GameStart 2016 returns to Suntec on 7th to 9th October
The organizers of the GameStart Asia go into their third year, and they have let us in on what's to come in this year's three-day convention at Suntec Convention Center.
Note: This article was first published on 28th September 2016.
GameStart 2016 will be held at Suntec Convention Center from 7th to 9th October, and the organizers of GameStart Asia gave us the run-down on what’s to come for the three-day gaming convention.
A key highlight of this year's iteration includes the first appearance of Xbox at a GameStart convention. Xbox will showcase titles such as Gears of War 4, Forza Horizon 3, and Final Fantasy XV. Visitors can also try out cross-platform play between PC and Xbox, and purchase Microsoft merchandise and products at the show floor.
Sony Entertainment will also be present at GameStart 2016 as a major exhibitor. They will have a massive booth for South East Asia Major 2016 - the largest console tournament in SEA where Xian and Daigo (both competitive Street Fighter players) will fight for a spot in the Capcom 2016 Finals. Here's a preview of what to expect from the convention organizers:-
Below are the other highlights, which we've listed in order of interest and genres.
Game Showcase
Within the Game Showcase packs fan-meet for gaming and cosplay personalities. Fans of online browser game Touken Ranbu will have a chance to meet Yuta Hanazawa from DMM Games. Malaysian guitarist, Az Samad, who performed with Distant Worlds: Music from Final Fantasy, will be performing selected tracks from popular game titles.
GameStart 2016 is also bringing cosplay personalities such as Miu (Vietnam) and Okageo (USA), and they will be judging for the GameStart Cosplay Runway. All other cosplayers can get free entry to GameStart 2016.
Besides the highlights, the showcase area for games will continue to headline games from all backgrounds – be it indie creations or AAA releases, card games, and preview demos of upcoming games. The list of games will be announced closer to the date of GameStart 2016.
Esports
The finale of Capcom Cup 2016 will be held at GameStart 2016, and it will feature the best Street Fighter players competing for a prize pool of US$500,000. There will be other qualifier tournaments going on as well, including ones for BlazBlue Central Fiction and King of Fighters XIV.
Notable Esports personalities who will be present at GameStart 2016 include Daigo Umehara, Gootecks and Mike Ross from Cross Counter TV, Mark "Markman" Julio, and Ho Kun Xian, better known as "Xian", a competitive Street Fighter Esports athlete sponsored by Razer.
For more tournament highlight details happening at GameStart Asia 2016, GameAxis has more details to share.
Founders Base and Doujin Market
The Founders Base section of GameStart 2016 is a hotbed for indie game developers and startups to showcase their work to exhibitors and attendees. Thanks to a renewed partnership with Taipei Game Show, the two parties will cross-promote Singaporean and Taiwanese games at their respective game conventions. This is also the year where GameStart Asia introduces the inaugural GameStart Indie Awards - visitors can vote for their favorite indie game showcase, and the winning developers get to go to Taipei Game Show 2017.
Doujin Market is an amateur artist event that focuses on Japanese content. This year, GameStart will bring 24 amateur artists to showcase their work.
Ticketing
The ticket prices for GameStart 2016 are below:
- One day (Standard): S$12
- Three days (Standard): S$30
- VIP Passes: S$70 (includes three-day entry passes, Priority Queue passes, and more)
- Cosplayers: Free entry
The first 300 visitors to attend will receive a GameStart "Random Loot" goodie bag that can contain gaming peripherals, T-shirts or prints from Xmashed Gear, high-end storage devices from Seagate, or other special merchandise from other GameStart sponsors.
Visitors can also receive an interaction activity by Armaggeddon called The Quest. To complete The Quest, visitors have to complete specific tasks in GameStart 2016 for 'swag' and chances to win a lucky draw that showcases a Secret Lab gaming chair.
Visitors who want to trade in old laptops, game consoles, games (not on PC), and mobile devices can do so. In return, they will get GameStart vouchers that can be spent on merchandise available at the convention.
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