rAge 2019 – Day One

rAge has always had a special place in my heart. It’s one of the first gaming and geek expos I ever attended, and I’ve been going each year. With new expos and events popping up, especially Comic Con Africa arriving, can all these events co-exist peacefully or will we see many disappearing?

I’ve been attending rAge each Friday for a few years. It’s always been the quietest day of the weekend, which I have to say I rather enjoy as it gives me time to explore the expo at my own pace. This year, however, I have to admit that the Friday felt a lot less busy than I’ve become used to.

Sure, this could be because many attendees prefer to go on the Saturday or Sunday, these are after all the more popular days. But I couldn’t help notice the lack of people stampeding me from each angle.

Another noticeable issue was that some of the exhibitors, both as far as gaming and merchandise are concerned, that we’ve come accustomed to seeing at rAge were not present. It’s a shame and I hope we see some of them making a return next year.

Other than that, rAge is still the same expo we all love and can’t wait to attend each year.

The wider aisles meant that I never felt crowded or were pushed around and had enough space to breathe, which is always important.

The MSI, Acer, Apex and PlayStation stands also need special mention as they dwarfed the other stands surrounding them. My personal favourite was the PlayStation stand, as you have the opportunity to try out some upcoming and unreleased games for yourself, which is always great to have at an expo like this.

The cosplayers were once again out in full force and I could help but be amazed at how much effort, love and detail goes into these outfits and costumes these days.

eSports also took centre stage at rAge this year, and I found myself spending more time than I thought I would watching the competitors duking it out.

If you have a heavy wallet, there is also more than enough to tempt you into getting rid of some hard-earned cash. Whether you are into board games, want to upgrade your PC or are looking for a new geeky shirt, rAge 2019 has all of this.

Although having Comic Con Africa taking place the weekend before no doubt has had an influence on this year’s event, it’s still very much the expo I fell in love with so many years ago. If you are looking to spend some time with your friends, getting immersed in the things you love, and those things are gaming, cosplay, esports or just general geeky stuff, then rAge 2019 is worth giving a chance.