Looks like the west coast has some competition when it comes to game conventions.  Normally, when we talk about almost 25,000 gamers gathering in one centralized location, we’re usually referring to E3, PAX, or one of the larger international expos.  Not this time.  Between November 21 and 23, 24,674 people passed through the doors of the Pennsylvania Convention Center to attend this year’s VGXPO in Philadelphia.  This number more than triples last year’s turnout, and marks the largest game-related event ever on the east coast.

“We were able to market to both (core and casual gamers) and bring together nearly 25,000 gamers to experience the rich diversity of gaming experiences. We are very pleased with both the industry and consumer turnout at this years VGXPO.” said Steve Fallas, VGXPO Event Manager. George Woo, Events Marketing Manager of Intel Corporation added, "VGXPO far exceeded my expectations with regards to the total number and profile of the attendees.”  Gamervision has attended the last two VGXPOs, and has witnessed first-hand the monumental growth that the expo is experiencing.  We offered all-day free-play of Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe this year, and our booth never had less than 25 people waiting to play.  Considering that we couldn’t manage more than 3 or 4 at a time during the 2007 show, the difference is pretty clear.

For an event that featured no publishers or developers, only one new game (Bionic Commando for PC, which was practically hidden) and lingering organizational problems, 24,674 is truly an impressive number.  A lot of this comes from a heavy marketing push for the event, which is co-sponsored by the local NBC affiliate, but it’s also clear that Philadelphia is a legitimate hotbed of gaming.  I have a feeling that if the event were held in New York, Baltimore or Washington, we’d be saying the same about those cities as well.  This surprise success illustrates that expos are just as viable on the east coast as they are on the west.  With PAX moving to Boston in 2010, perhaps we’re seeing the beginning of an east coast expo revolution.  Eastern shows have a long way to go before they catch up with E3 (around 40,000) and PAX (around 58,000), not to mention the Tokyo Game Show and Leipzig, which draw hundreds of thousands, but this is certainly a step in the right direction.
 
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