Gaming Culture

Gaming culture is where players gather in person: convention floors, cosplay contests, panel talks and community meetups built around the games people already play at home. Gamescom in Cologne and ChinaJoy in Shanghai are the two largest gatherings, each drawing crowds in the hundreds of thousands over a few days, while regional shows such as PAX East, PAX West, Tokyo Game Show and Paris Games Week give fans in North America, Japan and Europe their own annual meeting point. Esports viewing, indie showcases and tabletop meetups increasingly share the same halls as the big publisher booths.