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Thursday, April 28, 2016
Big Expectations For Next Salt Lake Gaming Con
A preview of things to come as the con prepares for June.
Posted By Gavin Sheehan on April 28, 2016, 1:26 PM
This morning Salt Lake Gaming Con held their first press conference this morning at the Jordan Commons Megaplex Theater in Sandy to announce their plans moving forward into into the 2016 convention, running June 2-4. Convention organizers Jake Williams and Kye Browning went over the bigger details, among the biggest being that the majority of the gaming tournaments will be free-to-enter—meaning most gamers will be able to play multiple tournaments for no more than the cost of the ticket.
Celebrities who have agreed to appear so far include: Steven Ogg (The Walking Dead, Grand Theft Auto V); Sealver Siliga (Seattle Seahawks player, 2014 Super Bowl Champion); Vincent Lords; Steve "Warky" Nunez; and cosplayer Joanie Brosas. Others will be announced on a weekly basis as they are signed to appear, including gaming celebrities and Let's Players. But a major emphasis was put on the idea that, unlike Salt Lake Comic Con, which is pop-culture driven, this convention is gamer-driven, and will be more focused on providing an experience much like you would find at PAX.
Tournaments will include multiple current favorites, including Street Fighters V, Call of Duty, Mortal Kombat X, Smash Bros., Hearthstone, Magic The Gathering, Halo 5, Mario Kart 8, Rocket League, Heroes Of The Storm and more to be added later. The big regional tournaments taking place will be Dicemasters, Heroclix and X-Wing, the last of which will cut off at 150 players on signups. Tournament signups will begin on May 3 at SaltLakeGamingCon.com.
The organizers also boasted big ticket sales so far, up 74 percent from last year, with attendees buying from 31 different states and Canada. Three-day passes for adults are currently priced at $30, which makes Salt Lake Gaming Con the cheapest convention in the state. More plans will be coming out in due time for cosplay, panels, additional games and guests. If the convention stays on par with the attendance and success of last year, 2016 is looking to make them one of the biggest gaming conventions in the Western U.S.
Celebrities who have agreed to appear so far include: Steven Ogg (The Walking Dead, Grand Theft Auto V); Sealver Siliga (Seattle Seahawks player, 2014 Super Bowl Champion); Vincent Lords; Steve "Warky" Nunez; and cosplayer Joanie Brosas. Others will be announced on a weekly basis as they are signed to appear, including gaming celebrities and Let's Players. But a major emphasis was put on the idea that, unlike Salt Lake Comic Con, which is pop-culture driven, this convention is gamer-driven, and will be more focused on providing an experience much like you would find at PAX.
Tournaments will include multiple current favorites, including Street Fighters V, Call of Duty, Mortal Kombat X, Smash Bros., Hearthstone, Magic The Gathering, Halo 5, Mario Kart 8, Rocket League, Heroes Of The Storm and more to be added later. The big regional tournaments taking place will be Dicemasters, Heroclix and X-Wing, the last of which will cut off at 150 players on signups. Tournament signups will begin on May 3 at SaltLakeGamingCon.com.
The organizers also boasted big ticket sales so far, up 74 percent from last year, with attendees buying from 31 different states and Canada. Three-day passes for adults are currently priced at $30, which makes Salt Lake Gaming Con the cheapest convention in the state. More plans will be coming out in due time for cosplay, panels, additional games and guests. If the convention stays on par with the attendance and success of last year, 2016 is looking to make them one of the biggest gaming conventions in the Western U.S.
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