About rAge
| Dates | 1 - 3 October 2010 |
| Times | Friday: 10h00-18h00 | Saturday: 09h00-18h00 | Sunday: 10h00-16h00 |
| Tickets | Day ticket - R50.00 per person
Weekend Ticket - R80.00 per person Family Ticket - R160 (two adults and two children) Kids under 6 - free NAG LAN ticket - R300.00 |
| Venue | The Coca-Cola Dome | Corner Northumberland Road & Olievenhout Avenue | Northgate, North Riding http://www.thedome.co.za |
- To download the latest floorplan click here
- In addition to floor space, a variety of sponsorship packages are available. Please contact a sales representative for more information or e-mail us.
- To download a Report Back on rAge 2008 click here
- For travel and accommodation information click here
- To download a map overview of The Dome and GPS co-ordinates click here
What is rAge?
rAge is a cutting-edge showcase of the best computer and videogames, technology, gadgets and lifestyle entertainment products in the industry and is the ultimate escapist destination this October.
NAG LAN @ rAge
rAge will again feature the sleep-depriving three day NAG LAN @ rAge event. This is a wired melting pot of earth shattering and adrenalin-filled gaming in the form of a 53-hour BYOC (Bring Your Own Computer) NAG LAN. The NAG LAN @ rAge is the biggest gaming LAN in South Africa, with a minimum of 2,000 gamers connected to the same network for a weekend of pure gaming. The entire event translates into a gaming fanatic’s ultimate experience. Tickets for the NAG LAN go on sale at Computicket on 1 August 2010 and are expected to be sold out within weeks.
Review: rAge 2009
The seventh edition of rAge bucked the economic downturn in 2009 and grew its attendance figures compared with 2008. The expo showcased some of the biggest names in the industry and provided exhibitors with a prime sales and marketing platform. The annual rAge expo serves as a barometer of what’s happening in the gaming industry in Africa.
“We were very aware of the economic environment in which we found ourselves last year and maintained conservative expectations of even equalling the previous year’s visitor figures. We were thrilled to have grown our figures by 6% from 2008 with a total of 19,488 visitors at the 2009 expo. The expo’s consistent year-on-year growth is also attributed to the phenomenal support it enjoys from our exhibitors who invest enormously in marketing their participation to their customers. 1,822 NAG LAN tickets sold out in a record two days and was an exceptionally successful event, also boasting its highest number of gamers to date. When you add the 340 Telkom Do Gaming VIP players, there was a record total of 2,162 players in the LAN in 2009, making it Africa’s largest LAN,” said Michael James, Senior Project Manager for rAge.
Why gaming?
Expectations for gaming in 2009 were extremely high after the phenomenal upsurge experienced within the videogame industry in 2008. In truth, what many believed to be a recession-proof industry turned out to be just as susceptible to the economic crisis as every other entertainment-related venture. As such, gaming did fall prey to a slight decrease in sales across all regions worldwide. This naturally led to widespread debate and needless panic throughout the gaming world, but the fact remains that 2009 was still the second-biggest year in gaming’s history*, despite being held back by the recession. Consider a title like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, which is not only the biggest-selling game of all time, but also had what publisher Activision called “the biggest launch in history across all forms of entertainment” after sales of the game totalled $310 million (which equates to nearly 5 million copies of the game being sold) just 24 hours after being launched in November 2009 – and those figures accounted for North America and the U.K. alone. Two months after its release, the game had broken the billion-dollar threshold – and it’s not done yet. Other titles (like New Super Mario Bros. Wii) also enjoyed massive success in 2009, despite the recession’s constant looming over gaming’s perpetual optimism. Videogames still managed to make their way into the hearts and minds of consumers the world over, competing for both their time and money despite the understandable lack of both in these difficult times. It’s also important to note that December 2009 was the best month ever (in terms of sales figures) in the history of gaming. The industry momentum built in December is expected to continue well into 2010, with several titles that were initially slated for a 2009 release now landing this year to drive gaming’s success even further.
*It is important to consider that digital distribution, downloadable-content sales and social-network gaming (on sites like Facebook) – all of which saw significant growth in 2009 – are not factored into the equation.
Who makes rAge happen?
Besides a crack team of event organisers, public relations experts and a vast number of external service providers, rAge is powered and owned by the dedicated and experienced team who publish NAG magazine. NAG is South Africa’s leading gaming, computer and technology magazine, and has been published monthly since 1998.
Who attends rAge?
Besides the eager hordes of NAG LAN attendees and army of promotional giveaway looters, rAge attracts an interesting cross section from the general public. Nobody is spared, from reluctant moms being dragged to rAge to appease their kids or honour good grade deals, to technologically savvy young adults interested in sampling the gaming phenomenon without any pressure to commit. Each year the attendance demographic slowly evolves to reflect similar trends overseas, so we’re able to predict what might be relevant to our market here in South Africa based on proven track records.
“We’re definitely seeing more families come to rAge over the weekend, and when they get there they’re always surprised by how many other families are there,” said James.
“If you feel that the opportunities to connect with your kids are few and far between, the solution might be to break out a video game. (Seriously!)” – Scott Alexander, Family Circle
The top reason parents play video games with their children:
- It’s fun for the entire family: 82%
- Because they’re asked to: 81%
- It’s a good opportunity to socialise with the children: 78%
- It’s a good opportunity to monitor game content: 63%
Source: Entertainment Software Association
According to the ESA (Entertainment Software Association) in their 2009 Sales Demographic and Usage Data Report, the average game player is 35 years old and has been playing games for 12 years. Interestingly, the average age of the most frequent game purchaser is 39. The gender split is 60% male and 40% female, highlighting that computer games are no longer a male pastime.
“A new study found that more than half of adults play video games, about one-fifth play daily or almost every day.” – Daniel Sieberg, CBS Evening News
rAge 2009 attracted hardcore, serious and casual gamers, technology junkies, computer enthusiasts, industry players who do business during the show and families looking for a fun day out. This audience, which ranges from 12-year-olds to 50-year-olds, comes to rAge to spend their time and money on what they love and on what makes them tick: to experience technology of all sorts, to play the latest games on display, and to enjoy an exclusive look at what’s coming in the months ahead. rAge appeals to anyone who’s into the fun side of technology.
Why exhibit at rAge?
The niche market to which rAge caters cannot be ignored, and rAge, now in its eighth year, is perfectly positioned to offer exhibitors a unique opportunity to market and expand awareness of their brands and products to an ideal and captive audience.
This expo has become an important marketing tool for brands, products and services aimed at casual and hardcore gamers, computer enthusiasts, the youth and technology conscious families. The expo is a fantastic opportunity to debut new products, promote unique concepts and showcase existing technologies in a hands-on environment. For retailers, rAge is the perfect place to build awareness and interact face-to-face with their consumers.
Gamers and computer enthusiasts are a discerning group of consumers for companies to target; they are media literate, switched on and extremely passionate. rAge is the ideal environment to engage with highly motivated buyers and to nab their interest in a specific brand.
Marketing and Public Relations Campaign
Based on the success of previous years, an extensive print, online and outdoor advertising campaign has been put in place for execution leading up to the expo. Public relations, promotions, and branding strategies will also be utilised to create awareness through the use of established media partnerships.
Primary product categories
PC and console gaming, computer hardware and software, gaming peripherals, gaming apparel and accessories, local game development studios, media and creative arts colleges, comics, anime, figurines, cosplay, trading cards, digital lifestyle gear, home entertainment and mobile technology, movies, music and more.