The NiceOne Barcelona festival - new name, new games

November 28 marks the start of a festival dedicated to the art that is gaming. The newly named NiceOne Barcelona (previous editions were called GamesWorld) is the one event of the year hormonal teenagers might actually go to without mum and dad having to manhandle them out of the house. 

Nevertheless even if you don't still have spots, there are plenty of activites on offer for all ages. The gaming festival stretches between 28 November and 1 December held at the Fira venue at Gran Via in the south of Barcelona, and there are opportunities to play the top games of 2019, and there are also experiences, pro-competitions and even e-sports - welcome to the 21st century everyone. 

400 ways to play

There are 400 different stations where games can be played. The website advertises that genres including sports, strategy, fighting, and driving. Gameplay also includes FPS and battle royale (don't worry if you don't know what this means, we didn't at first either). 

Games include the latest versions of Call of Duty, Fifa 20, Mortal Kombat and many more.

Immersive experiences 

A round world is turning ever-more square as digital immersion is developing year on year. This year, there are virtual reality experiences ranging from Tower Tag, a Red Helmet shooting tournament, and for the classiest among you, zombies. Yum. 

Why play real sport when there's e-sport?

The latest staple of human life to transcend/descend (depending on which way you want to look at it) from real to virtual are sports - e-sports are becoming ever more popular, and there are a series of tournaments at the festival to account for this. 

These include the Circuito Tormenta, for which 1,500 teams (what a world) have competed previously to get to the Grand Final, held at this weekend's event. 

Play retro games

For those trying to relive their teenage years, or those who want to see what it was like to live in a world where technology's role was subordinate, head to the retro gaming section, where you can relive/try out games from the 70s and 80s.

Watch pro-matches

Correct, watching pro-gamers is a spectacle now. At NiceOne, attendees will be able to watch virtual experts strut their stuff in a series of head to heads that true gamer boffins will not want to miss. 

Everyone else, there is a life out there to enjoy. 

Career advice 

For those who are wanting to pursue a career in video-gaming, (trying not to judge) there is an e-campus section of the event, where universities that offer courses on digital entertainment will give advice and presentations for those who don't fancy a degree buried in textbooks. 

Put that controller down

There is a section of the festival however to remind the teenage mind that there is more to the world than a screen. 

Funfest, for people 18 or over, allows attendees to enjoy performances, presentations, parades and musical acts.  

Tickets are available on NiceOne's official website, as well as a full list of scheduled activities.