Manchester is known for many things: the diligence of the worker bee, the thriving music scene, the sprawling nightlife comprising of bars, restaurants, and secret locations.
But most people don’t really think of Manchester in the same breath as gaming. Yet, there is a fair amount for fans of gaming in the powerhouse city of the north, if you look hard enough.
The Play Expo, the North’s largest gaming convention, rocked Manchester in mid-October and saw a huge amount of gamers, fans of gaming technology and indeed casual browsers with a passing interest descend on the city to sample the games of the future.
From sections devoted to arcade games of yesteryear, retro gaming, tournaments, Minecraft, virtual reality of tomorrow, and even board games, the expo showed that maybe Manchester should become a point of interest on the gamer’s map.
The expo will delve into many topics including the revival of certain retro games, such as the Nintendo 64 classic Goldeneye, which is approaching its 20th anniversary.
It will also showcase the latest tournaments in eSports and LAN gaming, allowing fans to come together in person to showcase their skills across titles such as Counter-Strike 1.6, DOOM and Call Of Duty.
There really is no stone unturned, and fans will also be able to discuss iGaming, or online gaming, especially in the lieu of the virtual reality area.
Forward-thinking online casinos such as Mr Green Casino, Caesar’s Online and Reel Island are already bringing elements of higher technology into the consumer’s reach and are taking advantage of advances in live streaming technology to include features such as live casino and live dealers.
As for other gaming events around Manchester, on November 16, OdiGame Studios and QM Games are bringing the future of gaming together in Manchester’s Holiday Inn in order to network and listen to some guest speakers revealing the future of gaming.
The event aims to mix motivation, inspiration, and collaboration in order to help hone the next batch of gaming talent.
On November 28, 2017, BusinessCloud’s Tech first event also calls for the future of digital matters in Manchester, with a special event organised to hear from the game-changing pioneers of tech.
While straying into other digital sectors, the event will be heavily cemented in the next in technology, which will be relevant for any budding gamers or those interested in the behind the scenes aspects of gaming.
To round the gaming year off, on December 2-3, 2017, Madlab is hosting a Manchester Game Jam in conjunction with the Ludum Dare jam, which challenges participants to make a game and showcase it over a weekend.
The friendly competition calls for coders, games developers, pixel artists, audio designers, and emphasises anyone with an interest in gaming to come along to take part.
The weekend event aims to be a cooperative way of developing newer gaming talent in a more indie setting.
So, while Manchester’s star may shine brightly for other reasons, the gaming beacon continues to glow.
With Manchester the hub of gaming not just for fans of playing the games, but for those who are helping making the next generation of games, it shows that Manchester is a city not to be overlooked for the home-grown gaming talent.
Image courtesy of Pixabay, with thanks.
