Széchenyi István University hosted a highly successful event, PlayIT, on Saturday 23 March: the national gamerexpo was attended by nearly three thousand people. The event attracted people of all ages and offered fun for the whole family, with several venues on campus for gaming and e-sports enthusiasts.

The country's largest gaming event, PlayIT, visited Széchenyi István University, where four different venues were open to all ages. HUMDA's "Road safety" activity was very popular with the younger kids, where they could learn about the importance of road safety on a road safety course with scooters, go-karts and electric mini-motorbikes. Other popular activities included virtual reality games, various simulators, a special Star Wars exhibition, board games and motor racing-related activities.

"We are delighted that several exhibitors from Győr joined our event, as well as Willisits Gokart and the "Sas és Kos Társasjátékbolt" (Eagle and Ram Board Game Shop). In addition, we consider presenting our university's highly successful student teams, such as SZEnergy and Arrabona Racing Team, as well as the activities of the HUMDA Hungarian Mobility Development Agency, which is part of the Széchenyi University Group important", emphasised Tamás Kovács, one of the organisers of the event and a development engineer at the university's Digital Development Centre.

The PlayIT participants had the chance to try out several simulators, which were very popular among all age groups (Photo: Máté Dudás)

One of the claim to fame of the event was drone football, where a South Korean and a German team competed against each other and introduced this sport to the audience, which is still little known in Hungary. In Mobilis, interactive experiences and exciting round-table discussions awaited the visitors, and the automobile and engine simulators on display were also a big hit. Several well-known racing drivers (Norbert Kiss, Dániel Nagy and Gergő Báldi) were present and competed against each other on simulators. In the lobby of the New Knowledge building there was a sold-out LAN party, which had a large number of foreign visitors from Sweden, Great Britain, Croatia and other countries.

"PlayIT was an excellent opportunity to introduce the university to as many people as possible and to show the opportunities the institution offers in the world of motorsport and e-sport. We have sought to take advantage of the unique location of the campus with the various venues for the event. We added unique elements to the event that are not common to similar gamerexpo events, providing an even broader range of activities. he event has shown that many people are interested in e-sports and gaming, and we want to continue this in the future, with an even broader portfolio," added Tamás Kovács. 

Tamás Müller and Dávid Pócza were also captivated by the wide range of products at the gamerexpo at Széchenyi University (Photo: Máté Dudás)

Dávid Pócza, a high school student, visited the event on the recommendation of his friends, where he was most interested in the simulators and had the opportunity to try them out. "I first attended PlayIT in Győr five years ago, and this year's event is quite large-scale and offers a wide range of activities for everyone," he said. His friend Tamás Müller, also in high school, was attending gamerexpo for the first time. "Everyone could find a programme that suited their interests, and I was also attracted by a number of venues," he added.  

Széchenyi University students Medárd Papp and Sára Sümegi visited the event for the LAN party (Photo: Máté Dudás)

Medárd Papp, a civil engineering student at Széchenyi István University, and Sára Sümegi, an architecture student, came to the event mainly for the LAN party and to meet several well-known e-sports gamers and streamers (DeadFox, Kodiak). "We were fascinated by the event, we were able to try out many things, one of which is Beat the Pro, which I have been interested in for a long time. PlayIT was a great opportunity to try out as many things as possible," said Medárd Papp. 

Gallery (Photos: Máté Dudás)