The UK: Where is our Classic gaming scene???

[tmc]

Where is the Uk Classic Gaming scene???

I read and listen to many podcasts and websites where there seems to be a healthy scene in the US for Classic gaming conventions, get-togethers and even arcade auctions. But the UK? dosn't seem to be much of a scene at all.

I recall there being some small event in Kenilworth, West Midlands a few years ago but it was pulled.

Honestly, the only time i've been to an event surrounded by like minded classic gaming enthusiasts was either at Videogames Live, music show in London or at the Game on exhibition and both of these events were i one off in their locations.

I'd love to be able to go to a Classic gaming expo and i know the UK will never be able to pull of something on a scale like that but surely there must be a market for it? where is our CGE?

I'd love to be able to visit the UK equivilent of Funspot arcade, where there is a healthy colection of classic games where the best players go to play in public? where is that
arcade?

I'd love to be able to go to view something like the EVO tournament in Vegas where i could watch the best UK 2D fighters pitch it against each other for a UK title? where is our EVO?

I'd love to even go to a UK equvilent of the healthy arcade auction scene in the US, sometimes it seems the best we have is ebay! but i want to roam among the cabinets, speak to others interested in the scene and generally soak up the atmosphere. Where is ourarcade auction scene?

Maybe it's all out there? Maybe we just don't spread the word like we should?

Can anyone help point me in the direction of anything that they think i might like attending in the UK in the Classic Gaming genre?

many thanks and sorry to the many people on these boards who are not from the UK and to whom this post is useless!

[tom]

trouble is that in UK many classic game exhibitions go on for 1 or 2 times, and after that people lose interest and it gets cancelled.
Best to keep yourself informed via Retro Gamer, the magazine

[Mayhem]

Well there are gatherings, but admitedly they don't tend to be hugely advertised as much as they should. Or they are more private affairs (witness the recent Retrovision (http://www.retrovision.org.uk) gathering for example, my pics from it are here (http://www.flickr.com/photos/mayhemers/sets/72157603884882340/)). There were two equivalent CGE shows here in the UK in 2004 and 2005, but it became too costly and too time consuming to keep doing them afaik. After all, even the workholics that are Joe, Sean and John had a break in 2006.

The closest public gathering you're gonna get will probably be put together by Chris Wilkins (Boyo) in the future, I know he wants to do another one, but who knows when. All about time and money again. He's fronting Eurogamer's new Retro section so that's taking up some of his time for starters.

Now if you'd asked back in 2006 I would have said Eurocon. This is a European based gaming convention, usually quite small (20-30 people) and many of us have known each other for years. Anyhow 2006 saw myself helping to run the one in Blackpool (http://www.flickr.com/photos/mayhemers/sets/72157594352770828/) whereas last year's was held in The Netherlands (http://www.flickr.com/photos/mayhemers/sets/72157602937055835/). 2008 will be in Germany at a place famous for having many classic arcade machines! Dates to be announced though...

Speaking of gaming arcades, there did used to be one on the south coast called Retrokade, and I did get to visit it a couple of times. Sadly a combination of not enough revenue (sense a familiar trend here?!) and being evicted from their location without finding a replacement eventually ended up in the owners selling most of the machines I believe. There was some excellent stuff in there for sure, a lot of classic machines and a few obscure ones to boot (Inferno, Mad Planets for example).

Actually checking the site it seems many are still available so who knows in the future if anything changes?