TULSA, Okla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--VisitTulsa and the George Kaiser Family Foundation are pleased to announce that Boss Key Productions’ Tramell Isaac and thatgamecompany’s Jacky Ke Jiang will keynote the first ever XPO Game Festival, which will be held Sept. 23 - 25 at the Cox Business Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Festival attendees can hear these two industry icons share how they got started in the business and what gives them inspiration -- along with some industry “war stories,” of course:
Tramell Isaac (Boss Key Productions)
Tramell’s credits include the PlanetSide series, Neverwinter Nights 2, the legendary RPG Fallout (he even helped design Vault Boy!), and Boss Key’s highly anticipated multiplayer shooter Lawbreakers. Tramell brings with him years of high-profile game development experience.
Jacky Ke Jiang (thatgamecompany)
Jiang comes from a diverse artistic background featuring games, movies, and advertising. Some of his career highlights include: thatgamecompany’s Journey, Disney films Frozen and Wreck-It Ralph, the Paperman animated short, and a currently unannounced title from thatgamecompany.
Isaac and Jiang join a star-studded list of industry professionals who will be speaking at XPO, including: Susan Arendt (GamesRadar), Candace Brenner (Daybreak Game Company), Nick Chester (Epic Games), The Coster Brothers (Butterscotch Shenanigans), Charles Cox (4Gency), Jake Baldino (Lead Producer/Host, Gameranx), Craig Kaufman and Steve Spohn (The AbleGamers Charity), Richard Mitchell (XPO, Joystiq), Monika Lee (Blizzard), Chris Rickwood (Rickwood Music), Paul Yoskowitz (WinterLeaf Entertainment), noted game journalist Robert Workman, and many more.
Dan and Terry Diebold will be showing off the mythical Nintendo PlayStation -- the product of a failed partnership between Nintendo and Sony that’s considered by many to be the “holy grail” of retro gaming. The father and son duo will be showcasing the console throughout the convention and will also host a panel discussion where they’ll share the story behind the discovery. If you’re a fan of retro games, this is something you won’t want to miss!
Those interested in registering for XPO Game Festival, can do so on the official website. Day Passes are available for $35 and Party Passes are available for $10/night, or $25 for all three nights. Weekend Passes are available for $65; however, the price will increase to $75 after Sept. 1. Weekend passes grant access to XPO Game Festival and all of its attractions for the whole weekend -- including the kick-off party on Thursday, Sept. 22.
“We’re thrilled with the warm reception we’ve been getting from the gaming community. It goes to show that there’s a huge demand for events like XPO Game Festival in the Heartland,” says Ray Hoyt, President of VisitTulsa and Office of Film, Music, Arts and Culture. “I’m honored to have such talented gaming legends come speak at XPO. Hearing their stories and learning from each speaker first-hand will be quite a thrill for both our guests and XPO Game Festival organizers.”
XPO Game Festival is the first ever full-scale game festival to be hosted in America’s Heartland. Featuring a retro lounge, Indie Alley, panel speakers, tabletop games, film screenings, LAN party areas, a laser tag arena, concerts, and after-parties, there’s something to do for everyone!
XPO Game Festival At-a-Glance
Friday & Saturday, September 16-17th
- 9:00pm: Pre-event film screening at Circle Cinema in Tulsa
Thursday, September 22nd
- Kickoff Party featuring Brentalfloss
Friday & Saturday, September 23-24th
- After parties with live music in downtown Tulsa
- Live music throughout the festival, featuring Bit Brigade and Mega Ran
- Virtual Reality setups including Oculus Rift and HTC Vive
- $10k Rocket League Tournament produced by LegionBattles in conjunction with XPO
- Fabled Nintendo PlayStation prototype on display
- Live escape room presented by Escape Tulsa
- Retro lounge packed with vintage arcade games and consoles
- Laser Tag Arena
- Console tournament with thousands of dollars in prizes
- Cosplay contest and nationally recognized cosplay guests
- Indie Alley featuring intra and international indie developers
- LAN Party areas
Saturday, September 24th
- 12:00pm: Tabletop game tournaments presented by Alien Games -- including a Magic the Gathering pre-release
Pricing
Day Passes are available for $35 and feature full access to XPO, including the virtual reality showcase, Indie Alley showcase, retro lounge, tabletop gaming, fighting games, Magic the Gathering tournaments, panels, and the expo floor. In addition, attendees will also get access to that day’s concert and afterparty in downtown Tulsa.
Weekend Passes are available for $65 until Thursday, September 1st. After the 1st, the price will increase to $75. Weekend passes grant access to the XPO Game Festival and all of its attractions for the whole weekend. In addition, attendees will get access to the kickoff party on Thursday, September 22nd.
Party Passes are available for $10/night or $25 for all three nights. These passes grant you access to each day’s afterparty in downtown Tulsa.
Buy tickets here: https://xpotulsa.eventbrite.com
Festival Assets
XPO Video Showcase
Vimeo https://vimeo.com/174812673
Download
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/9186800/promo_XPO_Game_Festival.zip
Images
IMGUR
http://imgur.com/a/uEv9j
Download
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/9186800/images_and_logos_XPO_Game_Conference.zip
Social Media
VisitTulsa
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/visittulsa
Twitter
- https://twitter.com/visittulsa
Google+
- https://plus.google.com/100951163612441795056/about
YouTube
- https://www.youtube.com/user/tulsachamber
Pinterest
- https://www.pinterest.com/TulsaCVB/
Instagram
- https://www.instagram.com/visittulsa/
XPO Game Festival
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/GamesXPO/
Twitter
- https://twitter.com/gamesxpo
Pinterest
- https://www.pinterest.com/GamesXPO/
About XPO Game Festival
Presented by VisitTulsa and the George Kaiser Family Foundation, XPO is a festival for gamers, fans, developers and game industry leaders. Join thousands of other gamers in Tulsa for a packed expo floor, panels and speakers, and a first look at new gaming technology. Other highlights include an independent game showcase, exclusive after parties with live music, tabletop games, cosplay contests, a retro gaming lounge, and general game badassery. For more information on XPO, please visit http://xpotulsa.com.
About VisitTulsa
VisitTulsa, a division of the Tulsa Regional Chamber, is dedicated to promoting the Tulsa region as a premier destination for global leisure travel and convention business. VisitTulsa partners with area hotels, attractions and restaurants, leading a united effort to draw visitors to the region and grow the economic impact of the tourism industry. For more information on VisitTulsa, please visit http://visittulsa.com.
