The International Game Days 2020 are a few weeks away, this year everything will take place in virtual space. SPIEL.digital relocates everything that visitors know about the physical fair, sometimes clearly recognizable, sometimes in a modified form, to the Internet. That sounds bulky, but according to the organizers it won't be. Everyone can join in, let themselves be carried away or specifically look for exciting topics. Interaction plays a central role, but coercion does not. That's what SPIEL.digital is all about.
Corona has been driving players in front of the screens for months, and here and there board players also switch to digital worlds in order to be able to play together without having to meet. Even if game groups are slowly starting to hold a major event like SPIEL in Essen, that was at the latest no longer an issue since the "lockdown"..
The organizing Friedhelm Merz Verlag now had the choice: Either cancel completely or convert SPIEL into a new format, as some fans demanded shortly after the cancellation of the physical fair. After a short period of reflection, the decision was made in favor of the latter variant - and now comparatively hastily to work out a completely new concept, install a platform and lure exhibitors and interested parties into the virtual playroom. On the opening day, fans will find out what the outcome was in the end, because then they can step into the digital world of games - analogous to the opening of the exhibition halls. Whatever the success, it is already clear: the SPIEL.digital is an important step in the right direction.
SPIEL.digital: themed worlds instead of exhibition halls
You hear and read a lot these days about SPIEL.digital and its innovations: new games, cool videos, board games online. But what if you don't know your way around this virtual world? What can we then expect from the digital trade fair event? We asked Friedhelm Merz Verlag and the answers clearly point in one direction: Even inexperienced users will be able to extract from SPIEL.digital exactly what suits the respective game type and what interests them. So you don't have to be an IT expert.
Anyone who is currently looking around in social media and forums is often confronted with a central question: What do I actually have to do when SPIEL.digital starts on October 22nd? Publishing boss Dominique Metzler has the simple answer: "Discover SPIEL.digital!"
There won't be any major hurdles, Friedhelm Merz Verlag has thought about it: "Everything will be very self-explanatory and user-friendly," says Metzler. "Either you can be inspired in one of the 17 theme worlds or you can start looking for the list of innovations". The theme worlds are actually something like different game categories. Dominique Metzler gives an example: "If you are only interested in children's games, for example, then you can visit the children's games theme world, you will find all the publishers who have games that go with them, and you can then find all the other game information on the publishers' stands."
The same applies analogously in the digital world for role, family, or expert games. Everything has been clearly sorted and accommodated in the theme worlds. The list of novelties is like direct entry for those players who have specific titles in mind. And even then you won't have to search long: the 1.300 or so titles can be filtered on the SPIEL.digital online platform according to many different criteria. In combination with the main categories - i.e. the theme worlds - users should find their way around this world, which may be new-fangled for many social gamers.
All information is intertwined, the theme worlds or the overview of new items are more or less central contact points. There will also be a list of exhibitors, so if you want to find out about games from a specific publisher, you can do that without any problems. From the directory, links also lead to the "stands" of the exhibitors, who can customize their offers there.
Don't be afraid of the internet!
What may sound confusing and complicated, especially for inexperienced users who are not on social media or online platforms every day, is actually easy to understand. The organizers are aware of user problems, SPIEL.digital is not an event just for "heavy users". Dominique Metzler makes it clear: "The whole offer is self-explanatory!"
Different formats should also ensure that everyone can find what suits them. Tired of hours of videos? Then you can simply browse through the games, read through brief descriptions of titles that you have previously picked out using the filter system.
The entire SPIEL.digital is building a concept of participation: fans can join in if they want. They can pass their time however they see fit and how it entertains them. If you just want to collect information quickly, you can visit the digital fair as well as those who play games who have already met up with friends for a few virtual board game rounds. SPIEL.digital provides a space filled with content that game fans can then use in their own individual way.
If you still want to be inspired, you can simply follow the interests of others. In the themed worlds, visitors will be able to just let themselves drift and discover interesting things: "We've built in a hotness factor here," explains Dominique Metzler. “When there is a lot going on at a stand, the publishing stands start to glow. We assume that visitors who have not previously had a publisher on their radar will feel addressed, become curious and simply take a look at what's going on there." Smaller publishers in particular can score points online with this function, maybe even more than at the on-site fair. Provided they manage to captivate enough visitors with their content. One way could be sales campaigns, some providers are already getting started: “The publishers have just started to stop their sales campaigns. You can already see that there will be numerous discount campaigns," says the chief organizer.
Expensive technical equipment is not required: Basically, you don't need a webcam or a headset. "However, you can only chat with publishers using the chat functions," explains Metzler. For communicative types, however, audio-visual peripherals become essential: "If you want to talk to publishers via zoom, for example, your device should have a camera," says the publisher. And at the gaming table, too, it probably makes sense to at least keep headphones within reach: "These rounds are mostly done via Discord". The explanatory bears are ready to explain the set of rules, which then even resembles the on-site fair: Everyone gathers, this time in a virtual room, one explains, the others listen - then the game begins.
Dominique Metzler compares the experience at SPIEL.digital, at least in part, with the experiences that fans have every year in Essen: “It's like at a real trade fair. We provide the infrastructure here and are also responsible for one of the German-language live streams. The exhibitors fill this platform with life to a large extent." There are also influencers who put their own content on the platform - "if they want to," says Metzler. The voluntariness also shows how much it depends on the participants who make SPIEL-digital the event it should be: a colourful, lively world of games.
SPIEL.digital: the soft launch of the list of new products is imminent
Incidentally, it is a misconception that you have to invest many hours in order to be able to benefit from SPIEL.digital. Dominique Metzler explains: “You can certainly hang around at SPIEL.digital for four days and always experience something new. Here, too, it is the same as at the real trade fair. There are many day visitors, but also many people with season tickets. That depends entirely on the visitor.”
The system takes you by the hand. There will be an overview on which all events are listed so that you can "recognize them at first glance". In addition, a media hub serves as a contact point, where you can quickly see which videos are available, explains Metzler. Preparations are probably in full swing at the moment. Friedhelm Merz Verlag is using social media and a newsletter to spread what's new and what visitors can expect. This also includes reports about the participating publishers.
Dominique Metzler reveals that a complete list of all publishers participating in SPIEL.digital will not be available until the start of the fair, i.e. on October 22nd. But: “We will soon be providing a soft launch of the list of new items. In addition to game titles, publishers and authors, you will also be able to see ages and prices here. Beyond that, however, no further information about the games. These will only be visible at the start of the fair.” Anyone who assumes that only the big publishers will take part in the digital fair is by no means the case: many small exhibitors use the platform to present themselves and their offers: from game publishers to clubs .
And for those who are still unsure whether they can use their IT skills to participate in the trade fair: "The entire platform is so user-friendly that you don't need a lot of experience," Dominique Metzler makes clear in conclusion. Because nowadays there is "almost no one who isn't surfing the Internet", says Metzler, you should just stop by at SPIEL.digital. Her call: "Come by, we don't bite!"
It starts on October 22nd, the online fair will then take place until October 25th: The contact point for information is www.game.digital.
