Establishing a new games event in Australia is a difficult proposition, largely thanks to the dominance of major players like PAX Aus and the incoming SXSW Sydney – not to mention smaller pop culture-adjacent events, like Smash! and Supanova.
Generation Games, from the organisers behind Oz Comic-Con, is aiming to make a new mark on the events calendar with the launch of a dedicated celebration of gaming, set to take place at the International Convention Centre Sydney in Darling Harbour from 20-21 April 2024.
Per a press release, the event aims to celebrate gaming of all generations, from retro to next-gen, and beyond. While planning is in its early stages, Generation Games has announced a major partner in Lenovo Legion, and detailed a range of activities for the event, including: console and PC freeplay zones, tabletop and RPG games, esports tournaments, arena presentations featuring gameplay demos and talks, retro and arcade gaming, and community meetups.
It has also announced a showcase for locally-made Australian games, and hinted at potential appearances for AAA titles. For now, those coveted ‘big names’ are yet to be confirmed for the show, but organisers for Generation Games have confirmed to GamesHub that discussions are ongoing as plans are shaped around the event.
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‘We are having discussions with all of the major publishers and distributors about being a part of Generation Games 2024,’ said Ben Williams, Sales and Events Manager at Generation Games. A reported focus for the organisation team is creating an event that ‘makes community engagement for gaming brands easier.’
Notably, another focus for Generation Games is on providing a platform for Australian game developers, particularly those from Sydney, to showcase their latest works.
‘Sydney and New South Wales-based indie developers have historically not had the opportunities that some of their interstate colleagues enjoy, partially due to there not being a dedicated gaming event in our city,’ Williams said. ‘One of the goals of Generation Games is to provide an event that will help local indie devs get commercial recognition both with the public and with the industry.’
The cost for indie developers to exhibit was not detailed in response to a GamesHub query, although Williams confirmed the organising team was working on the balance between opportunity and value: ‘We want it to be a strong opportunity that makes sense, and one we can keep offering in the years to come.’ Developers with an interest in showcasing their work in 2024 can now register interest on the Generation Games website.
For now, Generation Games has yet to lock in other details about the event – although its initial press release suggests an ambitious approach similar to PAX, with activities planned around community passion for games. As with any new event, it’s best to keep expectations firmly in check, although the team’s experience with Oz Comic-Con is a solid start to proceedings.
We’ll learn more about Generation Games 2024 in the coming months, as plans ramp up for launch on 20-21 April 2024. Visit the Generation Games website for more details.
