Eurogamer Expo Preview

Now in its third year, the Eurogamer Expo is back next week – and it’s bigger and better than ever.

Held at London’s Earls Court this year, the show is officially the UK’s largest dedicated games event, and boasts the very best upcoming games from the world’s top publishers – all playable on the show floor.

Around 20,000 gamers will be able to get an early hands-on with the likes of Gears of War 3, Fable III, Killzone 3, LittleBigPlanet 2, Dead Space 2, Medal of Honor, Brink, Fallout: New Vegas, Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood and many, many more.

But it’s not just hardcore shooter and action adventures. All the top publishers are taking the opportunity to showcase numerous Kinect and Move launch titles, alongside keys new releases such as Def Jam Rapstar.

In addition to the big-name blockbusters on the show floor, the EG Expo provides a platform for some of the world’s premier game developers to talk about their upcoming titles – including the UK premiere showing of Rage by id Software.

With consumers already eagerly looking forward to this year’s show, the Eurogamer Expo is the perfect event to launch the London Games Festival.

SCHEDULE

Thursday 30th September
* London Games Festival launch event at Eurogamer Expo, Earls Court

Friday 1st October
* 9am to 11am – Press and industry preview session
* 11am to 7pm – Show open to the public, developer presentations, tournaments and Career Fair
* Game Invest 2010
* Evening – Eurogamer Expo Party, raising money for GamesAid

Saturday 2nd October
* 11am to 7pm – Show open to the public, developer presentations, tournaments and Career Fair

Sunday 3rd October
* BAFTA Young Game Designers Competition.
* 11am to 7pm – Show open to
the public, developer presentations, tournaments and Career Fair

RUPERT LOMAN ON THE EXPO

Why did you choose to expand the event?
We’ve moved to Earls Court in order to accommodate more gamers – we have increased the amount of floorspace we’re using significantly, and we’re taking advantage of the Earls Court conference facilities as well. Our developer presentations will now be to 500 people at a time.

How are ticket sales looking? Any plans for 2011?
We’re very pleased that tickets are on track to sell out in advance of the event once again. And although it is too early to commit to anything for next year right now, given the demand from the public for the event, it is likely that we will make next year’s event bigger yet again.

WHAT’S ON SHOW?

Bethesda
* Fallout: New Vegas
Ready to lose another 120 hours of your life to post-apocalyptic RPG goodness again? Start here.
* Brink
Splash Damage’s free-running FPS has got ‘chart-topper’ written all over it.
* Hunted: The Demon’s Forge
Described brilliantly as ‘Gears of Warcraft’, this dark fantasy epic is as manly as Brian Blessed.

Ubisoft
* Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood
With added multiplayer modes, Ubi’s stealth action masterpiece is now the complete package.
* Just Dance 2
Future YouTube legends await as gamers throw some serious shapes.

Microsoft
* Halo: Reach
Recently released to blanket acclaim, Bungie’s shooter is another instant classic. If anything, players will get a chance to show off their skills in public.
* Fable III
Enthusiastic previews mark Lionhead’s latest as its best yet, with a raft of big name voice talent on board.
* Gears of War 3
Shooters don’t get any more butch than this, and with the introduction of four-player co-op, Epic’s latest will blow the doors off.

Nintendo
* The Legend Of Zelda:
Skyward Sword
Certain to turn a corner of the Expo into a sweaty, sword-swishing throng thanks to Wii MotionPlus controls.
* Kirby’s Epic Yarn
Nintendo’s long-overdue series reboot is an embarrassment of platforming creativity. Words fail.
* Donkey Kong Country Returns
A return to the beautiful mid-90s SNES-era side-scrolling style, Retro Studios’ homage to Rare’s classic series is enough to make you want to eat bananas.

Sony
* LittleBigPlanet 2
The sequel to Media Molecule’s award-winning platformer is expected to be one of the stars of the Expo.
* Killzone 3
Due out in February, this 3D and Move-enabled sequel breaks new ground for the FPS.
* Gran Turismo 5
More than five years in the making, the perfectionists at Polyphony Digital unveil its masterwork.
* inFamous 2
Another Move-enabled first-party PS3 sequel getting its UK premiere, and another classic-in-waiting.
* Motorstorm Apocalypse
Evolution Studios’ third title in the racing series focuses on an urban setting this time around.

ELECTRONIC ARTS
* Medal of Honor
People assume gamers want to shoot the Taliban in the face. They’d be right.
* FIFA 11
Leaves the competition with football pie all over their face. Again.
* Crysis 2
The prettiest FPS series ever finally comes to console.
* Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit
It’s Criterion! Doing Need For Speed! What more do you need to know?!
* Dead Space 2
In space, no-one can hear you scream. Earls Court is a different matter.
* Bulletstorm
Epic’s latest takes the shooter into brash and chaotic new territory.

ALSO SHOWING

Konami
* Pro Evolution Soccer 2011
* Def Jam Rapstar
* Saw II
* Castlevania: Lords of Shadow
SEGA
* Vanquish
Namco Bandai
* Enslaved
Codemasters
* Formula 1 2010
2K Games
* Mafia II
RedLynx
* Trials HD

DEVELOPER PRESENTATIONS

Eurogamer has secured a raft of top class developer talent across all three days of the event, with very special guests to be announced soon…

Tim Willits (id Software)
A major coup for the EG Expo, the id lead designer and co-owner will be taking the stage every day to present the FPS/racing hybrid Rage, almost a year ahead of its release.

Matt Findley & Maxx Kaufman (inXile)
The team behind Bethesda’s upcoming dark fantasy action-adventure Hunted: The Demon’s Forge will be hoping to whip up some pre-release buzz.

Darren Bridges & Ken Schramm (Sucker Punch)
A look at why Sony’s superhero action game inFamous 2 is expected to be one of the key sequels in 2011.

Matt Southern (Evolution Studios)
The chirpy scouser will be giving a sneak peak of his studio’s exciting PS3 racer, MotorStorm Apocalypse.

Tameem Antoniades (Ninja Theory)
Building on the cinematic brilliance of Uncharted 2, Enslaved is hotly tipped to be one of this year’s breakthrough IPs.