- Singapore’s
largest gaming event gears up for its biggest celebration ever as gaming
and esports see fever-pitch momentum, mainstream support and recognition
hit a six-year high - First wave of
special guests announced, including veteran producer Takashi Tokita - Exclusive
Asia-first game previews to be announced soon
SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 3 October
2019 – As the Asia Pacific remains the largest overall region for
gaming, estimated to take in $72.2 billion in 2019, and esports to be featured
as a medal sport at the upcoming 2019 Southeast Asian Games – the gaming
ecosystem is abuzz with interest. All eyes are on GameStart Asia, Singapore’s
largest and longest-running gaming event, as organiser Eliphant unveils a
series of announcements for its sixth edition, GameStart 2019 (#GameStart2019),
to be held on 12 and 13 October at Suntec Convention Centre.
From humble beginnings of
hosting 12,000 visitors in its inaugural edition in 2014, GameStart Asia has
since welcomed 100,000 gamers, esports athletes and cosplayers over its 5-year
history. SEA MAJOR, which has called GameStart home since 2016, returns as host
to some of the world’s most prestigious fighting game tournaments. 2018’s
edition of SEA MAJOR saw over 400 participants, with online engagement on
Twitch alone reaching 25 million (minutes watched), with 2.6 million video
plays on 1.6 million devices. GameStart today is Southeast Asia’s premier
gaming event, having forged long term partnerships with renowned platforms
including Taipei Game Show, BIC Fest, Game Prime Asia and BitSummit to connect
passionate local and international gaming communities.
With the theme “Asian
Mythology”, visitors can gear up to new and exciting content that include
showcases of the latest blockbuster games, esports, indie games, tabletop
gaming, cosplay and appearances by special guests from various games industry
segments. The event is today recognised as an important platform for brands and
game publishers to announce and showcase new and upcoming products to
consumers. Organisers confirmed that several announcements and product launches
will again be hosted at GameStart 2019, with details to be shared closer to
date.
Hot
Favourites alongside Growth Areas
For the first time, visitors will get
to enjoy The Castle, a themed adventure room game experience created and
available exclusively at GameStart 2019. Gamers can gather a party of 4 (or
join a group), select from two story-based routes, and embark on their chosen
clan’s mission to find the sealed demon within the abandoned castle.
The new GameStart Demo Zone will
host new and upcoming games on the PS4 and Nintendo Switch consoles, including
Tokyo RPG’s latest title, ONINAKI, Ubisoft’s Just Dance 2020, and other games
which will be announced closer to the event days.
Publishers Marvel, Bandai Namco
Entertainment Asia, Arc System Works and Square Enix will also showcase games
at the event.
Returning favourites
include:
- The popular Tabletop
Zone – The global board games market is a niche sector that has
quietly seen astronomical growth in the last 3 to 4 years and is on track
to be worth US$12 billion by 2023. The Tabletop Zone has seen strong
growth in attendees since it was first introduced at GameStart 2017. Local
and international exhibitors, including Moaideas from Taiwan and Asobi, a
concept store for hobby enthusiasts, who will bring “Fate/Grand Order
-collection figure-” will be at the convention. The Open Gaming area will
have a selection of games for the uninitiated to try tabletop games led by
Game Masters. Pre-registration for the free sessions is available at https://event.gamestart.asia/exhibitors/open-gaming/. - A haven for
artists and the creative scene, Doujin Market x GameStart 2019 is a
collaboration with the largest artist convention in the region, and
provides artists from SEA the chance to showcase and sell their creations
to visitors. For the fourth year running, Doujin Market – Doujima x
GameStart Artist Alley returns to make art accessible to video
game fans, while providing local and regional creators an opportunity to
showcase their work. Over 40 creators will showcase some of the very best
video game-inspired artwork, accessories and fan creations. - Some of Asia’s
best indie developers, including those from Myanmar and China, will gather
at Founders Base to showcase their work, in addition to Gamestart’s
partners – Taipei Game Show (Taiwan), Busan Indie Connect (BIC) Festival
(Korea), Game Prime Asia (Indonesia) and BitSummit (Japan).
Journey
alongside Top Esports Athletes
SEA MAJOR (SEAM) 2019, the largest
fighting game tournament in Asia, returns to GameStart 2019 bigger and better,
with top players from around the world. It will host two major events – the
Asia Regional Finals for Capcom World Tour (Street Fighter V), and the Finals
of the inaugural SOULCALIBUR Asia League. Some of the world’s top players will
be participating, including Daigo “The Beast” Umehara (Japan) and Kayane
(France).
Organisers hinted that a
special announcement by a game publisher is expected to be made during the
tournaments. Registration for SEA MAJOR will end on 8 October.
Other tournaments
include:
- Organised by FIFA
veteran Xtr3me3 and Eliphant, the annual GameStart 2019: FIFA 20
Championship returns this year with a prize pool worth SGD 3,500,
sponsored by MyRepublic GAMER and Armaggeddon. - Mobile Legends:
Bang Bang and League of Legends tournaments under the MyRepublic Gamer
tournament series. - Pixel Battle
Ultimate Challenge – a fun
challenge for GameStart’s own mobile game which received a big content
update in August 2019. Daily winners will take home a Secretlab gaming
chair and GameStart swag.
First wave
of guests announced
Get up close and personal with
industry talents in the gaming community, as visitors will get to meet and
appreciate their skills and insights in GameStart 2019. From veteran game
producers to talented musicians and creatives, be inspired by Asia’s best in
the gaming industry.
Organisers announced
their first wave of guests, including (Please refer to the Annex for their
bios):
- Veteran Producer
from Square Enix and Creative Producer of Tokyo RPG Factory, Takashi
Tokita, will present his new game, ONINAKI, on the GameStart Main
Stage on 12 October. In addition, he will hold a special session to talk
about his 30+ years of experience in game development. Attendees will have
a chance to ask him questions in a more intimate setting. Limited seats
are available for this session, and those keen to attend can register at http://bit.ly/gs19ss. - Violinist Luna
Lorrain, in Singapore for the first time, will perform her renditions
of beloved game and anime songs on the GameStart Main Stage. She has
performed in some of the biggest ACG (anime, comic and game) events in
Southeast Asia. - Digital Artist
and Illustrator Richard Suwono is a huge fan of fighting
games and known for his unique art style, often depicting characters from
fighting game franchises. Fans will get to meet him at the SEA MAJOR zone,
as well as purchase 2 exclusive T-shirt designs by Richard for GameStart
2019 and SEA MAJOR 2019. - Taiwanese
pianist, V.K., is best known for his compositions for Deemo, a
successful music game developed by Rayark games. He will be performing on
the GameStart Main Stage on 12 October.
Riiyuukii Cosplay will be
making appearances at GameStart as Alyse, the GameStart mascot. Up-and-coming
model Yuuno will also appear as a new Nemesis character to Alyse.
Eat.Drink.Play.Repeat.
Weary gamers can replenish their
HP and MP, or celebrate their victories at The Sanctuary. Curated
by home-grown mead company Lion City Meadery, six delectable food stalls, a
range of award-winning mead (a familiar drink in many Role-playing Games), and
a selection of craft beer from Canadian Craft Beer, will be well-stocked
to fill tummies and quench the thirst.
The Sanctuary is conveniently
located close to the Tabletop Zone, so players can enjoy food and drink while
they contemplate their next move. Attractive prizes await the bold who complete
quest cards by performing various activities at selected booths, with Armaggeddon
returns as the Official Quest Sponsor.
Sponsors and partners of
GameStart 2019 include Twitch (Official Live Stream Platform), MyRepublic
(Official Fibre Broadband Partner), Monster Energy (Official Energy Drink),
Lion City Meadery (Preferred Alcohol Partner) and XSplit (Official Live Stream
Software).
Levelling
Up – The Next Chapter
In May 2019, GameStart Asia
announced its partnership with the inaugural gamescom asia, to be held in
Singapore in 2020, to jointly curate an all-rounded gaming experience. This
October, gamescom asia will be exhibiting at GameStart 2019.
“GameStart will hand over the
reigns to gamescom asia in Singapore, and work closely with Koelnmesse
Singapore to build on the current gaming community that we have established
over the years. When we started in 2014, my team and I set out to put Singapore
and Southeast Asia on the map for gaming. The partnership is an exciting
milestone and I’d like to think that what we’ve done and achieved has helped
create this opportunity, no matter how small a part we’ve played,” said Elicia
Lee, Founder of GameStart Asia.
“For now, the team is hard at
work putting the finishing touches to GameStart 2019, with special
announcements and activities lined up to thank the community – fans and
partners alike – with the best experience ever. We hope that everyone can come
and join us,” Elicia added.
More information and the latest
updates on GameStart 2019 are available on www.gamestart.asia, and www.facebook.com/GameStart.Asia.
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GameStart 2019 Venue: Suntec Convention Centre Halls Event Dates: 12 & 13 October 2019 Opening Hours:
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About GameStart Asia
GameStart Asia is Singapore’s
largest gaming event and has gained the reputation as a premier gaming convention
in Southeast Asia since its debut in 2014. Organised by Eliphant Pte Ltd, the
convention seeks to bring everything gaming-related to audiences in Asia, and
has also been host to SEA MAJOR, Southeast Asia’s largest fighting game
tournament, since 2016. In addition to showcasing the latest games and
exclusives, GameStart is also a keen supporter of local gaming and pop culture
communities, from cosplay to indie developers and artists, and aims to be a
platform for them to reach new audiences and potential community members.
