GameSpot Announces G.A.M.E. Consumer Event SeriesGameSpot Announces G.A.M.E. Consumer Event Series

Consumer website GameSpot, a division of C|Net Networks, has announced a series of consumer events to debut this December, and to be called Games and Music Experience, or G.A.M.E. The live events will offer game kiosks with new and possibly unreleased builds of games, as well as live music courtesy of Atlantic Records. "As we know from the millions of gamers who visit our GameSpot family of sites each month, these enthusiasts are primed for an in-person experience, and GameSpot knows how to create a lineup that will captivate this crowd," said CNET sales and marketing vice president Suzie Reider. "It's an E3 for gamers and they've been craving an event like this for years." The "E3 for gamers" comment seems to indicate that the event will offer demos of upcoming games, such as those present at trade shows, though the initial release does not explicitly confirm this. The gaming sections of the show will be divided not quite by genre but by theme: urban, fantasy, military, sci-fi, fighting, racing, and sports sections will all feature games catered to their respective audiences. Confirmed supporting publishers thus far include EA, Take-Two, Activision, Capcom, Midway, and Namco. The music portion of G.A.M.E. will feature artists from the soundtracks of popular games, so no Video Games Live-style orchestrated shows will be part of the spectacle. Atlantic Records, the event's music partner, has yet to announce any bands or acts signed for the G.A.M.E. The initial G.A.M.E. event will be held at the Moscone Center in San Francisco from December 2-4, 2005, capitalizing on the holiday retail fervor. After the San Francisco show, the event will expand to other U.S. cities throughout 2006.