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August 1, 2014

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Showgirls add spice to Shanghai game fair

THE showgirls aside, the scorching summer heat, hiked up ticket prices and long queues did little to deter fans from showing up at the annual ChinaJoy 2014 — the world’s biggest game fair which opened in Shanghai yesterday.

A total of 63,000 visitors, mostly young males, came to check out the latest game products and devices at the China Digital Entertainment Expo & Conference. A bevies of bikini-clad models kept them entertained, posing for pictures outside the booths of big-name game firms like Tencent, iDreamsky and Giant.

“The showgirls, along with the games, are worth the visit,” said Alex Han, who was at ChinaJoy for the third-straight year.

Han walked 20 minutes in the heat to reach the venue, Shanghai New International Expo Center, before shelling out 70 yuan (US$11) for a ticket.

Last year it cost him 50 yuan but the hiked up price didn’t seem to bother him.

More than 70,000 tickets had been sold till yesterday — double than last year, according to Alibaba, which was accepting electronic payment from visitors. Alipay was also offering drinks at discount prices.

Millions of game fans have raked up huge opportunities for hardware companies like Intel and other Internet giants.

Though their services are not available on China’s mainland at the moment, Google and Facebook are seeking cooperation with Chinese game firms who are keen to expand overseas.

Tencent, China’s No. 1 dotcom firm, launched wireless routers with game speeding services, while chip giant Intel offered 700 computers with the most advanced Intel i5 and i7 chips for game fans.

Game firms, such as The9 and iDreamsky also announced cross-industry cooperation yesterday, and offering game players diversified services.

IDreamsky, which is in the process of issuing initial public offering in the United States, has tied up with Tokyo Corp to develop three mobile games based on the Japanese TV station’s cartoon programs.

“The integration between game and cartoons has become a trend to give users double pleasure and on-site experience,” Yukio Kawasaki, TV Tokyo’s animation division general manager, said yesterday.

More than 500 exhibitors from 30 countries and regions are participating in the fair. About 200,000 people are expected to show up before the expo closes on Sunday.




 

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