Before 2020, the DreamHack series of gaming festivals and eSport events had come as far west as Atlanta. Since its beginnings as a LAN party in 1994, the festival has been bringing together gaming communities across the globe. This past weekend, the show had an opportunity to fill the gap left by PlayStation Experience as the consumer gaming event. After taking in the booths, eSports competitions, and various other events I find myself left with the same feeling I got from D23 in the early 2010’s.
Taking up only part of the massive Anaheim Convention Center, DreamHack may not have had the most content by volume but it made the most of its space and offerings. As you walk onto the show floor you’re greeted by the expected sensory jab of accent lighting and noise from the show’s exhibiting sponsors.
DreamHack’s brand is about creating a kumite of eSports competition and Anaheim had its fair share. Headlined by the cultural phenomenon known as Fortnite, several gaming brands such as Warcraft and Madden had tournaments with thousands of dollars on the line. The show managed to fit mini arenas dedicated to each which is impressive having seen many conventions that can’t get one eSports arena up to par.
Much of the competitive aspect of DreamHack took place below D Hall in massive play areas that had a true feel of bringing your computer to a friend’s basement.
All the action in the main hall was shouldered with live music performances, cosplay events, and even an awards show. With everything going on, the producers of the event managed to pull off something that never felt overcrowded or more trouble than it was worth to get in the building. It’ll be interesting to see DreamHack’s final attendance figure for Anaheim. Most first-year events in the Southern California market have trouble navigating the landscape of always competing with something bigger.
As a first-year, DreamHack in Anaheim did many things right for the audience of modern video game culture. While walking through the free play area, tabletop gaming library, and back half of the floor; it didn’t escape me just how much potential there was for this event.
While the selection of indie games to check out certainly gave attendees much to try out, it felt just a bit light for how many local developers have their home base in the area. Even mid-level publishers weren’t present at the show. Having a presence from companies such as 505 Games or an emerging juggernaut like Riot would have added some missing pop from a pure video game standpoint. The lack feels much like when a “Comic Con” is missing the presence of a Marvel, DC, or Dark Horse. Retro games were also noticeably absent. In LA, the trend of arcade or gaming bars are plentiful and it would have been an awesome thing to see a promoter unite them under one roof to bring the retro presence or even having exhibitors like Stern pinball who is based down the street in Orange County.
But you can’t talk about the weekend without acknowledging the uncrowned MVP of the show…Mikey’s gluten-free pizza pockets. Probably the most visited booth at the show; every time the scent of hot pepperoni and cheese filled the air near it there was a crowd getting free food and that’s never a bad thing.
Overall, DreamHack’s first show in Anaheim managed to give its attendees value for the ticket price if spending your time on Twitch or Mixer is your thing. More DreamHack events are planned for the U.S. in Dallas and Atlanta this year. You can keep up with their dates on the event’s website.
