Evo 2017 Day 1 POV Through Snapchat Spectacles
It was a hot Friday in Las Vegas, or at least that’s what everyone told me. I was a little too busy enjoying myself with hundreds of other gamers at Evolution Championship Series 2017 to even notice!
This year, Evo 2017 took over part of the Mandalay Bay convention enter and I had the pleasure to walk the floor, hobnob with developers, and get my hands on some of the latest and greatest of the gaming industry.
Accompanying me on my quest across the convention floor were Snapchat’s Spectacles, so you get to see the excitement from my POV.
… well, my POV through a fisheye lens.
While everyone tends to focus on the championship tournaments of Evo, there’s quite a lot happening beyond the big screens.
Maybe most surprising was the presence of non-gaming companies like Geico, who hosted booths for people to casually beat each other up in Street Fighter, Tekken 7, and Injustice 2.
Everywhere I looked, people were engrossed in all manner of entertainment, including many versions of one-on-one Tetris-like competitive games:
Some intriguing indy titles like Arika:
Punch Planet
And Omen of Sorrow:
I expect to get plenty of hands-on time with more of these titles during day two.
Of course, if indy titles don’t pique your interest, all the fighting games we’ve grown to love were in the forefront at Evo 2017.
When everyone wasn’t too busy pounding on buttons and sighing in disbelief, they were strolling the floor looking for the next great piece of merch.
A modest number of booths were available for anyone with some extra cash to spare, but the bulk of the swag came as original artwork:
It was a small “artist’s alley,” likely because people were there to watch dozens upon dozens of gamers squaring off to see who mastered their controllers better for Super Smash Bros Melee and Super Smash Bros (Wii U), Street Fighter V, Tekken 7, Injustice 2, Guilty Gear Xrd REV 2, Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, and King of Fighters XIV.
It was a day of high-octane gaming that ended with just over 6,800 entrants being reduced down considerably. Notable wins from day one go to:
Slayer, representing Rogue Gaming for Injustice 2
NuckleDu, representing Team Liquid for Street Fighter V
Taisei, representing…well…himself for Tekken 7
Hax, representing intergalactic Star Foxes everywhere in Super Smash Bros. Melee
These champs and many more will return on day two to claim their spot in the finals for a chance at that coveted cash prize.
So, that was day one, a sort of introduction to the thrills and excitement that will continue over the weekend. You can bet I’ll be returning tomorrow, Spectacles on my face and a controller in my hand, to bring you more fun from Vegas’ biggest gaming tournament!
Be sure to follow Gfycat on Snapchat at gfycatsnaps!
Mark LoProto is a horror-loving gaming enthusiast who also has a soft spot for Ghostbusters, bubble wrap, and kittens. Look for his work here, here, and here.
