South Africa's biggest gaming expo turns 10 this year, but one wouldn't know it had hit a milestone by browsing the stands. No big banners declare it, no loudspeaker blares it over the crowds. Michael James, the rAge senior project manager and NAG magazine owner and editor, explains that this is because rAge is and always has been a collaborative effort.
"Every time people are talking about it being the 10th birthday 'What you doing? What you doing?' I'm like, 'I don't know. It's not really up to me. It's up to the guys coming to the show, the exhibitors'."
He added that he didn't want to run the risk of setting the bar too high for future years.
"We just do what we've been doing bigger and better, that's really what it's all about."
In 2002 when the first Really Awesome Gaming Expo (rAge) opened its doors, a few thousand keen gamers passed through them. By 2003 the expo had already made a name for itself, winning an award for best new exhibition. 2004 saw a record number of exhibitors - 50 - and a 500-PC networked LAN (local area network).
Ten years on, the LAN now fills half of Johannesburg's Northgate Coca Cola Dome with 2 460 gamers registered to play. The rest of the Dome is packed with exhibitors, their speakers competing for attention while crowds press together winding their way between stalls, seeking special offers, free gifts and prizes. While James couldn't give exact numbers yet, he did say that attendance this Friday far surpassed previous years.
"We just see more people accepting gaming, and there are more tech companies coming here and showing the latest models of TVs, cameras, that type of thing," James says. "Gaming is getting so mainstream now that I think it's accessible to anybody."
He added that the growth of rAge seemed to reflect the growth of the technology and gaming industries in general.
James couldn't be very specific about how things might change in future years ("I don't like predicting the future because I'm always wrong about it") but he did reveal that next year there will be an indie developer area "for guys that are making games that we don't really know about, like Spore".
Asked to pick highlights from this year James refused, not wanting to show favouritism, so here are a few of ours.
If you attend rAge this weekend be sure not to miss out on:
The OuterLimits market area - filled with dungeons and dragons paraphernalia, fantasy/sci-fi boardgames and, our personal favourite, geeky lego minifigs including the likes of Iron Man, Darth Vader, and Indiana Jones
The stage - tucked away at the back this year, the stage area is where all the international game devs are talking about the latest releases. In between sponsored prizes are tossed out into the crowd.
Real life Angry Birds - throw fluffy birds at some plush pigs and win prizes.
The artists' corner - pick up some anime, steam punk and original digital art works.
The cosplay contest - a best-dressed competition held Saturday afternoon at 11:20am at the stage.
The demo area - a new area showcasing table-top gaming (the likes of Magic the Gathering and Warhammer).
Then, of course, what it's all about: the games.
Visitors can expect to try out some of the most anticipated games of the year including Medal of Honor: Warfighter, Hitman: Absolution, Far Cry 3, Assassin's Creed 3, and ZombiU. There's a range of more child-friendly games too including The Sims 3: Seasons, Skylanders, and a Harry Potter-based augmented reality game called Book of Spells.
Doors open at 9am Saturday and at 10am on Sunday. The expo wraps up at 4pm on Sunday.
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