Soapbox: For This First-Timer, Summer Game Fest Felt Like A Perfect E3 Antidote

Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, Ollie recaps his first trip to LA and Summer Game Fest...

“Hey look, Katsuhiro Harada’s over there.”

“Oh my God, Phil Spencer’s walking right towards us!”

“Dude, was that Takashi Iizuka?”

For industry veterans, I imagine events like Summer Game Fest and The Game Awards are very much old hat by this point. Heck, before it fell by the wayside, E3 had been the go-to industry event for pretty much two decades, at least when it came to mindshare. But for this first-timer, it was admittedly difficult at times to separate the professional from the fan.

I mean, can you blame me? In the space of three days, I not only got to hang out with the delightful Zion-from-Nintendo-Life Grassl and Push Square’s esteemed Liam Croft, but I also met and interacted with dozens of industry legends that I’ve admired for decades. I’m only surprised that I didn’t geek out even more, to be honest.

Now, I could go deep into the weeds and really analyse the increased validity of Summer Game Fest in an age where E3 — and certainly the E3 of old — no longer exists. While I will touch on what perhaps needs to be improved for future events, I really just want to communicate what a wonderful experience the trip turned out to be.

The Journey Begins…

The outgoing flight, which Liam and I caught together, left London Heathrow at about 10:45 am BST on the Wednesday before Summer Game Fest. The journey lasted for a little over ten hours, but thanks to the magic of time zones, we went back in time eight hours, landing in LAX shortly before 1:00 pm PT. Needless to say, we were both pooped. There’s just something about outgoing flights that makes time slow to a crawl beyond the time-zone hopping. Perhaps it’s the anticipation.

Thankfully, Zion, who met us at our hotel in downtown LA, had the perfect remedy: a trip to Universal Studios and, more specifically, Super Nintendo World. Yes, please! So we dropped off our bags, freshened up, and caught the next Uber straight to the resort.

I’m not being overly dramatic when I say this, but if you ever get a chance to visit Super Nintendo World, gazing upon the incredible set designs for the first time is like getting hit by a freight train; it’s truly breathtaking. That said, we knew time was against us, so we limited our visit to trying out Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge, the AR-supported ride, and checking out the gift shops.

When all’s said and done, I found Super Nintendo World slightly underwhelming. Granted, we didn’t do everything there is to do there, and Toad’s Café was fully booked for the day by the time we arrived, but if you’re considering visiting LA purely to experience Super Nintendo World, I’d advise you to temper your expectations.

The Mario Kart ride is definitely fun, but perhaps not worth the 75-minute queue, and everything else worth doing there requires you to purchase a special wristband. As part of the larger Universal theme park that also contains areas dedicated to The Simpsons, Jurassic World, and more, it's definitely worth checking out.

Nick Cage Enters the Building

By the time we got back to the hotel after our trip to Universal, Liam and I had both been awake for more than 24 hours, so it was time to say night-night and head to our rooms.

The next day, we woke up feeling reasonably refreshed and ventured out into what's known as LA's 'Fashion District' to grab some breakfast (eggs benedict with bacon - mmm!). We weren't to know, but we actually walked right by the campus that would be transformed into the Summer Game Fest 'Play Days' campus later that day.

Once we were well-fed, we walked back to the hotel and got ready for the Live Showcase. It was around this time that we realised that none other than Sam Lake was staying in the same hotel. We bumped into him and Remedy team for a super quick chat and photo.

After that, we had an appointment at the YouTube Theatre for Geoff Keighley's Live Showcase and headed over.

Now, for folks watching at home, I can imagine that the Live Showcase would have been an acceptable, if not particularly exceptional, round-up of what's coming up in the world of gaming. For attendees, however, there's definitely a different vibe. It's exciting to see the industry gather together in one place, and the whole thing was set up remarkably well.

Zion and I took our seats next to the wonderful Nicholas Serpa from Nintendo Everything while Liam scooted off to what I assume was a more PlayStation-centric part of the audience. The show kicked off and it honestly felt wonderful to experience a live showcase after E3's cancellation. Sure, the games showcased weren't all certified bangers, but with Mortal Kombat 1, Alan Wake 2, and Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth all in attendance, I really couldn't complain.

The biggest surprise was when the one and only Nicolas Cage joined Geoff Keighley on stage. I love this guy and I adore his work, from the likes of Face/Off and Con Air to more recent performances in Mandy and Color Out of Space. Seeing him light up the stage in his garish green suit was an absolute delight and not one I'll forget anytime soon.

A Change of Plan

Once the show was over, we hit In-N-Out Burger (meeting Manon Gage from the excellent FMV game Immortality on the way) and proceeded to pick up our passes to the Play Days event.

Afterward, we had intended to attend The Mix, an indie showcase showcasing 40 upcoming games. Just before we got there, however, we'd received an email stating it had been cancelled last-minute.

Oh.

It turned out that the venue didn't have the relevant permits to host the event, so the fire marshall and LAPD shut it down just as developers were about done setting everything up. Needless to say, the organisers were heartbroken. We didn't personally attend ourselves but Jirad the Completionist saved the day and hosted a special live stream from his office to showcase the indie games from The Mix. We spoke with him the following day, and to say he was exhausted would be an understatement. Top work, that man.

While this was going on, we trotted off to a couple of venues that turned out to be perfect for meeting vidya game people and personailities. Before Play Days had even kicked off properly, I hung out and chatted with the wonderful Nick Apostolides (Leon Kennedy from the RE2/RE4 remakes), Ben Starr (Clive Rosfield, FF16), Suzi Hunter, Brittney Brombacher, Lord Cognito, and so many more.

The Buzz Without the Bustle

Moving onto the actual Play Days event, the whole setup was absolutely perfect. It took place across what was described as a campus; several small buildings grouped together for easy access.

Given that the event was purely for partners and media/creators, the atmosphere felt incredibly relaxed; you could walk from one appointment to the next with no stress, shake hands with developers and engage in conversation, and easily grab food and drink with next to no queues (other than the immensely popular pizza stand).

There's room for expansion, though not too much, I hope. There were plenty of exhibitors there (including Warner Bros., Disney, Bandai Namco, and Square Enix), but it was undoubtedly missing a couple more big hitters, along with other important representations from retail and accessory manufacturers. We knew well ahead of time that Nintendo wouldn't be in attendance; obviously, that would have been a boon.

Despite this, the two-day event was perhaps the best E3 replacement we could have asked for; it really was the buzz without the hustle and bustle. We've already gone into depth with our hands-on impressions of games like Mortal Kombat 1, Foamstars, Disney Illusion Island, Sonic Superstars, Oxenfree II, and Little Kitty, Big City, but that wasn't all we saw. We also checked out Fae Farm (a charming if unremarkable amalgamation of every farming game you've ever played) and Hot Wheels Unleashed 2: Turbocharged (a solid racer that we hope can hold up well on Switch).

Unsurprisingly, we bumped into more recognisable figures from the industry. On Saturday, I walked out of the main HQ, face down in my phone checking my next appointment. I looked up and Xbox's Phil Spencer was just there, walking towards me. Naturally, I stopped him for a quick chat. He came across genuinely as a lovely, humble guy who was equally as excited as I was to check out some new games.

Elsewhere, Zion had spotted Sonic Team's Takashi Iizuka strolling around, so, of course, I had to say hi to him as well, albeit with the undeniable concern that he could recognise my name and wag his finger at me for my Sonic Frontiers review. He was incredibly friendly, and I made sure to let him know that I was genuinely excited about Sonic Superstars.

However, my most bizarre and delightful encounter occurred outside the event on Saturday morning. Zion and I were hanging out in the hotel café while Liam had already headed out. I was writing up my Mortal Kombat 1 impressions and mere seconds after I finished up and started walking to the event, we ran into NetherRealm's Ed Boon strolling in the exact same direction. We wound up chatting for the 20 minutes it took to reach the campus, and it will forever remain a cherished memory.

And finally, in what can only be described as fortuitous circumstance, the first people we ran into at Summer Game Fest were Kit and Krysta, from uhh... Kit and Krysta! They're just as lovely in real life as we could have hoped, and I'm hopeful for some future collaborations.

At the end of the day, Summer Game Fest's Play Days felt like an excellent industry-focused event that, while certainly lacking in earth-shattering announcements this year, was competently executed to allow for relaxed sessions with new games and a perfect opportunity for industry peers across development and media to mix and exchange information. Adorned with comfortable sofas and foliage in every direction, I really hope it retains the same style and atmosphere in the future.

A Party Like No Other

To cap off what had already proven to be a trip to remember, a chance encounter between Liam and Giant Bomb's Jeff Grubb resulted in an invite to attend Giant Bomb at Nite, the outlet's live coverage of Summer Game Fest. While we didn't take part in any of the live streams, it was quite surreal attending the accompanying party. We hung out with people like Kinda Funny's Greg Miller, Tim Gettys, Blessing Adeoye Jr., Snowbike Mike, and Andy Cortez, along with some of the wonderful folks at GameSpot and Kotaku.

And we couldn't complete our trip without visiting the LA Convention Centre and witnessing what would have been the main venue for E3. While it was certainly an impressive sight in itself, it was, of course, completely empty. We said our goodbyes and headed off to grab a beer and a bite.

Tired, But Thankful

On Sunday, just after the Xbox Showcase (which we watched from the comfort of our hotel rooftop, complete with a swimming pool and Dr. Pepper), it was time to head home. I bid Zion and Liam farewell — both were staying in LA a little longer — and left for the airport.

The red-eye flight was leaving at 5:30 pm PT and arriving at Heathrow at 12:30 pm BST the next day. I can't sleep on planes, so I felt rough. The subsequent rush back to Euston station and the overwhelming heat certainly woke me up, but by the time I arrived back home, I was both sleepy and satisfied in equal measure. Time for bed.

I truly hope to attend Summer Game Fest again. If this indeed proves to be a permanent fixture in E3's old slot, it genuinely has the potential to turn into the most prestigious, go-to gaming event of the year. It needs bigger and bolder game announcements, that's for sure, but as an industry-focused event that says a firm "no" to the overwhelming hustle and bustle of bigger events with more footfall, I couldn't really ask for much more.