ESGS 2016 reveals Sony Interactive Entertainment as official exhibitor

The annual E-Sports and Gaming Summit (ESGS) has just announced that this year, one of its major exhibitors will be gaming industry giant Sony Interactive Entertainment.

Since 2014, ESGS has been one of the largest e-Sports and gaming conventions in Southeast Asia and the Philippines. ESGS 2016 is scheduled for October 28 – 30 at the SMX Convention Center, Mall of Asia Complex.

As it did in its first two years, ESGS 2016 will gather a host of game companies and studios – both international and local – who will then showcase their latest games on various platforms, and any new technology they’ve been developing. And of course, gaming enthusiasts are invited to watch the product reveals and even try out the games on display, while e-Sports athletes are encouraged to participate in the competitions.

According to Joebert Yu, a Creator at ESGS and the Philippine e-Sports Association (PESPA) Chairman, Sony is just one of the major gaming companies that will be present at the event as an exhibitor.

Now, we’re not sure what the exact nature of Sony’s exhibit at ESGS 2016 will be like, and they’ll probably keep any pertinent information under wraps until the day of the event itself. But we certainly wouldn’t mind seeing more of hotly anticipated titles such as Hideo Kojima’s “Death Stranding,” the new, Norse mythology-centric “God of War,” and the crowd-pleasing action RPG “Horizon Zero Dawn.” For those who’ve been keeping up with Sony news, these games were revealed at E3 2016.

As we reported previously, the PlayStation VR will be making its Philippine debut this October 13, so there’s a possibility Sony’s shiny new tech will also be making an appearance. And let’s not forget that “Rise of the Tomb Raider,” “The Last Guardian,” and “Titanfall 2” are all scheduled for launch that very same month.

There’s even a chance we’ll be seeing some gaming industry luminaries at ESGS 2016. The identity of these persons will be unveiled at a later date.

A few of the confirmed exhibitors include the following: award-winning MOBA “Vainglory” developer Super Evil Megacorp; gaming hardware developer MSI; local game development studio Monstronauts; local mobile game developer Games by Nico; Ranida Games; and IGDA Manila. More exhibitors will be announced the closer we get to ESGS 2016; expect a number of them to organize contests, giveaways, and other activities.

A chance to shine

ESGS isn’t just about the bigwigs; two of its Official Event Features will also serve as great opportunities for the industry’s rising stars to shine.

Just like last year, ESGS 2016 will host the Indie Arena. This is an independent games showcase that will give recognition to various indie game developers from the Philippines and possibly other countries. Through the exhibit, said developers will be able to promote themselves and their works. If you’re a gamer who wants to see where the local indie game scene is headed, this feature is also worth a look.

Developers interested in showcasing their games at ESGS 2016 should visit this link.

Photos: ESGS/PESPA/Gariath

The e-Sports portion of ESGS 2016 will include Brawlfest, which is similar to the USA’s Evolution Championship Series (EVO), a yearly e-Sports competition focusing on fighting games. The organizers have yet to reveal the tourney’s specifics, or even the games that the challengers will be playing. But with the popularity of titles such as “Street Fighter V” and “Mortal Kombat X,” it’s probably a safe guess that at least one of these games will play a major role in Brawlfest.

Of course, there will be more competitions organized by other exhibitors. Last year, Sony organized a “Call of Duty: Black Ops III” tournament. Mineski hosted “Dota 2,” “Dragon Nest,” and “Crossfire” tourneys. Garena ran “League of Legends” exhibition matches.

Celebrating gaming

ESGS 2014 and 2015 were hugely successful, with the former seeing foot traffic of over 6,000.

The organizers are expecting this year’s ESGS to be just as enormous.

The tickets for ESGS 2016 are already on sale at SM Ticket outlets located in all SM Cinemas nationwide. Tickets for October 28 (Friday) cost P140, while tickets for October 29 and 30 (Saturday and Sunday) cost P165.

ESGS 2016 is presented by PLDT Home Fibr and organized by Gariath Concepts. Visit ESGS’s official Facebook site for more information. — BM, GMA News