A new major event happend in Belgium this weekend, combining GameForce, Made in Asia and Heroes Comic Con in one big convention where fans could go crazy. Is this a succesful merge of the three events or is it a bit overkill? Time to find out!
GameForce
As a gaming website, we had to check out the GameForce section of the convention first. GameForce is Belgium’s biggest gaming event, returning annually and often offering exclusive first looks and playable demos of yet-to-be-released games. This year’s edition featured a few notable titles, including the Gothic 1 Remake, The Eternal Life of Goldman, and Little Nightmares III, providing visitors with a preview of what’s to come. Although these are great games, we couldn’t help but notice the absence of the big three: Nintendo, PlayStation, and Xbox. Their no-show this year was disappointing for many die-hard gamers who were expecting to see some major players, especially since Nintendo’s booth always brings a lively atmosphere.
That being said, the GameForce team really put a lot of effort into making the event fun for everyone. From special kid zones and adaptive controllers to retro arcades and Dungeons & Dragons masterclasses, there’s something for everyone to enjoy, and we can only applaud that. Several larger booths certainly grabbed the attention of the audience, and it’s clear that the shift towards one larger event helped fill out those GameForce spaces. Many in the more casual crowd discovered some of the best games, with a strong focus on titles made in Belgium. I’m sure the visitors had an amazing time, which is really what it’s all about. While it might have missed the bigger, flashy names this year, the heart and spirit of GameForce remain strong. If you’re into gaming, this is an event you can’t miss. It’s also great that your ticket allows you to visit Made in Asia and Heroes Comic Con, so the fun doesn’t have to end with GameForce.
Made in Asia and Heroes Comic Co
If the games were unable to satisfy your needs, you’ll probably find what you’re looking for in the many collectible shops, or maybe you’re more into meet-and-greets with sci-fi or other actors who were present on their respective days this weekend in Brussels.
If you’re a regular at separate conventions, you know what to expect from the many friendly vendors, but this time there’s two to three times more collectible stuff to go through. The vendors are not shy about letting you taste their great Asian products before you commit in the “Little Asia” and “Korean Street” sections. The TCG vendors are really helpful, asking what card you’re looking for and whether you’re browsing for a loose card or even a graded slab. We noticed some of them charge a premium on top of the market price for this event, but if you look further, you’ll find well-priced gems that’ll make your collector’s heart race.
One thing we noticed is that as a result of all three cons merging together, the overall surface area of the expo was larger as well, so the aisles weren’t too crowded during the peak hours of the event. There are more vendors and a much larger dedicated food court with seating amenities, so the massive anticipated crowd was well dispersed across the entire floor area. This also resulted in a more relaxed feel, and you didn’t feel like someone was breathing down your neck as you browsed through retro games looking for that one piece to complete your collection.
Actors have always been the staple of these conventions, but the new generation of streamers is also claiming a bigger slice of the cake. Their fanbases are growing, and they made sure to be represented at this giant event alongside the YouPlay guests. We noticed that many of the MIA guests were more curated towards the French fanbase, but being hosted in Brussels, this has always been the case for the MIA part.
Even if you had no money to spend or already went loco at the many shops, there’s still the cosplay to enjoy and cheer for, along with lots of free activities such as Japanese calligraphy, many contests to take part in to win great prizes, and even tutorials on how to play Mahjong or how to speak Mandarin.
Overall, merging the three conventions has many upsides, and we hope the gaming aspect can attract a few bigger booths again in the future to shine next to all the other great things we love at the holy trinity of GameForce x Made In Asia x Heroes Comic Con.
