Gamestop Expo pushes all the right buttons
Gamers’ smorgasbord offers foretaste of fare
The holidays are still months away,butgamersinlasvegasgotan early peek at video games set to be released in the fall and winter.
Gamestop Expo 2017 opened its doors to consumers Sunday at the Sandsexpoandconventioncenter to prepare for the gaming industry’s biggest season.
“This is a place where geeks and gamers like myself come to experience the very best that games have to offer,” said Eric Bright, Gamestop senior director of merchandising. “It’s a place where you can be surrounded by fans of gaming and overall pop culture. For many people, the expo is really like Christmas because theygettoplaygamesaheadof anyoneelse.”
The expo is a precursor to Gamestop’s 20th annual managers conference, where an expected 4,000 store employees are set to arrive Monday. The conference, closed to the general public, aims to familiarize store managers with new- products and prepare them for the holiday season, Bright said.
At Sunday’s expo, more than 100 exhibitors pitched the latest gaming products.
Visitors got an early look at upcoming games including “Super Mario Odyssey” and “Star Wars Battle- front.” Others previewed new video game systems, such as the Xbox One X, debuting for sale this fall.
Attendees also shopped for gaming-related products, toys and collectibles or had their photo snapped with the likes of Pikachu.
Former NFL player Hank Baskett, at the event to promote gaming monitor company Gaems Inc., said gaming has always been a passion for him.
“I love the social aspect of it because you’re always meeting new people from around the world,” he said. “You don’t need to speak the same language to play. You learn how to communicate in different ways.”
Themake-a-wishfoundation wasonhandtocelebrateits10-year partnership with Gamestop.
“This partnership is a natural fit for our children, who are looking for an escape from the hospital or from whatever it is they are going through,” said Jennifer Peterson, the foundation’s corporate alliances manager. “Gaming offers kids a way to connect with people from across theworldandmakefriends,evenif they can’t leave their rooms.”
First-time attendee Earl Thompson, 33, marveled at the expo’s offerings and praised its vibe.
“I like that the gamer culture is very chill,” he said. “It’s a place where you can just be yourself.”
Contact Sandy Lopez at slopez@ reviewjournal.com or 702-3834686. Follow @Journalismsandy on Twitter.