More conferences, conventions, and other industry related events are being added to Events for Gamers’ calendar every day for 2023! Check out the calendar’s current listings and let us know if you are attending an event we should add.
We also will be increasing our stories throughout next year, covering all the main events with interviews and other exciting updates from your favorite events. The trend in 2020 and 2021 of more Online and Hybrid events will also continue to be tracked in our monthly event updates. In 2020, there was a surge of Online events due to the pandemic and necessity in continuing conversations about game development. Then in 2021 and through most of 2022 the industry saw the benefits of Online and Hybrid events.
We at Events for Gamers expect 2023 to continue the trend that began in late 2021 but focusing this time on more Hybrid events than Online ones. Onsite events will dominate as they did in 2022, but we expect to see more of them support some form of Hybrid offerings to those who cannot directly attend.
Be sure to follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Discord, and now Mastodon for the latest social updates and event news. If you have an event to share for our calendar, please let us know! Any support you can provide is appreciated.
What events in 2023 will be winners? Let’s find out together. See you next year as we join you at these industry’s events!
Hello Frosty February Followers! It’s a bitter cold day out today here in Texas with snowstorms on the horizon. We haven’t had snow in this part of the state in several years, so it will be an unusual appearance for many. On the bright side, we’re looking forward to make snow angels in the driveway!
The recent weather, and the terrible forest fires in California, all mix to bring about a difficult start of the year for those still looking for a job. Take hear though in resources like Amir Satvat’s Community for helping us all out. Also, attending events and networking is the next best thing you can do to help out your career enter its next stage. We’ve put together yet another great list of events you can attend for the coming month.
We are also looking for folks who want to get some editorial experience (or just prestige of attending an event) by writing about their event experiences (or simply taking photos showcasing an event you are attending). Let us know if you want to contribute!
Visit the main event calendar that includes events throughout the year and beyond.
Which events are you attending this month? Let us know by commenting on this article here or on Twitter and Facebook!
New Beta View!
We’ve made some additions to the overview, including a new test view of the events right from the calendar itself listed below. Let us know which type of list you prefer.
Author: Mathew Anderson, CEO and Editor-in-Chief of Events for Gamers, Community Manager for the computer game industry (KingsIsle, Portalarium, Petroglyph), and Public Relations Manager and Communication Specialist for various other industries.
The still-ongoing Los Angeles-area fires that have been raging since January 7 this year have taken lives, ravaged thousands of acres of land and property, and disrupted the lives of millions of people in the region and beyond. The impact of the fires, once they are fully contained and fully stamped out, will be felt for a long time. This impact will include game developers based in the Los Angeles region — as well as events in the near-term, which we’ll be looking at in particular.
Game studio offices, including, prominently, LA-based Riot Games, have been closed since the wildfire outbreak, with several game industry companies and organizations helping to raise funds to assist affected communities.
Game industry-related events that have been planned for January or February in the Los Angeles area have been moved weeks or months into the future, due to the impact of the fires. Here are a few events on our radar that have made key logistical changes due to the fires.
Shovel Knight Live: Steel Thy Concert:
Statement from Yacht Club Games about their LA concert schedule change (image: Yacht Club Games)
Yacht Club Games, the developer of the Shovel Knight game, was initially going to present a live concert based around the popular platforming game on January 19. The date has been changed to March 30. Original tickets will be honored, as will any cancellations due to the date change, according to their statement.
For all current information about the Shovel Knight Live: Steel Thy Concert, check out our event link.
Digital Entertainment World 2025
Digital Media Wire’s statement about the update to their DEW 2025 event in Los Angeles (image: Digital Media Wire)
Digital Media Wire, the organizer behind the Digital Entertainment World (DEW) annual conference, which focuses on the intersection of digital media, games, and entertainment. The DEW conference was originally scheduled for February 10 at the UCLA Palisades Ballroom has been updated to May 22, due to the interests of the safety and well-being of the community affected by the fires.
For all current information about DEW 2025, check out our event link.
DEG EnTech Fest
Digital Entertainment Group’s (DEG) EnTech Fest, which focuses broadly on new technology and ideas in entertainment, has been moved from its February 5 date to June 3. This event will also be merged with their Summer Symposium event. DEG’s merged events will be hosted at the Skirball Cultural Center in West Los Angeles. 50% of the funds raised from all non-member tickets will be donated by DEG to fire relief efforts.
For all current information about EnTech Fest and Summer Symposium check out our event link.
If these events are of interest, be sure to keep an eye on further updates from the organizers as well as other events you may be attending in the near future in Los Angeles. Events for Gamers, too, will also be keeping an eye out for updates, which we’ll pass along in the calendar.
Taipei Game Show 2025 (TGS) is set to launch at Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center Hall 1, 4th and 5th floors from January 23 to 26, featuring 346 exhibitors from 30 countries and regions. Over 350 games spanning platforms and genres such as console, PC, mobile, indie, and board games, will be showcased, including 100+ unreleased titles, alongside eSports tournaments and gaming hardware.
The B2B Zone on the 5th floor brings together Taiwanese listed companies, international publishers, and game developers. With 800+ international visitors already engaged in online biz-matching, industry professionals can access the platform through business visitor pre-registration until January 21. Asia Pacific Game Summit features leading Japanese and Korean game producers sharing development insights, while the opening day’s AI Forum explores emerging tech trends. Free registration is now open.
B2C Zone Floor Plan Released
Featuring Over 100 Launch Titles, Hit Games and Best-Sellers
B2C Zone announced its complete exhibitor lineup and floor plan today. Nintendo not only expands its exhibition space by 1.5 times this year, but also brings over 30 unreleased games and popular IPs including Super Mario Party Jamboree, The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, and Donkey Kong Country Returns HD. Renowned game publisher JUSTDAN presents globally anticipated blockbusters including Monster Hunter Wilds, The Hundred Day War -Final Defense Academy-, METAL GEAR SOLID Δ: SNAKE EATER, and Lily Fantasia. Clouded Leopard Entertainment showcases classic IPs The Legend of Heroes: Kai no Kiseki -Farewell, O Zemuria and Ys X: Nordics, with special guest NIHON FALCOM President Toshihiro Kondo and voice actors for exciting events, signing sessions, and a live “Falcom jdk BAND” performance. Cygames presents popular titles including Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising, Granblue Fantasy: Relink, and Umamusume: Pretty Derby – Party Dash, Game Source Entertainment (GSE) brings unreleased titles RATATAN, Yasha: Legends of the Demon Blade, and Sniper Elite: Resistance, while KOEI TECMO debuts world-first playable demos of Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories & the Envisioned Land and Venus Vacation PRISM – DEAD OR ALIVE Xtreme-.
Multiple cross-platform and popular games will be featured, including hit titles Umamusume: Pretty Derby, and Jujutsu Kaisen Phantom Parade. Highly discussed titles Arknights and GIRLS FRONTLINE 2: EXILIUM offer exclusive event rewards for attendees. GRAVITY debuts its classic IP series including Ragnarok: Must be cute!,、Ragnarok 3, Ragnarok Zero. Additionally, the globally chart-topping Wuthering Waves. with top downloads in over 100 regions and the newly released fan-favorite Infinity Nikki will make grand appearances. Etheria:Restart which has launched its global testing, Brown Dust 2 celebrating its 1.5-year anniversary, and the ever-popular Azur Lane will all offer various rewards. Popular cosplayers will also be present to meet enthusiastic fans.
First-time exhibitor CookieRun brings Cookie Run: OvenBreak, CookieRun: Tower of Adventures, and Cookie Run: Kingdom, alongside Legend of Mushroom which ranked in the top 10 App Store downloads for 2024. Whiteout Survival, topping both platform charts, will showcase its “Raging Bear” through glasses-free 3D display. Additionally, Path of Exile 2 and PICO PARK 2 from Gemdrops, along with the viral Korean sensation Trickcal Re:vive, have all become trending topics among players. The lineup includes the adorable ” Bugcat Capoo” series with new IP, InterServ’s first locally developed MOBA game G9: League of Aces, Runewaker’s Ark Phantasia, the intriguing visual novel Sofia in Exchange for Lies, and the open-world multiplayer survival game Once Human. This impressive array of titles promises to keep players thoroughly engaged.
TGS x Steam sale returns with 237 games at up to 70% off, accessible through Steam’s homepage from 9 AM, January 24 for 48 hours (GMT+8). Gamers can add titles to their wishlists now to catch the best deals.
Exciting eSports Hardware and Gaming Gear Giveaways
TGS STAGE Tournaments and International Player Showdowns
Republic of Gamers (ROG) partners with Qiddiya Gaming to present </RE:ALITY>, showcasing Qiddiya city and ROG’s premium gaming equipment. SD Association, Razer, WD_BLACK, FLYDIGI, and Brook will also exhibit, offering a complete range of latest consoles, monitors, memory, and various hardware peripherals. TGS debuts its “AI PC Zone,” featuring MSI and ROG’s strongest AI PC lineup, including first-look reveals of gaming laptops, gaming monitors, graphics cards, and gaming desktops.
TGS STAGE features an impressive IP lineup in collaboration with sponsor ROG. The first two days showcase Rainbow Six Siege, MonsterStrike, Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma, RATATAN, and Yasha: Legends of the Demon Blade. The weekend features Nintendo’s international friendly match (for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and Splatoon 3, alongside Garena Delta Force, League of Legends, GUILTY GEAR -STRIVE- Nintendo Switch Edition, Rainbow Six Siege community appreciation festival, and the BeePro x Brook Road to EVO Japan qualifying tournament, with special stage events and performances.
Largest Indie Game Zone in Asia Sets New Records; Board Game Paradise and TCG Gathering Await
The scale of this year’s “Indie House” has once again broken past records, featuring participation from 171 developers across 25 countries, showcasing over 200 titles. Notable indie game publishers, such as SHUEISHA GAMES from Japan and Critical Reflex from Cyprus, were among the participants. For the first time, the Indie House collaborated with XBOX, creating an entirely new look for the area and helping indie game developers shine on a global stage. The “Global Indie Game Pavilion” features collaborations with Australian, Canadian, and Lithuanian indie developers. Some showcased titles on-site will be paired with Steam Decks for hands-on demos, enhancing the exhibition experience for players.
“Board Game Wonderland” brings together 25 board game companies and studios, presenting over 80 titles. Local talented startups include TBD Taiwan Board Game Design, Wonderful World Board Games, EmperorS4, INDEPENDENT, and Play With Us Design, alongside international participants like Japan’s OXtA cube, GOTTA2, Hakuroku, and Hong Kong’s Liner Note Studio. Thirteen popular IP trading card games will also be exhibited. The showcased games cover party games, hidden role games, strategic cooperation, and family entertainment, ensuring fun for players of all types and ages.
One Week Left for Pre-Order Tickets
Save More with 50% Off for On-Site Duo Late-Bird Pass
TGS ticket pre-orders enter final countdown. Pre-order tickets are available through ibon and Klook at NT$200, compared to NT$250 for on-site purchases. New merch package tickets are available, with 2-day player passes and 4-day VIP passes offering exclusive entrance lanes. Don’t miss this last chance! Twilight passes will be available exclusively at the venue from January 23-26, offering free admission for one person when two enter together after 3:30 PM.
Asia-Pacific’s Leading Gaming Industry Platform
Register Now to Connect with Over 800 Business Visitors
The TGS B2B Zone, running January 23-24, welcomes 79 exhibitors from 14 countries, including Taiwanese listed companies, renowned international firms, and indie game developers. The exhibitors cover the full gaming industry spectrum: game development, publishing, IP licensing, payment solutions, localization services, marketing, art and animation design, and sound production. Visitors can easily explore potential partnerships across the entire ecosystem of the gaming industry.
Taiwanese listed companies include Soft-World MyCard and its subsidiary Chinese Gamer, SOFTSTAR Entertainment, InterServ International, Gamania’s GASH Points company, and Digicentre. Global gaming service and data analytics providers such as Xsolla, AppsFlyer, MOLOCO, and Adjust will also participate. Additionally, 19 indie game developers from around the world will attend, including YOHCAN Studio, Game Nobility, Gamtropy, ASAX GAME, and Poly Poly Games from Taiwan, alongside Indie Game Award 2024 Grand Prix winner Sad Owl Studios from UK, C4Cat – the developer of million-download music game “Dynamix,” from Hong Kong, and award-winning TrueWorld Studios from Singapore.
This year TGS collaborates with 13 international gaming exhibitions and associations, including Korea’s BIC Festival, Japan’s BitSummit, Singapore’s gamescom asia, Korea’s G-STAR, KOCCA, Lithuanian Game Developers Association, Philippines’ PGDX, Singapore Games Association, Australia’s SXSW Sydney, Japan’s Tokyo Game Show, Tokyo Indie Game Summit, Shanghai’s WEPLAY, and Canada’s XP Gaming. These partnerships not only bring diverse content to TGS but also create opportunities for exhibitors to expand internationally.
Over 500 companies from 34 countries and more than 800 business visitors have completed business visitor pre-registration. The pre-registration is available until 18:00 on January 21 (GMT+8). Complete the pre-registration to acquire access to online business card exchange and meeting scheduling, and be eligible to claim a B2B Zone visitor badge on-site. Premium Visitor subscribers can enjoy unlimited business card exchanges and meeting scheduling through the biz-matching system to maximize business opportunities.
Asia Pacific Game Summit 2025 Features Nearly 20 Sessions and Panels with Global Speakers
Asia Pacific Game Summit, the forum held in conjunction with the B2B Zone on January 23 – 24, will feature an impressive lineup of speakers. NVIDIA’s APAC Product Marketing Manager, Bruce Feng, will kick off the event by sharing how AI PCs can practically accelerate creativity and enhance gaming experiences. Valve, the parent company of the renowned digital game distribution platform Steam, will be represented by Business Development Ria Hu and Product Designer Lawrence Yang, who will discuss the latest developments and the future outlook of Steam Deck as part of the global PC gaming ecosystem. Hideki Okamura, founding President of the Japan eSports Union and a member of the Asian Olympic Council (OCA) eSports and Combat Sports Committee, will also analyze the current state of the global eSports industry and explore the unique characteristics of the Japanese eSports market.
Takayuki Fujino, the General Manager of Marketing Communication Division of Japanese renowned game company, COLOPL, will share their extensive experience in collaborative IP development and operations. Marvelous’ President and Executive Officer, Suminobu Sato, will discuss how their team supports indie game studios and assists local developers through incubation programs. Takahiro Morimoto, Head of Innovation Strategy Office and Manager of Game Business Division of Shochiku, who has transitioned from the film industry to the gaming sector, will reveal how their team collaborates with overseas game developers and related startups, as well as their overall future strategy.
Global renowned producers will also take the stage, including Shinichi Tatsuke, producer of SQUARE ENIX’s Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven, Masaaki Hayasaka, producer of DRAGON QUEST III HD-2D Remake, Ken Miyauchi, producer of Arc System Works’ GUILTY GEAR- STRIVE-, Jun Hee Lee, PD & CEO of GAMFSN who released Brown Dust 2, along with Kazutaka Kodaka and Kotaro Uchikoshi, Direction and Scenario from Tookyo Games who collaborated on The Hundred Line -Last Defense Academy-, will provide in-depth insights into game development, operations, marketing, and gamer community engagement.
Furthermore, Asia Pacific Game Summit will feature an AI Forum that will delve deeper into exploring the adaptability and future potential of artificial intelligence. Additional compelling sessions will focus on game development, indie game, game operations and marketing, generative AI, esport, and monetization. Renowned players in the industry, such as Xsolla, Czech Game Developers Association, Playio, and The Game Marketer will provide comprehensive analyses of the gaming industry and its latest trends.
The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2025 was an exciting event for gamers (a pun here for you), with both NVIDIA and AMD unveiling new and groundbreaking hardware. The tech groundbreaking nature of the event has always been said every year, but unlike previous years, this year’s showcase has firmly placed CPUs and GPUs front and center.
With NVIDIA and AMD unveiling next-gen hardware, CES is no longer just about the latest gadgets—it’s where the future of gaming hardware is being presented. From AI-powered graphics and hyper-efficient architectures, the announcements at CES 2025 are setting the tone for the next wave of gaming experiences. We’re going to present some of those “next wave” devices to you below.
NVIDIA’s Big Play: The GeForce RTX 5000 Series
We thought NVIDIA’s presence was interesting more on the product launches than their somewhat controversial keynote. The most interesting reveal was the introduction of NVIDIA’s highly anticipated GeForce RTX 5000 series of graphics cards. Building on the success of its previous generation, the RTX 5000 cards leverage NVIDIA’s latest Ada Lovelace architecture and the new DLSS 4.0 technology. All the bells and whistles a new generation is expected to carry.
GeForce RTX 5000 Series Bells and Whistles:
DLSS 4.0 and Ray Tracing: Even so with our reservations about DLSS 4.0, it still marks a leap forward for the company, offering even faster upscaling and better visual quality than its predecessor. The addition of next-gen ray tracing cores means games will look more realistic, with intricate lighting, shadows, and reflections.
We are not as impressed with DLSS 4.0 with NVIDIA “moving the goal posts” of how one calculates framerates. Once upon a time DLSS was a bonus in adding fake frames to increase the apparent performance of a game, but now NVIDIA is tacking this onto their benchmarks by default, claiming “4090 level of performance” for their 5070 cards. We highly doubt this is the case without assuming DLSS 4.0 is involved.
Improved Frame Rates: With GPUs like the RTX 5090 and RTX 5080, NVIDIA claims that the RTX 5000 series is capable of delivering 4K gaming at ultra-settings with frame rates pushing beyond 150 FPS in demanding titles. This makes it a great choice for competitive gamers who demand high-refresh-rate displays over quality from those displays.
Improved Power Efficiency: The RTX 5000 series is built on a more power-efficient process, meaning you won’t have to worry as much about power consumption or heat while running their GPUs at max settings. We at Events for Gamers expect the efficiency of these next-gen cards (including those from AMD) to be a huge benefit for laptop systems compared to previous years.
AI-Driven Enhancements: NVIDIA’s continued focus on AI for gaming has led to improved game optimization, with real-time dynamic scaling ensuring smoother gameplay even in the most graphically intense scenarios.
“It started with perception AI — understanding images, words and sounds. Then generative AI — creating text, images and sound,” Huang said. Now, we’re entering the era of “physical AI, AI that can proceed, reason, plan and act.”
AMD has usually been the underdog of the GPU business world with prices lower (and generally performance) than their competitor we shall not name (because we already did somewhere else in this article…). AMD is never one to back down from a challenge though, and at CES 2025, the company unveiled its own suite of hardware to take on NVIDIA’s dominance in the GPU space. The Radeon RX 9000 series is poised to be a serious contender for gamers looking for high-performance, next-gen graphics at hopefully a more competitive price point.
“Proud of our new @Ryzen AI PC lineup that @JackMHuynh showed off at #CES2025! Lots of new systems from all of our partners!” said Lisa Su, on her X account @LisaSu.
Key Features of the Radeon RX 9000 Series:
RDNA 4 Architecture: The RX 9000 series introduces RDNA 4, which offers substantial performance gains in both rasterization and ray tracing. The addition of Infinity Cache 2.0 boosts memory bandwidth and reduces latency, ensuring a faster and more responsive gaming experience.
Enhanced Ray Tracing Performance: AMD has significantly improved ray tracing on its RX 9000 series, closing the gap between itself and NVIDIA in terms of visual realism. While NVIDIA remains the leader in ray tracing performance, AMD is narrowing that gap. They are providing you with more affordable alternatives without sacrificing too much in graphical quality. We’re excited with AMD’s ray tracing performance this generation.
FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR) 4.0: AMD’s answer to NVIDIA’s DLSS, FSR 4.0, has been upgraded to offer better image quality and faster performance. While it doesn’t leverage AI in the same way as NVIDIA’s tech, FSR 4.0 is an impressive tool for maintaining performance at higher resolutions like 4K and even 8K. A reminder though that like DLSS these companies are essentially inserting fake frames into the sequence and this comes with side effects.
High Performance at Competitive Prices: AMD continues to position itself as the “value king” in the GPU market, offering impressive performance if who want excellent frame rates without paying the premium that NVIDIA often commands.
Ryzen 8000 Series CPUs: Powering the Next Generation of Gaming PCs
On the CPU front, AMD also made waves by revealing the Ryzen 8000 series processors, which are designed to complement its graphics cards and provide the necessary horsepower for next-gen gaming.
Zen 5 Architecture: The Ryzen 8000 series is built on the Zen 5 architecture, delivering significant performance increases over previous generations. With improved IPC (instructions per cycle), faster clock speeds, and more cores, these processors are perfect for multitasking and CPU demanding games.
Some of the games that will benefit most from raw horsepower are Minecraft, Cities Skylines, and other simulation type of games. Also in the simulation camp, repetitive production type games like Factorio will get a huge boost from the X3D variants of these CPUs. The more cache onboard the CPU the better for games that output repeated items over and over.
AI and Gaming Optimization: AMD has introduced a suite of AI-driven features to its Ryzen 8000 CPUs, allowing for real-time game optimization based on workload demands. This ensures smoother gaming performance across a wider range of titles while maintaining system efficiency.
Support for PCIe 5.0 and DDR5: PCIe 5.0 and DDR5 have been around for a while now and are ‘maturing’ as technologies. The Ryzen 8000 series supports PCIe 5.0 (usually AMD beats the competition here with supporting new tech), enabling faster data throughput between the CPU and GPU. Coupled with DDR5 memory support, you can expect smoother, more responsive gameplay across the board.
NVIDIA vs. AMD: A Battle for Gamers’ Hearts
The competition between NVIDIA and AMD has never been more intense, and CES 2025 highlighted this rivalry very clearly. Both companies are pushing the boundaries of what is possible in terms of performance, power efficiency, and visual fidelity.
NVIDIA continues to dominate in the high-end GPU space with its RTX 5000 series, offering bleeding-edge ray tracing, AI-powered features like DLSS 4.0, and supreme performance. Its high-tier cards will undoubtedly appeal to anyone who demands the absolute best.
AMD, on the other hand, is presenting an appealing alternative with its Radeon RX 9000 series, which is a better value proposition if who want great performance without breaking the bank. The Ryzen 8000 series also shows that AMD is serious about providing a holistic gaming experience with high-performance CPUs.
INTEL – THE NEXT UNDERDOG?
But wait, there’s more. Let’s not forget about Intel and its struggles to enter the GPU market these past few years with their Arc GPU architecture. Intel officially revealed the Arc B580 and B570 GPUs, codenamed ‘Battlemage’, this past month. There isn’t much to go on at the moment, but we are always rooting for the underdog of underdogs – a third participant in the competition ring is always a good thing after all.
Rumors suggest the B580 will be roughly 12% faster than the RTX 4060 and the B770 perhaps as fast as the RTX 4070.
Here’s crossing fingers these GPUs launch successfully sometime this year.
The Expense of Next-Gen Graphics: Is It Worth the Upgrade?
You may be wondering whether it’s worth it to upgrade their current hardware. The latest GeForce RTX 5000 series and Radeon RX 9000 series represent powerful leaps forward in performance, but they also come with hefty price tags. The top-tier RTX 5090 and RX 9000 XT models are pushing the boundaries of cost, with the potential to hit or exceed $2,000, making them a significant investment.
Being Practical
While these cards promise to deliver unmatched performance—whether you’re gaming in 4K, exploring virtual reality, or rendering demanding content—the question remains: Do you really need that level of power? For casual gamers or those with mid-range setups, the answer may not be clear cut.
If you have an older system—say, with a 1080 Ti or an RX 5700—might see noticeable performance improvements by opting for a mid-range card. NVIDIA is finally upgrading most cards in their 5XXX series stack with extra memory (except for the unfortunate 5070). Upgrading to something as powerful as the RTX 5090 may only be necessary for those gaming at ultra-high resolutions, multi-monitor setups, or those heavily invested in 4K or 8K gaming (but don’t do it for those CPU simulation demanding games… it’ll be a waste and may even hurt overall performance over, say, a 5070ti).
However, More Options The Merrier
On the other hand, with DLSS 4.0 and FSR 4.0, these new GPUs provide gamers with even more options to enhance performance, especially in graphically demanding games.
Ultimately, the decision to upgrade depends on your gaming needs and budget. If you’re a competitive esports player or a content creator working with 4K footage, the newest GPUs may well be worth it. However, for most of you who are happy with 1080p or 1440p performance, sticking with an older but still capable card could save you a lot of money while still providing a fantastic gaming experience.
In the end, both NVIDIA and AMD are delivering great options across the spectrum—from enthusiast-grade powerhouses to more budget-friendly options—giving gamers plenty of choices based on their needs.
Author: Mathew Anderson, CEO and Editor-in-Chief of Events for Gamers, Community Manager for the computer game industry (KingsIsle, Portalarium, Petroglyph), and Public Relations Manager and Communication Specialist for various other industries.
Disclaimer:All information acquired has been sourced from Nvidia, Intel, and AMD’s official website pages, or where linked back to from tech resources. Technical information and formatting done through various print programs. Quotes and any external commentary is sourced from their respective outlets. All other commentary and opinions are our own.
SAN FRANCISCO – January 15, 2025 – Organizers of the 2025 Game Developers Conference (GDC) have revealed the finalists for the 27th annual awards ceremony of the Independent Games Festival (IGF), the longest-running festival, summit and showcase celebrating independent games and their creators. The IGF is part of the 2025 Game Developers Conference, which will be held in person at San Francisco’s Moscone Convention Center from March 17 – 21.
Leading the pack with five nominations is Consume Me by developers Jenny Jiao Hsia, AP Thomson, Jie En Lee, Violet W-P, and Ken “coda” Snyder, followed by Despelote which has the distinction of having four nominations. Consume Me is a darkly humorous personal game about creator Jenny Jiao Hsia’s relationship with food, drawing from her past experiences with dieting and disordered eating. It’s nominated for Excellence in Design, Excellence in Narrative, Excellence in Visual Arts, the Nuovo Award, and the Seumas McNally Grand Prize. Despelote, from developers Julián Cordero and Sebastian Valbuena, is a slice-of-life adventure about childhood and the magical grip soccer held over the people of Quito, Ecuador in 2001 that’s been nominated for Excellence in Audio, Excellence in Narrative, the Nuovo Award, and the Seumas McNally Grand Prize
In addition to the categories listed below, the Audience Award is welcoming the GDC audience to weigh in on their favorite independent game of the year, and the public can cast their vote from the Audience Award ballot located here.
After an initial assessment completed by hundreds of judges, almost 500 entries for the 2025 IGF Awards were distributed to a diverse set of expert jurors from across the games industry for final consideration. This is a special aspect of the IGF Awards as it puts the power in the hands of current video game professionals, allowing them to vote and decide on the best independent games of the year. The juries for each category (Audio, Visual, Student, Nuovo, Design, Narrative and the Seumas McNally Grand Prize) then selected the finalists after playing, discussing and meticulously evaluating them.
The winners will be announced during the Independent Games Festival Awards, taking place at the 2025 Game Developers Conference (GDC) on Wednesday, March 26 (with a simultaneous broadcast on GDC Twitch). The IGF Awards ceremony immediately precede the Game Developers Choice Awards, which recognizes the best games of the year across all sections of video game development. All GDC 2025 pass-holders can attend both the Game Developers Choice Awards and IGF ceremonies in person at San Francisco’s Moscone Center.
The full list of finalists for each category of the 2025 Independent Games Festival, along with “honorable mentions,” is as follows:
Best Student Game A Dual Ascent (Mountain Toad Entertainment / Rubika Supinfogame) DisplaceMen (Eversea Club / leafaleaves) Growth Spurt: A Meandering Intermission into the Afterhours of a Miscalculation (Games for my Computer) Slot Waste (Vinny Roca / pickpanpuck productions) The WereCleaner (Howlin’ Hugs / USC Games) Year Unknown (Julian Heuser)
Honorable Mentions: Cards of Heart (GoodMind Games), Duck Paradox (Magic Games / Midwest Games), Lost Garden (Ori Shany, Yoni Pushett, Ramon Zerem), Perfect World (Michael Overton Brown), Timeworks (Starworks Studios)
Excellence in Audio Anger Foot (Free Lives / Devolver Digital) Despelote (Julián Cordero, Sebastian Valbuena / Panic) INDIKA (Odd Meter / 11 bit studios) ODDADA (Sven Ahlgrimm, Mathilde Hoffmann, Bastian Clausdorff) Thank Goodness You’re Here! (Coal Supper / Panic) Utopia Must Fall (Pixeljam)
Honorable Mentions: Animal Well (Billy Basso / Bigmode), Mouthwashing (Wrong Organ / CRITICAL REFLEX), Pacific Drive (Ironwood Studios / Kepler Interactive), Rise of the Golden Idol (Color Gray Games / Playstack), UFO 50 (Mossmouth)
LocalThunk’s Belatro has won several awards already and is one of the contenders at the 2025 IGF (image: LocalThunk)
Excellence in Design Balatro (LocalThunk / Playstack) Blue Prince (Dogubomb / Raw Fury) Caves of Qud (Freehold Games / Kitfox Games) Consume Me (Jenny Jiao Hsia, AP Thomson, Jie En Lee, Violet W-P, Ken “coda” Snyder) Pacific Drive (Ironwood Studios / Kepler Interactive) Tactical Breach Wizards (Suspicious Developments)
Honorable Mentions: Animal Well (Billy Basso / Bigmode), No Case Should Remain Unsolved (Somi), UFO 50 (Mossmouth), LOK Digital (Letibus Design, Icedrop Games / Draknek and Friends), Eigengrau (Martin Mauersics), The Rise of the Golden Idol (Color Gray Games / Playstack)
Excellence in Narrative Caves of Qud (Freehold Games / Kitfox Games) Closer the Distance (Osmotic Studios / Skybound Games) Consume Me (Jenny Jiao Hsia, AP Thomson, Jie En Lee, Violet W-P, Ken “coda” Snyder) Despelote (Julián Cordero, Sebastian Valbuena / Panic) INDIKA (Odd Meter / 11 bit studios) No Case Should Remain Unsolved (Somi)
Honorable Mentions: Blue Prince (Dogubomb / Raw Fury), Miniatures (Other Tales Interactive), Mouthwashing (Wrong Organ / CRITICAL REFLEX), Tactical Breach Wizards (Suspicious Developments), Thank Goodness You’re Here! (Coal Supper / Panic), The Thaumaturge (Fool’s Theory / 11 bit studios)
Excellence in Visual Arts Children of the Sun (René Rother / Devolver Digital) Consume Me (Jenny Jiao Hsia, AP Thomson, Jie En Lee, Violet W-P, Ken “coda” Snyder) Hauntii (Moonloop Games / Firestoke) Judero (Talha and Jack Co, J. King-Spooner, Talha Kaya) Nine Sols (RedCandleGames) Thank Goodness You’re Here! (Coal Supper / Panic)
Honorable Mentions: Crow Country (SFB Games), Death of the Reprobate (Joe Richardson), Miniatures (Other Tales Interactive), Tiny Glade (Pounce Light), Ultros (Hadoque / Kepler Interactive)
Nuovo Award Consume Me (Jenny Jiao Hsia, AP Thomson, Jie En Lee, Violet W-P, Ken “coda” Snyder) Despelote (Julián Cordero, Sebastian Valbuena / Panic) Extreme Evolution: Drive to Divinity (Sam Atlas) Ginger (Kevin Du / lizu ktap) individualism in the dead-internet age: an anti-big tech asset flip shovelware rant manifesto (alienmelon) Starship Home (Creature) tapeçaria (tapestry) (mut/moochi (with help from plunderludics working group)) The Exit 8 (KOTAKE CREATE / Active Gaming Media Inc)
Honorable Mentions: Arctic Eggs (The Water Museum, cockydoody, abmarnie, Cameron Ginex / CRITICAL REFLEX) , Judero (Talha and Jack Co, J. King-Spooner, Talha Kaya), Onto Maizilind Unto Infinity (Kas Ghobadi, Julián Palacios Gechtman / Kasrah Ghobadi), Price of Flight (WATERBOX), Project Y (Project_Y Production Committee), Refind Self: The Personality Test Game (Lizardry / PLAYISM)
Among other acclaimed indie game wreathed with awards, UFO 50 is a nominee for the Seamus McNally Prize at the IGF in 2025 (image: Mossmouth)
Seumas McNally Grand Prize Caves of Qud (Freehold Games / Kitfox Games) Consume Me (Jenny Jiao Hsia, AP Thomson, Jie En Lee, Violet W-P, Ken “coda” Snyder) Despelote (Julián Cordero, Sebastian Valbuena / Panic) INDIKA (Odd Meter / 11 bit studios Thank Goodness You’re Here! (Coal Supper / Panic) UFO 50 (Mossmouth)
Honorable Mentions: Animal Well (Billy Basso / Bigmode) Balatro (LocalThunk / Playstack) Blue Prince (Dogubomb / Raw Fury) Mouthwashing (Wrong Organ / CRITICAL REFLEX) Nine Sols (RedCandleGames) Tactical Breach Wizards (Suspicious Developments)
The Independent Games Festival has served as a springboard for breakthrough independent titles. Previous IGF prize winners include Venba, Anthology of the Killer, Mediterranea Inferno, Cryptmaster, Phonopolis, and many more critical and cultural hits.
At this year’s Awesome Games Done Quick (AGDQ) marathon gaming event, there were plenty of fantastic highlights, speedruns, races, and other events, hosted both live in Pittsburgh, PA and virtually. One of the biggest highlights of the event wasn’t directly about games but that, importantly, AGDQ 2025 helped raise over $2.5 million from their community for the cancer prevention cause.
Digging through the wealth of great runs and race for January 2025’s video of the month, we’re going to look at a longer YouTube video of a four-way Super Metroid race between four veteran Twitch speedrunners. Super Metroid is a highly-acclaimed Super Nintendo action-adventure game from 1994, which has fostered a community in recent years around running through different routes in the game to achieve the fastest possible time.
Another way to play super Metroid competitively is with a maps randomizer, also known as “rando” maps,” which shuffles rooms, items, and paths, thus making each game unique. And these four racers, Oatsngoats, Eddie,Andy, and Imyt showed their speed and improvisation skills competing with each other over the almost hour-and-a-half video from the live event at AGDQ. What can make a race like that even more challenging is the complex demands of fully controlling the character, Samus Aran. Especially in front of a large live in-person and online audience crackling with energy.
Check out the entire video of the race hosted on Oatsngoats’ YouTube channel. Of course, you who can watch this very rivalrous race and find out who comes out on top at the end of the race (no spoilers from us!), along with commentary.
Did you attend AGDQ 2025, maybe as a speedrunner, a volunteer, or an attendee of another kind? Feel free to share your thoughts about it below or on our social media posts about this story!
Whether you are an event coordinator, press, or general attendee, if you have an event video to share with us, please let us know and we’ll be happy to feature it!
LOS ANGELES (January 14, 2025) – Evolution Championship Series (known as Evo), revealed today additional details for its inaugural Evo Awards powered by Qiddiya and plans for its flagship event in Las Vegas, seeking to become the largest tournament in esports history once again. Evo is dedicated to attracting generations of players and thousands of spectators, while connecting them as a community and culture through its global events.
The 2025 Evo event calendar kicks off on February 15 in Los Angeles with the inaugural Evo Awards to celebrate the icons of the fighting game community and the future trailblazers. Voting is now open across 21 categories at evo.gg for fans to celebrate their favorite moments and players. Hosted by international talent Majin Obama with featured special guests including Maximilian Dood, the invite-only event will be streamed live on Evo’s Twitch Channel, along with never-before-seen announcements from some of Evo’s publishing partners. As part of the pre-show, FGC legends Justin Wong, Michael “IFC Yipes” Mendoza, Sanford Kelly, and Duc Do will take center stage for a Marvel vs Capcom 2 “Tournament of Champions” destined to become an Evo classic moment.
The Las Vegas Convention Center will host Evo’s biggest event of the year on August 1-3 and welcomes back Chipotle® as presenting partner for the third year in a row. Registration to compete is now open at evo.gg in the featured Arena tournaments, including:
SNK’s Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves – 1st appearance at Evo
Cygames’ Granblue Fantasy Versus Rising – 2nd appearance at Evo
Arc System Works’ Guilty Gear -Strive- – 4th appearance at Evo
Capcom’s Marvel vs Capcom 2 – throwback tournament
Warner Bros. Games’ Mortal Kombat 1 – 2nd appearance at Evo
Capcom’s Street Fighter 6 – 3rd appearance at Evo
Bandai Namco Entertainment’s TEKKEN 8 – 2nd appearance at Evo
Arc System Works’ Under Night In-Birth II Sys:Celes – 2nd appearance at Evo
Evo is also launching an extended tournament lineup featuring Aether Studios’ Rivals of Aether II, SNK’s The King of Fighters XV, Arc System Works’ Blazblue Centralfiction and Guilty Gear Xrd REV 2, and more. Evo will share more details during the Evo Awards.
Spectator tickets for the three-day fighting game tournament and culture festival are also on sale Feb 15 at evo.gg, including a refreshed ticketing experience for fans to purchase designated tickets for the Arena tournaments in the largest capacity for an Evo Arena to date.
Evo isn’t all about the competition, as fans can explore more than 600,000 sq ft on the Show Floor connecting them as a community and culture. Evo welcomes back an even larger arcade with massive dedicated freeplay console areas. The Evo Art Museum returns and will host featured guest artist JB Style and more to be announced. Classic FGC art will be available in the museum gift shop along with meet and greet opportunities during the event. VampyBitMe will host the Cosplay Contest as part of the Evo Art Museum programming.
The Evo Showcase is back with special events, industry panels, reveals and more, along with publisher booths, game-inspired photo opps, the Artist Alley showcasing fighting game focused artists, and the Qiddiya Legends Lounge which was a fan favorite in 2024.
“Evo continues to iterate and expand on what it means to be the world’s largest fighting game festival,” said Rick Thiher, General Manager of Evo. “This year we’re excited to be seeing new games on-site and are thrilled by the extended tournament lineup, expanded arcade, new featured artists, and community programming that is bringing fighting game culture to every corner of the show.”
Evo returns to Japan on May 9-11 at Tokyo Big Sight and will also feature two five-on-five tournaments with STREET FIGHTER III 3rd STRIKE -Fight for the Future- and Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O. Evo will make its European debut at the Palais des Expos in Nice, France, on October 10-12 and also announced it will expand to Singapore in 2026. The list of Evo Award Categories are below.
Whether you attended CES 2025 or not, a few features about this massive tech showcase event distinguished themselves to folks watching and taking in the flood of tech-savvy info dumps streaming out from Las Vegas. But several trends stood out this year’s CES, from our point of view.
AI is not going anywhere, and its use will keep expanding
If artificial intelligence (AI) was big at last year’s CES, then at this year’s show, tech companies doubled down. Whether AI was essential or not, AI was seemingly baked into most new product reveals and showcases. That means, as consumers, we can expect to see AI in most new feature bullet points for new tech products shown at CES that are rolled out this year. eMarketer sums up some of the more unusual entries into AI-powered products, such as bird feeder, a pet collar, and a spice dispenser.
For gamers, of course, some of these innovations revealed at CES will have meaningful impact. For example, NVIDIA showed off their soon-to-be-released GeForce RTX 50 series GPUs (based on AI data center-class Blackwell architecture) with AI-enhanced features, such as neural shaders, geometry and lighting Not to be outdone, semiconductor giant and NVIDIA competitor, AMD, announced Ryzen AI Max chips, which are aimed at top-end gaming-class laptops. These chips are expected to feature up to 128GB of unified memory, and on the AI side, a neural processing unit (NPU) that can achieve a 50 TOPS (trillions of operations per second) benchmark.
Among all the hardware and software examples at CES we could share, one that was pretty unique was an attention-getting demo by hardware company, Razer — namely, Project AVA, a gaming and esports AI coach. At CES 2025, it was a concept, but the company is taking sign-ups for Project AVA beta testing.
Many social media posts reflected this awareness how AI has quickly been integral to many of the products shown at CES 2025:
Wrapping up CES 2025 and it’s clear one thing: AI is everywhere.
From Nvidia’s cutting-edge AI software and powerful new gaming chips to Google’s innovative generative AI features for TV apps, this year’s CES showcased how artificial intelligence is transforming every corner of… pic.twitter.com/wlIWjlSXH2
With CES making arguably its biggest post-COVID era impact this year, influencers and content creators, such as Twitch streamers and YouTubers, are making a bigger splash this year in the media and journalism mix. The changing mix is not by accident either. According to a PR Week post:
“It’s just slightly shifting,” she (Cecile Missildine, EVP and head of EMEA for Archetyp) explains. “It’s amazing the number of journalists, and some clients are amazed with the quality and quantity of media, and the additional layer [of influencers].”
CES itself has played no small part in attracting influencers and content creators. The organizers launched a dedicated “creator space” for this week’s event, with prime real estate in the Central Hall Lobby of the Las Vegas Convention Center and sponsorship by Sony.
Of course, social media overflowed with clips, snapshots and takes on the new creator space offered, including from CES organizers themselves.
NEW: CES has a dedicated creator space for 2025, which aligns with the trend of mainstream tech events embracing content creators. While mainstream media is still important, having a large following opens doors to opportunities once reserved for traditional outlets. pic.twitter.com/mPhvklIeV8
With the larger, more diverse media mix at CES 2025, content creators and influencers have been changing how companies, marketers, and events themselves are reaching out and soliciting attention. This fast-changing mix, reflected at CES 2025, also affects what constitutes editorial, sponsorships, partnerships, and advertising. With CES having led the way, it’ll be interesting to see if other events may follow the lead CES has taken.
Big-tech event experiences evolve
With a return to pre-COVID energy comes a return of big keynote and other high-visibility events, including keynotes. Perhaps the most impactful example wasn’t NVIDIA’s keynote by CEO Jensen Huang (although many gamers and cutting-edge techies may disagree). Almost every event and reveal at CES 2025 was outshone by Delta Air Line’s keynote at the Las Vegas Sphere, a massive spherical venue with state-of-the-art audio-visual capabilities.
‘An airline company? A game-changing keynote? How is that even possible?’ you might be thinking.
But, according to attendees who posted about it, Delta stole the show by using the Sphere’s 360 degree immersion plus deeply personal storytelling, made possible by the venue to tell their story in a meaningful and powerful way. Celebrities, such as Viola Davis, Tom Brady and Lenny Kravitz (who had a stage concert), swag giveaways to Delta SkyMiles members, and much more. Numerous attendees, even cynical long-timers, seemed impressed by this carefully crafted presentation. Take a look at this CNET story as an example of the impression the keynote left. Or social media posts like:
It’s likely that event planners and marketers will take notes from this keynote this year, as they use creative venues, technologies, and storytelling, plus perks and incentives to make as much of an impact as Delta Air Line’s keynote apparently had.
Many of these impactful technologies, trends, and experiences will surely make their way into CES 2026 planning, but we’ll have to wait until January 2026 to see!
In the Amazon Prime streaming series hit, Fallout, based on the post-apocalyptic game franchise from Bethesda Games, there’s a lot of edgy, biting comedy and snark between two of the main characters, Lucy and Cooper. One of the better moments during the first season occurs when protagonist Lucy says to the ghoulish anti-hero and unlikely traveling partner, Cooper, “I may end up looking like you, but I’ll never be like you.”
Well, that prediction may or may not prove out in the series, but as it happens, there’s a way to emulate some of the look that may be familiar to both the Fallout streaming show and fans of the gaming series. That is, if you’re looking for GUNNAR Optiks glasses — namely, the Fallout Vault 33 Gamer Glasses.
Since the company’s founding in 2006, GUNNAR’s main claim to fame is their blue light-blocking lenses used by gamers and other folks who put their eyes in focus in front of screens for hours a day. While computers and mobile devices frequently have blue light- blockers baked in, we’re still often in front of many screens a day where unfiltered blue light reaches our eyes. Blue light exposure has been demonstrated to cause fatigue and discomfort with eyestrain and even reduced sleep quality, so folks who put in longer hours gaming, laptop work time, and so on, will feel the effects in front of pixels the most.
We’ll find out how well the GUNNAR Fallout Vault 33 gamer glasses can do in some use cases.
The package deal:
The GUNNAR Optiks Fallout Vault 33 gamer glasses came packaged in a GUNNAR-branded gray-and-white cardboard box. Inside is a foam sleeve and an electric blue cargo box-themed metal glasses case inside of that.
GUNNAR cardboard case (above) and Fallout Vault 33 aluminum case in foam sleeve (below) (image: E4G)
The case features the “Vault-Tec 33 Industries” logo in yellow on one side and the Fallout and GUNNAR logos on the other. It’s cool branding — and of course, it’ll be immediately familiar to Fallout fans.
Inside the case itself, the glasses are nested inside the similarly blue-colored microfiber bag with a yellow drawstring. The bag is dominated by the Vault Boy mascot with his well-known smile and thumbs-up pose. Folded underneath the glasses sits the electric blue microfiber cloth with the “Vault-Tec 33 Industries” logo in yellow.
The distinctive Fallout Vault 33 glasses case (image: E4G)
Opened Fallout Vault 33 GUNNAR glasses case, with the glasses and microfiber ouch inside (image: E4G)
The glasses themselves are olive and gunmetal, which, while breaking out of the blue-and-yellow styling of the accessories, fit well with the amber lenses. The frames are thicker and had a goggle-like feel, kind of steampunk in my initial impression, while the temple arms are much thinner. The amber lenses are familiar to anyone who’s worn blue light-blocking lenses before.
GUNNAR Fallout Vault 33 gamer glasses folded (image: E4G)
From a marketing perspective, the consistent and neat Fallout-themed branding of the glasses stood out the most. Many gamers are likely to appreciate that touch.
Let’s move on to see how they look and feel when worn.
Performance:
First of all, I should note that the version of the Fallout Vault 33 gamer glasses I’m reviewing are non-prescriptive. Since my vision isn’t quite 20/20, I’ll focus on their value for big-screen usage and general use in different environments — excluding high-focus environments.
Wearing the GUNNAR Optiks Fallout Vault 33 glasses (image: E4G)
The thick frames were slightly distracting at the edges of my field of vision, but overall, the lenses should be large enough for most potential wearers. Also, you can feel the heft of the nylon and stainless steel used in the body of the glasses. At 20 grams (about 7 ounces), the bit of weight lends a feel of solidity and sturdiness compared to lighter. With the help of the spring hinges, they also feel like they’re less likely to slip and slide when worn — even for a few hours at a time.
The lenses themselves did an excellent job helping create a clear, brighter, higher-contrast outdoors view near water, in snow, in dense fog, in bright sun— luckily, with only a minimum of squinting required. Cleaning up the lenses with the microfiber cloth was easy, including most smudges and smears. From a gaming perspective, playing games on a large-screen LED TV, including fast-moving action games, was more comfortable with my eyes not feeling the strain after several play sessions of at least one hour.
While some sites, including the official GUNNAR website offer the glasses at their MSRP of $99.99, as is often the case, Amazon offers the GUNNAR Optiks Fallout Vault 33 glasses at a discount. For around $77-78, buyers can pick between two different lens types for almost identical discount pricing. If Fallout branding isn’t a priority, Amazon and Best Buy both offer the well-reviewed GUNNAR Intercept glasses for $49.
Of course, if someone interested is seeking lower-priced options from well-known companies. like Razer, who offer their Anzu smart blue light glasses on Amazon for $39.99. HyperX offers their Spectre Stealth blue light-blocking glasses on discount for $34.99 (from $39.99) at Amazon as well.
Pros:
Durable lenses, solid frame, and feels unlikely to be easily damaged from normal wear
Comfortable fit (at least for my head and face, which is on the larger side)
Bonus points in the glasses’ favor if you’re a Fallout series fan: The branding is on-point with the case, the lens cloth, as well as the styling of the glasses as well.
Cons:
There are certainly feature-comparable blue light lenses for less than the MSRP cost of these glasses (but the established GUNNAR brand, warranty, and Fallout theme might compensate for it for some buyers).
Ideal for: These GUNNAR Optiks gamer glasses are well-made and durable for indoor or outdoor use, big screen-gaming, or with a prescriptive adjustment, possibly for up-close mobile/computer work and play. Amber lenses aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, of course, but there’s a clear-lensed version (that blocks less blue light) or the blue-lensed sunglasses version (that blocks more blue light) of these glasses available too, with customizable add-ons for the prescription lenses. The $99 MSRP may be a bit steep for some folks, but the 24-month warranty covering defects in materials and workmanship should help many buyers breathe a sigh of relief.
Among the wide variety of gamer glasses GUNNAR makes, these glasses get a special thumbs-up if you’re a fan of the Fallout franchise, whether from the gaming or TV series side.
The Fallout Vault 33 Gamer Glasses glasses are recommended for gaming-forward folks who want to make a pop culture or gaming fashion statement — and visual clarity, comfort, and functionality matters just as much.
2024 was a year of triumphs and tribulations for nearly everyone, and even if you weren’t directly affected by massive industry layoffs and chaotic office mandates, someone probably relied on you for advice or simply a shoulder to cry on. Even in the best of times the game industry can be a turbulent and unpredictable behemoth. Ever since the pandemic knocked on our lives though, we have been tip-toeing our way forward day-by-day with caution.
Let’s help each other to move forward. We’ve been through a lot together these past few years, so it is our honor to provide another series of conference and convention event-focused datapoints for you to reflect upon in this inaugural 2024 Game Industry Events Insights infographic edition.
Featured in the infographic:
Top event talking points
Number of major events
Number of onsite vs online vs hybrid events
Percentage of professionals attending events
Top voices we recognize
Top event cities per world region
As we mentioned in our Featured Game Industry Events of 2024 article, we expect 2025 to reveal a shining light at the end of this dark tunnel. The suffocation of so many brilliant minds is going to come to an end and creative outlets for all will be found once again. Have hope, it will happen!
Until then, look towards our industry event calendar for your latest networking events to attend. We are here for your event needs!
Author: Mathew Anderson, CEO and Editor-in-Chief of Events for Gamers, Community Manager for the computer game industry (KingsIsle, Portalarium, Petroglyph), and Public Relations Manager and Communication Specialist for various other industries.
A little snow (if you’re lucky), some hot chocolate (with a bit of zing perhaps), family and friends (or at least family-friendly neighbors), and you have one of the best times of the year! Sure, there are few events going on right now, but it makes this time of year all the more exciting to know that the new year is set for having some amazing events kicking off right after the holidays (starting with CES in Las Vegas).
Thank you, dear reader, for being on this incredible journey at Events for Gamers with us. 2024 was a year that propelled the site forward in ways we are only just now beginning to realize. Without your support, we would be hundreds of events behind, WordPress iterations out of date, and wonderful human connections distant from where we are today.
Beyond 2024 and diving soon into 2025, we continue to need your support. Please let us know if you are available to write articles, find new events to add to the calendar, or have your own event and industry coverage you wish us to share. It’s all needed and the crowning jewel of our site’s success – your contributions.
For now, from all of us at Events for Gamers, we hope you have a safe and happy holidays! See you at next year’s events! 🎄 🎄
Author: Mathew Anderson, CEO and Editor-in-Chief of Events for Gamers, Community Manager for the computer game industry (KingsIsle, Portalarium, Petroglyph), and Public Relations Manager and Communication Specialist for various other industries.
TOKYO — Dec. 18th, 2024 — TOKYO INDIE GAMES SUMMIT, the digital and in-person Japanese event showcasing indie games from local and global developers, announces its first crop of exhibitors participating in the two-day showcase occurring on Saturday, March 8th, and Sunday, March 9th, 2025.
TOKYO INDIE GAMES SUMMIT extends a special thanks to this year’s production partners, including Shibuya’s animation and game design university Digital Hollywood Studio as well as custom-controller-based game development event make.ctrl.Japan. 2025’s event partners include Digital Games Expo and Bandai Namco’s indie-focused GYAAR Studio.
To build upon its 2024 offerings, next year’s TOKYO INDIE GAMES SUMMIT will expand the exhibition areas, while continuing to provide a multi-day experience for industry professionals and consumers alike. Exhibitors can network with gaming professionals on Day One, and attendees of all ages, genders and nationalities will find fresh experiences on Day Two.
“There was so much creativity on display during last year’s TOKYO INDIE GAME SUMMIT, and it is a joy to know that we’re able to provide an even larger platform than we had last year to showcase even more titles than before,” says Kazunori Sakamoto, CEO of Phoenixx and founder of TOKYO INDIE GAMES SUMMIT. “Many thanks to this year’s partners who help make this event possible. We have more surprises to share as we approach March; stay tuned!”
TOKYO INDIE GAMES SUMMIT is looking for sponsors, partner companies, and organizations to help with the event. There are options available for exhibition booths, logo exposure, and more. If interested, please reach out to contact@indiegamessummit.tokyo.
