Indonesia Game Show back to break game junkies’ limit

After a four-year hiatus, Indonesia Game Show is back to support the local gaming and technology scene.

Indonesia Game Show (IGS), the country’s biggest videogame expo/convention was held last October 12 to 14, coinciding with the Asian Cyber Games. The champion team at the event will move to the next level and represent Indonesia in the World Cyber Games grand final in Kunshan, China.

Additionally, the winners of the Indonesia national finals were automatically selected to DOTA 2 The Asia grand finals at Kuala Lumpur this December, where they will compete with top DOTA 2 teams from around the world.

The event has been absent for four years in the country, but has returned to the scene in order to support game development in Indonesia. It has been touted as the go-to event for anything about gaming in Indonesia, which also supports the country’s gaming hardware industry.

The Main Stage at Indonesia Game Show

Majority of participants were local developers and publishers, with total of 78 booths joining the three-day conference: Agate Studio, Garuda Games, Touchten, Ninja Kita, Faunia Rancher, Scoop, WayangForce and Online Payment Solution Indomog were present, among others.

The event constituted three main competitions: WCG 2012, Electronic Sport Cyber Game (ESWC) and The Game Expo (TGX). Games highlighted during the event were Counter Strike Online CrossFire, FIFA 2013, Tekken Tag Team 2, Point Blank, DotA, DotA 2 and Counter Strike Global Offensive.

Apart from the competitions, the event featured a seminar by Q Entertainment’s Shuji Utsumi, widely known for the popular Sakura Wars, as well as the Kingdom Hearts games, and a founding member of Sony Computer Entertainment America.
The event also featuerd some costume-play, or cosplay, a performance art in which participants wear costumes and accessories to represent specific characters sourced from anime, film, manga, or video games. Mediatama Binakreasi, Rapture Gaming and Gamestation also held the Game Developer Award.

All in all, Indonesia Game show has been a good mix of tournaments and other related activities, including console gaming, overclocking, and mobile. Live bands and performances also graced the event, making it both educational and entertaining.

ZOECon 2012: Fandom and Gaming in the Pacific Northwest

Fandom and Gaming in the Pacific Northwest

Zombie Orpheus Entertainment, the creative minds behind JourneyQuest and The Gamers: Hands of Fate, are proud to announce ZOECon 2012, taking place November 9th – 11th at the Doubletree Southcenter in Tukwilla WA. The convention will be a celebration of fandom with many activities to enjoy, including screenings of many ZOE produced and distributed shows, gaming run by local game developers, panels, cosplay, special guests, and much more!
Oh, did we mention we’re also filming a movie? The Gamers: Hands of Fate will be shooting footage during the con for use in the feature film! We are excited to have our fans be a part of this unique event. For more information, please visit us on the web at http://www.zoecon.net. Find out more about Zombie Orpheus Entertainment at http://www.zombieorpheus.com.
Zombie Orpheus Entertainment is a pioneer in a new, freer distribution model for content. Fan supported and creator distributed, ZOE strives to remove the classic constraints on entertainment. No DRM, allowing you to enjoy your entertainment on your terms. Creative Commons licensing allowing redistribution and remixing. Region-free DVDs without copy protection allowing you to archive and protect your purchased content however you see fit. Our model means fan support translates directly to new content. If enough fans like a show, it can’t be cancelled. No studio, no network, no cancellation.
The Gamers: Hands of Fate is the latest film by Matt Vancil. Beginning five years after the end of Dorkness Rising, Cass (Brian Lewis), Leo (Scott C. Brown), Joanna (Carol Roscoe), Gary (Christian Doyle), and Lodge (Nathan Rice) are having difficulty fitting gaming into their hectic schedules. The Shadow remains undefeated and the crew vows to conclude their campaign at Gen Con – the best four days in gaming. Meanwhile Cass is pulled into the world of Collectible Card Games in hopes of winning a date with Natalie (Trin Miller), a highly skilled hardcore player who is trying to save the heart of the
game from monetized corruption. Funded by Kickstarter, The Gamers: Hands of Fate ended its campaign as the highest funded film in Kickstarter history.

Events and Guests At MCM Expo London October 2012, Including Manga Entertainment UK

What’s On At October’s Comic Con?

MCM Expo London Comic Con returns to ExCel London on 26-28 October and we’re bringing a brilliant line-up of special guests, games, sci-fi, comics, anime and cosplay content to entertain the show’s 60,000 plus visitors. Here are the first announcements for Britain’s biggest popular culture festival!

SPECIAL GUESTS

•    Doctor Who’s Matt Smith will be attending the Friday of the show to mark the launch of the Doctor Who Series 7: Part 1 DVD. Matt will be hosting a panel alongside Doctor Who executive produce Caroline Skinner, as well as signing copies of the new DVD.

•    Jeffrey Demunn and Andrew Rothenburg, stars of hit zombie apocalypse series The Walking Dead. Jeffrey plays Dale Horvath, the moral centre of the small community of survivors, while Andrew plays taciturn mechanic Jim.

•    Tony Amendola and Roger Cross from hot new Canadian sci-fi police show Continuum. Tony and Roger both play leading members of Liber8, a future terrorist group, who have escaped through time to present day Vancouver.

•    Tony Amendola is also at the show for fantasy drama Once Upon At Time, alongside fellow cast member Keegan Connor Tracy. Keegan plays The Blue Fairy in the fairytale-inspired show, while Tony takes on the role of Geppetto.

•    We welcome back A Town Called Eureka creator, writer and executive producer Jaime Paglia. He is joined by Colin Ferguson and Tembi Locke, who play Sheriff Jack Carter and Dr. Grace Monroe in the popular sci-fi show.

•    Film, TV, anime and videogame voice actor Ali Hillis, who stars as central character Lightning in Final Fantasy XIII and its sequel Final Fantasy XIII-2.

•    Videogame voice actor Courtenay Taylor, best known for playing Jack/Subject Zero in Mass Effect 2 and Ada Wong in the upcoming Resident Evil 6.

•    Top voice talent Liam O’Brien, whose many roles include Jushiro Ukitake in Bleach; Gaara in Naruto; War in Darksiders and Vincent Law in Ergo Proxy.

VIDEOGAMES

•    Nintendo will be giving comic con visitors the opportunity to try out their revolutionary new Wii U console ahead of its public release later this year.

•    Ubisoft will be bringing the much-anticipated Assassin’s Creed III: Liberation, first person shooter Far Cry 3 and Wii U survival horror game ZombiU.

•    Visitors to the Capcom stand will have the chance to get hands-on with Lost Planet 3 and DmC Devil May Cry, the latest in the hit beat-em-up franchise.

•    Namco Bandai will be hosting a Tekken Tag Tournament 2 contest, as well as previewing the gorgeous-looking Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch.

•    Iconic games characters Agent 47 and Lara Croft both return as Square Enix shows off Hitman: Absolution and their upcoming Tomb Raider reboot.

•    2K Games will be bringing sci-fi turn-based strategy game XCOM: Enemy Unknown and acclaimed role-playing shooter sequel Borderlands 2.

•    THQ will be demoing their upcoming role-playing game South Park: The Stick of Truth, written by the cartoon’s creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone.

•    Gamespot UK are back with their dedicated games stage; hosting panels and presentations, and giving show visitors sneak peeks at the hottest new titles.

ANIME, COMICS, COSPLAY & OTHER ATTRACTIONS

•    Best-selling British sci-fi author Peter Hamilton is making a welcome comic con return to celebrate the launch of his latest novel, Great North Road.

•    For the first time, comic con will play host to VidFestUK zone – a celebration of all things online video – with guests including Simon’s Cat and Eddsworld.

•    Our Comic Village shows off the talents of some of the UK’s top comic artists and writers, including Gary Erskine; Rufus Dayglo; Emma Vieceli; John McCrea; Al Davison; Lee Townsend and many others – for the full list of creators announced so far, see www.londonexpo.com/comicvillage

•    October’s show sees a revamped JapanEx area, with the addition of food stalls giving visitors a literal as well as metaphorical taste of Japanese culture.

•    Letraset is hosting a Manga Alley Art Competition, giving artistically-inclined visitors of all ages the chance to win over £120 worth of Letraset products.

•    London Comic Con is easily the UK’s largest cosplay event and the centrepiece of this October’s show is the EuroCosplay Championship Finals, which sees contestants from more than 20 nations competing for the cosplay crown.

•    The MCM Expo also boasts the Totally Cosplay zone, hosting workshops, a photography area and its own stage for panels and performances.

…AND GET THE T-SHIRT TOO!

•    Genki Gear’s exclusive ‘Invasion of the Cute’ official MCM London Comic Con T-shirt is available for pre-order until 25 October from www.genkigear.com

Tickets for MCM London Comic Con on 26-28 October are available at www.londonexpo.com/faq/tickets

You can find more about the event at www.londonexpo.com ; on Twitter at www.twitter.com/mcmexpo ; on Facebook at www.facebook.com/mcmexpo  and on YouTube at www.youtube.com/mcmexpo

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October MCM EXPO (26th – 28th October) is almost upon us and Manga Entertainment UK are delighted to be in attendance.

Highlights for this October’s event include -

Live Manga Podcast

Manga Entertainment will be entertaining fans and visitors with a live podcast in Theatre B with Special Guests (to be announced), and include the screening of exclusive clips from the forthcoming Ninja Scroll Blu-ray release (a taster of this awesome Blu-ray in all its HD loveliness) – so come along to see the podcast in action and ask a question live!

Exclusive Signings

Manga Entertainment are thrilled to have Liam O’Brien in attendance, famous for the voice of fan favourite character Gaara from Naruto! Liam O’Brien will be signing for free on the Manga stand on Saturday and Sunday.

Manga Booth

Head over to the Manga booth which includes the Cosplay Area, the VizMedia Book Shop, Terratag and the Manga stall – all catering to your retail needs.

Exclusive Announcements

Manga will be treating fans and press to some very exciting and exclusive early news about forthcoming releases and acquisitions!

New York Comic-Con 2012: Best Cosplay, Trailers, and Impressions (Slideshow)

New York Comic-Con has come to a close, and nerds of all sizes and shapes are hanging up their capes for another year, as the wait for next year's panels, celebrity appearances, and merch boothes begins anew.

2013's convention was perhaps the largest that the Javits hall has hosted, with attendance escalting as each day passed. On the show floor, Nintendo showcased its upcoming console, the Wii U, with boothes for Zombie U, Pikmin 3, Nintendo Land, The Wonderful 101, Rayman Legends, Game & Wario, and New Super Mario Bros. U.

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Sony provided a playable multiplayer demo for God of War: Ascension as well. In Square-Enix's show-floor territory, Hitman: Absolution and Tomb Raider provided demos as well, which Latinos Post had the opportunity to test run.

Hitman: Absolution is a refreshing throwback to the more freeform games of old, but with a modern sheen. Aside from Mark of the Ninja, there has been a dearth of stealth games in the industry for quite some time, and Hitman looks to bring it back with style. Fans of the franchise will be happy to know that at no point during the demo was the player forced into combat. One notable addition to the formula is the introduction of a feature almost identical to Splinter Cell Conviction's "Mark and Execute" ability, which allows players to freeze time, pinpoint where they want Agent 47 to shoot, and then trigger the assassin's gun.

The Tomb Raider demo highlighted the game's hunting mechanics and put the game's trademark bow and arrow in the player's hands. While limited in scope, the brief playthrough had similar traversal mechanics to the Uncharted Series, which ironically took inspiration from the Playstation 1 Tomb Raider games.

UF student designs, creates costumes of her favorite shows

Devan Baird has been a dragon-wielding warrior princess determined to rule seven kingdoms with fire and blood, a giggling mass murderer with a split personality, and a purple-haired unicorn with an eye for fashion and all things fabulous.

The 21-year-old telecommunication senior creates costumes of her favorite characters from TV, anime and comic books in an art form called cosplay.

She has competed with her hand-sewn outfits across the southeastern United States since 2010.

Cosplay, short for costume play, is the Japanese art of dressing up as characters from anime, comics and television.

“Cosplay is a way to represent characters you really care about,” Baird said. “It’s dressing up and embodying the spirit of the character to get in touch with who they are, essentially.”

The anime and cosplay community will always be close to her heart, and she hopes to put her telecommunication degree to work in the animation industry after she graduates in Spring, Baird said.

Inside her closet lay the mix-matched parts of about 10 costumes. Among the visible outfits are Misty from “Pokémon,” Daenerys Targaryen from “Game of Thrones” and Rarity from “My Little Pony.”

She went — in costume — to cosplay contests at anime conventions, but she never entertained the thought of competing. She said she still felt like an amateur.

Eventually, with the encouragement of her friends and family, she mustered up the confidence to enter her first cosplay contest at 2010 EXPcon.

“It was terrifying,” Baird said. “It took a lot of convincing by my friends to actually do it.”

Competitors in a cosplay contest are judged on costume difficulty, design savvy and overall presentation. Prizes differ for every contest, but rewards can fall anywhere from $10 to $500.

Though she didn’t place, she said she fell in love with the competition and the idea of her hard work on display.

After her first experience, Baird regularly entered cosplay competitions across the southeast.

She placed best in show at Florida State University’s 2011 Freecon, won best individual cosplay at the 2011 Florida Anime Experience and won second place in the group hallway contest at the 2012 Metrocon, all with different cosplays.

Baird has been featured on costume blogs and in COStume MODE Magazine, a Japanese publication dedicated to cosplay.

Baird’s creative process usually contains four steps.

She first finds as many pictures as possible that reference the character and specific costume she wants to make.

After she analyzes every detail of the outfit, she tries to find a fabric pattern similar to the original.

Baird said it’s typical to combine several patterns or to design a pattern from scratch.

Fabric and pattern in hand, she’ll spend the next few weeks sewing and hot gluing her creation to perfection.

“I cosplay not only to connect with the character but also to make friends and be a part of a community that doesn’t define what we’re doing as weird,” Baird said. “We define it as coming together as a community to be passionate about something.”

Baird isn’t the only one in her family who likes to wear neon-colored wigs.

Emma Baird, 16, was inspired by her older sister to start cosplaying.

The Eastside High School junior has six cosplays under her belt.

“I thought, ‘Wow, she is gorgeous,’” Emma said. “I wish I was that good or dedicated.”

The two have attended conventions together, but Emma hasn’t competed.

Their road trip this summer to Anime Festival Orlando was Emma’s favorite.

The sisters bonded over cosplaying, shopping for memorabilia and goofing around with each other.

The sisters help each other when they can; lending wigs or costume pieces to each other and giving patience and support.

Their parents encourage both of them to cosplay and do what makes them happy.

“They never thought it was weird,” Baird said. “They’ve always just tried to help.”

Baird had strutted down the competition catwalk and sat in the audience chairs of countless conventions but had never stood behind a judge’s podium — at least until January.

She volunteered to be cosplay coordinator of SwampCon, a multigenre convention at UF hosted by the student organizations Gator Anime, Gator Gaming, Delta Nu Delta Tabletop Gaming and Science Fiction Consortium.

Baird plans to expand SwampCon’s 2013 cosplay programming by adding a hallway contest, which is a competition during which photos of cosplayers are posted and convention attendees vote on their favorites. Hallway cosplay contests are more democratic and friendlier to novice cosplayers.

She strives to make competitive cosplaying within the grasp of anyone who wants to give it a try.

Baird intends competitive cosplay to be a life-long ambition. The only reason she would stop cosplaying is a lack of resources like time or money, Baird said.

“I really love it, and I would like to share the love,” Baird said.