Team17 Digital and Digital Eclipse, have launched Worms Armageddon – Anniversary Edition to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the classic weaponised wrigglers (how has it been that long since Y2K fever).

Worm warfare never changes, but the love that went into this special edition has seen a larval glow up and tons of added content for long term fans and those new to the franchise.

Console players can now dive into the artillery insanity of Worms, for the first time, with this special version boasting enhancements, many quality-of-life improvements and a complete UI redesign across all platform versions.

Worms Armageddon will feature online support, allowing up to six players to team-up or compete. Online is cross-generation so PS4 and PS5 owners will be able to play against each other, as well Xbox One and Xbox Series owners.

Worms Armageddon – Anniversary Edition is coming to Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series, PS4, PS5.

The post Armageddon All Over Again! appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

As we travelled through the misty mountains to Wellington, it wasn’t long until we were greeted by the misty mountain of Sky Stadium, or perhaps the misty towering carpark and building, as a day of Autumn rain settled in at Armageddon Expo’s Wellygeddon.

Despite the rain, people flocked to the yearly  event, putting aside the umbrellas (this is windy Wellington after all) and most without raincoats to get a sprinkling of rain on their everyday outfits and extravagant cosplay costumes. Luckily we managed to pay for a carpark at the event location, even though the carpark chaos and sheer high numbers was insane. Although expensive carpark pricing continues to rise, it certainly made the journey to the event short and easy.

After rushing to find the bathroom because of the long journey to get to Wellington and to get inside the event as we needed to wait to receive our media passes outside, the size and design of Sky Stadium made it quite the task to access the bathroom facilities. It may seem like a pointless thing to point out, but with the number of people and various ages at the event, no doubt needing easy access to such facilities, I wonder if they struggled to find these locations quickly as well, unless just happening to stumble upon them on their journey.

Bathrooms aside, it was time to tackle Wellgeddon. The ring design of the Sky Stadium was very familiar to me, but the frustrations of this design never seem to cease, even if I tried to remind myself to take my time, and not be in a rush. You know when you’re at a shopping centre, or walking along a path and a group of people just stop to have a chat in the middle of the space? That happened here too, despite the already minimal room, especially in certain parts of the ring. This caused build up and a back log of bodies bashing against one another quite often, soon relying on handholding to not loose my partner in the chaos.

Breathes of fresh air occurred on and off throughout the journey of Wellygeddon, and when I mean breathes of fresh air, I mean openings in the crowd where you had room to stretch your legs, take a moment to regain yourself and get your bearings. Because of the high intensity ‘flow’ of the Sky Stadium ring design, I often found myself having to back track as I’d missed something and being a woman of average height, I simply couldn’t see what I was missing out on at times.

Post pandemic world, artist alley continues to be my favourite new appreciation for the local artists. Finding unique gifts or household items is what I’ve loved for years. I will admit I never used to give artist alley as much attention years ago, across all Armageddon Expos, as I was often distracted by the bigger brands and names, but when you take that away (which I am still quite gutted about), you’re left to admire the smaller things in life, for Armageddon Expos, that’s artist alley.

I do wish I had the insight into understanding why bigger brands and names no longer seem to be attending any Armageddon Expos anymore. There was nothing better than the excitement of experiencing new games or previews of technology as they’d just made their way to our shores or were going to.

This ‘wonder’ made me feel less isolated in comparison to the rest of the world and excited for new things to come. Now we can all only hope to have access to such events overseas, which isn’t practical for a lot of people.

As mentioned earlier, the weather didn’t stop people from attending Wellygeddon, with crowds bustling and cars jam packed not only in the Sky Stadium carpark but also out onto one of the main roads into Wellington city. I wonder what pulls others into attending the Armageddon Expos with their families when a lot has changed about the event since Covid, with a lot less big brands, big shops and celebrities. For myself, anything entertainment related is my go to and I’ll never not jump to the opportunity to experience an exciting event.

Ranging from swords, food, pop vinyls, and artwork in all its forms, the local vendors and artists delighted people with their stalls and abundance of goodies to choose from. Although missing the big brands still, for video games and technology especially, we can always rely on the locals of New Zealand to come together and put on a fun event.

The post Wellington (NZ) Armageddon Expo Wrap-up appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Happy 25th birthday Armageddon Expo!

You’re the same age as me. Although this year may have taken us on a journey we didn’t see coming, that doesn’t mean to say we can’t make it a good one. This attitude was no doubt embraced by the Armageddon Expo team this year not only for Auckland Armageddon but also the Wellington, Christchurch and Tauranga Expos.

A television interview covering the pop culture event in a Covid world talked of the Armageddon Expo tradition. When I say tradition I don’t just mean something to go to every year, I mean what it really means to so many individuals at the heart of what the Expo is all about. It feels extra special to go to events this year too, thinking how far we’ve come as a country and what we can’t take for granted compared to the rest of the world right now.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock the past year, you have to understand that the world can’t be the same as what it usually is, especially for public events. Circumstances shifted the way events are created and those both organising and attending really had zero choice in regard to certain decisions and just had to run with it. One can’t help but feel a surge of disappointment when literally no big brands decide to attend Auckgeddon (as it is known) though despite understanding the circumstances as mentioned. Of course, it’s not the events fault whatsoever, things are out of their hands, but it is a shame that the rest of the world has to be held back seeing new content or exciting products purely because the US or UK hasn’t etc.

PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo, Ubisoft, EA, you name it, none of them were there.

It’s understandable because their content is drawn from their overseas equivalent but there was such a huge spark and excitement missing at the event, especially because it’s the Auckland event and the big names are expected. Because of this, the event felt like a slightly bigger, spread out version of Wellygeddon which might work in Wellington but just doesn’t work in Auckland as well. To be honest, even Wellygeddon this year was different and lacked a certain spark.

To elaborate, I’m not saying Auckgeddon wasn’t a fun outing, there just wasn’t a need to attend on multiple days or for multiple hours because you were done before you knew it. With no real interactive excitement, the longevity of the event was dire from the get go. It doesn’t take long to visit shops and browse small booths. Admiring the works of artists will always been an event highlight and I try to make an effort to notice all of the booths and the hard work of the artists. Saying this, with no interactivity, I kept up my pace and momentum that lead to unfortunately not spending anywhere near as much time at the event as I would have liked.

On one hand I do wonder whether it might have been best to postpone the event to 2021. I know, I hate to say it and sound like such a downer but when one can’t offer 100 percent minimum to what the event should be then don’t you owe it to your ticket holders? At the same time the world isn’t going to change back any time soon.

Despite these thoughts, I will admit there was a decent crowd pulled in and you couldn’t help but feel proud to see Kiwis coming together to celebrate and relax. Saying this, this may have been heavily due to holding back a release of the show map, showing who was attending ahead of time. To my knowledge the team loosely discussed big brands not being able to attend in a Facebook live event but how many people had access to this live event and were aware of this knowledge prior to attending, I’m unsure.

The need to celebrate tradition and a birthday may have prompted the team to continue on in 2020 despite the many Covid restrictions. Whether it worked or not it’s hard to say from an outsider’s perspective but all round I think we can all admit that when having access to a timeless pop culture event such as Auckgeddon we’d always attend in a heartbeat.

The post Armageddon Expo 2020 Roundup appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

It’s the year 2020 and no one ever thought holding a public gathering with thousands of people would be deemed significant. As odd as it may seem, some countries are going back to normal and New Zealand is one of those countries at the front of the line with it’s public Armageddon Expos being held across the country.

Adapting has become somewhat of a theme for many this year. Whether work or home related, the idea of planning or attending an event seemed farfetched a few months ago. Despite this, the Christchurch based team behind the Armageddon Expos kept the ball rolling behind the scenes. They would adapt, change, keep what they could and develop into something new.

Wondering about the unknown future of events such as Armageddon Expo around the world would cross anyone’s mind who enjoys attending public events. If it remains and the show goes on without precautions, is that safe? If it changes, will it still be an enjoyable event to attend or has the world changed too much for it to work for the foreseeable future? These questions certainly crossed my own mind. But, as I made my way through the doors of Wellington Armageddon, those thoughts disappeared and I was there to enjoy an event New Zealanders had earned.

Located at Sky Stadium in central Wellington, the hustle and bustle of the lower North Island was immediately prominent as the weekend began. People were eager to get their fix and be surrounded by a bunch of like-minded individuals who loved to celebrate entertainment, pop culture, technology and gaming. Albeit sections of the ‘circular ring’ set up were bare with patches of concrete as opposed to more stands but it was understandable given current circumstances and restrictions around the world. I will admit I was holding out to see Mighty Ape but they surprisingly did not attend.

A highlight was easily ‘artists alley’ as it oozed with the magic and wonder of creative minds. Taking your time in this section of the event at any Armageddon Expo is highly recommended to consume every item large and small by the artists. My own little gems found at the event were a print of a PlayStation 4 controller by the artist Sam Smith, a print of various swords and daggers by Ent Noot and some enamel pins by Cobalt Heights.

I would have loved to have seen more technology and video game related brands because although there is a huge market for anime, it did feel a little bit overpowering to those who may have been interested in attending the event for something technology or video game related. I guess that’s what we must look forward to at Auckland Armageddon in October though!

Speaking of technology, 2020 brought about the first year of completely virtual guests, beaming in from their own living space to live stream to an audience in New Zealand. The exclusivity is honoured as the virtual panels would not be live streamed or be uploaded to social media. On one hand it’s commendable to gain guests we might not be able to see normally and that technology can allow us to work around circumstances to still form connections and conversations.

On the other, you can’t help but feel the distance and have the experience feel not as special. Alas, that’s just the world we live in right now and I’m sure we’ll have international guests attending our gorgeous country again very soon.

The final Armageddon Expo event, Auckgeddon, is going to be held Labour Weekend October 23-26, 2020 and promises to be a massive event. They have got a 25th birthday to celebrate after all!

The post Armageddon Wellington NZ 2020 appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Wizards, warlocks, Sailor Moons, Storm Troopers and every conceivable Overwatch character descended upon the ASB Showgrounds in Auckland, New Zealand for the nations largest pop Culture and video gaming Expo.

This annual event is coveted by many cosplayers and gamers as each year at the end of October the gates open to the hundreds of thousandfs of attendees and cosplayers that attend the three and a half day extravaganza.

Scifi, fantasy actors from TV and Film ready to do their signings, comic artists with pencils in hand, aptly themed merchandise vendors everywhere and the biggest video gaming floor ever seen in New Zealand.

While Xbox was not in attendance again this year – every other first and third party publisher had hands-on booths and gamer lighting on the go.

Nintendo making a large footprint had varying first and third party titles across an array of Nintendo Switches.

PlayStation kept up with their traditional theme, DJ music pumping out under the blue lighting with two features this year; Iron Man VR (PSVR) and Death Stranding Theatre.

PlayStation MediEvil Stand at Armageddon Expo 2019

The Death Stranding was behind closed doors and those that were of the correct age to attend a screening were treated to around 20 minutes of intense gameplay footage for the JRPG / Action title that releases on the 8th of Novemvber 2019.

The reworked classic MediEvil also had a presence for gamers to play the full game, which by this stage had just released.PlayStation also offered up ‘PlayStation Friendlies’ in a partnership with eSports company LPL (Lets Play Live).

Would be champs took on friendly battles on the PS4 console live in the PlayStation stand.

PlayStation ‘Friendlies’ Matches at Armageddon Expo 2019

HP Omen showcased streamers and had a live stream going on while Activision and Ubisoft offered play time of Modern Warfare and Tom Clancy’s, while others opted to get their groove on on the Just Dance platform.

New Zealand’s very own Ping Zero instrumented heated Fornite battles in their PC and console LAN set ups.

Armageddon 2019 also offered up something very very different this year in conjunction with Vodafone NZ who are poised to release the country’s first 5G mobile network – and that was Laughageddon.

Comedians and would-be comedians took to the flor in what at times were hilarious antics and it was refreshing to see something like this included.

Varying rooms within the vast ASB Showgrounds’ halls saw celebrity speakers to the likes of Jason Isaacs, Ruth O’Connel and more.

Jason Isaacs talk at Armageddon Expo 2019

And it was here at the Expo of the year, otherwise known as Auckgeddon, that STG was able to sit down and chat to the actress, musician and voice over artist; Patricia Summersett.

Based in L.A. is Patricia, the voice of Zelda on Zelda: Breathe of the Wild and has a wide acting and voice over portfolio to the likes of the Smurfs movies, Ghost Recon Breakpoint and way, way more.

Not only is Patricia the master of video game and film character voices she also has her band’s second album about to release aswell.

Patricia Summersett

Shane: Hi Patricia, thank you for chatting to us here at STG. How are you finding the Armageddon Expo and being in New Zealand?

Patricia: I am absolutely loving New Zealand. It’s my first time here and Armageddon is fantastic. I have no complaints.

Shane: You have done voiceover for quite a few years now, and also an acting career as well. So, how you handle the flip from doing voice acting to live acting in front of a camera?

Patricia: It’s… interesting. I started to do them both simultaneously in school. And I mean, they are so closely linked, for lack of a better word, like, I find the flip not not awkward at all. Because for me, when I’m doing voice acting, it’s very character driven, especially with video games these days that are very sophisticated and you have a lot of the same writers that are writing for TV and film or writing now for games. And so there’s lots and lots of crossover and you’re often working with TV and film actors, and theatre actors. So I do a lot of that.

That hybrid switching over ends up happening in things like motion capture. But in terms of like a voiceover, I really enjoy that kind of work because the environment is really fantastic. And I’ve always enjoyed it. I’ve been a little bit obsessed with sound from young age. My training is actually to be in traditional acting theatre. And, well, years of theatre, before even TV and film, so I do sort of come from that base with anything that I do.

Patricia Summersett

Shane: Great, so being the voice of Zelda, how did that come about? And, and how has that changed anything else that you’ve done since then?

Patricia: It’s a big question. Yeah. That came about a very interesting time for me.

I’ve been voice acting and acting for 10 years, a lot of it had been based out of Canada, bit in London, a little bit in the States, but I made a big career move to LA finally, to pursue more voice, and it was upon landing there that I actually audition for an unknown game. And it ended up being that game. So it was basically the first thing I auditioned for when I moved to Hollywood.

And that was my incredible reward. So, in a sense, it changed everything for me in one way, in that I am suddenly traveling the world now and have been for two and a half years since the game has been released, which is something that I always wanted to do. So I’m living a dream that I that I did want to, you know, complete, and I love it. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

I still have to audition and I still have to adjust, you know, for every new role that I’m doing. So it’s both of those things. I’m still just a working actor like everybody else. But it is a particularly interesting thing to carry around with me and to be able to have fans and meet them and it’s also elevated the other games that I’ve done, so those other games didn’t bring me to conventions in and of themselves. But now I have a nice body of games that I can offer when I come to conventions.

Shane: All right, and which do you prefer? Do you have a preference between voiceover acting or camera?

Patricia: I love them both equally. I really, really do.

They have such different working environments. It would be really hard to choose because it totally depends on the project and the team. And, as I mentioned before, like there’s that hybrid middle where you’re doing motion capture, which is a very interesting combination of both. And that’s maybe some of my favorite work. So I can literally say that 50 / 50 in those domains is some of my favorite work. So yeah, I don’t know. I can’t choose.

Zelda Breath of the Wild

Shane: Now you have a second album coming out. So you’ve got music, theatre, voice acting, live acting. Do you have any downtime, how do you manage all that?

Patricia: How does anybody manage their life, you know, this kind of entrepreneurial work or you know, contract work.

I don’t have a lot of downtime, but I, I do celebrate that I get to do something that I love while I’m working. And for example, when I do these conventions, that means I have no downtime and no weekends. But I’m also traveling, meeting amazing people eating the foods for different places. It’s just – it’s the best thing ever. Sometimes I think I cannot sustain the pace that I’ve been going yet.

It’s an amazing chapter that I’m honored to be in right now and this game has been, you know, Zelda has been such a big reason. So I’m just yeah, I’m thrilled to be overworked.

Shane: What is next for Patricia Summersett?

Patricia: Oh, well, I’m working on a few different games at the moment, which I cannot talk about right now.

But other than that, yes – my music, we’re releasing an album probably early winter. It’s been a bit delayed because we just want to get it just right. All the recording is done for it. So new album, new games, some more travel and hopefully some downtime, abit of Yoga.

Shane: Alright, cool. Well, thank you for talking to us today at Armageddon Expo 2019. We really appreciate it. It’s been great meeting with you.

Armageddon Expo or Auckgeddon occurs every Labour weekend in Auckland New Zealand aswell as various other Expo’s around the country. You can find out more on their Official website.

The post Armageddon Expo 2019 – Interview w. Patricia Summersett appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

It’s April 2019 which can only mean one thing, New Zealand’s Wellington Armageddon Expo (or Wellygeddon to many) was here and bombarded you with cosplay, shops and entertainment at every turn, just the way we like it.

Being the first of the year’s Armageddon Expos, there’s always a certain excitement by default as you’re eager to be reunited with your fellow crazy nerds and lovers of entertainment.

This year, I opted to take the expo at my own pace, going around the oval outer ring of Westpac Stadium and simply wait to view the shops if they were overcrowded. I do mention every year that I’m not a fan of the location because it forces you in a particular direction like an escalator, but hey, it is what it is and it’ll grow on me eventually.

Artists alley was a highlight for me this year and I loved seeing various artists showcasing their talents. I picked up a few business cards along the way to check out more of their collections on various social media or websites later too. If there’s one thing to say about Expos is that it’s hard to decide what to buy sometimes when you’re put on the spot!

I had my eyes set on looking for and purchasing a dagger prop. I’d seen a range of them at the previous Auckland Armageddon and regretted not purchasing one then. At least I knew it wasn’t too long until the next Armageddon Expo, an event I love and appreciate its continued strong presence here in New Zealand.

Celebrities and panels weren’t my target this time round, but I constantly noted fans queuing up for signings, photographs or both this time round. Wellygeddon 2019 was the first-time selfies were available (for a price) to be used in conjunction with autographs. As I observed, the selfies seemed to be doing wonders for fans who loved the more intimate and casual interaction as opposed to a professional photo (though as I can concur, having a professional photo with a celebrity is epic).

Rules have also changed for cosplayers this time round due to the mass shooting in Christchurch last month. Costumes mimicking realism (e.g. an outfit that could be found in everyday life like military or weapons), was banned. As the folks at Armageddon mentioned, there are plenty more appropriate costumes to choose from out there and it was great to see those attending both respecting this new rule and still going full out for their cosplay too.

Wellygeddon has started to move in a new direction for me and I’m loving how my focus has shifted over the years. Perhaps that’s due to what is being shown or maybe just me. No matter what though, I’ll still be attending no doubt for years to come, eager to get pop culture goodness in the country’s capital city.

*Image credit: Armageddon Expo.

The post Wellygeddon 2019 appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

For the second year in a row, I’ve decided to take on the craziness of Auckland Armageddon Expo for STG.

Entertainment, gaming and technology are right up my alley and Auckgeddon is the Expo of the year for lovers of pop culture.

My day of choice this year was a Sunday, as opposed to Saturday last year. Perhaps a tad less busy at the beginning, the crowds soon began to grow and before you knew it you were standing up against hot and sweaty bodies and pushing your way through the crowds. But would an Expo of this magnitude really have it any other way? It certainly continued to solidify Auckgeddon’s place as the must-see yearly event.

The shops were plenty but felt repetitive and sold the same products. It continued to make me realize how limited New Zealand stock can be especially in terms of variety.

If swords, pop vinyl, Harry Potter, Game of Thrones and Star Wars are still at the top of your list than you were happy. If you were looking for something a bit different like perhaps some merch from that PlayStation 4 title you’re obsessed with, than you’re out of luck. Of course, this doesn’t necessarily fault Auckgeddon at all, it just reiterates how isolated New Zealand is and our difficulty to get new stock. Merchandise at the top of my list is a Clementine hat and Ellie from the Last of Us t-shirt. I haven’t been able to find them anywhere!

PlayStation NZ will always be a highlight mainly due to its scale and quality booth.

When those neon key pad buttons line the roof, then you know Auckgeddon is on. Gamers were able to play such games as Spider-Man, Dreams and AstroBot. Even though Spider-Man has already been released it was surprising how many people were still eager to try the demo. PlayStation’s content continues to grow both in console and VR and I’m very excited to see what 2019 has in store.

The big shocker for the weekend was the lack of Xbox presence, that being there was none. It was a shame really and one we don’t have an answer to, but I’ll keep my ears out for any news.

Nintendo once again solidified itself in the gaming industry and sat proudly on top with other gaming consoles. Pokemon Let’s Go and Super Smash Brothers Ultimate were the go-to demos that had gamers lining up. I loved the vibe that surrounded the Nintendo stand as both young, old and everyone in between came together for games every age could enjoy without them being too violent for children or too tame for adults.

Personally, I didn’t attend any panels, photos or signings as there weren’t any celebrities I was interested in or from television shows I watch. This year, the Armageddon staff haven’t had it easy with multiple cancellations constantly throughout the months leading up to Auckgeddon. As we all know though, October is prime month for filming and of course their work comes first. Let’s hope the small team can have it a bit easier next year!

Competitions and ESports had a strong presence at Auckgeddon and although it still hasn’t peaked my interest, I can understand how important and dominant it is in the gaming industry.

STG’s supported eSports streamer, ‘Carwho‘ was live with E-Blue for the entire three days streaming Overwatch and there to meet and greet attendees at the booth and even take some of them on in-game.

Big names like Logitech, Razer, HP and Omen had stands set up for players both amateur and professional to try their hands on their equipment with such games as Overwatch and Fortnite. Honestly, today there are so many headsets, keyboards and mice to choose from, sometimes it’s hard to keep up!

Like all yearly events, before we know it, it’s gone like a flash and must wait another year to experience it all over again. Auckgeddon may have been missing some of its usual key elements but never once let this effect the overall experience for its customers and consumers.

Bring on the next Armageddon Expo!

The post Armageddon 2018 appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

New Zealand’s largest public exhibition, ARMAGEDDON EXPO takes over ASB Showgrounds this weekend creating a pop culture paradise for all ages!

Opening Friday night 19th of October 2018 from 6:00pm and running all day Saturday, Sunday and Monday (22nd of October 2018), fans of all things pop culture will be spoilt for choice. The event features a huge line-up of Hollywood guests including, CHRISTINA RICCI (The Addams Family, Sleepy Hollow), SHANNEN DOHERTY (Heathers, Charmed), KATIE LEUNG (Harry Potter), NAVID NEGAHBAN (Homeland, Aladdin) and so many more from the worlds of film and tv, animation, YouTube, cosplay and beyond.

Guests will be available to meet all weekend long on panels, for autographs and for professional photo opportunities.

Christina Ricci

NZ treasure RHYS DARBY will be attending the event promoting his new book;The Top Secret Undercover Notes of Buttons McGinty. Plus kiwi rock band OPENSIDE, who just last night opened up for Panic At The Disco, will be performing over the weekend at 1:00pm each day promoting their new single ‘Character Flaws’.

Attendees will be able to get hands on gaming experience on the massive activations from PlayStation, Nintendo, Omen by HP, Logitech, ASUS and more. Not to be missed is the Lets Play Live and PlayStation Friendlies gaming competitions and the Hewlett Packard Pavillion E-Sports Stage featuring Fortnite, Overwatch, Street Fighter tournaments and more!

Plus browse a huge range of geeky merchandise from over 200 exhibitors from handcrafted NZ art to popular NZ and global companies including Mighty Ape, EB Games, Harley Davidson, Hewlett Packard and more. #AUCKGEDDON is set to be a massive weekend, not to be missed!

Tickets are available on the door and online now HERE.

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When you step through the gates of Auckland Armageddon Expo for the first time it can be somewhat of an overwhelming sight.

With hundreds of people jammed together close enough so everyone’s bags or costumes rustle against each other, Auckland Armageddon or ‘#Auckgeddon’ takes all the other Armageddon Expos from around the country (New Zealand) and throws them out the window. The bright colours of cosplayers and extravagant displays shine boldly across your eyes as you try to think of where to go first.

As a team member of STG (shanethegamer.com), I attended Auckland Armageddon Expo for 2017. Surprisingly enough, this huge entertainment buff had never attended Auckland’s infamous showcase of entertainment, pop culture, gaming, technology and celebrity guests. As a previous attendee of the Wellington and Christchurch expo for the first time at the start of the year, I soon realised that each expo was individual in its own ways and that in turn created a certain vibe or atmosphere for each event. Auckland’s was crazy and chaotic but in a fun and exciting way. Armageddon is a celebration of all things entertainment and that’s something to make you smile, even despite your sore feet, back or head.

First up was something I was very curious to try: Lenovo Legion and the Star Wars Jedi Challenges.

As someone who only recently joined the Star Wars phenomenon (I know, I’m a shocker), there was certainly an excitement brewing at the thought of wielding a lightsaber and facing off against deadly foes. The overall experience was shaped by friendly staff who were as helpful and intrigued by the future of gaming as I was. Although a demo was used inside a booth because the environment didn’t allow for the true AR experience or ‘in your home’ setting, it still gave you a chance to give the controls, headset and ‘lightsaber’ a try. The gameplay opted for a ‘tutorial’ simulation that felt a tad limiting but at the same time made perfect sense since – I doubt I would have had a chance at succeeding otherwise!

The Nintendo booth was that area in the halls that instantly made you smile because seriously, who doesn’t love Mario and his band of brothers and sisters? My hands-on experiences at the Nintendo booth were Elder Scrolls Skyrim on the Switch and Mario’s latest adventure Super Mario Odyssey. As soon as I explained that I’d never gotten my hands on the Switch before, the team was super helpful with the controls and went over all of Mario’s new moves in Odyssey that are controlled by movement. It was a lot of fun and I wish I got to spend more time with it. Perhaps it may be time to invest in a Switch after all…

There’s no denying that PlayStation was the ‘it’ booth to be at. Their elaborate display felt more like a permanent set up as opposed to one set up for a few days. Quantic Dream (aka the makers of Heavy Rain and Beyond Two Souls) allowed people to try the demo for their upcoming game Detroit Become Human. Although I’m a tad biased because Beyond Two Souls is one of my favourite games, I couldn’t contain my excitement at the thought of being able to try a snippet of the game. The ‘Hostage’ demo gave players the chance to play as the android Connor, one of the three protagonists.

Without going in to details, I am pleased to say that I had a 99% chance success rate which I bet I won’t be able to replicate in my own playthrough because of it’s incredibly individual experience every time.

My PlayStation VR game demo was Elder Scrolls Skyrim and I sensed it’s potential immediately. It may need a bit of fine tuning e.g. with the controls and actions/reactions but I’m hoping to get my hands on the final product to adjust it for me specifically and get a bit more time to be comfortable with it.

Not too far from the PlayStation booth was a mashup between Samsung and Xbox, where on dazzling QLED 75 inch screens, the up coming Xbox One X was playing a hands on run with Forza 7. Aswell as these super HDR TV’s Samsung also showed that they could cater for PC Gamers with their wide PC Gaming monitors.

Next to them was a Racing kit (chair, steering wheel and screen) setup with Logitech G Series who was also showcasing their latest bits in PC peripherals and just around the corner and over a bit was the magnificent wide berth HP Omen stand.

HP Omen had a very big dominance of the floor with Omen gaming laptops at the ready, the very large Omen X desktop PC on a stand with an HTC Vive connected to it. Dual player VR Gaming showed off the power of the Omen X. It’s not all size but grunt aswell.

New Zealand’s own professional eSports crew Let’s Play Live were also there towards the back of the second hall. Here they were streaming and broadcasting live gameplay matches with audience participation.

But if the big names and games weren’t your thing, then there was still a lot more to choose from such as cosplay events, shops with pop culture goodness, competitions and celebrity talks, photo sessions and autograph sessions. These shops and events is where the commercial beating heart of where Armageddon lies.

Another year and another Armageddon Expo is over. Despite certain booths standing out from the rest, the overall atmosphere established is hard to come by at any other event, making Armageddon the ‘it’ destination of Labour weekend in Auckland.

The post Armageddon Expo 2017! appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

NZ gaming fans heading to Armageddon Expo in Auckland, New Zealand will be the first in the country to experience the world’s most powerful console, with opportunities to play the Xbox One X’s holiday headliners Forza Motorsport7 and Assassin’s Creed Origins in true 4K – two weeks ahead of the console’s global launch on November 7th, 2017.

Forza Motorsport 7 will be showcased in native 4K and HDR at 60 fps in the Samsung Zone on Samsung’s stunning 75” QLED TV screens. The game’s over 700 cars include the largest collection of Ferraris, Porsches, and Lamborghinis which have never have looked better. Experience the stunning detail and seamless, fluid gameplay of Forza Motorsport 7 through Samsung QLED’s 4K HDR and fast response screen technology.

Assassin’s Creed Origins (playable on Xbox One X at the Ubisoft stand) journeys into Ancient Egypt, the most mysterious place in history, during a crucial period that will shape the world. For the last four years, the team behind Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag has been crafting a new beginning for the franchise. Players will discover secrets behind the Great Pyramids, forgotten myths, the last pharaohs, and the origin story of the Assassin’s Brotherhood. They will fight in a completely new way and choose their Assassin skills while exploring the full country of Ancient Egypt, engaging in multiple quests and gripping stories. Assassin’s Creed Origins will be available across the Xbox One family of devices starting October 27, 2017 and as an Xbox One X Enhanced title alongside the console’s launch on November 7, 2017. For details on two Xbox One S Assassin’s Creed Origins Bundles available this holiday, visit the Microsoft Store.

Halo continues to be a defining game for Xbox across generations, with two of the game’s biggest stars – Steve Downes (the voice of Halo’s Master Chief), and Jen Taylor (the voice of Cortana) joining fans at Armageddon Expo. Steve and Jen will feature in Armageddon’s Animation panel at 1pm on Sunday October 22nd, 2017, with autograph opportunities available throughout the show. Halo 5: Guardians and Halo Wars 2 will both be enhanced for Xbox One X at launch on November 7th.

The Xbox One X will launch in New Zealand on the 7th of November 2017 for a recommended retail price of NZD$749 with over 130 Xbox One X enhanced titles available. To learn more about Xbox One X, go HERE.

The Armageddon Expo is on from October 20th to 23rd, 2017 at the Auckland Showgrounds. Visit the official Armageddon Expo site for more info.

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