Gaming festival

IF YOU are in any way interested in gaming, then this Bank Holiday weekend offered something for all fans with the Insomnia 61 gaming and tech festival at Birmingham’s NEC.

The four-day event had stacks to offer visitors throughout the weekend.

And one big attraction for many is the impressive line-up of YouTube broadcasters in attendance - with meet and greets proving to see the biggest queues. Big names like Syndicate, Yammy XOX and iBallisticSquid were on hand to answer questions, give advice on vlogging, and also offer that all-important selfie.

There were shows on the Main Stage every day of the festival, alongside tournaments, giveaways and the chance to play upcoming pre-releases.

I personally had the chance to try out FIFA 18, Project CARS 2, Gran Tourismo Sport, getting hands-on with these yetto-be-released games and getting some handy tips from the hosts.

And one of the most popular areas this year was the Nintendo stands, as gamers were keen to get to grips with the Nintendo Switch and try out upcoming releases like Super Mario Odyessey and Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle.

For fans of the latest Virtual Reality tech, Insomnia61 had a dedicated VR Zone.

There were lots of zones to head to, including the Head 2 Head Zone, and returning favourites including the inspiring Cosplay Zone, the latest game modes in the Minecraft Zone, the Retro Zone for a trip down memory lane; and the Chill Zone for those looking for a quick time out.

Plus, fans could take a look at the latest games from the UK’s best indie developers in the Indie Zone.

There was also plenty of action at the Drone Racing area, with teams going head-to-head where you could watch them close up as they flew up and under - and often crashed out - in a bid for victory. There really is something for everyone here, and if you enjoy any aspect of gaming, it is worth heading along to the next one.

For information visit insomnia gaming festival. com/