Organisers of one of the Blackpool entertainment calendar’s favourite ‘fixtures’ are playing along with popular demand, by staging a second event during 2018 just 8 months after the first.
PLAY Expo Blackpool the UK’s longest-running retro-gaming event – will return to the Norcalympia Exhibition Centre for the second time this year, when it thrills during the half term break (October 27 and 28) as a celebration of all-things gaming that is even bigger and better than before.
Organisers, Replay Events, gambled at the start of the year, by moving the date of PLAY Expo Blackpool to February, from its traditional summer slot. That decision paid off fantastically, with the event, staged in February half-term week, achieving its highest ever visitor numbers and attracting passionate retro and computer gamers from across the northwest.
To reward all the love received, the forthcoming October event is to offer super-sized bumper fun for families and adult gamers, in what has been christened the ‘PLAY Expo Blackpool One-off 2018 Retro Special’.
All areas of retro-gaming, including the classic-PC games section launched in Blackpool in February will be expanded for this autumn show. The handheld games section will also be back, whilst the number of arcade cabinet machines and pinball machines will be vastly increased.
There will be a whopping 120 arcade cabinets – both deluxe and classic – which will include some deluxe cabinets, courtesy of Retro Games Party, never before seen in Blackpool
Additionally, visitors will be delighted to find five times as many pinball machines, taking the total of pins to 50, thanks to Northern Lights, who supported the very first PLAY Expo Blackpool back in 2010.
All of the arcade and pinball games will be free to play within the ticket price, so there is no need to hoard 10 pence pieces in advance!
Also wowing visitors will be 200 retro consoles, computers, handhelds and PCs, together running the best games from the past 40 years of gaming. Players can evoke memories from across these four decades, whether they are playing with a Sinclair, Commodore, Nintendo, Sega, Sony or Xbox system. Classic games such as Manic Miner, Decathlon and Gran Turismo will all want someone to play them and staff will be on hand to assist those spoilt for choice.
Gaming enthusiasts can either fly solo on their chosen system and preferred games, or opt to head to the LAN gaming zone, where they can play along with friends or family using set-ups like Doom and Quake.
In the Next-Gen zone, there will also be event shake-ups to enjoy. This area will feature a selection of reboots and remakes of the best-loved franchises for the next-gen machines, with this including Crash Bandicoot N.Sane Trilogy, WipeOut Omega Collection and Street Fighter 30th Anniversary. This will be complemented with the PSN and Xbox Live Zone, which will feature quirky, retro-styled games only available on digital download. The Retro Special theme will be continued by bringing in a selection of Steam games for PC-gamers, many of which can be played by groups of four.
Bang-up-to-date games will sit alongside all the retro delights, thanks to a selection of VR thrillers that will warp the player’s reality and play tricks on their mind. A selection of demos and games will be running and on offer and staff will guide those seeking alternate reality, so that all get as much out of it as possible.
The competitive can take part in numerous exciting and challenging tournaments based around classics such as Super Mario Kart and Street Fighter, plus some more unusual games. This time, there will also be a cash prize for the winner of the Cosplay Masquerade, to the tune of £200 plus goodies and a chance to compete in national finals.
Everything PLAY Expo Blackpool visitors have come to love with still be available, despite the big expansion in key areas. If they are heading to the event for the four-player-screen set-ups, rhythm games or enlarged light gun alley, they will find these features awaiting them and much more.
A line-up of VIP gaming guests is yet to be revealed, but there will be talks from the main stage on both days. Other elements are also currently in the making, including the Indie Zone and the irresistible Shopping Hall. Replay Events are inviting independent game makers to get in touch and find out more about attending the show and have the same message for traders with classic games, merchandise, retro toys and other items to sell.
Organiser Andy Brown, managing director of Replay Events, says: “We were overwhelmed by the February show’s success and wanted to reward our loyal fans in Blackpool, where our PLAY Expo series of events was born. We are excited by how many new things we have got on offer this time round and hope that our scheduling of the show, during the October half term break, will allow children, parents, and anyone else seeking some great indoor fun on an autumn’s day, to head inside the Norcalympia Exhibition Centre and find out what so many people love about PLAY Expo Blackpool.”
Tickets are available for adults, children and families and can be one-day passes or weekend passes offering entry on both days. The benefit of buying tickets in advance is that ticketholders can get into the event, and straight on to the games, at 10am, whilst doors only open at 11am for those buying on the day.
The event goes on until 6pm each day, providing a potential daily dose of 8 hours of gaming fun per day. Food and refreshments are available, so there is no need to go out, if you just wish to play, play, play.
A single day ticket costs £16 for an adult and £10 for an under-16. All children must be accompanied by an adult. A family ticket costs £42, offering admission for two adults and two children.
A great-value two-day weekend pass costs £28 for an adult or £16 for a child aged under 16. A family weekend ticket, giving entrance to the event at 10am both days, costs £68.
Head to www.playexpoblackpool.com to buy your tickets and start planning your strategy when it comes to what you want to play, who you want to take on, and what you want to experience.
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PLAY Expo Blackpool the UK’s longest-running retro-gaming event – will return to the Norcalympia Exhibition Centre for the second time this year, when it thrills during the half term break (October 27 and 28) as a celebration of all-things gaming that is even bigger and better than before.
Organisers, Replay Events, gambled at the start of the year, by moving the date of PLAY Expo Blackpool to February, from its traditional summer slot. That decision paid off fantastically, with the event, staged in February half-term week, achieving its highest ever visitor numbers and attracting passionate retro and computer gamers from across the northwest.
To reward all the love received, the forthcoming October event is to offer super-sized bumper fun for families and adult gamers, in what has been christened the ‘PLAY Expo Blackpool One-off 2018 Retro Special’.
All areas of retro-gaming, including the classic-PC games section launched in Blackpool in February will be expanded for this autumn show. The handheld games section will also be back, whilst the number of arcade cabinet machines and pinball machines will be vastly increased.
There will be a whopping 120 arcade cabinets – both deluxe and classic – which will include some deluxe cabinets, courtesy of Retro Games Party, never before seen in Blackpool
Additionally, visitors will be delighted to find five times as many pinball machines, taking the total of pins to 50, thanks to Northern Lights, who supported the very first PLAY Expo Blackpool back in 2010.
All of the arcade and pinball games will be free to play within the ticket price, so there is no need to hoard 10 pence pieces in advance!
Also wowing visitors will be 200 retro consoles, computers, handhelds and PCs, together running the best games from the past 40 years of gaming. Players can evoke memories from across these four decades, whether they are playing with a Sinclair, Commodore, Nintendo, Sega, Sony or Xbox system. Classic games such as Manic Miner, Decathlon and Gran Turismo will all want someone to play them and staff will be on hand to assist those spoilt for choice.
Gaming enthusiasts can either fly solo on their chosen system and preferred games, or opt to head to the LAN gaming zone, where they can play along with friends or family using set-ups like Doom and Quake.
In the Next-Gen zone, there will also be event shake-ups to enjoy. This area will feature a selection of reboots and remakes of the best-loved franchises for the next-gen machines, with this including Crash Bandicoot N.Sane Trilogy, WipeOut Omega Collection and Street Fighter 30th Anniversary. This will be complemented with the PSN and Xbox Live Zone, which will feature quirky, retro-styled games only available on digital download. The Retro Special theme will be continued by bringing in a selection of Steam games for PC-gamers, many of which can be played by groups of four.
Bang-up-to-date games will sit alongside all the retro delights, thanks to a selection of VR thrillers that will warp the player’s reality and play tricks on their mind. A selection of demos and games will be running and on offer and staff will guide those seeking alternate reality, so that all get as much out of it as possible.
The competitive can take part in numerous exciting and challenging tournaments based around classics such as Super Mario Kart and Street Fighter, plus some more unusual games. This time, there will also be a cash prize for the winner of the Cosplay Masquerade, to the tune of £200 plus goodies and a chance to compete in national finals.
Everything PLAY Expo Blackpool visitors have come to love with still be available, despite the big expansion in key areas. If they are heading to the event for the four-player-screen set-ups, rhythm games or enlarged light gun alley, they will find these features awaiting them and much more.
A line-up of VIP gaming guests is yet to be revealed, but there will be talks from the main stage on both days. Other elements are also currently in the making, including the Indie Zone and the irresistible Shopping Hall. Replay Events are inviting independent game makers to get in touch and find out more about attending the show and have the same message for traders with classic games, merchandise, retro toys and other items to sell.
Organiser Andy Brown, managing director of Replay Events, says: “We were overwhelmed by the February show’s success and wanted to reward our loyal fans in Blackpool, where our PLAY Expo series of events was born. We are excited by how many new things we have got on offer this time round and hope that our scheduling of the show, during the October half term break, will allow children, parents, and anyone else seeking some great indoor fun on an autumn’s day, to head inside the Norcalympia Exhibition Centre and find out what so many people love about PLAY Expo Blackpool.”
Tickets are available for adults, children and families and can be one-day passes or weekend passes offering entry on both days. The benefit of buying tickets in advance is that ticketholders can get into the event, and straight on to the games, at 10am, whilst doors only open at 11am for those buying on the day.
The event goes on until 6pm each day, providing a potential daily dose of 8 hours of gaming fun per day. Food and refreshments are available, so there is no need to go out, if you just wish to play, play, play.
A single day ticket costs £16 for an adult and £10 for an under-16. All children must be accompanied by an adult. A family ticket costs £42, offering admission for two adults and two children.
A great-value two-day weekend pass costs £28 for an adult or £16 for a child aged under 16. A family weekend ticket, giving entrance to the event at 10am both days, costs £68.
Head to www.playexpoblackpool.com to buy your tickets and start planning your strategy when it comes to what you want to play, who you want to take on, and what you want to experience.
gamezplay on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/gameboy.uk
gamezplay on Twitter - https://twitter.com/gamezplayorg
gamezplay on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/user/gameboyuk