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by Domagoj Belancic
The Summer Game Fest is the successor to the E3 game fair. Over the course of a week, you will be served up new livestreams almost every day, with more games than anyone can ever game.
Games, games, games: Summer Game Fest is just around the corner and will bring us hundreds of new games over the course of a week. Xbox, Devolver, PC Gamer and co. will be presenting the upcoming game highlights in numerous livestreams. To make sure you don't miss anything, I've put together all the showcases that are part of the Summer Game Fest.
Epic boss Tim Sweeney will report on the latest status of Epic and the Unreal Engine. In addition to updates on «Fortnite», you will probably also see teaser trailers for the growing range of games being developed with the Unreal Engine.
When: Tuesday, 3 June, 3:30pm
Where: Twitch and Youtube
The Mix was created by indie studios and game enthusiasts to better market games. The name stands for Media Indie Exchange. Previously, the whole thing was known as «Guerilla Collective». One of the promotional activities is the Mix Showcase. You can look forward to a variety of new indie games.
When: Tuesday, 3 June, 6pm
Where: Twitch and Youtube
Sony will also be showcasing its latest games during the Summer Game Fest. «Ghost of Yotei» and «Death Stranding 2: On The Beach» are sure to be represented. However, there will hopefully be one or two surprises in the 40+ minutes.
When: Tuesday, 4 June, 23:00
Where: Twitch and Youtube
As the name suggests, this showcase focuses entirely on people with disabilities. The livestream will focus on the respective accessibility functions and options.
When: Friday, 6 June, 5pm
Where: Twitch and Youtube
The official showcase for the Summer Game Fest is one of the main events. In addition to numerous guest appearances by game icons such as Hideo Kojima or various Hollywood celebrities, this is where the biggest news can be expected - apart from the publisher's own streams. These usually feature the detailed versions of trailers that are teased at SGFS. It is moderated by the man behind the Summer Game Fest: Geoff Keighley.
When: Friday, 6 June, 10:45pm
Where: Twitch and Youtube
Day of the Devs is the result of a collaboration between the «Psychonauts 2» game studio Double Fine and the production company Iam8bit. It has since developed into a non-profit organisation. The showcase tends to put smaller and medium-sized games in the spotlight. These include the action-adventure platformer «Tire Boy» or the new work by «Hyper Light Drifter» makers called «Possessor(s)».
When: Saturday, 7 June, 1pm
Where: Twitch and Youtube
Devolver is known for its quirky livestreams. However, only the broadcast is actually live - the actual video is pre-produced. Last year it was all about the mascot Volvy, who was created especially for the event and ended up turning into a killer robot
In 2020, the showcase will focus on a single game: «Ball x Pit: The Kenny Sun Story». According to the media release, this is the game that Devolver couldn't put down even after hundreds of hours. It will be interesting to see whether it is actually the only game on show.
When: Saturday 7 June, 2pm
Where: Twitch and Youtube
The complete opposite of Devolver Direct is Wholesome Direct. What started out as a small Twitter channel that curated «pleasant» games has developed into the internet centre for cozy games. This year, the livestream will once again be dedicated to cosy games that are perfect for relaxing.
When: Saturday, 7 June, 6pm
Where: Twitch and Youtube
The games industry is still dominated by men. The Woman-Led Games Showcase takes the opportunity to give women and their work the stage. 39 games will be presented, including some world premieres.
When: Saturday, 7 June, 7pm
Where: Twitch and Youtube
Games developed in Spanish-speaking regions are the stars of the Latin American Games Showcase. Over 50 games have been announced for the livestream on 7 June. Me gusta mucho.
When: Saturday, 7 June, 8pm
Where: Twitch and Youtube
The game community in Southeast Asia can also look forward to its own stream. Over 45 games will be presented. These include updates on «Until Then», a narrative adventure game set in a fictional Philippine city. In addition, the game «Sedap! A Culinary Adventure», which offers a mixture of co-operative cooking and battles, will also be represented.
When: Saturday, 7 June, 9pm
Where: Twitch and Youtube
This showcase is dedicated to environmental protection. It is organised by the non-profit platform Planetplay. You can see games that deal with ecological topics. The winner or winners of the «Day Zero Games: Solarpunk Jam» will also be announced. The competition called on developers to submit creative ideas on the topic of solarpunk.
Donations raised through the showcase will go towards a reforestation project.
When: Saturday, 7 June, 10pm
Where: Youtube
Future is the publisher of blogs and magazines such as Edge, PC Gamer and Gamesradar. The in-house livestream is hosted by Laura Baily and Matthew Mercer, two well-known voice actors. In addition to many indie games, you can also expect one or two new AAA games.
When: Saturday, 7 June, 10pm
Where: Twitch and Youtube
Aussies and Kiwis can also look forward to their first dedicated livestream. The Frosty Games Fest will showcase games developed in Australia and New Zealand. Why is it called Frosty? Because it's winter in Oceania while we're enjoying summer.
When: Sunday 8 June, 1am
Where: Twitch and Youtube
The world's largest publisher is once again holding its own livestream this year. Among other things, we will get to see a fresh insight into the sci-fi role-playing game «The Outer Worlds 2». There will be a separate presentation of this afterwards. Updates on «Fable», Rares «Everwild» and «State of Decay 3» are also due. There could be gameplay of «Gears of War: E-Day» on show, as well as the next «Call of Duty». Something is also brewing on the hardware front. The Xbox handheld developed by Asus may be unveiled.
When: Sunday, 8 June, 7pm
Where: Twitch and Youtube
Because the Future Games Show is not enough, PC Gamer is hosting its own showcase. Unsurprisingly, this is dedicated to PC games - over 50 have been announced. Ubisoft, Failbetter Games, Devolver Digital and Astra Logical will be represented with their titles, among others.
When: Sunday, 8 June, 9pm
Where: Twitch and Youtube
Black Voices in Gaming is a non-profit organisation that supports black game developers. At the showcase, games are presented by studios that are run by black people or consist of a majority of black people. The aim is to highlight people who tend to be underrepresented in the games industry.
When: Monday 9 June, 6pm
Where: Twitch and Youtube
Being the game and gadget geek that I am, working at digitec and Galaxus makes me feel like a kid in a candy shop – but it does take its toll on my wallet. I enjoy tinkering with my PC in Tim Taylor fashion and talking about games on my podcast http://www.onemorelevel.ch. To satisfy my need for speed, I get on my full suspension mountain bike and set out to find some nice trails. My thirst for culture is quenched by deep conversations over a couple of cold ones at the mostly frustrating games of FC Winterthur.