Kotaku
Gamecock's send up of the "death" of E3 last year seems to be evolving, departing from its roots at the Electronic Entertainment Expo and moving to take place in the days leading up to Austin's South by Southwest.
This year's event, still labeled a showcase for independent developers, will take place on March 6 at Stubb's Bar-B-Q and will feature a day of gaming and a night of "Texas hospitality."
"South by Southwest is known as a mecca for indie film makers and musicians and there are a ton of game makers in Austin, so it seems like a natural fit," said founder Mike Wilson.
Gamecock decided to move their Expo For Interactive Entertainment, Independent and Original from Los Angeles' E3 to Austin because Wilson said they feel like SXSW is a better fit for their event.
Wilson said there will be eight games on hand, including titles from Wideload, Red Fly Studio, Spark Unlimited, Replay Studios, Firefly Studios and TimeGate, as well as a few surprises.
"While we have enjoyed providing an entertaining respite for the industry during the painful California-based trade shows of years past, it has always been our dream to show people how we really do it down in Texas," he said. "We want this E.I.E.I.O. to be part video game expo, part backyard carnival, part indie revival. And, as E.I.E.I.O. leads right into SXSW — the annual mecca for independent artists from all walks of life — we are heading-up the charge to get the best and most original games here."
So far, the publisher, a rebirth of 90s' publisher Gathering of Developers, has brought two games to market, Auran's poorly received Fury and Nintendo DS thriller Dementium, which arrived to above average but mixed reviews.
"IGN gave (Dementium: The Ward) shooter of the year for the DS, we were happy with it, it didn't review as well as it could of because of one flaw," Wilson said. "We want to work with (developer Renegade Kid) again), that game we're very proud of."
The company will hit its stride this year, Wilson said, with the release of a slew of games including Mushroom Men, Hail to the Chimp and Xbox Live game Pirates Versus Ninjas Dodgeball. Wilson said that the publisher may also be looking to the Playstation Network and WiiWare as potential future platforms.
"This is kind of a make it or break it year for us," he said.
Comments
Seems to be more like they don't get enough attention with other people arround.
What does the acronym stand for? I'm seeing an ECIOG but not much else. How can I care without a valid name?!
I could get behind a stronger gaming presence and SXSW, but only if they keep the big boys out. SXSW needs to be about independents getting the chance to be seen and heard.
oh its time for SXSW again...joy, more traffic in a already busy city. Thanks visitors =/
Glad to see the game/media (non-music) is taking off in recent years. Im sick of everyone coming here for a week and a half to "enjoy the music" come some other time of the year, we're not the "live music capital of the world" because we have live music just for SXSW =/
Wow E3 has fallen big time.
i hang my head in shame for not being able to polish off a stubbs major :"( it's i big feed...
I am EIEIO, and I did not approve this message. I am, however, currently living in Austin, TX.
@Zaos: Austin busy? It just has a poorly planned downtown. ;)
heres a hint to gamecock: stop making games with stupid concepts/titles.
sure pirates vs ninjas sounds silly/fun but why would you think enough people would pay for it to make it successful?
@Brian Crecente: Are you kidding? This place is murder. Try getting anywhere around 3-6 O clock on any freeway. I have to walk 40 minutes to my stupid prep class, when I could drive there in like 4 minutes if congestion didn't make this impossible. Even when you get out into the boonies over by lake Travis it is still madness.
Wahoo. count me in for a rack of ribs and some games.
If you think Austin is bad, you should drive in Houstin or Dallas. I took a job here in Austin solely because I could drive without fearing for my life.
That being said, it's a good fit for indie developers, as there are a ton of tech companies here, and as a result, probabaly a slew of hobby programmers.
I played SXSW a few years back...don't remember ANY gaming stuff. Although, I was busy wandering into random parties and drinking my face off. If I make the trip this year, I'll be sure to check out the new game presence.
As a Austin resident, we like to consider it the oasis of Texas. Now Stubb's BBQ is mainly a indoor/outdoor concert hall right in the middle of downtown. He is not joking when he says "part backyard" because the outdoor section is basically a stage and a dirt floor. Austin is always packed for SXSW so should be interesting to see this expo.
@thischarmingman: You probably didn't see much gaming (if you were playing in a band) because the SXSW interactive media shindig goes on in the convention center (most of the time), and all the music happens in the warehouse district. Hopefully I'll remember that Gamecock is doing this and I'll make it down to their party!
our company is moving downtown very soon. hopefully it happens after SXSW. parking and traffic is bad enough without it.
Stubb's Bar-B-Q is a great place, and yes Austin traffic sucks, mainly due to poor city planning, but that is also why they do SXSW during the UT spring break ever year, in order to make sure that all the frat boys/girls are down in South Padre while all the tourists hit the town for a good time. I just think the name is very fitting for an event in Texas... E-I-E-I-O
@djgeki: Yeah I remember that place, thats where I checked in. I saw a bunch of art in there though. I was probably too preoccupied to notice...had I known there were games there, I totally would have geeked out and bailed on the booze scene, haha.
As I like to say to my friends who visit Austin - You can tell how good the restaurant is by how small their parking lot or lack there of is!
I will also try and maybe make a stop in. Although SXSW is always fun traffice wise.
@the-red-terror: Dude, what does the name GAMECOCK have to do with anything?
EIEIO does have stuff it stands for, but it's just an amalgam of the usual bullshit in order to have a fitting acronym for the company's expo.
God damn it, why does SXSW always seem to sneak up behind me? Feeeeeeeeeeeeeeh I must go but a severe lack of money hurts that. :(
@Brian Crecente: I know! The worst part is we have no mass transit system of any competence. Buses are worthless, and light rail has been on the back burner for as long as I can remember.
As for EIEIO, it'd be nice if they just fold it into the video game expo they already hold during SXSW to add some level of legitimacy to the whole thing. I went to the SXSW Video Game Expo last year, and it was pretty lame. One small room at the Convention Center with half of it taken up by tournaments. Upside was that I got to play an early version of Jam Sessions (I think) for the DS.
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