ModSquad’s June Roadshow: E3 and US-Ireland Top 50

Just in the past week, ModSquad was represented at two major events on both coasts of the United States, meeting clients and partners, soaking in new offerings in one of our favorite industries… and did we mention picking up another shiny award for the ModSquad trophy case?

Los Angeles: We started our E3 experience a day early to attend EA Play, a fan-fest and showcase event at which EA Games previews their newest titles. The most anticipated release is action MMO Anthem, in which players will don mech suits called Javelins and explore a vibrant and gorgeous open world. EA Sports took the spotlight with new FIFA, Madden, and NBA Live titles in the works for 2019. Other exciting upcoming titles include Star Wars: Battlefront II, Battlefield V, and a multiplayer update to platformer title Unraveled.

At E3, the Bethesda booth was our first stop, which set the fun-and-games tone that would prevail throughout the show. What better way to kick off E3 than by smashing pennies in the Mement-O-Matic? We attended a Fallout-style Reclamation Day party and accepted an invitation to an ice cream social held by the developers of Rage 2, where we got a sneak peek at gameplay. Bethesda also had some VR experiences; it seems they are creating VR games for all of their beloved franchises.

Other standouts included the Nintendo booth, where we experienced the new Mario Tennis Aces and new Nintendo Switch versions of Fortnite and Overcooked 2. The Playstation booth offered playable demos for Destiny 2: Forsaken and Call of Duty: Black Ops 4.

Over at the Microsoft Theater at LA Live, we familiarized ourselves with the new Xbox Adaptive Controller, developed to allow greater accessibility for those with disabilities. Multiple customizable inputs can be linked to the single Adaptive Controller to allow users to connect and play on their own terms. The Xbox showcase also previewed Gears of War, Sea of Thieves, and Halo Infinite.

At the IndieCade E3 Showcase, which featured a curated selection of international independent video and tabletop games and installations, we played the demo for promising 8-bit racing game Desert Child. We also hit the National Videogame Museum for a healthy dose of nostalgia, where we spent some quality time with an archaic Vectrex. Hey, all games start somewhere!

But the cherry on top was the celebratory dinner we hosted for friends and clients at Fleming’s Steakhouse at LA Live. It was a grand gathering filled with fabulous food, liquid libations, and congenial camaraderie.

New York: ModSquad was honored to be feted at the eleventh annual US-Ireland Top 50 New York-New Belfast Conference. For the fourth year in a row, ModSquad (which has an Operations Center in Londonderry, Northern Ireland) was recognized as a high-performance business in Ireland and around the world.

We’re in good company. Along with ModSquad, brands like Amazon, Bank of America, Allstate, HBO, Moet Hennessy, and Mastercard were among the recipients of the coveted award. Representing ModSquad was COO Mike Pinkerton, who also took part in a panel discussion in the “Tech Start-Up Shaping the Future” presentation.

“In 2015, our three-year plan was to triple our business with European clients and hire 100 employees in Northern Ireland,” said Pinkerton. “We were thrilled to exceed those goals and we’re excited to be honored again as a US-Ireland Top 50 company.”

At ModSquad, we keep a hectic travel pace, from conferences to awards ceremonies and more. When will an event bring us to your corner of the world? Watch this space.