Recently, Red Bull Conquest‘s eSports roadshow brought them through the San Francisco Bay area. Taking place at Oakland’s Esports Arena on 2nd Street, the nine and-and-a-half event ran three brackets for Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition, TEKKEN 7, and Guilty Gear Xrd REV2. The winner of each bracket received a Red Bull Conquest-branded set of headphones and Arcade Controller.
Event Summary with Photos
The Pools began at 12 PM with quite the turnout of both competitors and fans showing up. It was sure to be a long day for some competitors and for folks committed to seeing the competition brackets play out. Thankfully, this was helped by both the large supply of Red Bull’s signature drink, a loaded grill staff had set up, some custom Red Bull mixed drinks from the Esports Arena itself, and a large number of “casual” game stations where anyone could play between rounds or after losing a match.
Matches really started to heat up around 5 PM when the semi-finals began. While I wasn’t able to stay all the way till the end of the tournament, I was lucky enough to catch the matches for each game. When 6 PM hit, the finals of Guilty Gear Xrd REV 2 kicked off. It was quite the nail-biting experience!
Interview with Guilty Gear Xrd Rev 2 Winner
Finally, I was lucky enough to grab a small interview with the winner of the Guilty Gear finals, a gentleman who went by the name “Bears.”
How was the tournament? Any moments that had you worried?
“Definitely, as I said before, my friend usually gets the better of me, but in the end, I managed to change my destiny and turn it around.”
What do you think your play today? Anything you think you could improve on?
“Definitely, many things that I noticed while I was playing, if I had been a better player I wouldn’t have done them. It’s the kind of things that are a habit, and hard to change mid-game. So I focused on what I could change.”
This may seem a bit cliché, but what made you choose Guilty Gear?
“Well, the music certainly helps, mostly it the fact that my local arcade had other games as it’s primary fighter, and the other players were really good, but when guilty gear came in as a new game it evened out the playing field.”
Any recommendations for those wanting to compete in their local tournaments?
“Guilty gear is unforgiving, and I know it’s the kind of game that, if you don’t know how to play, it feels like you don’t get to press a button the whole match. But the flip side is this means your opponent is very advanced and will often be open to being asked advice, and I would have killed for that starting out.”
Any final remarks?
“It was my first time in Esports arena, and it was a long drive, and most are held at night on weekdays, so it was nice to do it on a weekend with nice food nearby. It’s a good area and I’d like to make it out more often if I can.”
To see what’s coming next for the Red Bull qualifying events, visit their site (and check out their google map with all the info where the show is going next)
We’re excited to be presenting yet another great list of upcoming industry events! To help you discover upcoming game industry conferences, conventions, festivals and other events, we post a consolidated list here on Events for Gamers each month.
View the complete September event list below. You can also click here for the main calendar view.
LAS VEGAS — August 28, 2018 — ESP Gaming, the premier production company for esports and competitive gaming, has entered into a programming development deal with Stadium to create esports content for the multi-platform sports network. The partnership, which runs through 2019, will bring original esports programming to fans across Stadium platforms for the first time, adding to the network’s lineup of live games, studio programming and original programming.
Together, ESP Gaming and Stadium will develop premium, esports-focused content in a wide range of genres and formats, including, but not limited to, live events, reality, news, documentaries and talk shows. In addition to televising the original programming live nationally via Stadium’s over-the-air channel, fans will be able to watch free on WatchStadium.com, Facebook, the Stadium iOS, tvOS, Android TV and Android mobile apps, Twitter (@WatchStadium), Twitch (Twitch.tv/stadium) and dedicated channels on Roku, Fubo TV and PlutoTV. Development will start immediately with further details to be announced in the coming weeks.
“Stadium has built an incredible distribution network that’s able to reach new audiences on a wide variety of platforms, which is instrumental when catering to young, digital-first fans of esports,” said JR McCabe, chief digital officer of ESP Gaming. “We’re excited to combine our strengths to deliver best-in-class content to one of the most passionate audiences in live sports.”
“This partnership marks another step forward for Stadium as we work towards developing and expanding our esports programming,” said Stadium Managing Director Adam Anshell. “We look forward to working with the incredibly talented team at ESP Gaming to offer fans a first-class experience.”
Stadium is the original multi-platform sports network featuring exclusive live and on-demand games and events, extensive highlights, classic games, original programming and daily live studio programming. Stadium includes a 24/7 linear feed distributed across both digital and broadcast platforms, as well as a comprehensive array of on-demand (VOD) digital content including additional live games and events.
ESP Gaming’s experienced team produced over 300 hours of live content in 2017 for broadcast TV and has decades of live sports production experience, enabling it to create the best esports content for PC, console and mobile events.
Join 1000+ games industry professionals in Shenzhen on Nov 12-14, 2018
Organized by CGA with support of a host partner iDreamSky, Casual Connect is coming to the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area China with its annual Asian event. At Casual Connect Asia 2018, you’ll have unlimited access to the meeting system to network with games industry professionals like yourself. All attendees get access to three days of lectures, official networking parties, and 120 of the world’s best indie games with developers. The venue will also feature a large expo area where you can talk one-on-one with industry-leading companies.
“China is now the world’s biggest game market. Being co-host of Casual Connect China, our intention is to build the bridge for the international game industry to learn more about Chinese culture and bring in more high quality content for Chinese market.” Michael Chen, CEO of iDreamSky.
FOR DEVELOPERS
More than 1,500 developers apply to Indie Prize during the year and judges from throughout the games industry select the most promising games to participate at international Indie Prize showcases during Casual Connect conferences. Submit your game for the international Indie Prize Asia 2018 scholarship program before Sep 10, more details are in the submission form. Join industry leaders as an established developer with Developer showcase or support this great event as a sponsor with 50% off Gold, Silver and Bronze.
FOR FUNDING PUBLISHERS
Sign up for a Publishers Pitch and review 40 of the world’s best indie games during three hours pitch on Nov 12. Get more exposure at the expo area with a booth or meeting table with 50% off Gold, Silver or Bronze sponsorship packages.
NEW! Delegation Package
CGA has recently launched a new program that will make it simpler for government and non-profit organizations or just a group of up to 10 developers to join Casual Connect with a special Delegation package rate. More details here.
Day of the Devs might come to mind from their showcase-within-a-conference installation recently at the Game Developers Conference, but the organizers are better known for their standalone all-day free-to-attend event held in San Francisco around Halloween. Day of the Devs, heading into its sixth year, is fast becoming a tradition.
While specifics haven’t been publically announced for the 2018 iteration of this event, the call for game submissions is now open. Developers from all backgrounds, who are working on any genre of indie game title, are encouraged to submit their details to show off and demo their game. However, according to info in an announcement email, Day of the Devs organizers ae apparently on the lookout for strong multiplayer game experiences and functionality as well as games with alternate types of controllers and unusual or interesting hardware.
“Where? How?” you may breathlessly ask, eyes bright with excitement. To get started on submitting a game for consideration, check out their Google Docs link. Game submissions will be accepted until September 24th, with the full game line-up and event details announced in October.
Last year’s Day of the Devs brought in more than 75 indie game titles for over 7,000 attendees to peruse and test drive, with swag, music, and drinks available throughout the day. Day of the Devs is organized by game developer Double Fine and creative production company iam8bit.
Stay connected to Events for Gamers as more info about the upcoming Day of the Devs event is announced!
The Seattle edition of the 2018 Penny Arcade Expo (PAX) is almost upon us. What would a community gathering of tens of thousands of your closest gaming friends and game developers be without a healthy dose of events and parties to celebrate the experience? That’s what PAX West 2018 will be bringing to the Seattle, Washington area — and hey, that’s what this handy-dandy list is for!
Like our GDC 2018 event and party list from a few months ago, this list is curating only the publically listed and searchable events out there. But if you are hosting an event at PAX West you want added (or removed) to the list, let us know.
Keep an eye out for further updates, as the list is made as current as possible just before PAX West 2018 kicks off.
Teasing a look at an Xbox One game controller and game boxes (photo: CC0 license)
Event: Extra Life Seattle Pre-PAX Hang-out! Time: 6:30 PM-9:30 AM Cost: Free Tickets available: No Location: xFlatstick Pub 240 2nd Avenue South Seattle, WA 98104 Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/extra-life-seattle-pre-pax-hang-out-tickets-49043839444? Description: “Let’s hang out and play some mini-golf and “Duffleboard” before the madness of PAX West 2018 begins! Enjoy 1/2 priced games at Flatstick Pub while connecting with each other, celebrating Seattle’s amazing Extra Life accomplishments! Space is limited to be sure to reserve accordingly!” Also, note this event is for folks 21 and over.
Event: Brace Yourself for PAX featuring Kero Kero Bonito Time: 7 PM-12 AM (8/31) Cost: Free Tickets available: No Location: The Showbox, 1426 1st Avenue, Seattle, WA 98101 Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/brace-yourself-for-pax-featuring-kero-kero-bonito-tickets-48287611546 Description: For folks over 21 (and subject to capacity, of course), PAX-goers can check out “Brace Yourself Games … throwing an epic FREE party! Hosted by Elspeth Eastman, with exclusive swag, world premieres of two new Brace Yourself Games trailers, performances by your favorite NecroDancer musicians, and headliner Kero Kero Bonito!”
Event: GarciaBellamy presents: PAX Countdown 2018 Time: 8 PM-1 AM (8/31) Cost: Free Tickets available: Yes Location: Neighbours Nightclub and Lounge, 1509 Broadway, Seattle, WA 98122 Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/garciabellamy-presents-pax-countdown-2018-tickets-49581757371 Description: “Join us for the 4th annual and largest night before PAX party, and dance away to some geeky tunes. We got Facebook Gaming in the house along with a lot of really cool industry people hanging out before PAX starts. Free drinks until our budget runs out, so get there early. Also some free pizza. Admission is absolutely free! 21+”
Event: The Triwizard Drinking Tournament – The Cocktails of Grindelwald Time: 8:30 PM-3:30 AM (8/31) Cost: Free Tickets available: No Location: Capitol Hill, Seattle, WA Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-triwizard-drinking-tournament-the-cocktails-of-grindelwald-tickets-47575610933 Description: “The Triwizard Drinking Tournament is a yearly charity pub crawl hosted by the Penny Arcade community in which the four houses of Hogwarts are split into two teams of fifty and unleashed upon Capitol Hill for a night of merrymaking and fundraising. In 2017 we raised $4666.50 in just a few short hours with all that cash going to Child’s Play and securing bragging rights to the team that raises the most! For seven years the crawl roughly followed the Harry Potter books followed by a short break so that we could get horrible things involving chrome spray paint out of our system. Now the alumni of Hogwarts have returned to celebrate their time at the school with The Triwizard Drinking Tournament! Assembling themselves into teams based on the houses they grew up in they gather to celebrate all things witchy and wizardly!”
Event: Voyeuristic Flix Music Video Night – Pre PAX Edition Time: 9 PM-2 AM (8/31) Cost: $4 cover Tickets available: Yes Location: The Mercury @ MachineWerks, 1009 E Union St, Seattle, WA 98122 Link: https://www.facebook.com/events/553013685134021 Description: Goth, industrial, dance, club, 80’s, 90’s music, this place throws out a lot of tunes from different eras. On the logistics side, “$4 cover, must be 21+ with ID, $2 vodka wells until midnight, Not a dress code night; come as you are or dress to impress.
The Mercury is a cash only bar.” But don’t forget to bing that tipping money for the folks working the bar.
Friday, August 31st:
Event: Oculus Stormland Pop-Up during PAX West Time: 11 AM-9 PM Cost: Free Tickets available: None needed Location: 1927 Events, 1927 3rd Ave, Seattle, WA 98101 Link: https://www.facebook.com/events/648634392186973/ Description: “Join us at the Oculus Stormland Pop-Up on August 31 (open one day only!) to explore the game’s ever-changing cloudscape and expansive world. Bound up cliffs, glide across chasms, and fly through the slipstream. Detonate explosives, harness electricity, and wield makeshift weapons to overcome titanium sentries and monolithic guardians. Demos are open to the public, not just PAX badge holders. Limited-edition swag available for those who demo, while supplies last.”
Event: Bethesda Gameplay Days Time: 1:30-9 PM Cost: Free Tickets available: None needed Location: Hard Rock Cafe, 116 Pike St, Seattle, WA 98101 Link: https://bethesda.net/en/article/4BzA5CUFO8kk0AGoOae4eQ/bethesda-gameplay-days-coming-to-pax-west Description: This event is basically day one of PAX West’s Bethesda-Fest. Playable for the event is Elder Scrolls Online: Murkmire, Prey: Mooncrash, and The Elder Scrolls: Legends DLC packs. Attendees can also check out the iPhone’s The Elder Scrolls: Blades, Quake Champions and more. The E3 2018 demo of RAGE 2 is also on tap. Mix in fellow Bethesda fans, developers, chances to win prizes, and you have a party. The event will also be available on livestream over various channels.
Event: Red Bull Challenge Mode Time: 5-10 PM Cost: Free Tickets available: Yes Location: Block 41, 115 Bell St, Seattle, WA 98121 Link: https://redbullchallengemode.splashthat.com/ Description: Here we have a cornucopia of indie game-focused events wrapped in one sweet little package that takes place not just one day, but two days: “Red Bull invites pop culture lovers and those with a competitive spirit to Red Bull Challenge Mode, a two-day event during PAX West 2018 that will spotlight popular independent games – StudioMDHR’s Cuphead, Boneloaf and Double Fine Productions’ Gang Beasts, as well as the upcoming Due Process from local Seattle developer Giant Enemy Crab and Annapurna Interactive”
Event: Life is Strange 2 Fan Meet Up Party with What’s Good Games Time: 6-9 PM Cost: Free Tickets available: None needed Location: Unicorn 1118 E Pike St, Seattle, WA 98122 Link: https://www.facebook.com/events/2262543377365494/ Description: This party, based on the hit game, looks like it will be lit up. “Thanks to our friends at Square Enix we are once again partnering up to celebrate Life is Strange. Last year we had a line around the block, so this year we are taking over the WHOLE venue at the Unicorn … Entry is free for all but the first 100 people in line will get free drink tickets. It’s open to anyone 21+ in the Seattle area, no PAX badge required.”
Event: Night of Gaming for Good on Top of the World, PAX Edition! 2018 Time: 6 PM-1 AM (9/1) Cost: $89-$250 Tickets available: Yes Location: Columbia Tower Club, 701 5th Avenue, Floor 76, Seattle, WA, 98104 Link: http://pax2018.shindigg.com/ Description: “Join us for an evening with the gaming community to celebrate and play games we love, partake in fine dining, enjoy Top of the World views, and win gaming raffle prizes. All to support a great cause: our beneficiary, the Imagine Guild, supports the Seattle Children’s Hospital, Uncompensated Care program.”
Event: Enter The Grid: 3rd Annual Unofficial PAX Party! Time: 6 PM-2 AM (9/1) Cost: Free ($5 cover charge after 9 PM) Tickets available: Yes Location: Club Contour, 807 1st Ave, Seattle, WA 98104 Link: https://www.meetup.com/Seattle-Game-Developers/events/253658192/ Description: A showcase of chiptunes musicians is what this party, now in its third year, is all about. From 6-9 it’s industry/PAX-badged folks only, and the doors open to all after 9 PM.
Event: DMC5 SSStylish Pizza Party Time: 8-11:59 PM Cost: Free Tickets available: None needed Location:SPiN Seattle, 1511 6th Ave, Seattle, WA 98101 Link: https://www.facebook.com/events/712567869093042/ Description: What is Dante’s (from Devil May Cry 5) favorite pizza? You might find out by attending this pizza party, hosted by Capcom and SONICBOOMBOX. Top it off with cosplay, DJing and a p[hotobooth, and this could be one colorful party. 21+ only, no PAX West badge required, and first come first served.
Event: Legion Lounge @ PAX West 2018 Time: 9 PM-2 AM Cost: Free Tickets available: Yes Location: Showbox SoDo, 1700 1st Ave S, Seattle, WA 98134 Link: https://future.ticketleap.com/legion-pax-west-2018/ Description: “Join us for a Fortnite™ dance competition, meet livestreamers Sequisha and BurkeBlack, play the most popular FPS games on Legion by Lenovo gaming systems, strike a pose in our custom photo booth, become an FPS quiz champion, and more as Legion by Lenovo showcases its latest hardware as well as Intel’s® Optane™ technology.
Plus, get first dibs on up to $350 in savings on Lenovo Legion gaming PCs, grab free swag, and enter to win a Legion by Lenovo gaming system!”
Event: Predator Gaming After Party Time: 9 PM-2 AM Cost: Free Tickets available: Yes Location: The Showbox, 1426 1st Avenue, Seattle, WA 98101 Link: https://future.ticketleap.com/predator-gaming-after-party/ Description: “…head over to the Predator Gaming After Party at The Showbox on Friday, August 31 starting at 9 pm. You can get your hands-on the latest Predator gaming hardware powered by Intel, watch an epic musical performance by A-Trak, pick up exclusive swag, play games, and grab a few drinks. Hang out throughout the night for the Play like the Pro’s gaming competition, exciting giveaways, and more!”
On the next page see more PAX West 2018 events heading into the weekend, from Saturday, September 1st to Sunday, September 2nd!
With all the fresh GPU-for-gaming news from Gamescom, NVIDIA is once again front and center when talking about crunching graphics (and now ray tracing) in cutting-edge PC game titles.
With that in mind, NVIDIA’s GPU Tech Conference (GTC) 2019 conference is returning in March next year, and the call for speakers is currently open. However, that potential opportunity to present is only open until September 21, 2018. According to a recent mailing from the GPU ecosystem-oriented giant, they are seeking talks in the spaces of “AI and deep learning, healthcare, autonomous vehicles, IoT, HPC, graphics, VR, and much more.”
If a potential speaker aims to submit a poster presentation at GTC 2019, that window is open until November 30th.
If selected to present, the speaker will also receive a conference pass for GTC 2019.
The GPU Technology Conference is NVIDIA’s annual event focused on the computing power of GPUs in science, academia, gaming, enterprise, and more, hosted in Silicon Valley, and regionally throughout the world. In 2018, 8,500 attendees were part of the Silicon Valley version of the conference.
To apply to speak or to check out more information about GTC, this is the link you will want to follow.
GOLDSBORO, N.C. (Aug 10th 2018) — The Carolina Games Summit returns to host an exciting array of video game tournaments at the upcoming 2018 GEXCon located at the Dulles Expo Center in Chantilly, Virginia. The event will be held Friday August 31st through Sunday September 2nd with both single day and multi day events occuring throughout.
GEXCon 2018 will feature the Cougar $10,000 CS:GO D.C. Open LAN tournament. In addition, there will be tournaments for Madden 2019 and Rocket League with prize purses in excess of $6,000. For those who want to keep their gaming more casual, attendees can enjoy the Free Play Arcade area, BYOC LAN, or open play console areas. CUKUSA will be providing over 100 PCs for the F2P Tournament area where there will be free tournaments for Fortnite, Overwatch, League of Legends, DOTA 2, HearthStone and many, many more.
The Carolina Games Summit will be hosting over 15 console tournaments including first person shooters like Halo and Call of Duty. Fighting game hits like Smash Brothers, Street Fighter, Tekken 7, and Injustice 2 will also be returning this year. New hit tournaments have been added such as Mario Kart 8 and Arms for the Nintendo Switch. For specific dates and times for individual tournaments please visit the Carolina Games Summit homepage then click Tournaments.
Attendees can also experience virtual reality with both the Oculus Rift and the HTC Vive available all three days of the event. This year the board game area will be expanded with demos and contests run by Atlantis Games & Comics.
Come and watch selected matches on stage, or spend some time with our other special guests. Attendees can enter the cosplay contest to show off their craftsmanship and creativity or just choose to visit the many exhibitors and artists.
About GEXCon
GEXCon – the largest video gaming convention in Fredericksburg, VA – is expanding and moving to the Northern Virginia area. We started with LEc² – League of Legends East Coast Convention and rebranded to GEXCon (The Gaming and Entertainment Experience Convention) the following year in order to bring in additional gaming communities and add even more fun.
For more information about our event, take a look at a couple of videos from our past events. We look forward to seeing you at GEXCon 2018! Link to their website: GEXCon
About Carolina Games Summit
Carolina Games Summit® is held yearly on the first weekend of February in Goldsboro, NC. This hybrid event consistently delivers industry speakers, video game tournaments, concerts, exhibition booths, cosplay, educational sessions, and trading card games. Attendees will be able to compete against gamers from all over the country in a variety of popular tournaments. Enjoy all your favorite platforms including arcade, computer, and console games with both tournament and free-play options available. Additional information can be found on the official web site: www.CarolinaGamesSummit.com
The new year is nearly upon us! To help you discover upcoming game industry conferences, conventions, festivals and other events, we post a consolidated list of events for each month. View the complete August event list below.
SAN FRANCISCO – July 30, 2018 – UBM Tech Game Network, organizers of the Game Developers Conference® (GDC) 2019, is now accepting submissions for the 21st annual Independent Games Festival (IGF), the longest running festival, summit and showcase of independent games.
The IGF is part of the Game Developers Conference 2019, which will take place from March 18th through March 22nd at San Francisco’s Moscone Convention Center. Entries for all of the IGF categories will be accepted now through October 1, 2018, with finalists announced in early January 2019.
Finalists will compete for over $50,000 in prizes and their games will be playable at the packed IGF Pavilion on the GDC 2019 Expo Floor. The award categories include Excellence in Visual Art, Audio, Design and Narrative, each of which will have six finalists, with the winner in each category receiving $3,000. Additional awards include the Best Student Game award ($3,000 prize) which will recognize student developers, the special Nuovo Award ($3,000, eight finalists) which honors the title that ‘makes the jurors think differently about games as a medium’, and the IGF Audience Award ($3,000 prize) which will be decided by a public vote from all of the competition finalists. Finally, six finalists will be selected for the $30,000 Seumas McNally Grand Prize.
Returning for the third time is the alt.ctrl.GDC Award ($3,000), an affiliated award to be given out during the IGF ceremony, honoring intriguing and inventive games using unique one-of-a-kind controllers. Finalists and the winner for this award will be picked from entries into the popular on-site GDC 2019 exhibit of the same name.
Winners will be announced on stage at the high-profile Independent Games Festival Awards on Wednesday, March 20th, 2019, at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, with the IGF Pavilion open from March 20th-22nd, and the sister Independent Games Summit event taking place on March 18th and 19th.
The Independent Games Festival is the longest-running and highest profile independent video game festival, summit and showcase. It has served as a springboard for several games that have gone on to become critical and cultural hits. Previous IGF prize winners from the past 20 years include Night in the Woods, Quadrilateral Cowboy, Her Story, Papers, Please, Spelunky, Minecraft, Limbo, World of Goo, Braid, Castle Crashers, Everyday Shooter and many more of the game industry’s breakthrough independent titles. IGF continues to be the largest annual gathering of independent video game developers, showcasing top talent across the industry and keeping a pulse on the future of independent games.
● March 18 – March 22, 2019 – Game Developers Conference 2019
● March 18 – March 19, 2019 – Independent Games Summit @ GDC 2019
● March 20 – March 22, 2019 – IGF Pavilion @ GDC 2019
● March 20, 2019 – IGF Awards Ceremony (Winners announced)
This year, Independent Games Festival organizers are particularly interested in receiving submissions from those making interesting or experimental works who might otherwise not enter because of the fee. Those under-represented creators interested in applying for a waiver on the full ($75) entry fee can find additional details and the waiver application form on http://igf.com/submit-your-game. Entries should be submitted by September 14th, and if selected, they will be given the opportunity to enter IGF 2019 for free.
For more information on the 2019 Independent Games Festival, including submission specifics and frequently asked questions, please visit the official Independent Games Festival website. IGF entries can be submitted here.
Earlier this year, we got a chance to check out one of the few gaming-focused expo booths — SKG Retrogaming — at the 2018 Silicon Valley Comic-Con. Fast forward a few months and we now have the opportunity to travel via the wayback machine, to review one of their retrogaming-focused Raspberry Pi 3-powered kits. In this case, we’re looking at the “Retro Box – Loaded” (RBL) kit, which comes with two Xbox-style joysticks.
The package deal
The kit was packed for bubble-wrapped safety. Everything bullet-pointed in the description was included and made it safely over in transit. I can’t say there was anything notable about the packaging otherwise, at least in my case.
The kit seems to be similar to the computer, HDMI cables, and charger of the Canokit Raspberry Pi 3 Starter Kit. From there, add controllers; added memory (from 32GB to 128GB); and of course the user interface and games — and voilà, the RBL.
The Retro Box — Loaded kit
I really liked the look of the NESPi case which SKG also offers, and others may as well, because of the resemblance to the classic Nintendo Entertainment System. It’s a direct callback to retrogaming, after all. However, there’s of course an upgrade charge to go with that look.
Setup:
A set of basic and advanced instructions were sent along via PDF, to make setup easier, as well as any tweaking for more specialized requirements of the players or the games It’s very easy to set up the “Retro Box – Loaded.” Getting the kit up and running to reach “ready to play”-status needed only 5-10 minutes.
That’s because setup requires attention to only plugging in three basic things: the HDMI cable between the device and the monitor, one or both of the controller into the device and the power supply to the device. There was enough length on all the cables to connect with ample room to spare. There is no clear labeling of the ports on the case, but matching the pins on the plugs to the ports on the device did not take too much extra effort.
View of the connection, power, and joystick ports
As a side note, most HDMI-enabled displays will be flat-panel LCD or LED types. Many classic gaming purists may find tough to take when they prefer lower-resolution, scanline-enabled displays. For the purpose of this review, I used a 720p 42″ LCD Sharp display, as an “entry-level” display for a consumer who wants to plug-and-play with a widely available display.
Past the set-up portion, further setup will likely be required when customizing the game experience once you’re in and trying out the games. to that extent, We’ll touch on customization in the “Performance” portion of the review.
Specifications
Raspberry Pi 3 computer, case, and power supply
Weight 48 oz
Dimensions 6 x 5 x 4 in
128 GB Micro SD card running the Retropie software
Fully configured system, ready to play.
7000 games, from 16 different platform
View artwork, description, and other data for each game.
Included HDMI cable
Two wired XBox-style controllers
Detailed instruction manual, with links to online sources
90-day product replacement guarantee.
Access to email support with any questions or concerns.
Price: $299 for Retro Box – Loaded; $199 for Retro Box – Basic
Performance
The “Retro Box kit is truly a sum of its parts and is best judged on that basis. The core circuitry of the machine is a Raspberry Pi 3 computer. Due to form factor compatibility issues, it’s not the most recent Pi model, but it’s still sufficiently powerful to meet the needs of most of the platforms emulated on the Loaded system. Then, there’s the bundle of software components that comprise the RetroPie emulation software and interface.
Starting up the Retro Box is as simple as plugging in the power supply. There’s no power or reset buttons. All of that functionality is baked into the EmulationStation graphical user interface (GUI), along with navigation to each platform and available game, as well as some curation options and access to deeper-level emulator and game configuration options.
The Retro Box joypad powered up
The wedge-style dual analog thumbstick and single digital cross key controller performed well; the control was customizable for each game through the interface, whether a single, 2-, 3- or 6-button game, no matter which triggers or shoulder buttons might be needed. The button action felt solid and sturdy and the heft of comfortable in my hands, even after a couple hours of straight gameplay. The controllers, which comes by default, are two wired SNES-styled cross key pad controllers, which may have limited usability for more modern systems because their games use more buttons and often may require analog control.
Expect the majority of the 8-bit and 16-bit games to perform without a hitch.The music, sound effects, and video, at this level of emulation, felt like a generally accurate reflection of the source material.
Gridlee (1982) arcade game on Retro Box
That said, the system, with all options added in, can include Sega Dreamcast and Sony PlayStation emulation (not included in this unit). But, it would be probably be a bit hasty to expect a 1.2 GHz-powered system to fully emulate more recent, complex, speed-intensive consoles, such as the Dreamcast. The Nintendo 64 (included), too, has difficulty with some games but not with others. It’s a hit-or-miss experience, too, because the system’s emulation is not as advanced as others. It is helpful to know that some games dumps, or digital copies, on the original Nintendo 64 hardware also run slowly, some well under the optimal 60 frames per second (FPS) because of the limits of the original programming and hardware. The emulation will only reflect that game’s original programming to the extent the emulator is capable of accurately reflecting it.
The default Retro Box experience, even if imperfect, will be more than adequate for many gamers, but if you have a high comfort level beyond the glossy EmulationStation GUI, it’s possible to optimize just about every conceivable attribute of the emulator or game associated with a given platform, via the RetroPie and emulator-level of the file system. Be careful once you start adjusting settings and configuration files, so you don’t disable an emulator, delete a game, and so forth. Going deeper by reading the documentation on the RetroPie site would be advised.
RetroPie configuration menu
Lastly, I’d be missing a key point if I did not mention the thorny legal issues surrounding ROM or ISO ownership. Ownership of games that are not formally licensed, not open source or in the public domain are a sticky area, to say the least.
Pros
For the amount of classic gaming content you get jam-packed into this palm-sized box, it’s an exceptional value.
When buying a kit, a purchaser can customize exactly what is desired based on desired features and platforms.
Made for portability and plug-and-play
Based off RetroPie, the Retro Box will be a snap for Linux and Pi vets to customize
Cons
Not everything works perfectly as pre-configured. Some light (or heavy) tweaking work may be required for an optimal gameplaying experience.
The game ownership rights issue will be a factor for some.
Ideal For:
The Retro Box is handmade for the hardcore aficionado of classic games, especially someone who likes to tinker. It’s the sort of product you can show off at a retrogames or big gaming show. The whole kit is portable enough to go anywhere, so it travels well. The Retro Box is the sort of system for folks who want everything packaged up and ready to play but also want to tinker. Hardware hackers may prefer to build their own version from scratch for much less, but the trade-off is time and effort.
For those folks who want a customized Raspberry Pi-powered system that can play huge libraries of games from the 80’s and 90’s, the Retro Box is a solid starting point!
Casual Connect will return to Eastern Europe to capture the region’s independent gamedev energy in an event designed to provide a bridge between Western and Eastern companies. At Casual Connect Serbia 2018 all attendees get access to three days of lectures and workshops, espo area, official networking parties and the world’s best indie games with developers at the international Indie Prize showcase. As well as an unlimited access to the meeting system to network with games industry professionals.
More than 1,500 developers apply to Indie Prize during the year and judges from throughout the games industry select the most promising games to participate at international Indie Prize showcases during Casual Connect conferences. Submit your game for the international Indie Prize Serbia 2018 scholarship program before Aug 1, more details are in the submission form http://bit.ly/IPSerbiaSubmissionDueAug1. The scholarship includes two free Standard passes to the conference, a spot in the showcase and free accommodation for up to two developers from each team during the conference at the indie hostel with other indie developers. The number of beds in the hostel is limited and will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.
Or join industry leaders as an established developer with Developer showcase or support this great event as a sponsor with 50% off Gold, Silver and Bronze:
CGA has recently launched a new program that will make it simpler for government and non-profit organizations or just a group of up to 10 developers to join Casual Connect with a special Delegation package rate. More details here:
