The past two weekends have seen the Devil Pig Demo Team from The Aftermath Gaming club take to the roads. The first show was the Hereward Gaming show based in Peterborough on the 4th September and the team consisted of myself (Lee) Asa and Leon.
The show was easy to find and situated in a really nice venue, finding our table was easy and we were soon greeted by a show organiser. As this was our first ever demo as a team we wanted to see how out plan worked out, the thought of a L type shape for our table layout was what we wanted to achieve so we could have to participation zones and a display area in the centre. We soon set up the tables, put together the clubs newly purchased display board and set about laying out the gaming mats and components we would need for the day. Happy with how it looked we grabbed our complementary coffee and waited for the doors to open.
There wasn't a huge scrum when the doors opened but more of a steady build up, my first customer was a young lad with his grandparents, time to put my rusty demoing skills to the test! I soon found my flow and relaxed into the role, the first happy customer, he loved the game and wanted his grandparents to buy it for him there and then. As we weren't selling the game, he was handed one of our nicely printed Heroes of Normandie cards and given advice on where he could purchase the game. Myself and Asa soon found ourselves with a number of participation games but with enough time to talk in between on how things could be changed for Colours in reading which we knew was going to be huge and a different experience altogether.
Sometimes people just wanted to talk about the game or stand and admire our display, I found myself often talking not only about Heroes of Normandie but also about Devil Pig Games, the artwork of the game and other titles such as Kharnage and the future Kickstarter HON card game. Asa acknowledged my "gift of the gab" as he called it and I must say I enjoyed talking to people about the game just as much as I did explaining it.
The day soon went and Asa concluded the event with a visit from the same young lad that I had started the day with, he loved the game and came back for another go. We rewarded his interest with a free character which seemed to make his day. We packed up in approx 20 mins and started the journey home.
Our second show was Colours based at Newbury racecourse on the 10th September and the team consisted of myself (Lee) Asa and Mark. I woke from my slumber at 4am to get ready, pack up the gear and wait for Mark and Asa to collect me at 5am. We packed the car in the dark which was challenge number one and set off to get at the show for a 9 o'clock set up.
Colours is a show that none of us had been to before so we had no idea what to expect, all we knew was that it was situated over three floors and we were on the second level. Colours is considered one of the largest shows in the country so we prepared ourselves for what could intentionally a really busy day, it was!
We found the venue, parked up and carried out equipment to our tables, Asa had the idea to change the table layout into an upside down /\ shape. This meant that the display board would stand at the point and the two table that created the /\ would form a nice welcoming open space, it was a perfect design and worked brilliantly.
It was all a bit bizarre, it seemed that one minute I was standing in a calm room looking out the window taking some photos and the next minute I turned around and our level was full. It didn't take long before both tables where in action and it stayed like this for the remainder of the day.
It was great to see both existing players of the game as well as those that had never heard of Heroes of Normandie come over and talk to us. Some people just wanted to ask rules queries, others wanted a full game and others came to ask about Kharnage and the new Kickstarter.
One thing that stood out for me was the diversity of the audience, young, old, male and female, These are games for everyone!
What I did notice when walking around having a break was that we where the only gaming club demo team promoting a companies products in an official capacity. It seems like all the other clubs where there purely demoing a game instructed by their club. Our stand was colourful, enticing and full of laughter and smiles.
The day ended and we made our way to the accommodation, orders some food and had a pint, upon reflection we think that we have pretty much nailed it. We have out table structure, rotate demo mats and will be introducing the Commonwealth forces to future shows. At both shows we had a product showcase where we could show examples of punch boards, scenario sets and let people see the contents first hand.
We are great fans of Devil Pig Games and with Kharnage on the horizon as well as the card game and who knows what else we are really proud to be classified as their official UK demo team. We feel we have introduced the game and company to a wider audience as well as support existing players with ideas for scenarios and multiplayer games like out large all day game we held recently.
Plans are already under way for next year and bookings are being made, as a club we have more ideas for large days games and will certainly be looking at a tournament.
For more information on Devil Pig games visit their website and Facebook page and our own Fan page Devil Pig Games Fanatics.
Lee Lowe
Aftermath Gaming club
No comments:
Post a Comment