But... I'm not attending this year, not that many of you will be reading this I'm sure. Last year I did a series of articles around Salute, and what I thought if the various stands, stores and games; you can read the start of my articles on salute here. What I think really hit me though about last years event was just how short, rushed and cramped the entire day felt. In short I really didn't enjoy traipsing down to London from my neck of the woods, and then trying to get out to the ExCeL site in a reasonable time frame. Because then you have to rush around all the stands and not really spend enough time, or as much time as I would have liked, at any of them. So I was left with a sense of frustration and disappointment in the main that I wasn't able to fully check out what I wanted to. Plus I think the hectic nature of the day also caused our otherwise placid nerdy brethren to act more like a bunch of humourless dicks than normal.
Salute is a massively important day for the industry as a whole though. For starters within the initiated gaming geek culture it has a really high profile here in Europe. As such it is a great place for companies to turn up and try to show their wares to people who otherwise wouldn't have known they existed. For many companies, in what remains a very tactile hobby, this physical exposure of their product is vital. However, as a hobbyist and a consumer I found the whole single day thing really off putting... it's not for me. I much prefer shows to run over a number of days so I can causally saunter around the place a peruse the wares at my own leisure. As such I swore to myself that I would not attend Salute again until it extended the length of the show to multiple days. Now I know this is highly unlikely to happen, and as such I'm highly unlikely to ever want to attend Salute again, and this makes me slightly sad...
So for me this is where the UK Games Expo has started to come more and more into its own. Sure, last year I was disappointed at the showing from certain companies. Yet it still remains a closer format to the sort of show I'm more likely to be attracted too. Their is a focus on more types of gaming, not just wargames. There are loads and loads of Tournaments for wargames and card games, and seeing the best at their games go head to head is always fun. The show seems somehow friendlier than Salute, it's just a shame that the show doesn't have the big name attendees that Salute does. The major problem that the UK Games Expo used to suffer from has also been rectified, the venue is switching up to the far more plush and suitable surroundings of the NEC Hilton Metropole. I know there will be those of you who disagree with me, but I feel that the UK Games Expo format is far more deserving of support from the industry, and it could genuinely grow into a great advocate for our hobby.
You see the UK doesn't really have an equivalent of Adepticon, and I have thought now, for a number of years that Salute could attempt to be so much more than just a one day bring and buy trade show that it has so clearly become. Fun though it is to meet the faces behind the products we all buy, and love; it isn't conducive to actually getting to know these companies and their products at all. Neither is it a brilliant place to run intro or demo games. It doesn't really act as a champion of the hobby in its broadest sense either, it really is just a shopping event. So this year I miss out on seeing some old friends, and chatting to new ones. But, I also miss out on the migraines, the hunger and the stench of man geek!!! If you are attending Salute 2013 I hope you have an awesome time and that you don't get too angry at the assembled masses for getting needlessly in your way! If you've seen anything good and cool drop a comment below. Peace out!
It was the busiest I've seen it, some good games, good traders, unhelpful traders, tiring but not a bad day...the waterloo game has to be seen to be believed!
ReplyDeleteWell I hope you took snaps Fran, I'll look forward to reading about it on your Blog... hint, hint. :P
DeleteGlad you enjoyed yourself.
I'll second Fran on the massive 28mm Waterloo game. Beautiful figures in their thousands, beautiful terrain on what I estimate to have been over 120 sq ft of table space.
ReplyDeleteI do agree with you about the size making it impossible to see everything. They either need to open for longer on a single day or extend it to 2 days (the latter would be my preference - 6 hours in a day was about my limit).
After going round taking photos of all the games, I only really had time to do the shopping I had planned, but did manage to look at a few other stalls.
Tsmsin, that is exactly the point I was trying to make. It's not long enough for me to do all the stuff I want to do. If it's just about turning up and buying stuff then I'm sorry, I've got the Internet for that. It's cheaper and way more convenient. Shows need to be more than that now if they are to survive. Maybe Salute would lose too much if it switched to a two day event, I don't know, but in it's current format I just can't see the point in attending... I mean you end up surrounded by the likes of Wolfgang below. o_0
Delete+1 with you. 1 day is too stressfull. I could have enjoyed it more had there been less people.
ReplyDeleteLast year I saw families trying to take kids round the show... wow!!! Would I not like to try that. I think I'm a pretty placid and decent human being, but I left Salute 2012 having wanted to punch far too many dicks. Our hobby does seem to attract an inordinate amount of socially maladjusted narcissistic pricks... yet on the flip side, some of the nicest and most awesome individuals you could hope to meet.
DeleteYou sound exactly like a prime example of the pampered idiot generation, who, because they have grown up with mummmy and daddy giving them everything just the way they like it, cannot cope with anything that isn't like a bland family trip to that fake faux country pub that serves up middle class mediocrity in a nice and safe environment.
ReplyDeleteThe world should not conform to the likes of you and the want everything on a plate generation.
One day events are fun and frantic and not meant to be the arm chair, drag on for days affairs that the wet nursed would have then become.
If you can't man up and make a little effort to get around the evnt - quite rightly stay home. I would add- If you had been forced to do P.E you may have had the stamina to get around the event.
I am a forty five year old who walks with a permanent limp, the result of a motorbike accident in my youth and can get around Salute and negotiate the crowds seemingly better than yourself.
Pathetic really......and by the way. without the massive trade interest such events rapidly die instead of expanding.
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteAre you the same pathetic dude that had to apologise and confess a drink problem after posting similar trash on Bob Cordery's blog?
DeleteI never used to rise to stupid and crass comments like this, I used to take them on board and consider them... but you know what, you've caught me at the wrong time...
DeletePampered idiot generation. lol. What a joker you are. I didn't grow up with mummy (by the way I think you mean mother) and daddy (father, it's how intelligent people speak, we use the actual words) giving me everything. In fact my parents taught me I had to work at everything. I never once received any pocket money, I earned it for doing chores about the place... and no tidying my own crap up didn't count, I was expected to do that any way. I have never received Government hand outs, I don't want them, and I would rather go out and earn money whatever way I could. Because I want to be responsible for myself and pay my way... so you're way off target there.
As to being an idiot, maybe you are right. I'm not self absorbed enough to assume my level of intelligence is anything but average, despite pieces of paper from various academic institutions that might argue the contrary position quite strongly. However, I have a pretty good grasp on where I think I fit into the continuous variable that is intelligence, not too high and not too low, nicely in the middle mass of civilisation... do you? You just sound like an angry prick who opens his trap because he thinks expressing rage means that they have something valid to say. Well guess what, you've just invalidated everything you've said.
In short Wolfgang, you sound like a one of those Internet warrior morons, who starts typing drivel before they've actually engaged their brain, although to be fair you might not have one. Maybe you took far to powerful a blow to your head after this motorcycle accident, so I'll go easy on you. As for forcing me to do PE? No need I ran for my county at school boy level and also represented England at school boy level as well, both 1500m and cross country if you must know. It has nothing to do with fitness, I like keeping myself as fit as I can.
It has to do with not enjoying the experience when being surrounded by utter twats who exhibit the exact sort of confrontational, bullshit attitude towards everything that you do... yes you're a twat. so thanks for proving my point about asshats loving shows like Salute so elegantly. Honestly I couldn't have asked for a better example of the sort of human detritus I hope to avoid at places like Salute, by not attending. You've so effortlessly conveyed why I feel the way I do about the show.
It's also not the effort that is the issue either, its the effort to satisfaction deficit that Salute has. I've happily carted myself off to shows in Germany, Ireland, Spain, Belgium and even the good old US of A because I felt the shows would be worth the hassle. They were. Sadly the last few times I've been to Salute it really hasn't been worth the trip down to London for me. If it's worth it for you great, go enjoy yourself as you barge people out of the way and act like dicks to one and other. That's not 'dangerous' 'real' or 'edgy' it's just a bunch of self-entitled wankers behaving shitty to one and other.
Oh and as to trade support, you are right, and you are wrong. Trade shows work on a symbiotic relationship. There is zero point any organisation turning up to such a show to hawk their wares if nobody turns up to buy them. So salute needs to continue to attract attendees... otherwise those traders will start thinking "what's the point?". To do that though they need the traders as you rightly say, and there is no question the organisers of Salute have done a great job building the show up over the years... but it's not what I want from a show, and I've had a fair few traders tell me they're not sure it's worth the expense for 1 day anymore... so you tell me, is it a valid point to bring up?
PS. Yes I did originally delete that comment, because it's not normally how I'd choose to respond to people. But you know what? I'm not in the mood to suffer fools anymore. If you'd had valid points to raise and you'd done so in an intelligent and civil manner I'd have responded in kind... evidently that's beyond your capacity.
DeleteWords fail to describe how pathetic and sad this post is.
Delete@J de Jong, do you have a link to this other Blog. I'll check up to see whether the wording and tone are similar, if they are I'll just ban the account from commenting on here and do likewise to anybody who sounds remotely as stupid.
Delete@Aeria_Gloris, throw in a few swear words and the odd threat and this is the sort of crap I receive to many of the posts I write that might even be slightly contentious. I'm fed up of it. So many people think they have the right to shout others down... fuck that. I'm not taking bullshit off of retards anymore. If people act like angry retards, I'll treat them like they deserve from now on.
DeleteI came here to share a few comment lines with Jody (Frontline Gamer) and say how much he was missed at Salute yesterday. Jody, believe me, you were! I've been meaning to catch up with you, Jody, for a long time since you really helped me out with my blog. He gave a huge amount of time and support helping me navigate Blogger, gave his time and thought to improving blog and was very consrtuctive. I wanted to say "thank you in person". Soon, I hope, mate!
DeletePersonally, I had a great time at Salute yesterday. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I know, Jody, you have different views about Salute than I do. That's very cool - we all have different views on things.
But it's sad to come here and read Wolfgang's post. It is bad form and uncalled for. This is a terrific blog, Jody's a great guy, and no-one deserves a post like Wolfgang's on any blog. We can disagree about many things, but that's really not the way to do it.
@Sidney, I guess it's the not meeting up with people that is the biggest loss by not going to Salute. That makes me sad I guess. But I'd rather meet up with people after a show like Salute in a pub somewhere and have a good chinwag...
DeleteNow if salute was a two day event you could arrange such leisurely get together's and take your time to partake of the social aspects of the hobby.
As to Wolfgang, well this is just a very tame version of the flak I receive quite often via email. I seem to annoy far too many people by just being who I am. Were I a more sensitive soul I might decide it would be better to end it all... the Blog I mean. :P
I'm sick of it truth be told, but at least Wolfgang hasn't acted cowardly by emailing me privately, he's posted his crap up for all to see and ridicule.
A quick google shows similar comments across the interwebs...
Deletethere are plenty of people saying they enjoy the demo games, the products on show and the chance to meet up with friends. I do, those are the biggest plus points for Salute, and it does them relatively well. The main issue is what the single day event does to some individuals. If you only want to attend one day at a multi-day event you just go for the one day. You don't have to attend every day. Obviously though in the case of Salute you do need the volunteers and the cooperation of the store holders and others to have a show over multiple days.
DeleteI am not sure what they did differently but everyone seems to have come away this year...satisfied?
ReplyDeleteLast year there was definitely a frustrated undertone but this year glowing praise. So whatever they did more of that then!
I think last year there was a lot of praise. It's just that at some points the floor planning wasn't great and more importantly as I say there were people who wanted to see more of the show than they were able to. So perhaps those people, like me stayed away. I mean I can get almost every item that was on sale at Salute cheaper elsewhere and I don't have to pay the privilege of spending £11 to be charged more for something I could get cheaper elsewhere!!! :P
DeleteI hope Salute continues to be as strong and important to the industry as it clearly is, because we do need it. But the one day format isn't to my liking. It feels far too rushed. Kinda like telling a kid they've only got 5 minutes in the worlds most amazing candy store... just seems like too restrictive a time limit.
I must admit, I enjoy the show every year pretty much. I think it's helped by the fact that while we get clubs putting on great shows up here in Scotland, there's just nothing of the same scale as Salute.
ReplyDeleteAt the same time, I do agree with you, in that there's no way you could see it all, unless you're just there to see it all, rather than buy. I tend to pick and choose what I want, go round certain companies, buy my stuff, talk to some of the staff that I kind of know, and then potter round for the last bit of the day.
While I would maybe agree it needs to be extended to a weekend or something, I don't know if I could commit that much time to it, and get the other things done I like to do when I'm down in London, so it would still end up being a day for me.
"While I would maybe agree it needs to be extended to a weekend or something, I don't know if I could commit that much time to it, and get the other things done I like to do when I'm down in London, so it would still end up being a day for me."
Delete^^^ This.
There's nothing wrong with having a day pass for people who only want to spend a day at a show. At some shows a day is all I need, at others I want to go back on multiple days and sample everything I want to properly. That doesn't exclude others from treating those events differently to me. salute though is the biggest in twerms of traders and events under one roof in the UK and is actually the shortest. Maybe there's a correlation there, and that traders or others involved with the running of the show really only want a single day event.
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ReplyDelete
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