In late August, there will be a gaming competition described as the ‘Eurovision of video games’, the EuroPlay Games Contest. It will run during GamesCom. Fifteen European nations will each showcase a game ready to be released, and a public vote will then choose the winner.
It may seem unusual, but the Eurovision format can, with enough will, be applied to other entertainment formats as well. In the form of a games convention it does make a lot of sense. Arguably, game presentation events already have some of the same overlap. That is, their purpose of showcasing new pieces of art. Add in a competitive element based around country of origin, and that’s the Eurovision formula.
Gaming trade bodies from the UK, the Czech Republic, Belgium, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Latvia, Switzerland, Belarus, Ukraine, Bulgaria, The Netherlands, Italy, Spain and Australia are taking part in the contest.
The format of the Games Contest
There will be selections from each trade body prior to the games to pick the entrant, in a similar fashion to how broadcasters pick Eurovision entries. For example, the UK body (UKIE) will use its ‘Game Of The Show’ competition to pick the UK entry on August 24.
Twitch will host the show on a livestream format, also broadcast on Twitter and Facebook. The host will be a TV presenter and influencer known as ‘Mr. Midas’. The 15 finalists will have their own rooms on Zoom hosted by UKIE, to promote their game to the media. This can be a direct line to the developers. For the main event, the games will be showcased by showing a 2 minute 30 second video of their unreleased game. The public will then vote through Twitter to determine the winner. You can find out further details here.
It is experimental, but it could turn out to be an engaging new way to show off high quality games from different countries. If you are interested in indie video games, and would like to discover some new ones in a Eurovision-like setting, remember the date for 28 August.
What are your thoughts on the EuroPlay Games Contest? How well do you think using the Eurovision format will translate, and could it also be applied to yet more areas of entertainment? Be sure to stay updated by following @ESCXTRA on Twitter, @escxtra on Instagram and liking our Facebook page for the latest updates! Also, be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel to see our reactions to the news in the upcoming months.
