By Travis LeFevre
A night of video games and friendly times is hard to beat. On Saturday, the Buffalo Game Space hosted its third annual Buffalo Game Expo (BGX) in Suite 454 at the Tri-Main Center in Buffalo.
Once known as the BGS Showcase, the Buffalo Game Space has hosted BGX to help independent video game developers spread the word and raise awareness for their projects.
"For the most part, all the games you see here today, the people standing next to them are the people who made them. They're right here in your backyard, and ... (given) a chance to show off the really amazing work they do," said John Futscher, president of the board of directors.
BGX featured a handful of board games and video games. From "Shotgun Farmers," a first-person shooter with a unique agricultural twist and two-dimensional platformer "Abyxsis - The Demon Reborn," there was a diverse blend of genres and game types for all gamers to enjoy. Some of these games have already been put onto the market while others are still waiting for their debut to the public.
BGX is part of the push to make Buffalo an epicenter for the arts.
"I think a lot of people look at - specifically game development - as something like 'Oh, you have to be in San Francisco or Austin to do something like that,' and that's just not the case. There are people here, in town, working in this industry, making amazing cool things. We want people to see that," Futscher said.
The Buffalo Game Space is a nonprofit that provides help to new and experienced developers alike. It offers co-working, workshops and mentorships, as well as access to equipment gamers may not be able to receive on their own - like VR headsets, green screens and sound booths.
Currently, the Buffalo Game Space does not have its next big event planned; however, it offers meet-ups on a regular basis. These are open to the public. These meet-ups are specially made for a variety of topics, including writing and visual arts.
"We encourage anybody who's interested in it, or think they might want to take a stab at it, (to) just meet other people who do it," Futscher said.
More information on meet-ups, membership and other events from the Buffalo Game Space, visit
https://buffalogamespace.com or call 716-427-3247.
