The virtual doors to ENDIX are officially open, kicking off a 48-hour event where gamers worldwide can explore interactive booths, discover new titles, and participate in challenges. The digital expo is entirely free, requiring no tickets, no fees, and no microtransactions, aiming for pure discovery and interactive fun. We spoke with Endix Showcase founder Nikos Perifanis to discuss the event’s vision and what visitors can expect.
Once inside, visitors will find a fully immersive world where exhibitor booths are crafted using real in-game assets. The lineup of featured games and studios includes:
You can download the ENDIX launcher via this link.
The keys to Endix’s success lie in accessibility and immersion. We’ve created a platform that can be accessed by anyone with an internet connection, anywhere in the world, with no ticket fees. This breaks down the barriers of traditional showcases, where people had to travel to attend, wait in long lines, and pay to enter, among other inconveniences. We wanted everyone to be able to experience the showcase, regardless of their location, ability, or financial situation.
The other key to Endix is immersion. This isn’t your parents’ showcase, where all you got to see of a game or product was at a booth. Sure, it’s nice to be able to see it IRL, but what’s better is being able to demo a game from your chair. Endix itself is an entire virtual world where attendees can explore content at their leisure and really experience the games on display. From indies to AAA, you no longer have to hope the game is as good as the trailer – you can actually test it out in developer created virtual booths.
Endix was developed to fill the hole left by traditional expos. It functions like a traditional event, where attendees can come in, see the booths, and interact. However, it is all done in a virtual space where there are no barriers to entry beyond an internet connection.
Players can explore multi-floor exhibition halls filled with interactive booths and playable demo terminals. Watch trailers, developer interviews, and exclusive content, while adding games to wishlists via QR codes. Attendees can join sessions with their favorite streamers, engage in MMO-style exploration, and interact with other visitors.
In the future, we will be introducing Q&A sessions where attendees can interact with developers directly, giveaways, and awards. We are constantly looking at ways to make Endix even more immersive, engaging, and fun.
Building a multiplayer video game is tough. When you add in voice chat, party systems, text-based systems, and various roles, it’s even tougher. Then you have to weigh the value of dedicated servers over cloud services and security.
We solved this by dedicating ourselves to making the user experience as friendly as possible. With this goal in mind, we were able to work backwards through the hard parts. We also decided for our event that a cloud service, specifically AWS, Gamelift Technology, and additional plugins, made the most sense as this would be the best scalable option at this time. Of course, we are always going back, evaluating, and looking towards the future.
The inspiration came from frustration with past digital events. Previous digital events were just a passive experience of a physical event. Essentially, just watching videos of people who were attending. This was not a fulfilling experience for people who could not attend due to physical, financial, or geographical constraints. So we asked ourselves, how do we make these events inclusive, interesting, and fun? How do you make E3 and Gamescom explorable and immersive to showcase the games and news? We concluded the only way to do that is to build it ourselves, and thus Endix was born.
With Endix, the design takes cues from classic hub games and MMOs, where expiration is intuitive, exciting, and rewarding. Via an avatar, attendees can demo the games, interact with brands, and share their experience from anywhere. Attendees don’t just take a look at a booth, they experience it. Through demos, mini-games, and other activities, developers can invite people into their world via digital booths designed around their game’s identity.
First and foremost, we want to offer attendees a variety of games and genres. We don’t focus solely on the hype of a game like other events, and instead champion titles that might otherwise get lost at traditional expos. Endix is about showcasing the artistic uniqueness of games, the benefits of exposure the title may receive, and how the brand team is willing to collaborate creatively with booth design and assets.
Because of this, we have returning studios like Selecta Play, Aya Games, SIC games, and other indies. We’ve focused on allowing attendees to experience new studios and titles they would have never heard of among all the noise of other showcases, and the chance to experience the games as well.
Let’s not beat around the bush, physical events are expensive. Tickets, Fees, food, and booth construction. It’s expensive for fans and for studios. If a studio wants to have a booth that captures attention, it’s going to cost more and may not guarantee a sound ROI unless there is a steam tie-in event. This is why more indies chose to participate in Steam Sales events and other showcases.
What we offer in Endix is brand recall. A unique booth where attendees can see a giant troll that is trying to catch them, the full trailer that lets a guest walk in and experience the game, and real-time communication between studios and fans. All of this is more memorable than a booth among a sea of booths or just a video trailer. And Endix makes it affordable for indie studios to make it happen and stand out among the sea of titles.
That’s not to say there aren’t costs associated with showcasing at Endix. We do partner with major creators for events to boost attendance and exposure for the games. For example, the very first Endix event had DansGaming playing Necrophosis in the event while streaming. Through this, the game was able to not only reach those attending, but also DansGaming fans as well, leading to more views. Part of our ‘secret sauce’ is partnering with creators to showcase to a larger audience.
As traditional expos become more expensive and less developer-friendly, Endix shows that a better active experience model is possible. An active event that anyone can attend and be a part of the experience instead of passively watching others experience it.
At Endix, we believe hybrid events will start to thrive, but a digital-first experience will be the key for indie games. Indie games will see more wish list adds from the exposure, which leads to more buys, and the studio being able to continue to create amazing new games. All of which leads back to Endix’s ability to give attendees what they really want from an expo or event – the ability to experience new titles.
We’re building a future where you don’t need to physically attend an event to experience one. Instead, Endix brings the event to you. Discover your next favorite game from the comfort of home while immersed in a virtual space, anywhere in the world at any time. And we’re just getting started. Plans are in the works for new features that will drive community involvement from creators and developers. We’re working on introducing competitions and awards for booths, and making more ways for Endix to engage exhibitors, visitors, and viewers.
