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    Ohio Video Game Expo Returns for Bigger and Better Second Year

    Video games may be a recreational hobby for most people, but for others it’s a big business. Globally, the video game industry is projected to eclipse $100 Billion (with a B) in 2014, which by many comparisons has surpassed the film and music industries on an international scale. In the United States alone (where an estimated 60% of the population plays video games) consumers spent over $21 billion on video game purchases in 2013, which is nearly double what they spent at movie theaters.

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    Similarly, industry conferences and events continue to grow both in size and in importance. The annual Game Developers Conference (GDC) hosted 24,000 professionals at this year’s event in San Francisco. And the more public-facing Penny Arcade Expo hosted nearly 70,000 gamers and game designers in Seattle in 2011 (and has since stopped bothering to count their attendee totals).

    Chris Volpe wants Columbus to become home to the next big industry event, and he’s already off to a good start at growing one from scratch.

    Last year Volpe helped to organize the first ever Ohio Game Developers Expo (OGDE) at the Ohio Union at OSU, hoping to gather at least 50 people for workshops and demonstrations, but wound up with around 750 people in attendance.

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    “Our goal was to create a place in which people could connect with each other, share their projects, and learn more about the industry and ways to improve their skills,” he says. “Something like this had been talked about for awhile, but we decided that it was time to just do something.”

    This year, the Expo switched venues to COSI to accommodate more booths, more breakout speaker sessions and more attendees. Attendance is expected to grow to over 1,000 participants.

    “We have more than twice as many speakers and workshops compared to last year,” adds Volpe. “We also have game tournaments and raffles featuring prizes from top studios such as Bungie, Respawn and Naughty Dog, among many others.”

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    Volpe describes himself as an avid gamer for life, recalling the ColecoVision as the first system played in his household. After pursuing degrees in Photography and Healthcare, he shifted gears to focus on video games once again and began working with partners to launch Multivarious Games, a local design shop working on releasing a dinosaur-themed puzzle game called Hatch-It!

    “I had never planned on trying out games as a career, but the more I become involved, the more I love it,” he says. “My goal is to grow Columbus into the next hotspot for video game development. I want to provide people the opportunities to turn what they love into a career. Eventually, I would like the OGDE to be the premiere gaming event in the Midwest.”

    The Ohio Game Developers Expo takes place at COSI from October 24th through October 26th and is open for anyone to attend. A full weekend pass is $60, Saturday-only tickets are $40 and Sunday-only tickets are $30. Discounts are available for students and COSI members.

    For more info, visit www.ohiogamedevexpo.com.

    For ongoing discussion on video games, CLICK HERE to visit our Messageboard.

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    Walker Evans
    Walker Evanshttps://columbusunderground.com
    Walker Evans is the co-founder of Columbus Underground, along with his wife and business partner Anne Evans. Walker has turned local media into a full time career over the past decade and serves on multiple boards and committees throughout the community.
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