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WASD

WASD
EveOnlineTutorials's avatar
EveOnlineTutorials

As this was my first time at WASD, I do have some "suggestions"

  1. A better venue, but I was not too impressed with where it was

  2. More focus on Cosplay stuff, maybe a competition to bring more people in?

  3. Food-wise, it was not good, I think because it's a three-day thing, we need better food for people attending, drinks stands etc

  4. More focus on "creators" as well, people make games yes, but creators push them out there, this cannot be understated.

As I said, it was my first time attending WASD, I just felt it was lacking in certain areas.

Gaypengwing's avatar
Gaypengwing

Maybe a cosplay area to encourage new cosplays representing the indie games showcasing that year

Martin's avatar
Martin

This was my fourth WASD and 20th [ish] (lost count) UK event. I’ve seen them all change massively over the years. WASD has grown steadily attracting more and more on both sides on the screen.

My suggestions come from this experience, and I would think fall in line with the way WASD is expanding.

TL;DR

Layout: I’ve talked about this before. I don’t really like the “library” layout of rows and rows of stands. More curves and less visual blockers. There is no easy solution as anything that would need construction/design would then come at a cost which would be passed onto the Exhibitor/Attendee.

This the leads onto…

Discoverability: I had a list of games in my head I wanted to play, of course I got distracted by all the others. It wasn’t until I saw a tweet from WASD that I realised one of the games I wanted to play was part of the careers area.

I went to find the game and spent quite some time playing it, but I felt sorry for the people that side, it was almost completely empty. Bringing them into the main show and refocusing there stands to showcasing their students’ creations as well as selling the university could be one solution.

Which then leads onto…

Space Usage: The main room is getting to capacity, there was probably space for one more row. Spilling over into other areas hasn’t worked that well in past events, people didn’t know they existed and where surprised when I mentioned it. People don’t really look at the maps either.

What can be done, its difficult again, until the show reaches a certain capacity splitting it into two rooms would just introduce the same issues. Maybe offer out the other space, small areas/rooms to III (triple I) or the larger publishers at a discount with the expectation the foot fall may be less. This always worked well at Tabacco docks but that is mainly glass walls and easy to see everything going on.

Talking about spaces…

Content Creators: I don’t like the fact there are so many different ticket types which then isolate groups of people away from others – we are all there for the same things, show or play games, lets all be together to do it.

My suggestion here is to create an area where creators can create (YouTube, Twitch, etc) but also allow everyone else to be part of it by having small booths/stages with a few seats/sofas for the audience. Creators can book time slots in a booth, use the kit provided (maybe pre-loaded with the games on show) or use there own (setup complications). Record or stream as usual but with a live audience and then upload.

You could have a larger stage which would act more as a public access talks etc (this worked well at EGX but only lasted a couple of years). You’d still need to book but you could talk about what you wanted and stream/upload as you wanted.

p.s. will we get a second WASD this year like we did last?!?

p.p.s I want Cheeky Burger back!!!

MargotCandy's avatar
MargotCandy
Martin

I like the creators area idea. Turns out I knew someone at the event but she had a creators/press pass and we managed to avoid each other by accident. lol.

I am looking at going to a big event in Cologne in August and it seems they have a creators area and also a creators academy program which you can apply for. (you have to live in Germany I think for it). But yeah I like the point you make about the creators area (not for me as such but would be cool to see people create)

Sturmer's avatar
Sturmer
Martin

There are several reasons why creators are isolated.

First and foremost, they are working, and wandering around random people would distract and disrupt their workflow. If a creator has spare time and wishes to communicate with their audience, they can go to the main area - on their terms and w/o disturbing others.

Secondly, there are security measures. While I wasn't present at this WASD, at other similar events, these rooms are filled with very expensive equipment. Creators can relax on sofas or visit restrooms without worry since the area is restricted and well-guarded.

Live stages, streaming booths, or even whole production studios are usually set up by big brands directly in consumer areas, but they are designed for certain guests.

Cherebi's avatar
Cherebi

This was my 4th WASD event and I always say that it is my favourite gaming event in the UK. The focus on indie games is ideal and everyone who I have met through these events have been fantastic. These are my suggestions for the next WASD.

Venue: I really miss the original venue at the Tobacco Docks. I felt like there was a lot more space and everything was spread out better to stop over crowding.

Press/Creator Passes: I feel like both Press and Creators are treated different from each other when in reality we all do the same job. I feel like the passes should be combined into one again like previous years. Creators got a lot of different privileges such as food in their creator area and free games from other stalls which would have been nice for Press too. (obviously I know it isn't all about free things).

Drinks: The UK and Gaming scene has a drinking culture. Not that there is anything wrong with drinking alcohol, but I believe a larger selection of non-alcoholic drinks would be ideal for people who do not want to feel pressured into drinking, or are trying to quit. I have attached a tweet from the Community Manager at Safe In Our World - A Mental Health Video Games charity who is advocating about drinking culture.

https://twitter.com/rtparty3/status/1786371848722162149

Martin's avatar
Martin
Cherebi

Tobacco Docks has always been my favourite location but I think it also comes with it's downsides...

  • It has (or had) a no food/drinks (of any kind) policy unless it is brought on the premises.

  • There is very little food venues around the site, one year Mc Donald's made a lot of people ill via food poising from uncooked food.

  • Getting there is limited also, there are few stations in the area, although the walk from London Bridge isn't that bad.

  • I suspect the venue comes at a high cost as well, its a historical renovated building.

...but I agree it is a great place!

Thomas's avatar
ThomasStaff
Martin

I really love Tobacco Dock, but it's definitely a frustrating venue. The food thing is an absolute nightmare, but the other thing is that it can get really, really cold at this time of year.

Kings Court's avatar
Kings Court

SO here are some things I would like to see at WASD 2025.

  1. A specific Creator event, this would include an after hours session, in a specific area with a section for creators to mingle and interact with each other, an area for Creators to meet with Devs and Publishers, play games and create content around said games.

  2. the Business meeting area was a good idea but underutilised, I would recommend having it smaller and have more room for games or publisher booths.

  3. The Creator area was a great space ! having free Wifi there was good, again, I think having further spaces or items there to be able to create content, such as photograph areas with signage to allow for social posts, seated areas with signage for creating video content, etc.

Lastly, I really enjoyed the event, it was probably one of the best events I have attended for making connections and interacting with people and publishers. Of course somethings can be Tweeked but overall I had a great time at the event !

MargotCandy's avatar
MargotCandy

When I got the notification for this bounty I thought of, "what games would I like to see next year", so I will add those as a bit of a different theme. :)

Lotus Knight - https://store.steampowered.com/app/1235470/?snr=1_wishlist_4__wishlist-capsule




Stick it to the man

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2085540/?snr=1_wishlist_4__wishlist-capsule




Primal Planet

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2350270/?snr=1_wishlist_4__wishlist-capsule





 Moon Samurai https://store.steampowered.com/app/2828600/?snr=1_wishlist_4__wishlist-capsule




MargotCandy's avatar
MargotCandy
MargotCandy

I am sorry I am not sure why the last two links are not previewing and why one of the titles is not showing up. Is there a limit to how many preview links I can include?

S
SpecialEffectLiam

More of the same! This was the best WASD yet and I can't wait for the next one. It finally feels like this event is getting the recognition it deserves.

If I'm being brutal, a bit more accessibility from the venue would be helpful but I know that is not always easy.

But hey, if you can get a GTA demo.. you should!

Also, a live Just About bounty submission recording booth.. give your best voxpop about the event and login or sign up to be in with a chance to win a bounty. That would be cool

M
Marcus

I would like to see more video game tournaments. I rememeber at my first WASD event, there was a small tournament for Tekken 8. I would like to see something similar to that in order to promote upcoming games.

M
Misfitsworld

I'd like to see what we had this year & previous years,, making it constantly get better, id also like to see some cosplay areas a bit like the devolver digital display area, maybe an quiet closed off area for those who may feel sensory overload, maybe food drinks included in ticket price or can do special offers for those attending,

Makster's avatar
Makster

I would love to see more independent stalls and a fuller artists alley. I find that with games you are restricted to having enough power outlets, monitors, screens, and kiosks available for your vendors and exhibitors but games extend to other mediums as well.

Having a separate area for artists to exhibit and show off their work related to videogames would be a nice distraction from the booths. I often find myself being interested in a handful of games and then wanting to explore some more niche elements of the culture such as art and cosplay

JB
Josh B

1- a more central UK location eg Birmingham to allow for easier transport for those further north. I would love to attend in person buts it's a considerable journey where I'm based.

2- 1 ticket for all areas. I think tiered ticketing really can hinder people's enjoyment, especially in an industry that's seen so much damage from studio closures in recent months. I feel like we really need to make the event more open to all to encourage more people to see hidden gems they may miss. It could be a big boost to revenue through word of mouth and feedback/reviews.

3- Additional gaming booths/areas to really maximise the number of developers able to showcase their works and talent to help drive interest in not just the games, but the event itself for having more options for more people, appealing to a wider audience.

TheGreatestBanana12's avatar
TheGreatestBanana12

Definitely a better venue maybe some where like the Drumsheds would be a better option

More games!

More merch vendors!

I'd also like to see JA have an actual physical booth

I also would like to see JA staff hand out cookies as a reward for live bounties around the event

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