The GameStop Expo 2017 was a one-day gaming event held on Sunday, 27 August, at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre on the Las Vegas Strip. This annual consumer show, organised by the global video game retailer GameStop, was designed to give fans early access to upcoming games and technologies ahead of the holiday season and into 2018. The event featured demonstrations from some of the video game industry’s top game title and hardware developers. For the first time since the launch of the Consumer Expo in 2011, GameStop opened the event on a Sunday, aiming to make attendance more convenient for gaming fans of all ages. Attendees also had the opportunity to purchase collectibles and novelty items on the show floor.
Ticket registration opened on 1 June 2017, with several pricing and access options available. General admission passes were priced at $40. A limited number of VIP passes were offered at $110, which included several exclusive benefits. These VIP perks comprised early access to the show floor, admission into the Injustice 2 tournament, access to a VIP lounge for recharging devices and resting, and an exclusive swag bag containing gaming-related items. Afternoon passes, priced at $20, were available for purchase exclusively on-site starting at 3:00 p.m. on the day of the event. For those interested in participating in the Injustice 2 tournament, an additional fee of $10 was required on top of the general ticket price, though tournament admission was included in the VIP package.
The 2017 Expo also hosted the finals of the ESL Injustice 2 GameStop Hometown Heroes tournament, a non-professional gaming competition where players competed for cash prizes. The event served as a fundraising initiative, with all proceeds from the tournament going to St Jude's Children's Research Hospital's annual Play Live fundraising event. GameStop’s merchandising vice president, Bob Puzon, stated that the company had responded to customer requests to make the Expo bigger and better by returning to Las Vegas, opening on a Sunday, hosting one of the industry’s biggest non-professional gaming tournaments, and allowing fans to purchase novelty items on the show floor. The event occupied a floor space of 250,000 square feet.
Ticketing and Access Options
Registration for the GameStop Expo 2017 commenced on 1 June 2017. The event offered a tiered ticketing structure to cater to different levels of interest and budget.
- General Admission Pass: Priced at $40, this pass provided standard access to the event on 27 August.
- VIP Pass: Limited to a specific number of attendees and priced at $110, the VIP pass included several value-added benefits. These were:
- Early access to the show floor.
- Admission into the Injustice 2 tournament.
- Access to a dedicated VIP lounge, described as a space to recharge one’s body and devices.
- An exclusive swag bag containing gaming goodies.
- Afternoon Pass: Available only for on-site purchase starting at 3:00 p.m. on the event day, this pass was priced at $20. It provided access to the event for the latter part of the day.
The decision to hold the event on a Sunday was a specific change from previous years, made to improve accessibility for a broader audience, including families and younger fans.
Injustice 2 Tournament and Fundraising
A central feature of the 2017 Expo was the Injustice 2 tournament. The event hosted the finals of the ESL Injustice 2 GameStop Hometown Heroes tournament. This was described as one of the biggest non-professional gaming tournaments in the industry. Players competed for cash prizes. The tournament was open to participants, with an entry fee of $10 for those who did not purchase a VIP pass, which included tournament admission.
All proceeds generated from the Injustice 2 tournament were directed to St Jude's Children's Research Hospital. The tournament was part of the hospital’s yearly fundraising initiative, known as Play Live. This charitable component added a philanthropic dimension to the competitive gaming aspect of the Expo.
Show Floor and Exhibitor Details
The GameStop Expo 2017 featured demonstrations from leading video game industry developers. According to the available information, "some of the video game industry's top game title and hardware developers" were scheduled to be on site. These exhibitors were set to provide demos of their latest games and technologies, offering attendees a preview of products scheduled for release during the 2017 holiday season and into 2018.
While the event promised participation from major developers, the source material did not provide a specific list of attending game titles or companies. It was indicated that such details might be released at a later date. The show floor itself was substantial, measuring 250,000 square feet. Beyond the demonstrations, the event also allowed consumers to purchase collectibles and novelty items directly from the show floor, a feature highlighted for the first time in the 2017 event.
Event Logistics and Location
The GameStop Expo 2017 took place at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre, which is located in the heart of the Las Vegas Strip, Nevada. The event was a single-day affair, scheduled for Sunday, 27 August 2017. The timing and location were chosen to align with the retailer's strategy of bringing the Expo back to a major entertainment hub and making it more accessible by utilising a weekend day.
Conclusion
The GameStop Expo 2017 was a focused, one-day consumer event that provided gaming enthusiasts with early access to upcoming products and the opportunity to participate in a significant non-professional tournament. The ticketing structure offered a range of options, from general admission to a comprehensive VIP package with exclusive perks. A key highlight was the Injustice 2 Hometown Heroes tournament, which served a dual purpose of competitive gaming and charitable fundraising for St Jude's Children's Research Hospital. The event’s logistics, including its Sunday scheduling and Las Vegas location, were explicitly designed to enhance convenience and appeal to a wide audience of fans.