Tag Archives: Multiplay

Train2Game News Insomnia success in 2014

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Multiplay, organiser of the UK’s biggest gaming festival, celebrated an outstanding year in 2014, recording a 60% increase in footfall at its Insomnia events against the previous year and cementing its place as the number one gaming festival in the UK.

With an ever growing community of all ages and backgrounds, the Insomnia Gaming Festival experienced its highest ever year of growth with significant increases across the board at all three of its 2014 events. Working with more partners than ever before to expose a variety of brands to its diverse audience, Multiplay also saw record footfall figures with that trend set to continue throughout the new year.

Insomnia54 will be Multiplay’s biggest spring event to-date, taking place on the Easter Bank Holiday weekend (April 3rd-6th 2015). With the show increasing not just in attendance but also footprint at an additional 45% floor space across over 2014, there’s even more great gaming festival fun for Insomnia’s dedicated and growing community.

2014 also witnessed a huge year for Insomnia events online, with over 45m consumers engaged through Twitch, YouTube and Flickr whilst over 1.4m consumers logged on to the official Insomnia website making http://insomniagamingfestival.com a top five gaming destination in the UK, a trend that Multiplay has committed to continuing over the next years’ worth of events.

Multiplay MD Craig Fletcher said: “We’re delighted to have had another incredible year, and we continue to see huge opportunities for growth, not just in our amazing community, but in what we can offer to publishers to showcase their products and partners who want to expose their brands to an engaged audience.”

He continued, “We’ve developed and grown organically to become the UK’s number one destination for fans of gaming culture with our partners, driven by our incredible community, and we’re ready to go even further in 2015 starting with Easter’s Insomnia54.”

For more information on Insomnia54, please visit http://insomniagamingfestival.com.

Train2Game News GEEK 2015

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Multiplay, hosts of the UK’s biggest gaming festival Insomnia, is delighted to announce a new partnership with GEEK, a festival that is the place to Meet, Make and Play.

GEEK is a growing festival of play and games, held each year in the seaside town of Margate, Kent. A place for families and friends to come together to help create and play whilst having large amounts of fun, GEEK offers digital and analogue activities for both casual and dedicated gamers.

As a result of the partnership, Multiplay will be curating multiple parts of GEEK2015 which takes place from 20th – 22nd February next year.

GEEK has something for all the family. So whether you want to play and compete, relax, learn new skills or get an idea of how to get your dream job using games and technology, GEEK is the place to be.

“We have big plans for GEEK so it is really exciting to be working with Multiplay on GEEK2015. Multiplay has an unrivalled reputation, and their success on a national and international scale with global partners is a result of their outstanding passion for gaming and commitment to excellence,” said Kate Kneale, Director Marine Studios. “Together we can create a really innovative showcase for games, old and new, popular and obscure, innovative and just plain crazy.”

“The undertaking with GEEK is one we are ecstatic to be part of, showcasing the continually rising popularity of gaming events.  We are delighted to once again be working with GEEK for the second consecutive year, and this is just the start of an array of fantastic projects we will be involved with throughout 2015,” said Craig Fletcher, CEO & Founder of Multiplay.  “It’s been yet another fantastic year and we are delighted to now be actively involved with almost every single show in the gaming events calendar, with GEEK2015 at the forefront.”

More information on GEEK2015 will be revealed on the GEEK website www.geek-play.com

Train2Game News Insomnia 53

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InsomniaMultiplay, hosts of the UK’s biggest gaming festival is pleased to announce Insomnia53, taking place November 21st – 23rd at Coventry’s Ricoh Arena and set to feature tons of brilliant, focused activities suitable for gamers of all ages and backgrounds.

Everything you’ve come to expect from the Insomnia Gaming Festival will be in abundance; there will be special guests from the world of YouTube and Twitch including SkyDoesMinecraft, TheDiamondMinecart and The Sidemen (featuring KSI, Vikkstar and more).

Also featured are Minecraft-orientated activities, high-level open esports tournaments, a packed exhibition hall featuring playable games galore and of course the UK’s biggest 24hr LAN gaming network featuring thousands of switched-on gamers.

The fun doesn’t end at 6pm though, with activities and parties going on well into the early hours putting the ‘insomnia’ into Insomnia.

Returning for its second year are the Insomnia Awards; a bespoke community-driven ceremony celebrating the last year in gaming, all wrapped up in a night of action and entertainment.

Anyone attending the event can nominate and vote on their selected winners and be in with a chance of winning a copy of the Insomnia Awards Game of the Year.

“Each year, we’re humbled by the passion of our community and their commitment for the Insomnia Gaming Festival,” said Craig Fletcher, CEO & Founder of Multiplay. “This festive gaming show encapsulates another 12 months of incredible growth, driving us to do more, to do better, and to continue to make Insomnia the best weekend of awesome videogame-related fun you can find in the UK.”

With so much more to be announced, this year’s final Insomnia event will be one to remember, so head online now to book your tickets: http://insomniagamingfestival.com/tickets/

Insomnia53 takes place from November 21s – 23rd at Coventry’s Rich Arena in England.

For more information and to buy tickets for Insomnia53 visit http://insomniagamingfestival.com with more announcements to be made in the coming weeks.

Train2Game News Insomnia 52

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Multiplay, organiser of the UK’s biggest gaming festival, is thrilled to announce the attendance of some of the most popular streamers, YouTube personalities, and online gaming broadcasters at its biggest ever Insomnia event.

After a successful debut at Coventry’s Ricoh Arena with last Easter’s Insomnia51, Multiplay is gearing up for an expanded summer gaming festival. Headline sponsors for Insomnia52 include Scan, HyerX and Iiayma.

This upcoming event introduces the Festival Arena, which will take place in the stadium, with a huge marquee taking over the pitch with an array of new features including the biggest stage yet. YouTube continues its dominance as the hottest form of video entertainment, with Insomnia52 featuring a brand new YouTuber Live Zone featuring Lets Plays, and a wide variety of interactive stage content from a roster of high profile personalities.

Insomnia52 will feature special guests such as Syndicate of TheSyndicateProject, who will also be launching his exclusive clothing brand in the UK for the very first time at the show. There will also be opportunities to meet Syndicate and your chance to win an exclusive one hour gaming lock-in session on the Razer Gamer Bus, where a handful of lucky winners will get to play alongside the YouTube star. Other currently confirmed special guests include Ali-A, SIVHD, Keyori, the Noxcrew, AshleyMarieeGaming and members from the Mindcrack Minecraft server, with more huge announcements to follow in the coming weeks.

As the biggest ever Insomnia Gaming Festival, this summer’s event will be solidifying the gaming festival feel with live music. Headlining the Main Festival stage on the Friday Night of the event will be Zane Lowe. The internationally renowned DJ and remix artist will be mixing up a DJ set of epic proportions. Other great live acts will feature across the weekend including sets from contestants of BBC’s The Voice, with the full line-up being announced shortly.

“When we first started Insomnia all those years ago we had these far-off dreams for where we’d like the event to one day be, and reality has finally caught up,” said Craig Fletcher, Founder & CEO of Multiplay. “This is our 52nd event, and we all feel incredibly proud to have helped Insomnia grow into the unique gaming festival experience it is today, in no small part thanks to our fantastic community. I’m already looking forward to watching Zane from the front row!”

Multiplay is set to grow the Insomnia Gaming Festival throughout 2014, delivering unrivalled gaming entertainment to tens of thousands of fans. Insomnia52 will deliver more competitive gaming tournaments, LAN-based gaming, new title showcases, panel talks, more interactive activities, and more exhibitors and sponsors than ever before this August bank holiday weekend.

For more information on Insomnia52 and to purchase tickets visit http://insomniagamingfestival.com. More announcements will be made in the coming weeks.

Train2Game News Insomnia 51 big success

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InsomniaMultiplay, hosts of the UK’s biggest gaming festival has reason to celebrate following its biggest ever spring Insomnia event. Insomnia51, Multiplay’s first event at the Ricoh Arena, saw an unprecedented footfall of over 20,000 across the Easter Bank Holiday Weekend.

Thousands of gamers from a variety of backgrounds gathered to enjoy a schedule packed full of engaging content, with Main Festival Stage presenting from We’ve Got Game Founders, Matt Littler and Darren Jefferies. The festival’s activities spanned the range of modern gaming culture, from high level Esports tournaments to a thriving exhibition hall including Minecraft, Indie, Tabletop Gaming, and Retro zones.  There were also panel talks in a 650-seat dedicated auditorium, and of course the UK’s biggest LAN gaming halls.

Following on from the success of Insomnia49 last summer, Insomnia51 featured appearances from special guests from across the globe. Providing fans with the chance to meet them in person, Insomnia51 enabled YouTube stars to connect with their communities through Meet & Greet sessions, panel talk sessions, and main stage shows.

As the first Insomnia Gaming Festival of 2014, Insomnia51 saw increased entries for not only Esports tournaments on PC, but also on console. As part of their pledge to help grow the console tournament scene at Insomnia events, Multiplay delivered the Console Esports Arena, an area wholly dedicated to console Esports including tournament stations, a spectating zone, and an area for press.

Last year the Insomnia Gaming Festivals hit several milestones, with both its largest ever event and it’s fiftieth outing. 2013’s rapid growth and increased attendance inspired a change of venue, and the UK’s biggest gaming festival found a new home at Coventry’s Ricoh Arena resulting in the highest attendance for an Easter event in Multiplay’s 17-year history.

“There is no equivalent to the Insomnia Gaming Festival in the UK. There’s no single event that combines the LAN halls, the tournaments, the exhibition, the special guests, the stage activities, all into a single weekend-long gaming-focused festival experience,” said Craig Fletcher, CEO & Founder of Multiplay. “With each passing year Insomnia grows bigger and better, in no small part due to our incredible community and the fantastic partners we work with. With our summer plans for Insomnia52, 2014 is shaping up to be an unstoppable year for Multiplay events.”

To view all photos from Insomnia 51, please visit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/mpuk/collections/72157644032424851/

For more information on Insomnia52 visit http://insomniagamingfestival.com. More announcements will be made in the coming months.

Train2Game News: Multiplay announces first batch of content for Insomnia51

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InsomniaMultiplay, organiser of the UK’s biggest gaming festivals, is pleased to announce the first wave of content for Insomnia51, taking place at Coventry’s Ricoh Arena April 18-21, 2014.

Building on the success of Insomnia50, Multiplay’s first Insomnia festival of 2014 moves to Coventry’s Ricoh Arena, allowing more visitors than ever before to attend this coming Easter weekend. Tickets can be purchased now, at insomniagamingfestival.com.

Insomnia51 brings a wide variety of content from an array of talented and respected developers and publishers. With huge prize pools, Insomnia is still the best place for the biggest eSports tournaments in the UK, showcasing the greatest teams from across the globe and streamed live on Twitch.TV.

Insomnia will once again have a dedicated Minecraft Zone, featuring free to play tournaments and offering Minecraft fans the chance to meet their YouTube heroes. The line-up so far includes: BeBopVox, FyreUK and Noxcrew with more special guests to be announced in the coming weeks.

Community is a huge part of Insomnia, and this year is no different, with evening activities including live music, casino night, and the world famous pub quiz. However, Insomnia51 is also about showing you the latest and greatest games and merchandise in the exhibition hall and will feature incredible games, like Rust, Starbound, and DayZ. It’ll also feature some of your favourite developers and YouTube stars in an expanded Panel schedule, running throughout the weekend.

“After an incredible 2013, we spent a lot of time talking about what we could do more of, and how we can improve our customers experience. The first stage in taking Insomnia to the next level is the move to the Ricoh Arena, but there’s so much more to come,” Said Craig Fletcher, CEO & Founder of Multiplay.

“We’ll be announcing more exclusive content in the coming weeks, and we’ve got some big surprises to share. Don’t miss out on what will be the biggest year in the history of Insomnia festivals.”

Insomnia51 takes place at the Ricoh Arena over Easter Bank Holiday weekend, Friday, April 18th to Monday, April 21st 2014.

Tickets are available online at www.insomniagamingfestival.com

Train2Game News: Insomnia coming to Coventry

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InsomniaOne of the UK’s biggest gaming festival will be staged in Coventry for the first time in 2014, when the Insomnia gaming festivals takes place at Coventry’s Ricoh Arena.

The Insomnia series attracts tens of thousands of gamers from across the UK to compete in the UK’s most competitive eSports tournaments and see the best games first, while millions watch events unfold online on Twitch.TV.

The first Insomnia festival at the Ricoh Arena takes place over Easter Bank Holiday weekend, Friday, April 18 to Monday, April 21 2014.

Insomnia will take over the Ricoh Arena to give visitors the chance to sample new games, watch live product demonstrations, buy the latest products and merchandise or watch the eSports tournaments unfold.

Offering the same unrivalled atmosphere as previous Insomnia events, visitors will be able to camp in their thousands across the weekend, bringing their own PCs and consoles with camping facilities and security on-hand.

Craig Fletcher, chief executive officer of Multiplay, said: “At Multiplay, we’re always looking to grow our business, and choosing a location that gives the Insomnia festivals strategic growth opportunities is of paramount importance to us, as well as our loyal community that attend our events.

He continued, “We’ve worked closely with the passionate staff at the Ricoh Arena and Coventry City Council to deliver a new home for Insomnia. “We are also delighted to be able to welcome back the Easter weekend dates which we haven’t been able to secure since Insomnia 42. “It’s incredibly exciting to be able to hold an Easter weekend extravaganza full of new content and awesome activities.

“We’re really pleased with the commitment and drive shown in bringing the UK’s largest gaming festivals to Coventry, and it’s a partnership we’re excited to move forward with in 2014.”

Jacky Isaac, Interim CEO at the Ricoh Arena, said she was thrilled one of the biggest dates in the calendar for gaming fans was being held in Coventry.

“It is the first time we will have held a gaming festival at the Ricoh Arena and this is great news for the venue and for the city,” she said.

“This is a festival for gaming in all its formats and is due to attract over 10,000 visitors from around the country.”

Tickets are available online now at www.insomniagamingfestival.com

Train2Game News: Insomnia50 Indie Gaming showcase

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InsomniaMultiplay, organiser of the Insomnia series of gaming festivals, the largest gaming festivals in the United Kingdom are pleased to announce a series of initiatives designed to showcase the best UK talent from the indie scene at Insomnia50.

The Indie Zone, sponsored by GAMDIAS, is a new addition for Insomnia events and is an open invitation to the unique and wonderful games being created across the country by independent developers.

Each developer has access to a top-of-the-range PC station, dedicated time on the Indie stage which will have prime position in the exhibition hall; featuring some of the industry leading retailers, manufacturers and development studios.

This provides the perfect opportunity to connect directly with the gaming community and interact with other developers such as Hypersloth Games (Dream), Dead Shark Triple Punch (Epigenesis), Pumpkin Games (Doppelganger) and many more.

Supporting creativity further is Global GameCraft, who organise game jam events designed to allow game-makers to meet, share ideas, have fun, compete for prizes and most importantly make games! Each day, participants will be set a task, having as little as ten hours to complete, with a judging panel demoing stand-out entries on stage and awarding prizes to the best submissions.

To take part, you must have a ticket to Insomnia so you can reserve your complimentary space for the GameCraft Game Jam. In order to purchase a ticket or reserve your space you can do so at www.insomnia50.evenbrite.co.uk

“Indie games are fast becoming the most original sector in gaming, giving us new ways of playing videogames”, said Craig Fletcher, Multiplay CEO. “We want to support the UK industry and enable developers to show their products off to as large an audience as possible, and to invite future designers to get involved with their peers through initiatives like the Indie GameCraft. Insomnia50 will be the most diverse festival we’ve ever held, in part due to the brilliant response we’ve had from indie developers, and we hope to continue to bring events like this, that support our industry and its talent to future Insomnia gaming festivals.”

If you are a game developer and would like to take full advantage of a free PC ‘station’ and a 45 minute live demo and talk on the Indie Stage at Insomnia50, please register your interest at www.multiplay.com/indie-games

The Insomnia Gaming Festival is not to be missed, with spaces still available and more announcements to follow, head to http://insomniagamingfestival.com/ for the latest event news and up-to-date line-up.

Train2Game News: Insomnia50 announced

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InsomniaMultiplay, organiser of the Insomnia series of gaming festivals, the largest gaming festivals in the United Kingdom is pleased to announce the initial line-up for its 50th LANniversary, Insomnia50, taking place at the Telford International Centre from 29 November through 2 December 2013.

Over 25,000 gaming enthusiasts attended Insomnia 49, with a further 4.7 million viewers on the Multiplay website, delivering over 11 million minutes of video views across the weekend, and over two million Flickr photo views and Insomnia 50 will continue the tradition of delivering an incredible weekend for attendees and its millions of viewers online.

With an incredible line-up of entertainment on offer, Insomnia is a place for friends and families alike to experience gaming-based activities throughout the whole weekend. From Hunger Games tournaments and creative builds in the Minecraft Zone, to a huge selection of the latest independent games and their developers in the Indie Zone.  There really is something for everyone; with prize-pool competitive tournaments for a variety of modern eSports for both pc and console gamers, a thriving exhibition with the latest games and merchandise the Card & Board game area, Retro Zone, Mainstage and more, Insomnia delivers a gaming experience unlike any other.

To celebrate the 50th LANniversary, Multiplay are hosting an Insomnia50 Celebration Evening. Taking place on the Saturday of the event, the evening comprises of the World Famous Insomnia Pub Quiz, live music from throwback glam rock heroes Saints of Sin, live comedy from critically acclaimed comedian Paul Tonkinson and the Insomnia Awards, a ceremony celebrating the uniquely brilliant qualities of both the Multiplay community and the Insomnia events themselves. With all proceeds going to Multiplay’s designated charity, SpecialEffect.

“It’s been a milestone we’ve been anticipating, and with the fantastic turnout from Insomnia fans at Insomnia49, we are incredibly pleased to produce the best gaming festival in the UK even better”, said Craig Fletcher, Multiplay CEO. “As a team, we couldn’t be happier with the success of Insomnia, driven by its passionate community, and we can’t wait to deliver something truly memorable for our fans as we celebrate our 50th LANniversary.”

With some of the biggest eSports tournaments in the UK, Insomnia is not to be missed, with spaces to compete in the tournaments still available online on the Insomnia Gaming Festivals website.

More announcements will be made in the coming months, including amazing games being shown for the first time in the UK. For the most up-to-date line-up, visit the official website at http://insomniagamingfestival.com.

Train2Game News: Minecraft Expo

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MinecraftThe Minecraft Expo is heading to the UK this August and as many of the Train2Game students are Minecraft fans, it may be a good place to get together.

Taking place at the Insomnia 49 event between August 23 and 26, the event offers free to enter Minecraft game tournaments, Minecraft talks and presentations and an exhibition showcasing creations from the community.

There will also be costume competitions, creative build challenges for schools and a Minecraft Lounge.

Special guests currently include Youtube players – Yogscast and Mindcrack, Film makers – Hat Films and Minecraft builders – The NoxCrew.

“Each time we host an Insomnia event, the community amazes us with its passion, making each event bigger and better than the last,” said event organiser Multiplay CEO Craig Fletcher.

“With the runaway success of Minecraft, we’ve answered the call from devoted fans by creating the UK’s first Minecraft Expo, and we can think of no better place to host it, than the UK’s biggest gaming festival.”

The Insomnia event hosts a number of eSports tournaments, and to date organisers say more than 3,000 spaces have been reserved for ‘bring your own PC and Console’ tickets.

There will also be various development talks taking place at the event.

Up to 15,000 visitors are expected to attend, with over two million watching video streaming of the eSports events online.

Insomnia 49 and the Minecraft Expo will take place in Telford and the Telford International Centre, between August 23rd and 26th.

Visit the official website for more information.