Games 15 delights fans with new offerings

Dubai - The annual event, which will run until Saturday at the Dubai International Marine Club, drew a host of fans eager to take part in the various on site competitions.

Gamers, cosplayers, and bargain hunters gathered at the Games 15 event to explore the latest that the gaming industry has to offer. The annual event, which will run until Saturday at the Dubai International Marine Club, drew a host of fans eager to take part in the various on site competitions, meet local and international celebrities, and get an up close and personal look at the latest and upcoming game titles. 
Timir Rao, product manager at Geekay Distribution, said: "This is a good season for games; there has been a lot of variety in the different game titles, and there have been a lot of franchise regulars that are always popular with the fans."
Geekay Games delighted fans at the event with a series of previews of upcoming titles that included: 'Sebastien Loeb Rally Evo' for the PS4 and Xbox One; 'Arslan: The Warriors of Legend' for the PS4 and Xbox One; and all round fan favourite 'Attack on Titan' for the PS4. "Games 15 is a very much consumer-based show, so it was very important for us to have a presence here. At gaming events such as this one, it is more about the games that will be coming up," Rao explained. 
Asked why it was a must for fans to visit the Geekay Games stand at the event, Rao said: "For a chance to try the Sebastien Loeb Rally Evo for the first time, to play our simulator experience and chance a win at our gaming tournament, and to make the most of our special event discounts."
The Sony Playstation and Ubisoft stands weren't behind on the action, showcasing their upcoming 'Horizon: Zero Dawn' and 'Just Dance 2016' titles respectively. Fans also eagerly swarmed Ubisoft's 'Assassin's Creed Syndicate' booth to get a firsthand look at the latest title in the Assassin's Creed series, before it hits the shelves. Not to be left lagging behind, the Xbox stand tempted fans with the adventure that is to be found in Lara Croft's upcoming 'Rise of the Tomb Raider'. Arguably, the biggest draw at this year's event was the promise of seeing some of the world's best CS:GO teams go head to head for a chance to walk away with $250,000.
Another draw is the promise of running into celebrities like Yoshinori Ono, WWE's Daniel Bryan, singer Ellen McLain, composer Gerard Marino, and DJ Trina. While many may argue that the heat will put off a lot of potential visitors, there were several dedicated fans that chose to brave the weather and make it to the event.
"The weather has been really hot, but there are a lot more games being shown this year, so we just had to come," said Ahmed Al Yazji, who is a regular at the games events. "Also, you get a lot of deals here that you can't find anywhere else, so you just have to visit."
His friend, Fahad Al Hodaithy, admitted that it was his first time attending a Games event, and that he was excited about the new Call of Duty title. "I love playing and first person shooter game, and this event has been great since there is soo much to see."
rohma@khaleejtimes.com

• What to look out for at Games 15