A recap of DreamHack Dallas 2019
Dreamhack has been circling the globe putting on mutli-dimensional video game shows for years and 2019 marks the first time they have planted their flag in Dallas, Texas. The VERY well air-conditioned Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center was home to all the esports, BYOC action and then some.
Bringing The Hype: Esports
As is tradition, DreamHack Dallas brought several high profile game tournaments to town. I made a point to check out the Halo Grassroots Halo 3 tournament (CLICK HERE FOR MY COVERAGE!). I was lucky enough to run into some of my favorite Halo fans.
The biggest hype was reserved for the Corsair DreamHack Master CS:GO tournament which was sporting $250,000 pot. The event had its own stage and fanfare to match.
Like every DreamHack show I have been to this far, the esports layout was fantastic. There’s something for everyone and there was more than enough breathing room. The setup always encourages the opportunity for attendees to get into new genres and esports scenes.
Behold The BYOC
One thing that stands out as a thing of beauty at DreamHack shows is the amount of PC gamers who show up in force to showcase their PC rigs to the BYOC (Bring Your Own Computer) section. For anyone who thinks gamers just hover over their computers in their basements, this sight will make you think again.
These gamers are having a great time together gaming and socializing in real life. I love that it has only gotten bigger over the years.
Gamer Adjacent Activities
There was plenty to do at DreamHack Dallas beyond watching the esports action. Lots of games to demo, free play areas, and few things more off the beaten path…
There was a wonderful art gallery featuring concept work from indie games that was truly inspiring. I ended up walking through all of it a couple of times during the show. THIS is a great alternative to the typical artist alley which is often plagued with copyright infringing fan art for sale. Sadly, there was also an artist alley that featured such perpetrators. The artist alley is one thing that does always manage to sour my DH experiences.
Another thing DreamHack has incorporated is live performances. There were several acts lined up for Dallas turning the main floor into a party every night.
Is the music always to my liking? No. Do young gamer nerds love it? Yes, and so I approve, party on.
The Talk
I want to take a moment and thank everyone who came to my “Rejection Artist” talk.
This is the second time I have given this talk at a DreamHack show and once again I had great little crowd of game industry hopefuls. We covered some hard truths and dug deep.
This was a solid DreamHack event. One note to the organizers, press office please. It helps out tremendously in terms of being able to stay on site longer. Can’t wait for the next one!
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