Taipei Game Show 2021 ended successfully yesterday (Jan. 31). Players seized their last chance to participate in the once-a-year game festival on the event’s closing day. Many Eports tournaments grabbed audiences’ attentions, such as DeNA’s SLAM DUNK Playoffs, in which Taiwan-based team BIS placed third. Others also included Just Dance 2021 Tournament on Esports Tournament Stage, and AORUS’s League of Legends Streamer Challenges. Although COVID-19 prevention regulations required all cosplayers to wear masks, the rule did not diminish players’ enthusiasm.
The themed section, Board Game Wonderland attracts a great number of adult and young fans alike. Whether for the latest board game release or the greatest discount value pack, players showed their whole love and support. Original board games designed by teams from Taiwan captivated players’ attention. Indie House is another section that “traps” the players. Here, games by Taiwan’s indie developers are always the main attraction—even on the last day of the show, players lined up to try out the game titles.
This year, the theme of the show, “Keep On Gaming”, is a homage to players’ refusal to give up and the spirit of trying until succeeding, and it serves as a self-encouragement to Taipei Game Show for trying its hardest to bring the joy of gaming to players amid the global pandemic. Started as scheduled, the organizer was determined to keep the pandemic at bay, as many innovations and transmission prevention measures were implemented to give game enthusiasts a different event experience.
Furthermore, Taipei Game Show has once again improved upon itself, with innovative safety measures to keep exhibitors safe and visitors at ease, setting a new standard for future events.
Innovation 1: Virtual and Physical Hybrid Game Show Attracts 300 Exhibitors from 35 Countries with 500 Booths
Taipei Game Show 2021 extended its show floor to the cloud, creating the online Asia Pacific Game Summit: APGS ONLINE. Through online streaming and multilingual subtitles, APGS ONLINE not only eliminates the barriers of time and space, but also connects industry professionals, indie developers and audiences who desire to join the industry. The summit broadcasted the game industry’s newest trends, and the streamed contents continued their impact online. Over the course of the event, more than 4,200 viewers participated in APGS ONLINE, making it one of the highlights of Taipei Game Show.
B2B ZONE launched its 24/7 business showcasing platform, GAME LINKER, especially for game industry professionals who could not visit Taiwan due to the pandemic. Through the internet, GAME LINKER offers a chance to meet and speak with other exhibitors and buyers. The system provides a business card exchange function, which generates more than 5,000 exchanges. Throughout the event, more than 500 business meetings were held at the exhibition venue and online, with a total meeting time exceeding 250 hours. Industry users at home and abroad have highly praised the business services.
B2C ZONE also designed a virtual program called Taipei Game Show ONLINE. The program is streamed on the appointed channel”現在不要NOW“, with contents focusing on events held by exhibitor’s at the venue, creating a vicarious experience for online audiences as if they were attending the event.
Innovation 2: Strict Pandemic Restrictions Sets New Exhibition Standards
In response to the pandemic, Taipei Game Show not only complied fully with the government’s restrictions, but also implemented measures with higher standards. All players, staff, exhibitors, show girls, and cosplayers were required to wear masks at all times. The organizer arranged more staff at the show floor and lobby area to remind players to wear masks and maintain social distancing. All attendees were required to take their body temperature, register their real names, and sanitize hands regularly. Booths on the show floor also underwent regular disinfection procedures to ensure everyone’s safety.
To remind players of mandatory mask-wearing and frequent hand washing, Taipei Game Show set up four hand-washing areas on the show floor for players and exhibitors, and also two COVID-19 prevention queue area for players in order to abide by the social distancing rule.
Furthermore, Taipei Game Show has strictly implemented total attendant control measures, including lowering the total of concurrent visitors from the exhibition center’s 12,000-visitor capacity to 7,000. The organizer closely monitored the show floor situation and controlled the number of visitors’ entering and exiting. These measures were implemented to give exhibitors and players a safe experience.
Innovation 3: 27-meter High-rise Sky Dome Upgrades Visitors’ Experience
This year, Taipei Game Show relocated to Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center, where the 27-meter-tall dome gave exhibitors more space to build their booth decorations. Exhibitors reproduced game scenes and built special stages with ease. The organizer even turned off the light on the ceiling to make the exhibitor’s splendid lighting effects and fancy stage design in the booth to be fully displayed. Players enjoyed a full range of audio and visual feast, making Taipei Game Show 2021 a one-of-a-kind, top-ranking game exhibition.
The success of Taipei Game Show 2021 is the effort made by all participants, including the organizer, exhibitors, and visiting players. Following this years’ experience, Taipei Game Show will return in the future as a better version of itself. The organizer asks everyone to stay safe during the pandemic and remember to “Keep On Gaming!” See you next time!
