Learning about the video game industry is always exciting, and GG Fest 2026 set out to accomplish that. Holding various panels with industry leaders ahead of the New York Video Game Awards, the NY Video Games Circle took inspiration from events like Comic Con and Anime NYC.
Attending GG Fest to represent Lords of Gaming, I attended all the panels and even saw the Supergiant Games concert that closed out the event.
My Body is Ready – Fireside Chat with Reggie Fils-Aimé
The event started with a fireside chat with former Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aimé and NYVGCC President Harold Goldberg. As someone who grew up with Nintendo during the eras that Reggie led NOA, it was enlightening to hear some of the stories he shared with everyone at GG Fest.
Learning that, before becoming fully acquainted with Shigeru Miyamoto, the Nintendo legend was in full agreement with Reggie about approaching marketing the Nintendo DS differently than prior Nintendo platforms was awesome.
In addition, it’s no secret that Nintendo’s rebound from the Wii U is one for the ages. But hearing Reggie publicly comment to everyone about how maintaining relationships with major partners was challenging and doing his best to maintain content coming to the struggling console was powerful.
The most important statement from Reggie was highlighting the Wii U’s features and how that allowed the Switch to develop into the juggernaut it is today. It just shows that sometimes, it’s important to give more ‘outlandish’ and risky concepts a chance. You never know what can become the next landmark hit.
A Chat with Pokémon: The Journey So Far
To celebrate the impressive 30th anniversary of the legendary Pokémon series, TPCi’s Elvin Gee and some special guests took the stage to discuss the series.
While I’m not the biggest fan of the games, my biggest takeaway from the panel is how much of a team effort it is to manage the Pokémon brand. Elvin Gee and other speakers expressed their history with the brand, with many starting with Pokémon Red & Blue on the Game Boy Color.
The project the panelists highlighted was the success of the Pokémon World Championships. They were very proud, spotlighting talented players and the passionate parents of their children participating in the event. As someone who is largely unaware of the happenings in the Pokémon Trading Card Game, it’s nice seeing youth enjoy it as much as the mainline Pokémon games.
Speaking of the games, the panelists closed out by saying there’s much to look forward to. Considering it’s the series 30th anniversary, it’s undoubtedly an exciting time to be a fan.
The part of the panel that stuck out to me was how it put a human element to the Pokémon Company. Everyone there loves the brand, as one charming note from a panelist highlighted that each employee has a Pokémon. And some staff decorate their desks and work area with plushies of said pocket monster.
Overall, I enjoyed this panel as a casual fan of the series. Also, taking a picture with Pikachu and Eve was a fun memory I will never forget.
The Daily Show: TV Comedy Is Different From Game Comedy
The next panel focused on video game writing, specifically the challenges of translating comedy to gaming and other media. The panelists were Daniel Radosh and Devin Delliquanti from The Daily Show and former Respawn writer Manny Hagopian (Titanfall, Titanfall 2, Jedi: Fallen Order, Apex Legends).
Hearing Manny go through his writing process when questioned about how he nailed comedy in the titles he worked on was interesting. Video games are an interactive medium, and in many ways, we, the players, have the power to be the comedians.
One example of this was when Manny highlighted a section from Jedi: Fallen Order. Some Stormtroopers are near a ledge, and Cal is out of sight. They were very cocky, acting like they could take down anyone coming their way… But Kal could Force Push or Pull them toward the pit ahead of them.
It shows how, when developing a video game, designers and writers work together on scenarios where the player has the power to deliver the punchline set up by the development team. But what happens when the player character doesn’t speak?
That’s when another example was highlighted, with Manny pointing out how the goofy grunt characters in Titanfall 1 sell the world to players, as their dialogue about the player character (the Pilots) reveals how a game world feels about them.
The Inside Baseball of Titanfall 2’s Writing
Speaking of Respawn’s titles, Titanfall 2’s iconic BT character went through trial and error. Originally, Cooper’s trusty robotic companion didn’t have a strong brotherly bond with the pilot. Instead, he was bossing Cooper around and featured a more robotic tone of voice.
This changed during development, with Manny’s relationship with his mentor being a cornerstone of inspiration for the bond between BT and Cooper.
The Nexus – Connecting the Player and Game Character
One of the most eye-opening talking points was how all three panelists described what they called ‘the Nexus’. This is when the audience or player forms a connection with the media.
While examples were given for The Daily Show through its multiple audiences across live shows, podcasts, and more, when it comes to video games, that connection is even more paramount. A great example given was Cal from Jedi: Fallen Order.
The player is eager to use the Force and do cool Star Wars things, but Cal is in hiding. He doesn’t want to do what the player does. So there is friction in the early goings between the player and Cal. However, after a major story sequence, Cal is finally pushed into tapping into the Force.
At this point, the player and Cal meet in this ‘Nexus’, and the game truly begins for both of them. Many games have moments like this, with the panelists citing Uncharted 4’s opening section in Drake’s attic and Last of Us Part 2’s snowball fight between Elie and a few kids.
This ‘Nexus’ is critical to nail, and I loved learning more about this.
What’s The Best Game Of The Last 15 Years? – NYVGCC Critics Debate
By far the funniest panel at GG Fest was the New York Video Games Critics Circle debating the best game of the last fifteen years. Having every NY Video Game Awards GOTY winner on screen, a panel of five or so members from the circle went in, well, circles, trying to figure out the greatest video game.
While it was disheartening to see games like Astro Bot and Psychonauts 2 immediately off the table, everyone in the audience cheered, booed, and celebrated as the panel slowly whittled the list to a smaller batch of games.
In the end, Hades was selected as the best game in the last fifteen years. And with it being pitted against The Last of Us, it’s a beautiful game to contrast it with. That title was a landmark game for storytelling in the industry, but its gameplay was not its greatest strength. But a game like Hades used story as a reward for getting further in a decidedly more gameplay-driven experience.
Overall, it was a delight experiencing an earnest, real conversation between people who love video games. In many ways, it humanized video game critics, people who, often, casual audiences and hardcore gamers alike, don’t always treat with the most respect.
Supergiant Games: Unplugged Concert
Closing out the event was a beautiful Supergiant Games concert. And clearly, it was the star attraction, with the theater buzzing with fans eager to listen to their favorite tracks from Transistor, Hades II, and more.
As a casual fan of Supergiant Games’ output, I was blown away by the music played. The crowd had roaring reactions to the songs from Hades II, played live for the first time since the game’s 1.0 release.
However, music from Transitior tugged at my heartstrings with its emotional tracks, with two specific standouts being ‘In Circles’ and ‘Paper Boats’. Both told heartbreaking stories about loss and togetherness, with outstanding vocals from vocalist Ashley Barrett and SuperGiant Games’ audio director Darren Korb.
Finishing the concert was a melody called ‘Remember the Bastion’ and man, I sure did. I have fond memories of playing that on my PS Vita years ago, and hearing its music again was a treat.
Overall, this was one of my biggest highlights of the event, and if you want to check out more concerts from the Supergiant Games team, a few other live performances are on their official YouTube channel.
The Show Is Over – Conclusion on GG Fest 2026
I love video games, but learning how my favorite medium works behind the scenes is equally engaging. So, learning how Reggie ran Nintendo of America, some insight from the Pokémon Company, gaining valuable writing advice, and enjoying one of the best video game concerts since the Sonic Symphony, it was an event I’ll never forget.
I look forward to seeing how GG Fest 2027 turns out and can’t wait to report on that here at Lords of Gaming in the future.
