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9th Annual Digital Entertainment World Features Speakers from WarnerMedia, Vevo, UTA, Meta, PBS, Roblox, HBO Max, Audible, ViacomCBS, and more

Paul Philleo
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9th Annual Digital Entertainment World Features Speakers from WarnerMedia, Vevo, UTA, Meta, PBS, Roblox, HBO Max, Audible, ViacomCBS, and more

LOS ANGELES, CA–(January 24, 2022) – Recognized by Hollywood insiders, digital influencers and media-tech industry leaders throughout the world as a “must-attend” event, the 9th annual Digital Entertainment World (DEW) will assemble the leaders in the business of creating and monetizing digital entertainment content. This year’s event will be held online, reaching decision makers from across the globe.  

DEW2022 will explore “Entering the Metaverse” – a theme that is central to the future of the entertainment, media & technology industries. The conference will explore this theme – including the explosion of businesses around blockchain games, NFTs, XR & virtual worlds – alongside other key digital & technology developments that continue to drive the “Creator Economy”, such as streaming, OTT, influencer marketing, esports, games, podcasting, licensing, UCG & branded content. 

DEW includes 5 tracks and 75 speakers on topics essential to the future of video, music, brands, marketing, gaming, AR/VR, and AI, with keynotes and fireside chats from Vevo, UTA, WarnerMedia, Whip Media, Griffin Gaming Partners, and more. Speakers include: 

Confirmed Speakers Include: 

  • Chris Akhavan, Chief Business Officer, Forte
  • Adam Arrigo, CEO and Co-Founder, Wave
  • Alexia Bedat, Associate, Klaris
  • Eric Bergner, Partner, Digital and Technology Transactions, Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP
  • ​​David Berkowitz, SVP, Corporate Marketing & Communications, Mediaocean
  • Ali Berman, Partner & Head of Digital Talent, United Talent Agency
  • David Bloom, Senior Contributor, Tubefilter
  • Susan Brazer, CEO & Founder, LionShare Media
  • Jordan Bromley, Partner, Manatt, Phelps & Phillips
  • Ricky Ray Butler, CEO, BEN Group
  • Christina (Rood) Calio, Co-Founder, Popins
  • Raffaella Camera, Head of Brands & Advertisers Solutions, Epic Games Unreal Engine
  • Dawn Chmielewski, U.S. Entertainment Business Correspondent, Reuters; Author, Binge Times
  • Tatiana Cirisano, Music Industry Analyst & Consultant, MIDiA Research
  • Jeff Clanagan, CEO, Laugh at Loud
  • Tim Clark, Senior Vice President & Chief Digital Officer, NASCAR
  • Nicole Cleary, VP of Client Partnerships, G4
  • Tara DeVeaux, Chief Marketing Officer, Wild Card Creative Group; Managing Director, 3AM & Insights@Wild Card
  • Colin Dixon, Founder and Chief Analyst, nScreenMedia
  • JP Evangelista, SVP of Content, Marketing & Programming, Vevo
  • Maureen Fan, CEO & Co-Founder, Baobab Studios
  • David Fink, Partner, Venable
  • Julian Franco, Senior Vice President, Product Management, HBO Max
  • ​​Natalie Gabathuler-Scully, SVP, Revenue & Distribution Operations, Vevo
  • Jamie Gutfreund, Global Chief Marketing Officer, Whalar
  • Carol Hanley, President, Whip Media
  • Christina Heller, CEO, Metastage
  • Howard Homonoff, Senior U.S. Media & Entertainment Industry Advisor, Grant Thornton
  • Natalie Jarvey, Entertainment Business Correspondent, Insider
  • Jennifer Kavanagh, SVP, Marketing & Media, Philadelphia Eagles
  • Joe Kessler, Global Head of UTA IQ, United Talent Agency
  • Jim King, CEO, Spoken Giants
  • Jesse Kirshbaum, Chief Marketing Officer, Dreamstage
  • Paul Kontonis, Chief Marketing Officer, Revry
  • Peter Letz, Agent, Digital Media & Gaming, Creative Artists Agency
  • Peter Levin, Managing Director, Griffin Gaming Partners
  • John Linden, CEO, Mythical Games
  • Holly Liu, Investor / Co-Founder, Kabam
  • Jim Louderback, GM & SVP, VidCon
  • Matt Lutz, Founder and CEO, Music Benefactors
  • Sarah Malkin, Head of Metaverse Media Programming, Meta
  • Brett Marks, Director, Business Development & Gaming/Immersive Media Lead, Columbia Records
  • Dermot McCormack, President, LiveONE
  • Mickey Meyer, President, Group Nine Studios
  • Jamil Moledina, CEO, Hexagram
  • David Morin, Industry Relations, Epic Games, Executive Director, Academy Software Foundation
  • Ryan Mullins, Founder & CEO, Aglet
  • Michelle Munson, CEO & Co-Founder, Eluvio
  • Josh Neuman, President, MELON
  • Will Page, Author, Tarzan Economics; Visiting Fellow, London School of Economics; Former Chief Economist, Spotify and PRS for Music
  • UnJu Paik, Head of Business Affairs, Wondery
  • Tony Parisi, Head of AR/VR Ads and eCommerce, Unity
  • Emily Powers, Head of BritBox North America, BritBox
  • Shannon Pruitt, Global Chief Content Officer, Stagwell Media Network
  • Jon Radoff, CEO, Beamable
  • Steve Raizes, SVP of Podcasts, ViacomCBS
  • Nanea Reeves, CEO & Co-Founder, TRIPP
  • Greg Riker, Head of Business Development, Americas, Metrological
  • Ty Roberts, Co-Founder, CEO and CTO, FanTracks
  • ​​Oren Rosenbaum, Partner & Head of Audio, United Talent Agency
  • Ted Schilowitz, Futurist, ViacomCBS
  • Doug Scott, Co-Founder, Subnation?
  • Greg Selkoe, CEO & Co-Founder, XSET
  • Pat Shah, Head of Content Acquisition & Development, Audible
  • Anya Shapina, Head of Performance, The Sandbox
  • Ned Sherman, Partner, Manatt, Phelps & Phillips; Founder, Digital Media Wire
  • Anat Shperling, Co-Founder & CEO, Toya
  • Shahar Sorek, CMO, Overwolf
  • Matt Sorg, Leading Tech and Product – Gaming, Solana Labs
  • Bart Spriester, Vice President & General Manager of Content & Streaming Providers Suite, Comcast Technology Solutions
  • Paco Suro, GM Mass Pay, Tipalti
  • Andy Swanson, Head of Developer Relations, mod.io
  • Paul Sweeting, CEO, Concurrent Media; Editor & Co-Chair, RightsTech
  • Colin Thomson, CEO & Founder, Kast Media
  • Kevin Tran, Media Analyst, VIP/Variety
  • Natalia Vasilyeva, VP of Marketing, Anzu
  • Jon Vlassopulos, VP, Global Head of Music, Roblox
  • Mike Vorhaus, CEO, Vorhaus Advisors
  • Amy Wigler, VP of Multiplatform Content & Marketing, PBS
  • Brad Wilson, Executive Vice President, Growth and Revenue, WarnerMedia  

View the full speaker list: https://www.dewexpo.com/2022-speakers 

The fast-growing five-day conference includes 5 tracks: Streaming + TV, Brands + Entertainment, Games + Esports, RightsTech, and Music + Podcasts. 

With sponsors and media partners including Vevo, Epic Games, Whip Media, Tipalti, Grant Thornton, Manatt, Eluvio, Comcast Technology Solutions, Metrological, GOAL Ventures, Signiant, HFA|Rumblefish, Anzu, Fusicology, Gary’s Guide, IGDA, Interactive Television Alliance, Parks Associates, Westside Digital Mix, International Association of Entertainment Lawyers, Women in Technology International, CMO Asia, 80 Level, The Game Audio Network Guild, M2 Insights, and Streaming Video Alliance.  

For press registrations, please go to https://www.dewexpo.com/press-registration

Game Developers Conference’s 10th Annual State of the Industry Survey Shows Insights

E4G Admin
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Game Developers Conference’s 10th Annual State of the Industry Survey Shows Insights

Survey of Game Industry Professionals Also Shows Xbox and PlayStation Development Neck in Neck, Resilience of Studios in Pandemic; A Look Back at 10 Years Ago Versus Now

SAN FRANCISCO – January 20, 2022 – The Game Developers Conference (GDC) has released the results of the 10th annual State of the Industry Survey, revealing trends in the game industry ahead of GDC 2022, which will be held in-person and virtually at San Francisco’s Moscone Convention Center from March 21 – 25. The survey’s results reflect the responses of more than 2,700 game industry professionals, offers a look into the many issues that these professionals have on their minds and shows how the game industry is evolving and expanding. Some of the highlights from the results are below.

Almost 40% of respondents said their companies have reached out in an effort to combat toxicity in the workplace following outcries at Activision Blizzard and other companies

The ongoing conversation about diversity and inclusion in the game industry came to a head this year when the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing filed a lawsuit against Activision Blizzard, citing, “numerous complaints about unlawful harassment, discrimination, and retaliation.” Since then, reports of systemic sexism, harassment, and other misconduct have surfaced about Activision Blizzard and other game companies. This built on already disturbing reports coming out of a 2018 investigative report on Riot Games, which just recently agreed to pay $100 million to settle its class-action gender discrimination lawsuit. (Note: This survey was taken before the WSJ’s investigative piece on Bobby Kotick, before Riot’s settlement was announced and before Microsoft announced it will acquire Activision Blizzard).

This has started a trend of companies reaching out to address misconduct and toxicity within the game industry. At the time the survey was conducted, 38% of respondents said that their companies reached out to them to start a conversation about how misconduct and toxicity are handled in the industry; 62% said their companies did nothing. This shows a growing number of workplaces have taken at least some initiative to root out toxicity, while also pointing out the industry has a way to go. When asked about how their company responded, some respondents said their companies held group discussions on misconduct or reminded employees how to report improper behavior.

Interest in cryptocurrencies and NFTs grows, but game developers remain skeptical 

Two of the hottest, and polarizing, topics being debated in the game industry are cryptocurrency and non-fungible tokens (NFTs). While the majority of developers said that they and their studio are not interested in cryptocurrency (72%) as a payment tool or in NFTs (70%), for such a nascent space, 27% percent of developers are at least somewhat interested in cryptocurrency at their studio and 28% are at least somewhat interested in NFTs. The current implementation of both technologies is still very limited, with just 1% of respondents saying that their studio already uses either.

Metaverse popularity expanding, but most game developers are not developing for it yet

The promise of the metaverse is growing in the game industry. One of its most popular and lucrative components is user-generated content (UGC), which is why game professionals were asked if they were developing or planning to develop content or experiences for a UGC platform. The majority (83%) said that they are not involved at all, but 17% are already working on a project.

The breakdown of the UGC platforms for the 17% working on them were Roblox (5%), Minecraft (4%), Fortnite (3%), Dreams (3%), Core (2%), and “other” (6%). The provided platforms for the “other” responses included The Sandbox, VRChat, Unreal Engine, and “prefer not to answer due [to] confidentiality restrictions.”

When asked what companies/platforms are best placed to deliver on the promise of the metaverse, the most popular response was Epic/Fortnite at 17%, followed by Facebook (8%), Microsoft/Minecraft (8%), Roblox (6%), and Google (5%). The survey was conducted before Facebook’s Meta was announced, which may have impacted responses on the topic. About one-third (33%) of the respondents reported that they believe that the metaverse concept will never deliver on its promise.

Union hopes grow; almost one-fourth have already talked about unionizing

Fifty-five percent of respondents said that workers in the game industry should unionize, which is the highest amount yet in the 10 years of the State of the Industry Survey, but 18% believed that the industry will unionize. While only a minority may believe the industry will unionize, almost one-fourth of respondents (23%) said that conversations about unionizing have happened at their workplace.

The respondents also shared how those companies have responded to union talks with their workers. Thirty-six percent reported that their companies were supportive, compared to 8% that said their company opposed the unionization talks. More than one-fifth (21%) of respondents said their companies didn’t know that some of their employees were talking about unionizing.

PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S virtually neck and neck for current game development

When asked what all of the platforms are that they are currently developing games for, the results showed that 31% were working on a game for PlayStation 5, just edging out Xbox Series X/S (29%), showing that both platforms are roughly equally popular for developers. On the mobile front, 30% of developers are working on a game for iOS and 30% for Android. 20% of respondents are working on a game for the Nintendo Switch (a slight increase from 2021), but PC is once again clearly the most popular platform for development with 63% of developers reporting to be currently working on a PC game.

Studios stave off closures amid the pandemic

The game industry has stayed resilient despite the ongoing pandemic. Fifty percent of respondents said their company expanded their number of staff during the past year. Thirteen percent of respondents said their company contracted during the past year, compared to 33% that stayed the same. Only 2% of respondents said that their studio closed entirely. These figures are similar to the previous year, signifying that the pandemic and shift to remote work did not have a lasting impact on the workforce.

Additional notable items from the results of the survey include:

In Epic Games v. Apple, more devs side with Epic

When asked who they felt was “in the right” in the case of Epic Games v. Apple, over one-third of respondents (34%) sided with Epic Games, making it the most-popular response—while the least popular was Apple (8%). Nearly a quarter (23%) said neither side was right, 10% said both made good points, and one-fourth (25%) said they weren’t sure.

The Steam Deck is met with both excitement and uncertainty

Developers were asked whether they felt the Steam Deck would be a viable game platform in the long run. The results found developers more positive than negative, but uncertain: 36% said yes, 17% said no, and 47% were unsure.

10th Annual Survey Provides a Look Back at 10 Years Ago Versus Now

The 10th iteration of the GDC State of the Industry Survey looks back at what developers were doing and their opinions compared to developers today, showing some interesting results:

  • PC is the house favorite
    • PC has consistently been the most developed platform, rising from 48% of developers working on a game for PC in 2013, to 63% in 2022.
  • Mobile took the plunge
    • Back in 2013, mobile was the hot trend in games with 55% of developers making games for phones and other mobile devices. In 2022, it’s down by almost half to 30%.
  • PlayStation beats Xbox
    • The platform war between PlayStation and Xbox has gone strong over the past 10 years, but the clear winner has been PlayStation. The second year of the survey, 2014 had more developers working on Xbox One than PlayStation 4. Every year after that, more developers reported working on a PlayStation game than are working on an Xbox game.
  • Has VR hit its peak?
    • In 2015 only 7% of developers were working on a VR game; this increased to 24% by 2017. However, the trend has reversed and in 2022, just 10% of developers reported working on a VR game.
  • The Nintendo surge
    • In 2013 the number of developers working on games for 3DS and WiiU was in the low single digits. The success of the Nintendo Switch has seen that number grow to 20%

The full survey, which includes more insight into the game development community’s thoughts on these topics and a multitude of other facts and details, can be downloaded for free here.

For more details on the Game Developers Conference, please visit the GDC’s official website, or subscribe to regular updates via Facebook, Twitter, or RSS.

About GDC

The Game Developers Conference® (GDC) is the world’s largest professional game industry event with market-defining content for programmers, artists, producers, game designers, audio professionals, business decision makers, and others involved in the development of interactive games and immersive experiences. GDC brings together the global game development community year-round through events and digital media, including the GDC Masterclass, GDC Vault, gamedeveloper.com, Game Career Guide, Independent Games Festival and Summit, and the Game Developers Choice Awards.

GDC is organized by Informa PLC, a leading B2B information services group and the largest B2B Events organizer in the world. To learn more and for the latest news and information visit www.informa.com.

PLAYISM Game Show Delivers World Premieres of New Games Jan. 23

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PLAYISM Game Show Delivers World Premieres of New Games Jan. 23

TOKYO – Jan. 19, 2021 – PLAYISM, Japan’s oldest indie game publisher, renowned for some of the most anticipated upcoming titles and popular recent releases including Bright Memory: Infinite, Gnosia and Mighty Goose, announces the latest edition of the PLAYISM Game Show live showcase. 

The live event takes place Sunday, Jan. 23, 2021 at 2:00 AM EDT / 8:00 AM CET / 4:00 PM JST, and will include world premieres and all-new information for both upcoming and previously-released games in both English and Japanese on YouTube. 

PLAYISM serves as a gateway between the best indie games of the West and the East, handling international releases of titles such as Record of Lodoss War -Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth, Mighty Goose, Idol Manager, Bright Memory: Infinite and DEEEER Simulator. In the decade-plus since its inception, the publisher has also supported Kero Blaster from the creator of Cave Story, Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight, and Touhou Luna Nights. 

PLAYISM also works with developers and publishers around the world to localize and release games in Asian territories, such as PlayStation 5 launch title Godfall, Independent Game Festival Grand Prize winner Umurangi Generation, and BAFTA Award winner Night In The Woods. PLAYISM’s Asian catalogue also includes Doki Doki Literature Club Plus!, Subnautica, VA-11 Hall-A, Necrobarista, and more. 

“We are incredibly grateful for the support and patience our partners, sponsors and community have shown us in our decade-plus of operation,” said Shunji Mizutani, Executive Producer of PLAYISM. “We are eager to celebrate our partnerships with some of the most prominent names in indie games for our third live showcase and finally show the world the incredible work our team and partners have prepared.” 

PLAYISM Game Show occurs Sunday, Jan. 23, 2021 at 2:00 AM EDT / 8:00 AM CEST / 4:00 PM JST with an expected runtime of two hours in English, Japanese and Chinese on YouTube, Periscope, Niconico, and Bilibili. 

For more information on PLAYISM, please visit the PLAYISM Game Show official web page or the PLAYISM official website, and follow @PlayismEN on Twitter.

Gen Con Announces Jasper’s Game Day and the Patachou Foundation as Official Charity Partners for 2022 Convention

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Gen Con Announces Jasper’s Game Day and the Patachou Foundation as Official Charity Partners for 2022 Convention

INDIANAPOLIS (January 18, 2022) — Gen Con, the largest and longest-running tabletop gaming convention in North America, has chosen Jasper’s Game Day and The Patachou Foundation as its official charity partners for 2022. Since moving to Indianapolis in 2003, the annual convention has raised more than $350,000 for its charity partners.

“We’re proud to support these two incredible organizations, who are doing vital work in our gaming and local Indianapolis communities,” said Megan Culver, Gen Con’s Vice President of Sales, Marketing & Events. “Every year, we are moved by the generosity of our attendees as they partner with us to raise funds for our charity partners.”

As part of this agreement, both organizations will receive proceeds from Gen Con’s 2022 fundraising efforts, including longstanding charity events such as the popular Cardhalla, a mass destruction of giant playing card structures. Both groups will also receive promotional marketing and table space at the convention to connect with attendees and share information about their work.

“The Patachou Foundation is thrilled to be named one of the official charity partners for the 2022 convention and to have Gen Con as part of our hunger-fighting team,” said Matthew Feltrop, executive director of The Patachou Foundation. “We believe in the value and power of shared experiences — whether around a board game or the lunch table — to shape a bright future for kids. With partners like Gen Con, we’ll be able to serve more than 75,000 scratch-made meals in 2022 and attack the root causes of childhood hunger in our community.”

“Jasper’s Game Day is honored to be named one of the official charity partners for the 2022 convention,” said Fenway Jones, executive director of Jasper’s Game Day. “Jasper’s Game Day strives to spread a message of hope and reach those in need of mental health services. Working with Gen Con will allow us to raise funds and reach a broader audience. During the pandemic, mental health care is more important than ever, and we will leverage this partnership to help save lives across the country and reduce the stigma that surrounds asking for help.”

Gen Con Indy 2022 returns to the Indiana Convention Center and Lucas Oil Stadium this August 4-7, 2022, operating in a hybrid format incorporating Gen Con Online virtual programming and Pop-Up Gen Con activations at game stores across the country. Badges will be available at gencon.com starting January 30.

CES Previewed What Computex Will Showcase

E4G Admin
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CES Previewed What Computex Will Showcase

In November last year we wrote about Computex and the Outlook of PC Hardware in 2022, detailing processor, graphics, and other component upgrades you can look forward to acquiring for your upgrade needs. Assuming supply chains improve this year, which we are seeing early signs of happening, this year is going to be very exciting indeed.

CES 2022 wrapped up earlier this month and with it a bunch of teaser announcements were released related to the hardware we both knew and suspected was coming down the pipe. Here is a quick summary of the exciting things we can now confirm for you from the previous Computex article.

Faster CPUs

We already knew Intel’s Alder Lake CPUs were just being released at the time we wrote the last article, but now we have a plethora of additional CPU related news to share.

Start with Intel, a new offering of Alder Lake CPUs, mostly in the mid-range, were launched. These processors are seriously fast – fast for anything you really can throw at them in fact. Are you a gamer needing a fast single core for games? Check. Are you a video producer needing the core count but still in a reasonable consumer package? Check. While power hungry and hot, the mid-range especially is quite price competitive.

AMD is working on several competitive offerings to counter Intel called Zen 4, due to be released in the second half of this year (probably late Q3 or Q4). Of course, Intel has a new series named Raptor Lake that is already being readied to counter that counter.

As a gamer, both of these series are going to be especially interesting to watch for potential buys as both are expected to increase CPU cache sizes dramatically. Cache is the part of a CPU where information can be stored briefly for processing and reused for subsequent tasks. This part of a processor benefits just about any game out there.   

Faster Graphics

Speaking of cache, AMD is kicking off the year with updates to their GPUs (and a mid-step upgrade for their existing CPUs) using Infinity Cache. As you might have suspected, this will also help boost gaming performance and catch up with what Intel again, as well as keep pace with Nvidia on the GPU front.

The second half of the year is going to get even more exciting though with the release of AMD’s next generation of graphics cards named RDNA4. Nvidia will also be (probably at the exact same time) releasing their next generation of cards called Lovelace.

If what we’ve heard is going to come true, the performance of graphics cards this year is going to be an insane 2-3x the performance of the previous generation, which is absolutely mind-blowing (and will be probably be mind-blowing on the wallet too).

Other Hardware

In the earlier Computex article we covered a bunch of other hardware, including the faster PCI Express 5.0 standard now available on Intel’s platforms, Thunderbolt 4 (and the suspected Thunderbolt 5), Wireless 6E, and a review of the new DDR5 memory standard.

You’ll want to read the Computex and the Outlook of PC Hardware in 2022 article to see what else you’ll want in your PC this year! Also be sure to check it out if you’re especially interested in a GPU upgrade, as there’s some important information in there regarding increased power supply needs.

Deathloop, It Takes Two and Forza Horizon 5 Lead Finalists for the 22nd Annual Game Developers Choice Awards

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Deathloop, It Takes Two and Forza Horizon 5 Lead Finalists for the 22nd Annual Game Developers Choice Awards

SAN FRANCISCO  – January 11, 2022 – The finalists for the 22nd Annual Game Developers Choice Awards, the leading peer-based video game event celebrating the industry’s top games and developers, have been revealed today. Winners in all categories will be honored at the Game Developers Choice Awards (GDCA) ceremony, taking place at the 2022 Game Developers Conference (GDC) on Wednesday, March 23 and held in conjunction with the Independent Games Festival Awards (IGF). The ceremony is available to watch for all GDC 2022 pass-holders. The 36th edition of GDC will be held in-person and virtually at San Francisco’s Moscone Convention Center from March 21 – 25.

The developer-picked nominations are led by Deathloop, which received a total of six nominations, closely followed by It Takes Two, which received five nominations and Forza Horizon 5, which earned four nominations. All three of these titles are nominated for the Game of the Year award. 

Arkane Studios’ Deathloop, the next-gen first person shooter where two rival assassins are trapped in a mysterious timeloop on the island of Blackreef, was nominated for six awards: Best Audio, Best Design, Innovation Award, Best Narrative, Best Visual Art and Game of the Year. Hazelight Studios’ It Takes Two, a genre-bending platform adventure game where players can work together across a variety of gleefully disruptive gameplay challenges, was nominated for five awards: Best Design, Innovation Award, Best Narrative, Social Impact Award and Game of the Year. Playground Games’ Forza Horizon 5, the twelfth main installment of the Forza series set in the open world landscapes of Mexico, follows closely behind with four awards: Best Audio, Best Technology, Best Visual Art and Game of the Year. 

Deathloop by Arkane Studios / Bethesda Softworks (L), It Takes Two by Hazelight Studios / Electronic Arts (C), and Forza Horizon 5 by Playground Games / Xbox Game Studios (R) are the leading nominees for the 2022 Game Developers Choice Awards. (Image: GDC)

Any video game that was released and made publicly available during the 2021 calendar year is eligible for free nomination for the 2022 Game Developers Choice Awards. Both nominees and winners are selected by the Game Developers Choice Awards-specific International Choice Awards Network (ICAN), which is an invitation-only organization, composed of leading game creators from all parts of the industry.

The complete list of nominees, including honorable mentions, for the 22nd annual Game Developers Choice Awards is as follows:

BEST AUDIO

Returnal (Housemarque / Sony Interactive Entertainment)

Unpacking (Witch Beam / Humble)

Deathloop (Arkane Studios / Bethesda Softworks)

Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy (Eidos-Montréal / Square Enix) 

Forza Horizon 5 (Playground Games / Xbox Game Studios)

Honorable Mentions: Halo Infinite (343 Industries / Xbox Game Studios), It Takes Two (Hazelight Studios / Electronic Arts), Genesis Noir (Feral Cat Den / Fellow Traveller), Kid A Mnesia: Exhibition (Arbitrarily Good Productions, Namethemachine / Epic Games), Resident Evil Village (Capcom) 

BEST DEBUT

Kena: Bridge of Spirits (Ember Lab)

Valheim (Iron Gate Studio / Coffee Stain Publishing)

Wildermyth (Worldwalker Games / WhisperGames)

The Artful Escape (Beethoven & Dinosaur / Annapurna Interactive)

Sable (Shedworks / Raw Fury) 

Honorable Mentions: Genesis Noir (Feral Cat Den / Fellow Traveller), ElecHead (Tsuyomi / NamaTakahashi), Unsighted (Studio Pixel Punk, Humble)

BEST DESIGN

It Takes Two (Hazelight Studios / Electronic Arts)

Psychonauts 2 (Double Fine / Xbox Game Studios) 

Halo Infinite (343 Industries / Xbox Game Studios)

Deathloop (Arkane Studios / Bethesda Softworks)

Inscryption (Daniel Mullins Games / Devolver Digital)

Honorable Mentions: Resident Evil Village (Capcom), Unpacking (Witch Beam / Humble), Death’s Door (Acid Nerve, Devolver Digital), Loop Hero (Four Quarters, Devolver Digital)

INNOVATION AWARD

It Takes Two (Hazelight Studios / Electronic Arts)

Wildermyth (Worldwalker Games / WhisperGames)

Unpacking (Witch Beam / Humble)

Inscryption (Daniel Mullins Games / Devolver Digital)

Deathloop (Arkane Studios / Bethesda Softworks)

Honorable Mentions: Returnal (Housemarque / Sony Interactive Entertainment), Chicory: A Colorful Tale (The Chicory: A Colorful Tale Team / Finji), Loop Hero (Four Quarters, Devolver Digital)

BEST NARRATIVE

Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy (Eidos-Montréal / Square Enix) 

Deathloop (Arkane Studios / Bethesda Softworks)

It Takes Two (Hazelight Studios / Electronic Arts)

Psychonauts 2 (Double Fine / Xbox Game Studios) 

Unpacking (Witch Beam / Humble)

Honorable Mentions: Kena: Bridge of Spirits (Ember Lab), Life is Strange: True Colors (Deck Nine / Square Enix), The Forgotten City (Modern Storyteller / Dear Villagers), Inscryption (Daniel Mullins Games / Devolver Digital), Wildermyth (Worldwalker Games / WhisperGames)

SOCIAL IMPACT AWARD

Before Your Eyes (GoodbyeWorld Games / Skybound Games)

It Takes Two (Hazelight Studios / Electronic Arts)

Life is Strange: True Colors (Deck Nine / Square Enix)

Boyfriend Dungeon (Kitfox Games)

Chicory: A Colorful Tale (The Chicory: A Colorful Tale Team / Finji)

Honorable Mentions: Forza Horizon 5 (Playground Games / Xbox Game Studios)

BEST TECHNOLOGY

Halo Infinite (343 Industries / Xbox Game Studios)

Forza Horizon 5 (Playground Games / Xbox Game Studios)

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart (Insomniac Games / Sony Interactive Entertainment)

Returnal (Housemarque / Sony Interactive Entertainment)

Hitman 3 (IO Interactive)

Honorable Mentions: Battlefield 2042 (EA DICE / Electronic Arts), Resident Evil Village (Capcom) 

BEST VISUAL ART

Forza Horizon 5 (Playground Games / Xbox Game Studios)

Kena: Bridge of Spirits (Ember Lab)

Deathloop (Arkane Studios / Bethesda Softworks)

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart (Insomniac Games / Sony Interactive Entertainment)

Psychonauts 2 (Double Fine / Xbox Game Studios) 

Honorable Mentions: The Artful Escape (Beethoven & Dinosaur / Annapurna Interactive), Resident Evil Village (Capcom), Genesis Noir (Feral Cat Den / Fellow Traveller), Returnal (Housemarque / Sony Interactive Entertainment), Sable (Shedworks / Raw Fury)

GAME OF THE YEAR

Inscryption (Daniel Mullins Games / Devolver Digital)

Forza Horizon 5 (Playground Games / Xbox Game Studios)

Resident Evil Village (Capcom)

Deathloop (Arkane Studios / Bethesda Softworks)

It Takes Two (Hazelight Studios / Electronic Arts)

Honorable Mentions: Halo Infinite (343 Industries / Xbox Game Studios), Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy (Eidos-Montréal / Square Enix), Psychonauts 2 (Double Fine / Xbox Game Studios), Chicory: A Colorful Tale (The Chicory: A Colorful Tale Team / Finji), Death’s Door (Acid Nerve / Devolver Digital)

For more information about the 22nd annual Game Developers Choice Awards, visit: http://www.gamechoiceawards.com. As in years past, the Game Developers Choice Awards will be livestreamed alongside the Independent Games Festival Awards on the official GDC Twitch channel.

For more details on the Game Developers Conference, please visit the GDC’s official website, or subscribe to regular updates via Facebook, Twitter, or RSS. Official photos are available via the Official GDC Flickr account: www.flickr.com/photos/officialgdc.

ESL Gaming Celebrates 10 Years of Intel® Extreme Masters with the Return of IEM Katowice Featuring a Combined $1.5M Prize Pool

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ESL Gaming Celebrates 10 Years of Intel® Extreme Masters with the Return of IEM Katowice Featuring a Combined $1.5M Prize Pool

Cologne/New York/Katowice — ESL Gaming is proud to invite everyone to experience one of the longest-running series of live esports tournaments in the world, the Intel® Extreme Masters. For the first time in almost two years, the Intel® Extreme Masters Katowice 2022 competition will star the world’s best Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) teams competing in front of a live audience for their share of the $1 million prize pool.

In addition to CS:GO, IEM Katowice 2022 will host the StarCraft® II EPT Championship, where 36 players from around the world will battle it out for their share of the $500,000 prize pool. Fans are welcome to attend the highly anticipated esports competitions live in the iconic Spodek Arena in Katowice, Poland on February 25-27, 2022. An IEM Expo at the International Congress Center is not planned for this years’ edition.

To celebrate the unique anniversary within the esports landscape, ESL Gaming is launching a dedicated campaign: “X Years of IEM Katowice — Celebrate the heroes” to commemorate ten years of Intel® Extreme Masters.

As part of the anniversary campaign, ESL is planning unique activations in Katowice to honour the legendary heroes of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and StarCraft® II in cooperation with the city of Katowice.

“Thinking back to when this place held an Intel® Extreme Masters tournament for the first time, what followed would not have been imaginable. This event represents a dream come true to everyone that wanted to build esports into something bigger and unforgettable memories shared by fans and players,” said Michal “Carmac” Blicharz, VP Product Development at ESL Gaming. “We are proud to be coming to Katowice again as an in-person competition and we are so looking forward to celebrating the commemorative anniversary together.”

New for 2022, ESL has refreshed the Intel® Extreme Masters visual brand. Starting with IEM Katowice 2022, the anniversary edition will be the first event with a new and fresh design. The changes build on top of the overall brand refresh for ESL, initially launched in 2019, with the aim of emphasizing the characteristics of each and every individual ESL product, while maintaining the common identity of brands within the portfolio of the ESL ecosystem.

“The modern and bold visual identity will reflect the legacies and history that is carved out at Intel® Extreme Masters, and in particular, IEM Katowice,” commented Shahin Zarrabi, VP Brand & Corporate Marketing at ESL Gaming. “The identity sets us up for success in many more years to come, and ensures the high quality our fans deserve.”

IEM Katowice 2022 will also provide fans with access to exclusive photos, BTS-materials and articles that summarize a whole decade of esports tournaments. With each week preceding IEM Katowice 2022, ESL will reveal the campaign’s following stages and “behind the scenes” components.

We invite you to visit the IEM X website to learn more about the history of the legendary tournament series in Katowice.

To stay up to date with all news, head to about.eslgaming.com or follow ESL Gaming on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and sign up to our press release subscription list.

Finalists for the 24th Annual Independent Games Festival Led by Inscryption From Daniel Mullins Games and Witch Beam’s Unpacking

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Finalists for the 24th Annual Independent Games Festival Led by Inscryption From Daniel Mullins Games and Witch Beam’s Unpacking

SAN FRANCISCO – January 7, 2022 – Informa Tech, organizers of the Game Developers Conference (GDC) 2022 have revealed the finalists for the 24th 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 Game Developers Conference 2022, which will be held in-person and virtually at San Francisco’s Moscone Convention Center from March 21 – 25.

Leading the nominations are Inscryption by Daniel Mullins Games and Unpacking by Witch Beam, which have both been nominated for four awards each. Both titles are nominated for the categories of Excellence in Audio, Excellence in Design, Excellence in Narrative and the Seumas McNally Grand Prize. Inscryption is a genre-bending love letter to video games that blends the deckbuilding roguelike, escape-room style puzzles and psychological horror into a surprising mix. Quite differently, Unpacking is a zen game about the familiar experience of pulling possessions out of boxes and fitting them into a new home, all while learning clues about the life of the person whose belongings are being unpacked.

Unpacking by Witch Beam (L) and Inscryption by Daniel Mullins Games (R) are leading the pack for award nominations at the 2022 Independent Games Festival (Image: IGF)

The other nominees for the Seumas McNally Grand Prize are:

  • Cruelty Squad (also nominated for the Nuovo Award) by Consumer Softproducts is a tactical first-person shooter where players are an emotionally dead combat-substance fueled grunt of Cruelty Squad, a depraved subsidiary company tasked with performing wetworks for its host conglomerate.
  • Loop Hero by Four Quarters, a game where players help the brave hero to defeat the Lich that has thrown the world into a timeless loop by wielding an expanding deck of mystical cards that place enemies and terrain to help challenge the hero and, in doing so, strengthen them.
  • The Eternal Cylinder (also nominated for Excellence in Visual Art) by ACE Team sees players control a herd of adorable creatures as they explore a strange alien world filled with exotic lifeforms, surreal environments, all while under the constant threat of the Cylinder, a gargantuan rolling structure of ancient origin which crushes everything in its path.
  • Unsighted by Studio Pixel Punk is a science-fiction adventure where player’s choices have powerful consequences. As the Automaton Alma, players traverse a vast world in search of hidden passages, powerful weapons and critical tools—all while facing dire decisions in a race against time to save their friends from a tragic fate.

After an initial assessment completed by hundreds of judges, over 400 entries for the 2022 IGF Awards were distributed to a diverse set of expert jurors from across the games industry for final consideration. The juries for each individual category 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 2022 Game Developers Conference (GDC) on Wednesday, March 23 (with a simultaneous broadcast on GDC Twitch). The IGF Awards will immediately precede the Game Developers Choice Awards, which recognizes the best games of the year across all sections of video game development. Both the Game Developers Choice Awards and IGF ceremonies are available to watch for all GDC 2022 pass-holders.

The full list of finalists for each category of the 2022 Independent Games Festival, along with “honorable mentions,” is as follows:

Best Student Game

Cai Cai Balão (Look Up Games)

Abriss – build to destroy (Randwerk Games eG)

Letter Lattice (Ethan Zarov)

Smalllife (Yueqi Wu)

Nainai’s Recipe (Fan Fang, Mai Hou)

Live Adventure (Live Adventure Team)

Honorable Mentions: Astreia’s Gift (Femy Nassirou & Hervé Blanchot), There You Are (Funky Dango),  The Bleeding Tree (No Input Interactive), dumpling.love (the parks staff), Lysfangha (Baptiste Marsac & Daphne Pauchet-Deloffre), Jivana (Team Jivana), Hook Up (Team Hook Up), Come with Me (Xin Ye) 

Excellence in Audio

Toem (Something We Made)

Unpacking (Witch Beam)

Jett: The Far Shore (Superbrothers A/V + Pine Scented)

Mini Motorways (Dinosaur Polo Club)

Sable (Shedworks)

Inscryption (Daniel Mullins Games)

Honorable Mentions: Severed Steel (Greylock Studios), A Musical Story (Glee-Cheese Studios), Death’s Door (Acid Nerve), The Vale: Shadow of the Crown (Falling Squirrel), Kena: Bridge of Spirits (Ember Lab), Overboard! (inkle), The Wild at Heart (Moonlight Kids)

Excellence in Design

Inscryption (Daniel Mullins Games)

Unpacking (Witch Beam)

Overboard! (inkle)

Strange Horticulture (Bad Viking)

Webbed (Sbug Games)

Midnight Protocol (LuGus Studios)

Honorable Mentions: Loop Hero (Four Quarters), Unsighted (Studio Pixel Punk), Mini Motorways (Dinosaur Polo Club), Card Shark (Nerial), KeyWe (Stonewheat & Sons), Sunshine Heavy Industries (Daisyowl Games)

Excellence in Narrative

Last Call (Nina Freeman and Jake Jefferies)

Neurocracy (Playthroughline)

Closed Hands (Passenger)

Overboard! (inkle)

Inscryption (Daniel Mullins Games)

Unpacking (Witch Beam)

Honorable Mentions: Card Shark (Nerial), Norco (Geography of Robots), The Big Con (Mighty Yell ),

Tux and Fanny (Ghost Time Games), Opus: Echo of Starsong (Sigono), Sable (Shedworks), Blackhaven (Historiated Games)

Excellence in Visual Art

The Eternal Cylinder (ACE Team)

Behind the Frame: The Finest Scenery (Silver Lining Studio)

Papetura (Petums)

Fuzz Dungeon (Jeremy Couillard)

The Wild at Heart (Moonlight Kids)

Jett: The Far Shore (Superbrothers A/V + Pine Scented)

Honorable Mention:

Inscryption (Daniel Mullins Games), A Musical Story (Glee-Cheese Studios), Kena: Bridge of Spirits (Ember Lab), Saturnalia (Santa Ragione) Stonefly (Flight School Studio), Cris Tales (Dreams Uncorporated, Syck)

Nuovo Award

Memory Card (Lily Zone)

Okthryssia and Saturnia’s Bureaucratic Adventures (Outlands)

Space Hole 2020 (Sam Atlas)

Tux and Fanny (Ghost Time Games) 

Cruelty Squad (Consumer Softproducts)

Sparkles & Gems (Resnijars)

Fuzz Dungeon (Jeremy Couillard)

Cuccchi (Fantastico Studio)

Honorable Mentions: 

Last Call (Nina Freeman and Jake Jefferies), The Shape of Time (落日间 xpaidia studio), The Under Presents (Tender Claws), ~Song of Homunculus~ (Diamond Ace (Lily Zone + Zoë Sparks)), Card Shark (Nerial), The Vale: Shadow of the Crown (Falling Squirrel)

Seumas McNally Grand Prize

Inscryption (Daniel Mullins Games)

Unpacking (Witch Beam)

Loop Hero (Four Quarters)

The Eternal Cylinder (ACE Team)

Cruelty Squad (Consumer Softproducts)

Unsighted (Studio Pixel Punk)

Honorable Mentions: 

Toem (Something We Made), Norco (Geography of Robots), Overboard! (inkle), Saturnalia (Santa Ragione), Dodgeball Academia (Pocket Trap), Webbed (Sbug Games), Fuzz Dungeon (Jeremy Couillard)

The Independent Games Festival has served as a springboard for breakthrough independent titles. Previous IGF prize winners include Umurangi Generation, A Short Hike, Return of the Obra Dinn, Quadrilateral Cowboy, Night in the Woods, Her Story, Spelunky, Braid, Castle Crashers, and many more critical and cultural hits.

For more information on the 2022 Independent Games Festival, including submission specifics and frequently asked questions, please visit the official Independent Games Festival website.

For more details on the Game Developers Conference, please visit the GDC’s official website, as well as gamedeveloper.com. You can also subscribe to regular updates via Facebook, Twitter, or RSS. Official photos are available via the Official GDC Flickr account: www.flickr.com/photos/officialgdc/.

E3 2022 May be Online-Only for Second Straight Year

Paul Philleo
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E3 2022 May be Online-Only for Second Straight Year

We’re not even a week into 2022 and the omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus has already started turning event plans for the year on their head.

Omicron-driven infections bent but didn’t break the major annual technology convention, CES 2022, was impacted by the spike in omicron-driven infections. Several major companies withdrew as exhibitors and health and safety measures were strengthened — but the show still proceeded this week as a hybrid event, held in Las Vegas and online. Other show organizers have had to pick their own approach to handling the latest COVID-19-related roadblock, while others still may change their approach over the next few months.

The Electronic Software Association (ESA) trade group who organizes the E3 show has made their judgment call: For the the second consecutive year, E3 could potentially be held as an online-only event. In 2020, that year’s E3 show was canceled altogether. This year, an in-person version of E3, usually held in June, is off the table.

“Due to the ongoing health risks surrounding COVID-19 and its potential impact on the safety of exhibitors and attendees, E3 will not be held in person in 2022,” the ESA stated in a communication to IGN. “We remain incredibly excited about the future of E3 and look forward to announcing more details soon.” In a follow-up, according to IGN, the ESA was unsure whether they’d host a digital event in replacement of a physical one. More details about the future of E3 in 2022 and beyond may be announced in the coming months.

E3 2021 was presented free and featured publishers and developers showcasing upcoming game titles online across several different platforms. Other games and publisher-centered events, such as the Summer Game Fest online showcase, which was developed during E3’s absence in 2020, will return in the summer of 2022.

Crowds like these from E3 2019 look and feel like they’re from a different time and place. E3 2019 had brought in 66,100 attendees. (Image: E4G)

This isn’t the first, second, or even third year that the E3 show has been repositioned or reinvented. In 2007, in reaction to some complaints that E3 had gotten too large, E3 was scaled back and spread out across several small venues — before returning to Los Angeles in 2008 while remaining a smaller event. In 2017, the E3 show was pushed in the other direction toward growth by adding passes for the public to have access to the show floor. COVID-19 is only the latest challenge to the ESA and the E3 show, but it is certainly one of the longest-lasting challenges.

As we become more acclimated to getting the latest information about games and other technologies more often via livestream, how might the E3 show, whether online, offline, or as a hybrid, need to be reinvented this year (and going forward) to remain influential in promoting games?

Gen Con Announces 2022 Registration Dates, Badge Prices, and Vaccination and Masking Requirements

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Gen Con Announces 2022 Registration Dates, Badge Prices, and Vaccination and Masking Requirements

INDIANAPOLIS (January 6, 2022) — Gen Con, the largest and longest-running tabletop gaming convention in North America, today announced badge registration information and issued an update on health and safety procedures for its upcoming 2022 convention. Gen Con Indy 2022 will run August 4-7 in the Indiana Convention Center and Lucas Oil Stadium, celebrating 55 years of events since Gen Con’s founding in 1968.

Badges for Gen Con Indy 2022 will go on sale Sunday, January 30 at noon Eastern on gencon.com. The convention will continue to operate in a hybrid format, featuring virtual Gen Con Online event programming as well as Pop-Up Gen Con in-store events across the country. All in-person participants in Gen Con Indy 2022 will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and wear a mask in all indoor spaces.

“After a successful return to in-person events in 2021, we can’t wait to return to Indianapolis for Gen Con Indy 2022,” said Gen Con President David Hoppe. “We look forward to celebrating 55 years of Gen Con with attendees in-person in the Indiana Convention Center, online through our livestreaming and Gen Con Online virtual events, and across the country at Pop-Up Gen Con in-store activations.”

BADGE REGISTRATION

Gen Con Indy 2022 4-Day and single-day badges will be available for purchase beginning at noon Eastern on January 30. Registration for a free Gen Con Online-only badge will begin on May 8, and Pop-Up Gen Con badge registration will cost $5 and begin on June 19.

Badge TypePrice
4-Day$125
Thursday$65
Friday$65
Saturday$80
Sunday$16
Trade Day$225
Gen Con Online-Only$0 (Available May 8)
Pop-Up Gen Con$5 (Available June 19)

Most attendees who rolled their 2020 or 2021 badges forward to 2022 will find their badges on their Gen Con account and no further action is needed. A few will be sent instructions on how to claim their rolled-over badges. Badge holders who do not wish to attend Gen Con Indy 2022 have the option to return their badge for a refund starting on January 30 by contacting Gen Con customer service at customerservice@gencon.com with full name and account information. There will not be an option to roll over any badge to 2023.

Housing registration will begin at noon Eastern on February 13, and event registration for ticketed events will open at noon Eastern on May 15.

HEALTH AND SAFETY INFORMATION

Based on evolving public health and safety concerns, Gen Con will implement vaccination and masking requirements for all in-person convention participants in an effort to provide a safe and healthy environment for attendees, partners, and staff.

Everyone participating in Gen Con Indy — including all attendees, exhibitors, gamemasters, event organizers, and event staff — will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 with a vaccine approved or authorized by the FDA or WHO, and proof of vaccination will be required to attend the convention and gain entry to the convention center.

Details about acceptable documentation and the verification process will be announced in the coming months, but convention organizers anticipate that participants will be required to show either verified digital proof of vaccination on a smartphone or their physical vaccination card, along with government-issued ID, before entering the convention center.

Everyone participating in Gen Con Indy — including all attendees, exhibitors, gamemasters, event organizers, and event staff — will be required to wear a mask in all indoor spaces unless actively eating or drinking in designated areas.

Gen Con’s restrictions and requirements are subject to change, and Gen Con will consider modifications to its mandatory vaccination policy on a case-by-case basis based on the most up to date information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and Indiana and Marion County public health agencies.

For more information, stay tuned to our Convention Health and Safety page for updates.

CES to Open with 2200+ Exhibitors

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CES to Open with 2200+ Exhibitors

Arlington, VA Dec. 31, 2021 – The Consumer Technology Association (CTA)®  today announced that CES® 2022 will be closing one day early, and the in-person event will take place in Las Vegas on Jan. 5-7, 2022. The step was taken as an additional safety measure to the current health protocols that have been put in place for CES. 

Over 2200 exhibitors are confirmed to exhibit in person at CES 2022. In the last two weeks, 143 additional companies have signed up to exhibit in person. Construction of exhibitors’ show floor space is well underway and soon attendees will be able to see and experience the latest tech innovations.

“As the world’s most influential technology event, CES is steadfast in its pledge to be the gathering place to showcase products and discuss ideas that will ultimately make our lives better,” said Gary Shapiro, president and CEO, CTA. “We are shortening the show to three days and have put in place comprehensive health measures for the safety of all attendees and participants.”

Those that are unable to travel to Las Vegas for CES 2022 have the flexibility to join digitally and will have the opportunity to experience the magic of Las Vegas. Digital registration will grant access to more than 40 livestreamed conference sessions, keynotes, select Media Days press conferences and the ability to engage with exhibitors at CES. Additional registration information can be found at CES registration.

Those that are traveling to Las Vegas can find important details on updated health protocols and show entry process below to make their CES arrival and entry experience as smooth as possible.

Arrival Instructions — CES 2022
1) Before Leaving Home
All attendees must be FULLY vaccinated against COVID-19. Only individuals who are fully vaccinated will be able to pick up a CES badge and access CES in-person in Las Vegas.

CES also recommends individuals test for COVID-19 prior to departing for Las Vegas. International travelers coming to the U.S. must have a COVID test within 24 hours before departing for the U.S. Please check your airline website for more details.

2) Proof of COVID-19 Vaccination (REQUIRED)
All attendees MUST show proof of COVID-19 vaccination to attend CES in Las Vegas. If one is unable to do so, attendee will not receive a CES 2022 badge to access the official show venues.

  • U.S. based attendees are encouraged to use CLEAR’s free mobile app and Health Pass feature to provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination and expedite their CES badge pick up. Learn more.
  • Non-U.S. based attendees, as well as U.S. based attendees who may be unable to use CLEAR, will need to provide their proof of vaccination at designated locations on-site. Learn more.

3) Pick up badge BEFORE entering show facilities (REQUIRED)
Attendees must pick up their own CES badge. Attendees cannot pick up badges for other attendees.

If arriving at McCarran Airport, CES recommends attendees use the Badge Pickup locations in the airport terminal, located in Terminals 1 and 3, to show proof of vaccination and obtain their show badge and Abbott BinaxNOW COVID-19 Self Test.

If attendees are not using the CLEAR app, they must go to a designated Customer Service Center location or airport locations to show their COVID-19 vaccine documentation. Customer Service Centers are located in public access areas before a CES security checkpoint. Once attendees provide proof of vaccination and pick up their badge, they will not need to verify their vaccination status again.

4) Test Before Entering a CES Venue
CES requests that attendees test for COVID-19 less than 24 hours before entering a CES venue.

CES will give attendees one complimentary Abbott BinaxNOW COVID-19 Antigen Self Test kit, provided by Abbott, when they collect their badge. Test kits are available at select Badge Pickup and Customer Service Center locations. If attendees pick up their badge at a location that does not have test kit distribution, attendees may go to one of the Customer Service Centers to pick up their test kit.

CES recommends attendees use their complimentary Abbott BinaxNOW COVID-19 Self Test less than 24 hours before entering an official show venue. The test is easy to use, requires only a shallow nasal swab, takes 15 minutes and one can do it from the convenience of their hotel room. NOTE: Each kit contains 2 tests.

During CES 2022
5) Mask during the Show (REQUIRED)
Masks are required for large indoor events in the State of Nevada. Attendees will be required to wear masks as follows:

  • In exhibit booths and indoor exhibit facilities.
  • In conference and keynote rooms.
  • CES shuttle buses and any CES transportation services.

6) Test if experiencing COVID-19 Symptoms
If an attendee is experiencing COVID-19 symptoms while at a CES venue, they are to immediately visit a First Aid area in the venue in which they are located to obtain a COVID-19 test.

At Show Close
7) PCR Tests for International Travelers Returning Home
CES will provide complimentary RT-PCR testing for attendees who are traveling back to their international destination and who require a test to travel. Attendees will be required to present proof of outbound international travel within 72 hours to be eligible to receive your test at no charge. Please check your airlines to understand when you will need to test.

Will the Omicron Variant Change Events in 2022?

Paul Philleo
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Will the Omicron Variant Change Events in 2022?

Events have teetered between virtual, hybrid, and live through 2021, echoing the ebb and flow of the COVID-19 pandemic, through the delta variant — and now the omicron variant. One of the first cases of the omicron variant in the United States, as chance would have it, began at the Anime NYC 2021 convention in November. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that a vaccinated Minnesota attendee experienced mild symptoms on November 22 before getting tested, confirming they’d come down with the second known case of the omicron variant of COVID-19 in the U.S. In early December, the convention organizers then encouraged all attendees to be tested as a precaution.

There’s a lot of blank spaces yet to fill about what’s known about the omicron variant because of how recent its discovery is. So there’s plenty about its effects to study. In general, what’s understood about the omicron variant at this point is that it is much more virulent than the delta variant of COVID-19, it may cause less serious cases in many infected people. But with the potential rate and breadth of infection, the impact may actually be more than serious enough.

Since the variant was first discovered abroad and then in the U.S., over the next few weeks, the omicron variant has rapidly spread to become the dominant version of COVID-19 infection in the U.S. As of last week, according to the CDC, 73% of all new COVID-19 infections last week were omicron, representing about 650,000 new infections in the U.S. alone. The CDC’s live tracker of COVID-19 infections overall shows a spike of well over 400,000 infections daily. As a result of omicron-driven infections, several countries have banned travel to and from several countries, which will certainly impact live event participation for the near future. For example, Israel has recently blocked travel to the U.S. and Canada, with other travel restrictions imposed by governments and companies frequently changing.

So, that takes us to where we are now, with a question looking ahead: What effect might this have on events (in gaming and technology) in 2022, at least toward the start of the year? With infections on the rise again, how might event planners change their events in the first quarter of 2022? How might attendees, speakers, and sponsors adjust the way they participate in such events coming up?

CES 2022 won’t be nearly as busy with booths or attendees as it was during CES 2020, the last physically live show. (“CES 2020 – Las Vegas” by nlintheusa is licensed under CC0 1.0)

With the CES 2022 tradeshow coming up in Jan. 5-7 as a hybrid event in Las Vegas and online, we may have an idea what impacts the rising number of omicron infections may have on a major event. Whether or not a surge of infections will overlap with CES in Las Vegas, some effects already have been felt over the last several days. Several big name sponsors and exhibitors (many known to gamers), such as Intel, Microsoft, MSI, AMD, T-Mobile, HyperX, Google, and Lenovo, have withdrawn from CES or are attending with limited staff or a digital-only presence. Many major media publications have made it known they will cover CES 2022 remotely. CES announced they will now have a shortened schedule by a day, concluding instead on Jan. 7 at 6 p.m., as an “additional safety measure. Variety’s CES Summit will transition to a virtual event that will take place later in January. Some other CES-related events and parties have also been canceled. A number of companies have put out a statement that attribute their change of status to the rise in COVID-19 cases and a desire to minimize exposure of staff to pandemic-related risks.

Last week, CES organizers, the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) have asserted via a press statement and via a Twitter thread they will continue with the physical component of CES in a manner they believe will be safer with fewer in attendance and greater social distancing.

Gary Shapiro, head of the CTA, took out an editorial piece in the Las Vegas Journal-Review to further emphasize that CES 2022 will continue as a hybrid event. Shapiro states that they face a tough choice: canceling and harming smaller organizations who rely on CES — and not canceling, thus facing criticism from the media and other voices who focus on drama and big-name companies. According to a recent Investor’s Business Daily interview with Jamie Kaplan, Dr. Director of CES Communications at the CTA, “We have 2,200 companies who want to have a show. So, we are having a show.” The number of cancellations represent under 10% of total exhibit space. The CTA has also expected CES 2022 to draw about 40,000-60,000 attendees. By comparison, in 2020, CES officially hosted 171,268 attendees and had 4,419 exhibitors.

To attend CES 2022 in person, proof of vaccination and masks are required. CES will provide one free rapid COVID test kit per attendee available to those who attend in person.

CES 2022 is looming large on the immediate horizon, but there are many other events coming up over the next few months that might be affected by changing COVID-19 requirements. Among some of the key events in the games industry coming up in Q1 2022 with a physical or hybrid footprint are:

It’s too soon to say whether either of these events will be affected by the latest surge of COVID-19 infections. However, the RSA security-focused show, a larger event that was also on deck for San Francisco in early February, was just moved to early June. It wouldn’t be a big surprise if the 2022 GDC or the D.I.C.E. Summit (or other events over the next few months) experience a change of format, date or venue. Of course, one tip we can recommend is that you keep track of the status of events that interest you by keeping tabs on the Events for Gamers calendar.

Dec. 31: Updated with revised CES schedule and note about media publications participating remotely

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