks great fun
Think I would probably spend too much time in the retro zone!
Looks like great fun and great mazes too!
What an amazing expo…must take the kids next time.
please, nobody tell my son about this!!
seen a few games my hubby and sons would love zelda was a favourite
Man, you have made this event look like the “once-in-a-lifetime” kind of events I would save up for years to attend! Thanks for planting the 2015 Eurogamer Expo-or-bust bug in my brain!
That zombie is trying to grab something XD
Amazing pictures!!!! You really cover the event from top to bottom ! #greatcoverage Funny to see the gamecube in the retro zone
I remain a PC gamer…I really don’t ‘get’ consoles.
I’d love the Xbox one
I try and limit myself when it comes to gaming now, I used to get hooked on games and be up all night just to get to the next level or to complete the games. I really want to get an Xbox One though for my little boy. We’d have really enjoyed this 🙂
Looks amazing .x
WOW what an amazing day, gutted I missed out on this. Having boys who are now both a senior school it’s hard to find suitable days out that will keep then entertained. The Just Dance zone would have been my favourite as it’s the “only” (and I kid you not) game that I have any chance of beating all the boys at in my household lol.
I live in the north east and I wish more events were held up here and we would be more likely to attend. I understand why they are held in London but even Birmingham would be more accessible for us as a family. Taking into account ticket prices, travel costs and possibly accommodation too it is way out of our league. Would love to try it one day though, it sounds amazing!
very nice pictures and info
Mario 🙂
wow my son would love to go there, think i will maybe ask my brother to take him though- not really my thing lol
love it
cant beat a good game , looks like lots of fun was had :0
looks a fab day out 🙂
Would love to go to this
My boyfriend would have gone crazy for the Sonic section!
I’m not a gamer but that looked like an absokutely amazing day!
Wow, my kid would have gone crazy with the minecraft tournament
Wow that giant Sonic is a bit scarey! Looks fun though!
looks like fantastic fun
Great day out
wow, I bet that was a great day out for the family
looks great fun
I went to a gaming event once. It had new consoles/games and beer. Awesome. This looked cool.
OMG that car I wanna go please let me have a go just a go around the block
looks like a great day out
wow you covered so much – what a great guide to what looks like an amazing day! it would not be my cup pf tea BUT my OH would have enjoyed himself I do recognise some of the games you have listed from seeing them in his collection. sounds like it was the perfect experience for your family.
thank you for linking up x
Thanks for such a comprehensive review – want to take my son next year !!
We really wanted to go to this, but I had a broken leg unfortunately, and my partner was still recovering from having Meningitis, so it really was against us!! Hopefully next time…. 😀
Looks like it was great fun, good photos.
it looks amazing