by independent gaming reviewer, Matt McDermott.

www.bitscreed.com

From Wednesday 15th to Sunday 19th February the Margate Winter Gardens played host to The Games Expo East Kent (GEEK) 2012, a five-day festival celebrating gaming’s past, present and future. I had the pleasure of visiting on Saturday and was more than impressed by what I saw. Scores of gaming systems were set up for anyone to come along and play while tournaments went on throughout the day. GEEK was ably supported elsewhere around the town by a bevy of fringe events, like the gaming-themed poetry evening at the Tom Thumb theatre and a day of handheld gaming and chiptune music at the Greedy Cow in Margate’s historic Old Town.

For anyone who grew up with classic computers and consoles like the ZX Spectrum, Commodore Amiga, Sega Master System and Nintendo Entertainment System, GEEK transformed the Winter Gardens’ Queens Hall into a veritable museum of your favourite gaming memories. Newer games like Batman: Arkham Asylum and Streetfighter IV were also represented, here and there, but for the most part GEEK was a living history lesson for young gamers. There were also panel discussions on various topics relating to the state of gaming and the industry in the UK, along with workshops for people interested in a career in making games as well as stalls selling a variety of gaming-related goodies.

Speaking as someone who has attended larger, more established gaming expos like the yearly Eurogamer Expo at Earls Court, London, GEEK 2012 was a fantastic debut for a new gaming event, fun for the whole family with so much to see and do. Given how successful this one seems to been I wouldn’t be at all surprised if GEEK became a yearly fixture, and in fact the organisers are already accepting ideas and suggestions for the next one.

http://gameexpoeastkent.co.uk/