Category Archives: Event

Event

C3 Anime Festival Asia – All things Japan

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Japan pop culture lovers are having a wonderful time this weekend. C3 Anime Festival Asia 2017 Singapore (C3AFASG17) is happening now at the Suntec Convention and Exhibition Centre. It runs from 24th Nov (Fri) to 26th Nov (Sun) opening daily at 9:30am.

Aptly named as Anime Festival Asia, anime lovers will be able to indulge in their inner otaku at this event. From buying figurines to checking out the latest anime, there are endless amount of things to do. However, you should not be thinking that C3 AFA is all about anime only. There are a number of booth showcasing uniquely Japanese technology and food as well.

Aniplex Booth

One of the largest anime production house in Japan, Aniplex exhibition spans across three booths each showcasing their latest anime titles. The three titles that are being promoted are Saekano: How to Raise a Boring Girlfriend, the upcoming Record of Grancrest War and Black Butler.

At the ‘Saekano: How to Raise a Boring Girlfriend’ booth, one thing stood out. This 1:1 life-size figurine of Kato Megumi (one of the main character of this anime) is the most expensive one that you can find in the entire show. If you have SGD25,000 to spare, you can bring one home. And yes, it comes with free shipping. This life-size Kato Megumi is an extremely rare figurine with only 20 pieces produced to date.

If you do not have SGD25,000, fret not. The booth feature an Augmented Reality (AR) experience. Just download an app and you can see Kato Megumi spring  to life on your mobile phone.

You can also learn more about the World Of Grancrest War at the Aniplex booth.

Idols Showcase – Nogizaka46

Love Live! and Idolmaster has bridged the world of Idols and Anime for lots of Anime Fans. On showcase at C3AFASG17 for the first time outside Japan is the idol group Nogizaka46. Nogizaka46 is the official rival of the more well-known AKB48. The group is created by the same producer for AKB48, Yasushi Akimoto.

Unlike AKB48 which has a largely male fanbase, Nogizaka46 has a significant population of female fanbase. The group does regular modeling and appears on the cover page of popular female fashion magazines. Learn more about the group which started in 2012 at their booth.

Uniquely Japanese Technology

While being a show dedicated to the Japan pop culture, who can forget about Japanese technology which itself is one with the pop culture?

Nawatobi Jumper

A relatively simple game; jump on a skipping rope and blast a cat off in a rocket. The idea behind the game is to encourage people to exercise in a fun way. We were told that this gaming booth can be found in some malls in Japan.

We have the National Step Challenges. Perhaps the next one could be a National Skipping  Challenge power by this technology.

VOLLY – Your Voice In A Rolling Ball

A ball toy that looks a bit like Wilson from the Cast Away movie is on displayed at this year AFA. It’s a very simple toy for kids. Using stickers, they can create their own unique Volly. After which, they would record their voice into it by speaking to the toy.

By rolling the ball around, the recorded voice will be playback with a twist. Depending on the speed and angle of the roll, the voice get distorted adding a mechanical overlay to it. Unique to this show is a pair of Nogizaka46 Vollys that comes prerecorded with two members of the idol group.

Body Odour Machine

Always wonder whether you have weird odour coming out from your body that no one has ever told you about? Fret not, now there is a device that helps you do just that! Kunkun Body, a body odour measuring solution by Konica Minolta, is available at this year C3AFASG17. The device can detect three kinds of odour, namely sweaty smell, middle-aged-oil smell and old-aged smell.

The device can be used to measure different parts of your body such as the foot, armpits and head. It is paired to a mobile device and will display a numerical value between 0-100. 100 being the worst and 0 being the best.

We have mixed feeling about this product. On one hand, it can indeed be useful for us since generally people don’t tell you upfront that you smell bad. On the other hand, ignorance is bliss at times.

Performance

Credit: C3 Anime Festival Singapore

There are a total of two stages at C3AFASG17. A main stage which requires additional cost, and  the Super Akiba Stage which is situated in the exhibition hall.

The main stage has performance by Artistes such as Ayasa the Violinist,FLOW, 乃木坂46 (NOGIZAKA46),Tomohisa Sako,Shiena Nishizawa and more.

Several featured anime will also be showcased at the Stage. The highlight will be  world premiere of Record of Grancrest War’s first episode. Lead voice actor, Kentaro Kumagai will be present at the convention to meet fans of the anime. You can  check out the stage schedule here to decide whether you want to spend the extra dollar on the access to the stage area.

Ayasa had a special segment on the first day of event at the main stage

The Super Akiba Stage located at the Canon exhibition area are packed with exciting shows and performances as well. A range of activities such as Cosplayer Showcase, Talk Shows and Performance will be held throughout the day.

Guest Cosplayer Angie at Super Akiba Stage

Let’s Go Shopping

This Gundam Model may not be as grand as the 1:1 scale Gundam Model in Tokyo. But standing at a height of more than 3 adults, this model is impressive by its own rights. Although this is not something you can buy home, there are many other things you can buy at AFA.

Toys, Figurines, Lucky bags and all things anime. AFA is indeed a heaven for anime lovers. Tons of things to buy and see. Time to reward yourself after a year of hard work!

Credit: C3 Anime Festival Asia Singapore

The Odex booth is by far the most popular booth with a long snaking queue. If you have time, this is one booth that you cannot miss.

Credit: C3 Anime Festival Asia Singapore

Canon Imaging Experience

Take Picture with a Giant Pikachu

At the Canon Imaging Experience, photo taking services, complete with backdrop and even print out are provided for free! Various backdrops are available.

Cosplay

This is one of the special days where one can freely wear a brightly coloured wig without getting too much stares. Fans of games and anime don on their favourite 2D character costume and bring live to Anime Festival Asia every year. If you are not into cosplay, you are welcomed to take photos of the cosplayers. Practice basic, ask the cosplayer for permission first before your photo taking. Most of them are very friendly.

C3AFASG17 features a number of guest cosplayers. Take this opportunity to have a photo with them.

Anime Tourism

Where to visit in Japan for Anime Fans? This map located at the back of the hall shows you exactly where you can go. It features location where various anime has been based on so you can take your very own Anime Pilgrimage. A copy of the 2018 official edition is available at the booth for free. Make sure to ask the staff for a copy.

More information can be found on Anime Tourism 88 website.

If you have yet to been to C3 Anime Festival Asia Singapore 2017, tomorrow is your last chance. The event last day is on the 26 Nov 2017 (Sunday),

Event, Game News

SITEX 2017 – Beyond Just Buying Gadgets

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It’s the time of the year again for some Christmas shopping! If you have a electronic that you wish to buy in 2017, SITEX is your last chance to get good deals at a major consumer electronics event. This yearly event is happening right now at Hall 7 and 8 of the Singapore Expo from 23-26 Nov 2017 (Thu-Sun) from 11am till 9pm.

With the opening of the new phase 3 downtown line, it is even easier to get to SITEX this year. Do take note that unlike previous year, this year, SITEX is located at Hall 7 & 8.

Something for the Gamers…

Game console trade-in is provided by GameXtreme at Hall 7. You can trade in your old console and get a new one at a discount. For those who wish to quickly get rid of their consoles while buying the latest PS4 Pro or Nintendo Switch, this could be what you need. If not, you can always post it on GameTrader.SG and sell it on your own.

The latest PS4 Pro and PS4 Slim are the top selling consoles at GameXtreme.

Here are the trade-in prices.

Do check out their booth at Hall 7.

Something for the Treasure Hunter…

While you are at SITEX, how about winning some free prizes such as a Moto M Smartphone or a SkullCandy Headphones?  You would just have to visit each of the five zones (Smart Home, AutoTech, KidsTech, VR/AR and The Audio Room) and answer three to five simple questions. The TechHunt has two sessions, one on the 23rd of Nov (Thu) and the other on the 26th of Nov (Sun).

The first 300 registrant will be entitled to a free TrackR. TrackR is basically a bluetooth tracker that will ring and light up when you activate it remotely via the TrackR app. Perfect for those who keeps misplacing their items.

Here is the link to register for TechHunt.

Something for the Phone Enthusiast…

Apple Fans have their iPhone X to drool about while Android fans have the latest Google Pixel 2 XL and the much talk about Razer Phone. Both of them are available for you to try out at the Singtel Booth (Hall 7).

Google Pixel 2 XL

The Google Pixel 2 XL feels great on my hand. Display is crisp and colours are vivid. And being a Google ‘official’ phone, it will get the latest Android OS right after the release. So you can be sure your Pixel 2 XL will always be running the latest OS.

Razer Phone 

This is the baby that we can’t wait to try out. Although it is being marketed  as a gaming phone, this Android Phone is highly capable of being a mini home-theater system.

We tried the video that demonstrated the power of the Razer Phone sound system powered by Dolby Atmos (the same sound system used by some theather). We were blown away! Despite the noisy background, the sound coming out from the phone sounds really good. The two powerful speaker residing on both sides of the phone does an excellent job in throwing out the audio to us with surround sound quality.

Gaming-wise, there are three games to try at the booth. Definitely, the visual look fantastics on the display. However, we feel that there could be more that the Razer Phone is capable of. Perhaps not all Android games that is out in the market now will be able to harness the full power of the Razer Phone which is a pity.

Buyer has to note that the new Razer Phone is running on Android 7.1 (Nougat) and not the latest Android 8 (Oreo). While we are told that the update will be coming in a few weeks time, no one is really sure when exactly it will be coming.

Something for the Audiophiles….

If you like listening to good quality music, you must visit SITEX’s Audio Room. Tuck away in a corner of Hall 8, it’s the best place to go to chill out amidst the hustle and bustle on the show floor.

Listen to some music from the DJ or plug in your own devices to try out some of the headphones at the Audio Room. We pampered our ears with the top end Klipsch Heritage HP-3 Headphones. It cost around USD1,200 and is showcased at this year CES 2017 in Las Vegas. You would have to try the headphones yourself to experience it yourself.

Something for the Cryptocurrency Beginner…

Heard of Cryptocurrency and always wanted to have your own mining server? Building your own computer to mine cryptocurrency like Ethereum and Bitcoin may not be a trivial task.

The guys are the Mining Rig Club are there to help. Located at Hall 8 at the Innovation Zone, Mining Rig Club is a newly form startup that had concoct what they believe is the highest ROI rig for cryptocurrency. Buy a rig from them and let them run and service it for a monthly fee. It is that simple. Their rig comes configured for your use so you don’t have to trawl through the internet to find out what to install or run in order to mine cryptocurrency.

They are located at the Innovation Zone at Hall 8.

Something for the Smart-Shopper

IUIGA is a start-up that promotes luxurious quality product at affordable prices. They are kind of like your Muji except a lot cheaper with products at the same quality.

How do they do it? IUIGA operate via a Original Designer Manufacturer (ODM) business model. A ODM is a manufacturer that does designing and produce the good for a brand. The ODM owns the product and design rights. Hence, IUIGA is able to find those same Manufacture for well-known brands like Muji and Samsonite. Their ‘Aluminium Alloy Frame Luggage Bag‘, which is the from same manufacturer a Samsonite but at almost half the price, is already sold out.

Their app is available on both iOS and Android.

WIth things to buy, win and see, spending your weekend at SITEX will be well worth your time. Also, get your Christmas presents early. SITEX would most likely have what your love one needs.

Happy Holidays Everyone!

GameTrader.SG is the official Media Partner for SITEX 2017

Event

Got time this weekend?

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This coming weekend (25-26 Nov 2017) we have not one but two awesome events in Singapore.

SITEX 2017

23 Nov (Thu) to 26 Nov (Sun)

[11am to 9pm Daily] Singapore Expo Hall 7-8

The most anticipated IT show of 2017, SITEX differs from most other IT shows. SITEX focuses on creating a digital experience beyond simply just buying cool IT gadgets.

Of course if you wish to buy the latest MacBook, Laptop or Phones, this is definitely the place to check out too.

This year, SITEX is running TechHunt, a competition that everyone can join. Simply visit all the zones which include Smart Home, AutoTech, KidsTech, VR/AR and The Audio Room. Gather the hints at the zones and you are on your way to win prizes worth up to $2,500! More details can be found on their website.

This year we are proud to be SITEX official media partner again. We will be covering the ground of the event and bring you the latest highlights on our blog. Do keep a lookout.

C3 AFA 2017

24 Nov (Fri) to 26 Nov (Sun)

[9:30am to 8:30pm Fri-Sat. 9:30am to 7:30am Sun]

Suntec Singapore Convention

AFA (Anime Festival Asia) Singapore 2017 needs no introduction for those who are into manga and anime. The yearly event sees droves of fans congregating at Suntec each year.

For the normal folks like us, you can go around and take pictures of cosplayers. Otherwise, join in the fun, be in your best cosplay! You can even take part in the cosplay contest. Also, you can get close to your favorite cosplayers such as Baozi & Hana and Angie from Malaysia and have a picture taken with them.

For the music lovers, you can attend the concerts throughout the 3 days event. Tickets can be bought here.

If all these are not for you, simply take a stroll on the exhibition halls. There will be tons of things to see, buy and eat check out the list of exhibitors here.

Event, Game News, General

GameStart 2017 – Every Game You Can Imagine, It Is There.

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Main Stage of GameStart 2017

Board game, card game, console game, retro console game, mobile game, indie game, VR game or any type of games you can think of, you can find them at this year GameStart 2017. Let’s take you through a tour of the highlights at this year GameStart 2017.

Bandai Booth

Dragon Ball FighterZ

The much anticipated Dragon Ball FighterZ has previously received many positive reviews from media when the trailer was first released at E3 2017. It is touted as one of the most faithful adaptation of the anime into game.

The game itself looks as promising as the E3 trailer. At times, you would even think you are watching the anime. The queue to try out the game was constantly long but it was definitely worth the wait especially for the Dragon Ball fan.

Taiko no Tatsujin (太鼓の達人)

Taiko no Tatsujin game was also available for visitors to try out at the Bandai booth.

PlayStation Booth

The biggest booth of all, a multitude of PS4 games were opened up to everyone. If you tried out all four booth, you can get to win a small token prize much like this year IT Show 2017 PlayStation Booth.

PlayStation Booth

Get behind the wheels of Gran Turismo Sport in a futuristic Tron-like pod.

Gran Turismo Sport

By now, most of you might have tried out PlayStation VR before. We tried out Farpoint VR. While refreshing to try out a FPS on PlayStation VR, the combination of running and shooting in the VR world was too much for me to take. After a 3 minutes gameplay, I’m already feeling dizzy.

PlayStation VR

Doujin Market

Another of our favourite was the Doujin Market. There are many great artists in Singapore. There is where we can support them by buying their work. Rachta Lin is one of artist whom we really like her work and her works were  available at this year GameStart

Doujin Market

eSports

SEA Mobile Major

There are two main stage for the eSports lover. SEA Mobile Major took place at one of the stage featuring ShadowVerse. Mobile gaming has indeed come a long way in eSports from the days of Angry Birds.

At the other stage, players battle each other at many popular fighting game such as Street Fighter V, Marvel VS. Capcom Infinite and Tekken 7.

SEA Major 2017

Hitting the groin is allowed in the world of eSports!

SEA Major 2017

Tabletop Game

A huge area was dedicated to tabletop games. Even if you are not a fan of tabletop games, you can just check out some of the impressive miniature models in games such as Warhammer.

And of course there are many fun-loving cosplayers at the events itself that makes the whole experience even better!

FF XV Cosplayers

 

Event, Game News

Nier Creator Yoko Taro and Square Enix Producer Yosuke Saito at GameStart 2017

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One of the highlight of this year GameStart 2017 is the main stage appearance of Yoko Taro, father of Nier, and Yosuke Saito, Square Enix Producer.

As usual the eccentric Yoko Taro has his Emil Mask on only for a short period of time before being ushered into a Yoko box where he takes off his mask. Nope you can’t see him from outside the box. It’s his own way of keeping his identity secret (though his real life photo can be found on the internet).

The interview session was entertaining with legion of fans participating actively throughout the entire session. Many shouted vehemently at the end of the show “人類に栄光あれ” in Japanese which mans “Glory to Mankind”. A pledge that is made famous in the game Nier Automata.

A set of pre-submitted fan questions were selected beforehand. Some of them are your standard fan questions, some elicit really funny answer from Yoko.

*Q&A below is not the actual transcript but a translated version from Japanese.

Fan: Are there certain movies or books that inspire you for the game.
Yoko: I get my inspiration from some of them. Evangelion is one from anime and the American Drama 24 is another one. I will try to avoid taking ideas from major titles as other would easily spot it. So usually, I will steal from the more minor title.

That’s Yoko Taro for you. Straight, honest answer with a tinge of humour.

Here’s another one:

Fan: Why did you include an ending where you have to delete the gamer’s save file?
Yoko: When I was young, my save file for Dragon Quest 3 was deleted. I was devastated and disappointed. But my parents do not understand what I was going through. Hence I make my players go through the same experience.

So that’s it?! While this sounds brutal, it is also really amusing to me. For the longest time, I always thought that there is a stronger meaning behind asking the user to delete the save file at the ending. So the truth is simply this. Advice to you when you play Yoko Taro’s game, don’t read too much into why things are how they are in the games.

The final section is a compilation of the fan’s answers to a list of Nier Automata related questions. Here are some of the results

Seems like long hair A2 is more popular…hmm…

Next question. Slightly controversial.

You would have guess it’s the (*AHEM) Tits as what Yoko Taro thought. But the result is…

Butt? Ok…let’s not discuss why and respect the crowd’s vote.

This is the funniest question yet. I wonder who came out with the questions…

And you guessed it…

Adult Game! Yoko Taro says he will seriously consider this. We will just have to wait for the Nier Automata sequel if there is going to be one.

There are many more things to see at GameStart 2017. Tomorrow will be the last day (15th Oct 2017). Be sure to visit if you have not!

 

 

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Nier Creator Yoko Taro coming to Singapore

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Yoko Taro (center) at PAX 2017

Nier Automata is arguably the most talk about game of 2017. Even if you have not played the game, you would surely have heard about it. The soundtrack of the game has also received praises. There is even a Nier Automata Concert held in Japan.

Then there are the cosplayers. 2B, one of the main protagonist of the game, is very popular among cosplayers. Googling Nier Cosplay and you will see many wonderful work of these cosplayers.

2B cosplayer at Charaexpo 2017 Singapore. Photo credit: GameTrader.SG

Like what Kojima is to Metal Gear, Yoko Taro is the father of the Nier/Drakengard. The enigmatic and perhaps eccentric game creator is well known for wearing a mask during interview. He is known for making games that often surprises the gamer. You can watch his PAX 2017 interview video below

We are all very excited that he will be coming to GameStart 2017 which is happening on the 14 and 15 October at Suntec City Convention Center. More details here.

Nier Cosplay Contest

GameStart will also be holding a special Nier Cosplay contest. So come cosplay as your favourite Nier Character at GameStart 2017. More details can be found at GameStart Facebook page.

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GameStart 2017 – Gaming Tournament

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If you think you are good at games, it is time to prove yourself. Fight your way to glory (and attractive prizes). Games ranging from FIFA 2018 to Street Fighter V are having their very own tournament that spans the entire weekend of GameStart 2017.

More casual gamer can try out the speed run mobile game contest called the GameStart Pixel Battle Speed Run Challenge. More details here.

Mobile gamers can also take part in Shadowverse and Vain Glory tournament of the Southeast Asia Mobile Major 2017.

GameStart Asia is happening on the 14-15th Oct 2017 at Suntec City Convention Centre.

Sign up now at

gamestart.asia/gamestart-2017/tournament-hub

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Are you ready for GameStart 2017?

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Credits: GameStart Asia

We are less than a month away from GameStart 2017. One of the best Gaming event in Singapore, GameStart 2017 is happening on the 14th and 15th Oct at Suntec Convention Centre. GameStart has grown from a small gaming convention since its inception to a gaming convention that is not to be missed.

Who should go to GameStart?

Credits: GameStart Asia

If you are a gamer, be it console gaming or PC gaming, you must not miss GameStart. There isn’t many convention dedicated to gaming in Singapore and GameStart is definitely one that you should not miss. This is the closest thing you can get to E3 or the Tokyo Game Show in Singapore.

Even if you are not a hardcore gamer, the event will also feature Retro and Indie game for the more casual gamers. Table top games will also be given a special area. More information on the GameStart Tabletop activities can be found at www.gamestart.asia/tabletop. Or if you like Doujin, the return of the Doujin Market will definitely delight you.

What can you expect at GameStart 2017?

Playstation and GameStart

Credits: GameStart Asia

Sony is back with twice the booth size compared to last year.  This means more PlayStation booth for us to try out the latest games.

Sony Interactive Entertainment Singapore will be one of the major sponsor for the Southeast Asia Major (SEAM), the largest fighting game tournament in Asia. See players fight their way to the top in these top fighting games; Street FIghter V, Marvel Vs. Capcom Infinite, Tekken 7 and more.

More details on Sony’s participation here.

Doujin Market

Back by popular demand, Doujin Market at GameStart 2017 now has almost double the number of artists.

You can read more about last year Doujin Market at GameStart Asia here.

Credits: GameStart Asia

Cosplayer

Cosplaying is a mix of art and craft. Guest cosplayers, Astro Kerrie and Yasemin Arslan from Australia will wow you with their stunning game cosplay as if your gaming characters pop out into the real world. You can also come in your cosplay and take part in the Cosplay Runway.

GameStart Tabletop

Credits: GameStart Asia

The Table Top dedicated zone for all things Table Top. You can buy any Table Top game your fancy or if you are not ready, rent and try out the game before making your Purchase.

Competition will also be held for table top games like Citadel, Exploding Kittens, Love Letter and Sushi Go. More details here.

We can’t wait for the event! You can now get your early bird ticket now at their website.

Meanwhile check out the highlights from GameStart 2016

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Singapore Toy, Games & Comic Convention 2017 – Walk into your fantasy

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The 10th Singapore Toy, Games & Comic Convention (STGCC) held this year at Marina Bay Sands Convention Centre has manage to outdo itself yet again. A new dedicated gaming zone called the Good Game Experience and a Star Wars Experience Zone that lets you walk into Star Wars literally, this has to be the best STGCC yet!

Small Toys and Life-size Toys

Toys. That’s the reason why you go to STGCC. Upon our entry into STGCC 2017, Thor and Hulk greeted us. We knew at that moment that this convention is going to be great. Too many toys to see, too little money to buy them all.

War Machine Cosplayer

Ok he is not a toy but this cosplayer definitely brings War Machine to life with his larger-than-life armour.

Iron Man in Iron Man

So Iron Man has a Iron Man suit which has another Iron Man suit and … Ok this is getting complicated. This could be a variant of the Hulk Buster. The intricacy of the model is just amazing. I can stare at it for hours just admiring the level of details in this model.

Optimus Prime

Transformer, robots in disguise. Lots of Transformer toys ranging from the more contemporary ones to the retro version.

Hulk Buster

Thor

Street Fighter

Toys that put your Street Fighter in ‘pause’ mode for eternity. Again, 3 hours gone staring at it.

Walk into Star Wars

Entry to Star Wars World

[Cue Star Wars Opening Music] Fans of Star Wars must have been thrilled at this year STGCC. The dedicated zone to Star Wars included a plethora of things to do and see. You can take picture with life-size fan-built Rey’s Speeder, or sit down inside the Millennium Falcon and imagine you are Han Solo.

Rey’s Speeder (Rey sold separately)

I have asked myself multi-times. How can this be fan-built? It looks exactly like the one in the movie. Lucasfilm please hire them.

Storm Troopers guarding KYLO REN’S TIE SILENCER

Kylo Ren’s Tie Silencer was heavily by his storm trooper. Where is Kylo Ren?

He was spotted on board the Millennium Falcon. Visitors can take picture with this set too. Kylo Ren included.

And of course, we have Star Wars Models and toys. Loads and loads of them to satisfy the Star Wars fan in you.

Good Game Experience

This year, the gaming arm of STGCC has an entire dedicated hall that resembles the atmosphere of an E3 convention. On the main stage we have Esports screening while there are many games for you to try out in the other parts of the hall.

VR Boxing

There are multiple VR gaming station for your to experience. Provider includes HTC VIVE and PlayStation VR.

The Chillax Zone provide bean bags for your to laze on while playing games. An oasis for your tire body.

Table top games are held at the special Colosseum area of the Good Game Experience Zone.

Akiba Town Rocking STGCC

Akiba Town has a mini stage where we can all gather and release our inner Otaku through anime music.

Bye STGCC 2017, See You Next Year

And so, our STGCC 2017 adventure is over. We hope you enjoyed our coverage of the event! If you miss it this year, make sure to go for the next year event.