Zion and I had the pleasure of sitting next to Nicholas Serpa from Nintendo Everything at the Summer Game Fest. It was a refreshing experience to attend a live showcase after E3’s cancellation. While not all the games showcased were top-notch, having Mortal Kombat 1, Alan Wake 2, and Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth in attendance made it worth it.

The highlight of the show was the surprise appearance of Nicolas Cage, who joined Geoff Keighley on stage. As a fan of Cage’s work, it was a delight to see him in his garish green suit, lighting up the stage. It’s a memory I won’t soon forget.

Unfortunately, our plans took a turn when The Mix, an indie showcase we intended to attend, was cancelled last-minute due to permit issues. However, Jirad the Completionist saved the day by hosting a special live stream to showcase the indie games. We spoke with him afterwards, and he was truly exhausted. Kudos to him for his hard work.

While all that was happening, we had the opportunity to meet various video game personalities and industry figures. It was a pleasure to chat with Nick Apostolides, Ben Starr, Suzi Hunter, Brittney Brombacher, Lord Cognito, and many more.

Moving on to the Play Days event, the setup was perfect. It took place in a campus-like setting, with small buildings conveniently grouped together. Since the event was exclusively for partners, media, and creators, the atmosphere was incredibly relaxed. We could easily move from one appointment to the next, chat with developers, and enjoy food and drink without long queues.

The event had plenty of exhibitors, but it was missing a few big names and representation from retail and accessory manufacturers. We already shared our hands-on impressions of several games, but there were others we experienced as well.

We also had the opportunity to meet Phil Spencer from Xbox and Takashi Iizuka from Sonic Team. Both encounters were friendly and enjoyable. We even had a memorable conversation with Ed Boon from NetherRealm on the way to the event.

To cap off our trip, we were invited to attend Giant Bomb at Nite, where we hung out with personalities such as Greg Miller, Tim Gettys, Blessing Adeoye Jr., Snowbike Mike, and more.

Overall, Summer Game Fest’s Play Days provided a relaxed and enjoyable environment to experience new games and network with industry peers. We hope it maintains the same style and atmosphere in the future.