Canal Walk’s Gaming Expo, backed by BT Games and Good Hope FM, is to return for the third year.
Taking place in Centre Court at Canal Walk Shopping Centre (CWSC) from 24 to Sunday 29 October, it offers gamers, eSports fans, and Cosplayers 12 hours per day to immerse themselves in the latest the industry has to offer.
The Football Tournament, a highlight for the past two years, will see PlayStation and BT Games present the winner with a R10 000 cash prize and a PlayStation 4 PRO console worth R8000. The runner-up will receive R5000, a copy of GT Sport and R3000. EEntrants must register online (at Friday and Saturday). The top players from each qualifier stage will return for the semi-final and grand finals on the Sunday.
October is a big month for the gaming industry, with a number of new releases from all the console houses. For Super Mario fans, Nintendo will be launching the latest in the series, Super Mario Odyssey (due out on 27 October), on its globally successful new console, the Nintendo Switch. Other new titles for the Switch include Pokken Tournament, Mario Kart and FIFA 18. Expect to try out other new releases across varying genre’s and for various consoles – from South Park to Assassin’s Creed Origins from Just Dance 2018 to Middle Earth: Shadow of War.
Virtual Reality followers will have their share of the latest offerings to experience. BT Games has confirmed that GT Sport will be playable for the first time in Cape Town using PSVR. Gaming merchandise like collectable figures will be available at the show.
Cosplay returns to the centre stage, with a competition on Saturday 28. Cosplay (a contraction of “costume” and “play”), is more than just dressing up. It is a creative form of self-expression and requires hours of designing, sewing and making of incredible outfits.
“The appetite for gaming and game-related products and materials is voracious,” said Vanessa Herbst, Marketing Manager, Canal Walk Shopping Centre. “We saw this last year with a packed-out centre, from the sports competitions to children dancing and even taking on their parents in the old arcade games such as Pacman, which will also make a welcome return in this year’s event.
“It’s very clear that we are living in a digital world, so we have made every effort to compile a broad array of exhibits to appeal to as many aspects of the digital gaming spectrum as possible in this year’s show.”
Says Karl Klöpfer, Head of Marketing at BT Games, “We are also conscious that it has been a tough economic year for many people, so once again we will offer big savings on consoles, games and related items during this Expo, in time for the upcoming festive season. There will be special offers for gamers who pre-order selected upcoming games, and free gifts with selected purchases. Expect killer deals, like Xbox One or PS4 consoles from R3999 and deals on hot new games too! Expect lots of fun competitions and many give-aways all week long.”
Confirmed exhibitors include Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo, Megarom Interactive, Electronic Arts and a number of others, with more announcements to follow that will showcase just how broad the industry of gaming has become and how it appeals to people from all walks of life.
