Expo organisers have just announced the dates for this year’s event. It’ll be held at Melbourne’s Royal Exhibition Building from October 30 to November 1.

Details are scarce right now, with a full list of exhibitors to be revealed soon. But you can expect to see many of this year’s biggest games on display and playable on the show floor. Adult tickets are $18 at the door or you can pick up a three-day pass for $33.

Former Kotaku AU editor Logan travelled down for the 2007 show. His adventures should give you some idea of what to expect. More info on this year’s show at the eGames website.

There was actually quite a bit more cosplay strolling around the show floor than what I managed to snap, but I like to think I got the best of the bunch.

After the jump there’s a guy in a blue robe and a chick with a fan. I know they’re from something, but my exile (nasty situation with the furries, gave a whole new meaning to the expression “Let sleeping dogs lie”) from the cosplay scene means I have no idea who they’re supposed to be.

Tell you what – first person to detail all four characters presented in the photo above and the one past the jump, will win themselves a copy of Mario Party DS (thanks Nintendo!), just because it’s a nice thing to do. Just post your answer as a comment, and we’ll be in touch.

Specifically, we want to know the name of the character, and any one game/anime they’ve appeared in.Whooooo are you? Who who, who who? And no, the chick on the right is not Miranda Richardson from the second season of Blackadder.

It had been a while since I last saw a Sega Master System, and having my cockles warmed by the sight of my first games machine (ignoring my Amiga 500) was extremely pleasant. Technically, it wasn’t the exact same one I’d owned, but it was close (and crusty) enough to trigger memories long bashed into oblivion by the likes of Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo.

Actually, I had to pretend the Mega Drive was the Master System. It kind of worked.

Take a squiz at the photos after the jump, and you’ll see everything from the Atari 2600 to the (ugh) N-Gage.The Atari 2600, without its walking frame.

The Commodore 64, before its merging with the Amiga.

Transformer or console? Don’t be silly, it’s a Famicom.

The Sega Mega Drive, which turned out to be less than mega.

The Sega Saturn. Another nail in Sega’s console coffin.

The Game Boy, N-Gage, Game & Watch and more. It’s like Pokemon or something.

Okay, I made that “arse” bit up.

I’m trying to decide if the pose is meant to be menacing or dashing. I know the “hands-on-hips” stance is a classic with the ladies, but I didn’t want to say anything unless he got the wrong idea. It’s also why I didn’t put my arm around him for a group shot.

Speaking of Haze, the game was playable at both the Ubisoft and Sony stands during the event. Seeing as Ubisoft yesterday pushed the game from December this year to early 2008, I’d say those who had a chance to play should be treasuring that moment right about now. Envy of your friends and all that mush.

Didn’t stop me from getting a snapshot with the big fella. So cuddly and all.

I tell you though, getting an arm around that massive head of his almost dislocated my shoulder. And I like my shoulder.

Anyone else get assaulted? I’m sorting out the details of the police report…

Yes, there’s the Hulk, but the inflatable Master Chief helmet that was at eGames fits the bill nicely as well. It pretty much was Microsoft’s stand at the event, and despite my prayers for it to be filled with Spartan armour-wearing supermodels, it was sadly empty.

[Official eGames site]

Editor’s note: I know I’ll be there. Starting from tomorrow, Kotaku AU’s regular Oz content will be replaced with my ramblings from Game Connect/eGames, so be sure to tune in.

Ahem.

The events in question are the eGames and Entertainment Expo and Game Connect (the event formerly known as the Australian Game Developers Conference). Both are transpiring at roughly the same time, from the 15th to the 18th – give or take a day.

If you’d like to have a chat, feel free to flag me down, or throw random pieces of confectionary at my head. If you’re not sure who to look for, I’ll be the guy with a big camera round his neck, a notepad in his back pocket, and a look of pure terror plastered to his face.

Imagine you’ve just been ambushed by a H.R. Giger painting with teeth and a taste for scrawny 23-year olds, and you’re halfway there.

Drop a comment and let me know if you’ll be going to either event, so I don’t feel so alone.

Before you ask, Battalion Wars 2 isn’t one of them.

However, Super Mario Galaxy, Link’s Crossbow Training and Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles will be doing the rounds at eGames. Oh, and Pokemon Battle Revolution for those of you who must “catch them all”.

Apparently Crossbow Training will be there complete with Wii Zapper, so peripheral lovers have no excuse not to go.

Jupiter-sized press release after the jump-a-whatsit.

MELBOURNE – Wednesday 7 November, 2007 – Nintendo fans will be blown away by the chance to test drive a number of ‘soon to be released titles’ as well as lots of ‘just released’ titles for Wii and Nintendo DS when they visit the eGames & Entertainment Expo – Australia’s largest video games expo – at the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre from Friday 16 November through to Sunday 18 November 2007.

Wii fans will have the chance to check out Metroid Prime 3 Corruption and Big Brain Academy, both of which will be released to market the week before eGames’07 hits town.

If you think you know what it feels like to be a bounty hunter behind a visor, ‘Metroid Prime 3 Corruption’ will take you to another level. Players can control Samus by moving the Nunchuck controller and aiming with the pointer to experience a level of immersion unlike anything they have ever felt before. Through the eyes of Samus, players will be able to take a quantum leap in first-person control.

‘Big Brain Academy’, the adaptation of the popular Nintendo DS game, tests players’ brains with fun problems, offering 15 new activities across five categories – Identify, Memorise, Analyse, Compute and Visualise. Designed for players of all ages, ‘Big Brain Academy’ can be played solo with one Wii remote, or players can take on a friend with another remote or pass remotes around like a relay baton for group competitions.

The fabulous ‘soon to be released’ Wii titles available for ‘test driving’ at eGames’07 are ‘Pokemon Battle Revolution’, ‘Super Mario Galaxy’, ‘Link’s Crossbow Training’ and ‘Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles’.

‘Pokemon Battle Revolution’ enables players to battle their Pokemon in spectacular 3D and take on the world via the Nintendo Wi-Fi connection. Players can choose from a wide range of Pokemon characters to battle it out, or load their very own Pokemon wirelessly from a copy of ‘Pokemon Diamond’ or ‘Pokemon Pearl’. Up to 4 players can play using the Nintendo DS as a controller.

The ultimate Nintendo hero takes the ultimate step …into space…in ‘Super Mario Galaxy’. Players join Mario as he defies gravity and travels to all the planets in the galaxy. Mario can be moved along his way with the Control Stick or by shaking the Wii Remote to perform a spin move or players can cue the stars to launch him to and from planetary objects. Players can also collect stardust or latch onto stars to blaze a magnetic trail through the heavens. Play solo or invite another player to play alongside you and by using a second Wii Remote they can help you by launching stardust at enemies, sweeping aside projectiles or stalling enemies to make Mario’s plight easier.

‘Link’s Crossbow Training’ is based on the hugely popular Legend of Zelda series and provides players with the perfect demonstration of how the Wii Zapper can be used in other games. The game comes packaged with the Wii Zapper which houses the motion-sensitive Wii Remote and Nunchuk controller (both sold separately). Players are transported to a world like that of ‘The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess’ where they assume the identity of well known hero Link, who progresses through a series of tests to perfect his crossbow marksmanship, using the precision targeting capabilities of the Wii Zapper.

‘Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles’ reveals the story behind the fall of the Umbrella Corporation by exploring locations from Resident Evil 0, 1, 2 and 3, as well as never-before-seen locations such as Umbrella’s stronghold. Players should be prepared to face horror and uncover the dark truth that could well take down the Umbrella Corporation forever. Featuring unique gameplay choices, players can use the Wii Remote, including Gun Shooting Action, or the Wii Zapper for a more immersive experience.

Visitors to the Nintendo stand will have the chance to test their visual abilities and hand-eye coordination with ‘Sight Training’ which is not scheduled for release until 2008.

‘Sight Training’ is designed to do for your eyes what ‘Brain Training’ does for your brain, with players able to test and train their eyes by playing a variety of mini games. Players can also put their eyes to ‘real-world tests’ with a variety of fun, sports-based training activities, including basketball, boxing and table tennis.

Nintendo DS fans will be able to try their skills on ‘The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass’. Following the epic story of ‘The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker’, Link continues to find himself lost and alone in the unknown seas in a new adventure. Featuring intuitive touch-screen controls and innovative puzzles, ‘The Legend of Zelda Phantom Hourglass’ offers new challenges for fans of the series and an easy-to-grasp introduction for newcomers to ‘The Legend of Zelda’.

Nintendo DS fans who visit the Nintendo stand at eGames’07 can also play ‘already released’ titles ‘Brain Training’, ‘More Brain Training’, ‘Big Brain Academy’, ‘Clubhouse Games’, ‘Picross’, ‘Nintendogs’ and the recently released ‘DK Jungle Climber’.

Visitors to eGames’07 can also watch live, on-stage demonstrations of a number of new, never-before-seen games; hear keynote presentations from the industry leaders; catch up on the latest games news & views proffered by the expo’s industry panels and participate in a wide range of other exclusive ‘at show’ activities, all hosted by returning MCs Matt and Yug from AustralianGamer.com.

As they arrive at the show, visitors will be able to enter in the door prize draw to win a fabulous Yamaha sound system valued at $3999 or a Scorptec Venom PC valued at $2500 as well as a host of other great prizes.

The list of exhibitors for this year’s eGames’07 reads like the ‘who’s who’ of the games industry, with major companies including Sony, Nintendo, Microsoft, Auran Games, Electronic Arts, Ubisoft, Madman Entertainment, Yamaha, Scorptec, AFA, Gamerz Bunker, Atari and Activision attending.

The expo will also have a strong focus on careers in the new media and game development industry. Swinburne University, Monash University, Ballarat University, Deakin University and QANTM College and AIE are all at the expo to provide visitors with insight and information on how to pursue a career in the game industry. This is a great opportunity for students and parents to meet both educators and developers from one of the fastest growing industries in Australia.

A series of seminars will be held on the Friday for school groups interested in learning more about how to get into the industry with sessions for students also being held over the weekend.

Expo opening hours are Friday 16 November, 12pm to 6pm, Saturday 17 November, 10am to 6pm and Sunday 18 November, 10am to 5pm.This year, eGames ’07 will be staged concurrently with the Game Developers’ Association of Australia’s annual conference – GameConnect Asia Pacific (GCAP). More details can be found on their website, www.gameconnectap.com.au

For more information on the eGames & Entertainment Expo, please visit www.egamesexpo.com.au

The second step will involve either travelling to Melbourne or, if you happen to live there, catching a tram or walking. Time your trip for November 16-18 while aiming yourself at the Convention Centre, and you have an excellent chance of attending.

Activision will be there in force, with both a Call of Duty 4 LAN and Guitar Hero III. Ubisoft will also have Assassin’s Creed out on the floor a day before it comes out here, so you’ll have the opportunity to be the first to play it in Oz.

Oh, and then there’s Crysis, if the demo isn’t good enough for you.

Looking over the release, I can’t even begin to fathom how one person could enjoy all this in one day unless they’re prepared to ingest stimulants like Tic-Tacs or simply die at the end. Good thing it’s being held over three days, then.

Note that eGames runs practically parallel to the GDAA’s GameConnect event (Nov 15-17), which is just as worthy of your attention, especially if you’re more interested in making games rather than playing them.

If you’re curious for more info, either hit the jump (for the world’s most epic press release) or visit the website.

MELBOURNE – Monday 29 October, 2007 – Visitors to the 2007 eGames & Entertainment Expo – Australia’s largest video games expo – will be able to ‘get active’ and ‘get gaming’ by trying their hand at and competing on the biggest and many ‘yet to be released’ game titles when the expo opens at the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre on Friday 16 November, 2007.

“This common misnomer that video games are solely for kids or couch potatoes will be really blown out of the water at this year’s eGames & Entertainment Expo with a wide range of entertainment and interactive play for all to enjoy,” said Exhibition Director, Noel Gray.

“Visitors to eGames will be able to try their hands at an incredibly diverse range of games for all ages as well as being able to get right into the action at the large number of game play competitions that will be running on the show floor. As with last year, the atmosphere at eGames will be one of fun and hands on, interactive and enthusiastic game play.”

As they arrive at eGames’07, visitors will be able to enter in the door prize draw to win a fabulous Yamaha sound system valued at $3999 or a Scorptec Venom PC valued at $2500 as well as a host of other great prizes.

Visitors will certainly be able to ‘get right into the action’ at the Activision stand by trying their skills and endurance at warfare and skateboarding on ‘Call of Duty 4®: Modern Warfare’ and ‘Tony Hawk’s Proving Ground’. Aspiring guitarists will be able to ‘show their moves’ with the chance to win great spot prizes in the inaugural Guitar HeroTM III: Legends of Rock’ idol contest.

Electronic Arts’ ‘Crysis’ and Ubisoft’s ‘Assassins Creed’ will hit the streets the day before eGames’07 opens in what will be one of the biggest weeks of the game calendar.

As such, Electronic Arts is using eGames’07 as the platform to launch ‘Crysis’ to the Australian market. Crysis – a first person shooter game showcasing the latest state of the art graphics – offers players a highly immersive FPS experience in which they have to adapt their tactics, weaponry, armour and game play style to survive and defeat an alien invasion will be played on spec’d up PCs that will give you the ultimate Crysis experience. Electronic Arts will also have the very special FIFA 08 with all the Australia A league teams on show for visitors to play, along with NFS ProStreet, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08 and Skate.

Visitors to the Ubisoft stand will be able to play what is being billed as the most anticipated game of 2007, ‘Assassins Creed’. Ubisoft is inviting people to take on the role of an assassin in this mind blowing, third person action adventure game where your character can literally go anywhere, climb anything, do anything!

It will be all about ‘larger than life’ game play at the Sony stand which will feature a full range of exclusive Playstation 3 titles, including the eagerly anticipated and soon to be released title ‘Haze’ which visitors will be able to play for the first time on mega Sony Bravia monitors. Sony will also host a multiplayer Playstation 3 ‘online’ game tournament.

The Nintendo stand will provide the whole family with the chance to play their favourite Wii titles and test drive some newly released titles. DS Lite fans will be able to test their minds on Nintendo’s range of ‘brain training’ games and the more serious gamers will be able to get ‘hands on’ with upcoming hard core titles for some good, solid game play.

It’ll be a ‘boots and all’ scene at the Atari stand where visitors will be able to take part in the eGames Pro Evo 8 Soccer championship….last gamer standing!

Visitors wanting to really test their minds can ‘take the Tzuga challenge’ at the Tzuga stand. Released to the world at eGames, ‘Tzuga’ is a unique game of strategy, played using triangles, that has an electronic and board game version. Test your mind!

The Animavericks stand will be a hub of activity and colour, with visitors able to ‘get into the act’ in the Cosplay competition, Tekken 5 competition and Haruhi Dance competition.

Visitors to the Xbox Zone – presented by Spectreworld – can transport themselves to another world by taking part in the extensive ‘Halo 3’ playoffs that will run across the three days of the expo or test any of the other great titles on show.

The Gamerz Bunker stand will be running a Nintendo Gamecube Mario Kart competition. Visitors can also sample a wide range of retro gaming consoles including mega drive, SNES, NSE and N64 gamecube or ‘take a trip back in time’ when they check out Gamerz Bunker’s impressive ‘history of gaming’ display.

Auran Games will be giving visitors the opportunity to play the recently released, ground breaking, globally anticipated ‘Fury’. ‘Fury’ is the largest ever independent Australian title and with its unique PVP play, is set to challenge the world.

Australia’s best online counterstrike team, ‘Team Immunity’ is again hosting the eGames eSports Zone which will be supported by Intel Australia. Visitors to the eSports Zone will be able to see first hand just how the pros do it….and can then test their mettle by challenging members of Team Immunity head to head.

Created with a stadium style structure and atmosphere, the eGames eSports zone will run a wide range of competitions where 1v1, 2v2 and 5v5 matchups will be played by visitors against Team Immunity players over the three day expo, with all challenge matches ‘called’ by professional ‘Shoutcasters’.

Mums, Dads, Aunties, Uncles and children can also pair up for the eSports’ ‘Family Challenge’ round robin tournament where each team will be professionally coached by a Team Immunity member. Games featured in the eSport zone will include ‘Counter-strike 1.6’, ‘Counter-strike Source’, ‘Fury’ and another huge latest release, Epic’s ‘Unreal Tournament 3’… with more titles soon to be announced. In short, Team Immunity will bring professional eSports to the fore with lots of fun, excitement and prizes guaranteed.

Further opportunities to go ‘hands on’ will be available in the ‘Anything Interactive PC Zone’ where the latest titles will be loaded on a range of PCs so that visitors can jump on and compete for fun and prizes. The guys from AI will be offering visitors guidance on advanced game play and will film all the action under their SmashTVee banner. The ‘Anything Interactive PC Zone’ will be the place to see some of the hottest new games on the market, including ‘Crysis’, ‘Tabula Rosa’, ‘Quake 4 Enemy Territories’ and ‘Fury’.

Visitors to eGames’07 can also watch live, on-stage demonstrations of a number of new, never-before-seen games; hear keynote presentations from the industry leaders; catch up on the latest games news & views proffered by the expo’s industry panels and participate in a wide range of other exclusive ‘at show’ activities, all hosted by returning MCs Matt and Yug from AustralianGamer.com

The list of exhibitors for this year’s eGames’07 reads like the ‘who’s who’ of the games industry, with major companies including Sony, Nintendo, Microsoft, Auran Games, Electronic Arts, Ubisoft, Madman Entertainment, Yamaha, Scorptec, AFA, Gamerz Bunker, Atari and Activision attending.

The expo will also have a strong focus on careers in the new media and game development industry. Swinburne University, Monash University, Ballarat University, Deakin University , QANTM College, Box Hill Tafe and the Academy of Interactive Entertainment (AIE) are all at the expo to provide visitors with insight and information on how to pursue a career in the game industry. This is a great opportunity for students and parents to meet both educators and developers from one of the fastest growing industries in Australia.

A series of seminars will be held on the Friday for school groups interested in learning more about how to get into the industry with sessions for students also being held over the weekend.

Expo opening hours are Friday 16 November, 12pm to 6pm, Saturday 17 November, 10am to 6pm and Sunday 18 November, 10am to 5pm.

This year, eGames’07 will be staged concurrently with the Game Developers’ Association of Australia’s annual conference – GameConnect Asia Pacific (GCAP). More details can be found on their website, www.gameconnectap.com.au

For more information on the eGames & Entertainment Expo, please visit www.egamesexpo.com.au
-ends-

Media information
Kerryn Nelson
Big Mouth Marketing Communications
p: 03 9558 3122
m: + 61 (0) 417 035 536
e: kerryn.nelson@bigmouth.net.au
Register for a media pass to attend eGame’07
If you are a member of the media and want to come along to eGames’07 to cover the event, please make sure you register for a media pass prior to the show.
It’s easy to do:
1. You can either visit the media info section of the eGames website (www.egamesexpo.com.au), download and complete the media accreditation form and then fax it to 03 9558 3122
OR
2. You can send an email with your name, title, publication, contact phone number and email address to kerryn.nelson@bigmouth.net.au
Your media pass will enable you to gain entry to the expo at any time during opening hours.
eGames’07 – opening times
Friday 16 November 12pm – 6pm General Public, plus Trade and Media focus
Saturday 17 November 10am – 6pm General Public
Sunday 18 November 10am – 5pm General Public

About eGames’07

eGames’07 is a dynamic event which will focus on electronic games and digital entertainment. The expo is the only even of its type for keen players in the games and entertainment industries and will provide a forum for manufacturers, developers, major retailers and industry specific organisations to present and market products, services and information regarding electronic games and interactive entertainment products.eGames is also the definitive resource for trade and consumers who have an interest in electronic games and digital entertainment and will appeal to a wide age group.

The eGames central stage area will be a focal point for the event and will feature activities and keynote addresses, along with related information sessions and entertainment.

Guest keynote speakers and presenters will introduce the latest gaming industry and product innovations. Companies will have the opportunity to use the event as a platform to introduce new products to the consumer market. The expo will also feature designated lounge areas for general game play and specific eSport competition games zones to create a strong interactivity with the attendees.

Multimedia and game related educational facilities and organisations will provide presentations and information on the prospects of pursuing a career in the industry. Game developers will also have the opportunity to showcase their work and future titles. For more information on eGames and the countless other activities and competitions that will be taking place prior to and during the event, contact the organisers at info@auexhibitions.com.au

About the organisers

The eGames & Entertainment Expo is organised by Australasian Exhibitions and Events Pty Ltd (AEE) with content management and marketing by CyberActive Media (media@cyberactive.com.au).