iGame Radio

Omaha explains why she isn’t going to Macworld/iWorld this year to cover the Mac/iOS gaming scene…and may not again in the future.

 

I made a hard decision not to go to Macworld/iWorld this year. Much of it is about working to transition iGame Radio into something better for this year, and I’ve got a lot of work to do this month. Going to Macworld will cut into that.

But unfortunately much of it has to do with my feeling that Macworld really isn’t a place for me to go to cover gaming anymore. In years past, back when Apple still was the centerpiece to the show, there was a giant gaming hub at Macworld. Even despite the fact that Apple really doesn’t support Mac gaming much at all, there were those internal at Apple and many external (developers and publishers) who did.

But over the years, even before Apple left, that hub began to die. After Apple announced it would no longer be showing at Macworld, that pretty much meant the death knell to any kind of gaming hub. For a year or two there was still a central location where many developers and publishers of Mac and iOS games would situate their booths, but even that became less important as many had booths elsewhere in the show or, more likely, didn’t even show up.

Last year I felt, as a journalist, that there was really not much to see. There were a few iOS game developers that had small booths at the Appalooza section, but that was it. No tracks. I tried to get a meetup together and few showed up. This year I counted two game companies in the list (both iOS). I just don’t think that Macworld is a place for covering Mac/iOS gaming anymore.

There are two other important events for me that are happening the same weekend in my area. If I were covering GDC, for example, it would be a no-brainer. But because I feel like I’m not going to be getting much out of Macworld for iGame Radio, if at all, I’d really rather just stay put this year.

Maybe next year…if there isn’t anything else going on. To see my friends.

 

Host Omaha Sternberg goes it alone, covering the gaming scene at Macworld 2012, whether game publishers are relevant anymore, and this week’s copycatting scandals.
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