Midwest Gaming Classic 2010 3/26-3/28 THIS WEEKEND!!! [Archive]

wallydawg

09-30-2009, 11:19 PM

The MGC facebook page says it's going to be at the Sheraton in Brookfield, WI. I'm kind of bummed about it since I've grown to love the Olympia but I'm sure the Sheraton will be just as nice.

Minor point is that The Sheraton also apparently charges $10 a day for WIFI, where it was free at the Olympia (even if it was pretty crappy wifi haha).

http://www.facebook.com/search/?q=midwest+gaming+classic&init=quick#/group.php?gid=2230322134&ref=search&sid=1781110320.2725206238..1

GrandAmChandler

10-01-2009, 06:44 AM

I will be there, vending again. Should be a great time, and glad to hear it's closer to the city!

Special DP trip to Lakerz is in the works. Stay tuned for details.

Tempest

10-01-2009, 09:57 AM

I should be there. It's a convenient excuse to visit my relatives and get beer. :)

Tempest

Tupin

10-01-2009, 05:25 PM

WizDawg

10-02-2009, 04:13 PM

I'm going to try to make it in '10.

I highly recommend the show... lots of good stuff to buy, play, and do.

Matt-El

10-03-2009, 11:38 AM

I'm going to try to make it up there, I want to see some more announcements before I book my trip from St. Louis.

They have a museum, right? Can you bring your own machines to put on display for others?

You can contact the organizers to set up a booth for a certain system. Most of them were pretty dang covered last year, so You'd have to check.

Brookfield is closer to me now than oconomowoc, so i may just drive back and forth from home.

Tupin

10-16-2009, 06:46 PM

Anymore news?

Tupin

10-27-2009, 11:19 PM

The site was updated with more info:

http://www.midwestgamingclassic.com/news/55/15/Midwest-Gaming-Classic-Location-Announced-and-Tickets-On-Sale/

I'll have to book my trip soon!

Compute

11-04-2009, 08:17 AM

I am planning to be there, hopefully I can convince my gf that it's a good idea.. :D

Skaarg

11-18-2009, 11:16 PM

I've just started looking around for some sort of thing to go to in the midwest region, and I think this will be a perfect first experience. I'm really looking forward to seeing the classic computers "museum" I've been told about on other sites.

Compute

11-19-2009, 08:55 AM

Last year I spoke with Marty Goldberg about displaying systems, and he told me that he would appreciate people lending systems for the museum so he does not have to haul out so much of his own collection. Contact the organizers if you would like to contribute anything. If you're not selling, you can always work for your admission..it's a pretty low-impact gig and they give you time to wander about..

Carey85

11-30-2009, 02:27 AM

I'm planning on being there again as half of the Beef Min Games team. Actually, I'm not planning on bringing much, if anything, to sell this year. However, there is now a third member of the Beef Min team that will be selling in my place this year that honestly has better loot than I had this last time :). I'm leaning more towards the idea of bringing some of my Atari items to display so that the "lol, I took out a second mortgage to buy Video Life, lol" collectors can laugh at the mediocrity of the highlights of my collection.

nectarsis

11-30-2009, 11:01 AM

Can't wait..year #3 here I come.

s1lence

12-01-2009, 02:48 PM

I'll be there again.

Probably no official party though as this year it is in a different location, no suites/ajoining rooms.

Still will be a good time.

Tupin

01-03-2010, 05:28 PM

Any more news? I'm gonna book my trip this week.

Compute

01-04-2010, 09:06 AM

Anyone want to join up on a room? Finances will not allow me to spring the whole cost. I will be driving from Appleton and would like to stay Saturday night. I might be up for Friday night, too, depending who all shows up that I know. Thanks guys!

portnoyd

01-04-2010, 09:33 AM

I would lock in your flights now. I got mine from NJ for $160 roundtrip.

Compute

01-06-2010, 08:46 AM

Has anyone spoken in private about the possibility of DP name badges like last year? I thought that was a pretty neat thing to do (and it didn't afraid of anybody).

Tupin

01-06-2010, 09:04 PM

Just booked my flight and hotel, can't wait! :D

GrandAmChandler

01-08-2010, 09:47 AM

Has anyone spoken in private about the possibility of DP name badges like last year? I thought that was a pretty neat thing to do (and it didn't afraid of anybody).

I did them last year, but I doubt I am going to have the time to do them this year, if someone else would volunteer, that would be great!

-GAC-

Compute

01-10-2010, 05:26 AM

I did them last year, but I doubt I am going to have the time to do them this year, if someone else would volunteer, that would be great!

-GAC-

I had a feeling you were going to say that. I may be up for it this year, but I would need to coordinate with someone who has a booth to make sure they are distributed. Mind, I have no graphic design skillz so we may want a contest to make a template, unless everyone is cool with the design from last year.

Matt-El

01-10-2010, 07:16 PM

I'll be there again.

Probably no official party though as this year it is in a different location, no suites/ajoining rooms.

Still will be a good time.

Just FYI, there are club rooms available. They are rooms with an extra living area. Called about a quote and they are currently at 129.00 a night. The prices can change due to availability and customers, so you may want to see about locking in a reservation now @ that price.

I just reserved from Friday till Sunday. 2 beds so i'm available to room up with whoever, too. Another nugget of information: reserving online they will charge your credit/debit immediately. If short right now, i suggest whoever call the number available on the website and make your reservation.

Oh and im sure that any one of us would be happy to keep the badges at any of our booths. Last year, Dave of Video Game Kingdom helped out with that.

Carey85

01-13-2010, 01:21 AM

gamegirl79

01-13-2010, 11:41 AM

I'll definitely be there again this year! Good times, good times. The new hotel looks pretty nice, I look forward to checking it out.

GrandAmChandler

01-13-2010, 01:45 PM

Booked my ticket today! Catch me at the Video Game Kingdom booth (The guys in the red shirts.)

Matt-El

01-13-2010, 02:14 PM

I reserved online and they didn't charge my card. I don't think they are legally allowed to do that. If you cancel your reservation within a certain timeframe of the date, they can typically hit you with a service charge, which is usually equivalent to the cost of a night's stay.

That's cool if it happened that way for you. Either way i got a reservation knowing that i won't get charged right away, so i'm sound as a hound in a pound.

And yeah, so long as you don't cancel a day before, then penalty.

Tupin

01-15-2010, 05:25 PM

If anyone else subscribes to the email news updates/check's Ben Heck's website, anyone else excited about Bill Paxton Pinball? :D

Compute

01-15-2010, 08:13 PM

Room booked for the show! I can't wait to see the look on my gf's brother's face when he sees the show.

Goodwill Hunter

01-16-2010, 10:43 AM

I did them last year, but I doubt I am going to have the time to do them this year, if someone else would volunteer, that would be great!

-GAC-

I'll be happy to update this design from last year as I still have the artwork files:

http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/8213/avatarbkx.jpg

And I can print them in advance so we can avoid any last minute technical difficulties. :)

Rich

Carey85

01-17-2010, 06:00 AM

I still have my DP badge holder as well as my AtariAge badge and MGC lanyard/badge from last year. My DP badge was ruined in an unfortunate ketchup incident while drunk at CCAG in October.

Matt-El

01-17-2010, 07:27 PM

I'll be happy to update this design from last year as I still have the artwork files:

http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/8213/avatarbkx.jpg

And I can print them in advance so we can avoid any last minute technical difficulties. :)

Rich

As i recall it wasn't printing them that was the issue last year, it was pins as chandler couldn't bring them on his plane ride. Safety issue.

Because as we all know, Chris is a terrorist, bomb in his underwear and all.:roll:

And I'm all for a new design for a badge, but something similar to yours yet simpler and easier to identify.

GrandAmChandler

01-18-2010, 05:50 PM

As i recall it wasn't printing them that was the issue last year, it was pins as chandler couldn't bring them on his plane ride. Safety issue.

Because as we all know, Chris is a terrorist, bomb in his underwear and all.:roll:

And I'm all for a new design for a badge, but something similar to yours yet simpler and easier to identify.

It was a combination of that, and running out of ink when we got to MGC. I am simply not local enough for this task. But I will be drinking beers like a Wisconsin local. Mark. My. Words.

WizDawg

01-18-2010, 07:18 PM

Plane and show tickets purchased. Wisconsin, once again I look forward to drinking your beer and trying to pronounce your cities' names.

Carey85

01-19-2010, 06:59 AM

It was a combination of that, and running out of ink when we got to MGC. I am simply not local enough for this task. But I will be drinking beers like a Wisconsin local. Mark. My. Words.

Could Chandler possibly be getting Blatz'd at MGC this year? I plan on doing some drinking, but I don't think I'll be getting too stupid this year. I'm getting too old to nurse hangovers after a night of binge drinking..... Who the hell am I kidding, I'll probably black out in the laundry/ice machine room like I did at MGC 2006.

Compute

01-19-2010, 09:17 AM

I'll be driving from an hour north, so if a certain type of pin is necessary I can snag em although I will probably not make it to the show until after 11am on Saturday.

If anyone is looking for suggestions of cheap beer, Beer:30 isn't too bad for swill $12/30cans. Grain Belt makes you fart hardcore. Since they reissued Schlitz all of the old man beers are trying to revitalize their image among the hipsters, so there is a LOT of cheap beer to be had. (also a lot of good beer, i.e. Fat Cat)

DHG Hunter

01-20-2010, 01:42 AM

They have a museum, right? Can you bring your own machines to put on display for others?

Out of curiosity, what kind of system/stuff did you want to show? You can PM me if you like. :)

Later.

Carey85

01-20-2010, 07:10 AM

I'll be drinking Leinie Lager out of cans, most likely. I might be drinking some Schlitz as well. IIRC a case of Leinie Lager was like $13 and it is one of the better cheap beers I've ever had. Schlitz is great, but pricing on it is highly erratic and varies from $6/12 pack cans to $11/12 pack bottles depending on where I've seen it.

Compute

01-20-2010, 08:37 AM

Have you had Mountain Creek? It's like $8 for a case lol

gamegirl79

01-20-2010, 09:04 AM

I'm driving up from St. Louis and will arrive on Friday afternoon, so I can also bring pins for the badges if need be.

98PaceCar

01-20-2010, 11:42 AM

Just booked everything I need to make the trip. Looking forward to it!!

Mobius

01-20-2010, 10:39 PM

Am I misremembering, or did the admission price for Saturday go up? Was it always $20? Regardless, I'll be there, I'm just temporarily confused.

Carey85

01-21-2010, 02:05 PM

DHG Hunter

01-21-2010, 04:18 PM

It used to be $20 for a two day pass. They raised it this year, looks like. Kinda shitty, IMO, but it is still a good show and I think the increased price will result in lower attendance. I've got to find out whether or not I've got a vendor pass coming to me.

$20 when you pre-purchased online last year for a two-day pass since there are no two-day passes offered at the gate. This year it is $25 for both days when you pre-purchase. Otherwise, it is $20 for Saturday and still only $10 for Sunday.

The $5 increase is largely because the venue we are at this year in the heart of Milwaukee costs significantly more than what the Olympia cost, not to mention we literally had to foot the majority of the bill to help modernize the Sheraton's power grid to meet our increased needs this year. On the plus side, though, we were able to get the Sheraton to lower their room fees below what the Olympia charged, so the $5 extra you may pay at the gate is offset by the cheaper room costs. If you are planning on staying more than one night you will have of course saved even more.

Obviously, if we could have gotten the Sheraton at the same price of the Olympia we would have held the line on tickets even further, but unfortunately the nicer venue means a much higher cost for us. Still, I think that the event at $25 for two days isn't bad at all when you compare it with similar trade shows. We've also increased our square footage by more than a third, we have some really nice rooms and attractions set to be announced yet, and the swag bag will have some nice goodies this year that will again go a long way IMHO in covering the price of the tickets. In all honesty I think the show will grow again this year barring any unforeseeable disasters.

I hope to see a lot of the DP community come out again this year. It's a lot of work putting on the MGC, but it is also a lot of fun when the show starts. :)

Later.

YoshiM

01-22-2010, 12:57 PM

Definitely going again this year. If schedules work out, I'll be bringing my gamer little sister along as she's never been to anything like MGC before. She practically shot through the ceiling when I asked if she was interested.

martyg

01-22-2010, 02:36 PM

For anyone that's interested in pics from last year's show -

http://www.flickr.com/photos/91071283@N00/collections/72157622883180931/

Tupin

01-22-2010, 03:35 PM

Got an email from Midwest Airlines today, apparently they are canceling their planned St. Louis-Milwaukee route that was going to start March 1st and are trying to find other flights for people who booked that route.

Mobius

01-22-2010, 06:39 PM

$20 when you pre-purchased online last year for a two-day pass since there are no two-day passes offered at the gate. This year it is $25 for both days when you pre-purchase. Otherwise, it is $20 for Saturday and still only $10 for Sunday.

The $5 increase is largely because the venue we are at this year in the heart of Milwaukee costs significantly more than what the Olympia cost, not to mention we literally had to foot the majority of the bill to help modernize the Sheraton's power grid to meet our increased needs this year. On the plus side, though, we were able to get the Sheraton to lower their room fees below what the Olympia charged, so the $5 extra you may pay at the gate is offset by the cheaper room costs. If you are planning on staying more than one night you will have of course saved even more.

Obviously, if we could have gotten the Sheraton at the same price of the Olympia we would have held the line on tickets even further, but unfortunately the nicer venue means a much higher cost for us. Still, I think that the event at $25 for two days isn't bad at all when you compare it with similar trade shows. We've also increased our square footage by more than a third, we have some really nice rooms and attractions set to be announced yet, and the swag bag will have some nice goodies this year that will again go a long way IMHO in covering the price of the tickets. In all honesty I think the show will grow again this year barring any unforeseeable disasters.

I hope to see a lot of the DP community come out again this year. It's a lot of work putting on the MGC, but it is also a lot of fun when the show starts. :)

Later.

Ah hah, thought the price went up. The lower room price doesn't do much for those of us in driving distance who aren't staying the night, but it's not a huge deal. Especially if it means the speakers won't be out in the hallway anymore, and we'll actually be able to hear them!

Carey85

01-22-2010, 07:42 PM

Cool, looks like I've opened a can of worms. Take what I've said with a grain of salt. The general consensus is that I'm a stupid bastard who is never to be taken too seriously. I'm also almost always wrong. I also hope that the Sheraton treats you guys better than the Olympia appeared to. Always seemed to me that they tried to dump all over you guys whenever the oppurtunity arose.

DHG Hunter

01-22-2010, 09:00 PM

Ah hah, thought the price went up. The lower room price doesn't do much for those of us in driving distance who aren't staying the night, but it's not a huge deal. Especially if it means the speakers won't be out in the hallway anymore, and we'll actually be able to hear them!

Understandable, but then again those of you in driving distance are probably closer to Milwaukee than Oconomowoc, so you'll save on gas! Really, a win-win! ;)

Seriously, the Sheraton is just much more of a cost on our end than what the Olympia was. It should also be a much better venue, though, so I think it'll even out in the end.

I realize we haven't announced much on the MGC website about this yet, but we already have a ton of speakers lined up this year, so much so that we'll have two locations for speakers this time around, as well as several other "mini" events held in several of the rooms we'll be occupying this year.

Cool, looks like I've opened a can of worms. Take what I've said with a grain of salt. The general consensus is that I'm a stupid bastard who is never to be taken too seriously. I'm also almost always wrong. I also hope that the Sheraton treats you guys better than the Olympia appeared to. Always seemed to me that they tried to dump all over you guys whenever the oppurtunity arose.

Hehe, I'm sorry, I didn't mean anything negative in my post. Personally, I would find the tickets interesting too, so I just wanted to help explain the "why" a bit.

As for the Olympia, they treated us extremely well. Without their assistance it is very likely that the MGC would not be the show it is today, or perhaps even still exist. That said, when we needed to look for a larger venue after last year's show, the Sheraton not only turned out to be the most logical venue for the MGC, but the new management has also been extremely helpful to us so far.

I can honestly say that I think this year is going to be the best MGC yet. :)

Later.

Nophix

01-29-2010, 12:00 AM

I'm a definite yes for Saturday. I live 2 hours away so it'll be awesome. My wife and I are excited as can be! We're working on a retro gaming theme for our house so we're trying to pick some things up.

animesuperj

01-29-2010, 12:53 PM

I will be attending again this year. I think this is the 5th year for me. First time I went it was in the Sheraton, that was a while ago now, lol. I was thinking of bringing an arcade this year, since it's only about 5 minutes from my house. I did like the con at Olympia, but having it so close is a nice bonus as well :)

channelmaniac

01-30-2010, 12:44 AM

Arcadecomponents.com will be there!

We are a Silver Level sponsor as of this afternoon. :D Can't wait for the website to be updated to show us there!

I'm excited as this will be my first gaming show to put a booth up at. I'll be bringing lots of modified old game consoles, old computers (including a rare TI-99/4), and repaired arcade game boards along with Neo Geo cap kits, NAOMI super caps (the original ones LEAK and eat the board), EPROMs, custom chips, and more.

I'm going to be cheap and try to book the Hilton property near the Sheraton. I have over 250,000 Hilton points to use for free nights.

Raymond

YoshiM

02-02-2010, 04:57 PM

Anyone know if Video Game Kingdom is going to be a vendor again this year? I'd like to pick up a couple NES homebrews and rather than mail order, I'd just wait until MGC to pick them up.

GrandAmChandler

02-02-2010, 06:04 PM

Anyone know if Video Game Kingdom is going to be a vendor again this year? I'd like to pick up a couple NES homebrews and rather than mail order, I'd just wait until MGC to pick them up.

Yes, I'll let Dave2236 chime in on details, but we should be there.

DreamTR

02-03-2010, 12:11 PM

Bought my plane tickets to Chicago so I'll be driving up from there this year. I hope there are lots of things to buy once again =) I'll have a small itty bitty corner of ianoid' booth so if you want some random promo stuff, cheap PC games, and random protos/NES games, I'll have some stuff for sale as well.

portnoyd

02-03-2010, 12:13 PM

Even Deets is going? Fuck me and the wedding that I forgot about that I can't miss. Fuck me hard.

Carey85

02-03-2010, 10:14 PM

Tupin

02-03-2010, 10:41 PM

I have to rebook my plane flight, but I'll still be there! :D

DHG Hunter

02-04-2010, 01:07 AM

Arcadecomponents.com will be there!

We are a Silver Level sponsor as of this afternoon. :D Can't wait for the website to be updated to show us there!

Hmm... Any chance you can check a Mace: The Dark Ages PCB for me at the show? I picked one up long ago and tried setting it up on my super gun, but I get no video despite hearing the game running fine through the audio. My guess is that it is just incompatible with the super gun, but I'd rather be sure before getting the parts I need to make it run.

Later.

channelmaniac

02-04-2010, 02:30 PM

We'll be driving up with a car full of stuff. I hadn't planned on bringing my JAMMA test bed though. I'll have to see how much room we have and make a last minute decision.

Although I'm wondering if I can build a smaller, more portable test rig. Hmmm... I do have a 9" Sony TV studio monitor I picked up that has RGB, component, composite, and S-Video inputs. Hmmm...

But... back to your board. Do you get ANY video? The board is odd in that it has a 57Hz refresh rate and a 640 x 480 resolution. Makes me wonder if it's either a VGA resolution board or if it's standard resolution running interlaced and the 57Hz refresh rate is freaking out your TV.

DHG Hunter

02-04-2010, 02:56 PM

But... back to your board. Do you get ANY video? The board is odd in that it has a 57Hz refresh rate and a 640 x 480 resolution. Makes me wonder if it's either a VGA resolution board or if it's standard resolution running interlaced and the 57Hz refresh rate is freaking out your TV.

I've heard that it has a weird video-out that only some monitors will support, but when I checked KLOV before it didn't seem any different than most.

I get no video at all... Not even a flicker. :(

It is probably the largest PCB I own, so if you think you could take a look at some point, I'll make some room for it and bring it up.

Later.

Tupin

02-04-2010, 11:56 PM

Ooh, you're bringing JAMMA boards? Good thing I'll have my own Supergun working by then. :)

dave2236

02-06-2010, 03:19 PM

Yes, I will be there again with a large booth and tons of stuff.

channelmaniac

02-06-2010, 10:11 PM

I just put together 22 Colecovision A/V kits and am modifying another console to bring to the sale. It'll have A/V outs, dual BIOS, and +5v only DRAM.

As I do the dual BIOS install and the +5v only DRAM install, I'll be taking pictures to create instructions and will be assembling the parts into kits that I'll bring with me too.

RJ

martyg

02-10-2010, 01:06 PM

Learn How to Get a Games Industry Job at the MGC (http://www.midwestgamingclassic.com/news/109/15/Learn-How-to-Get-a-Games-Industry-Job-at-the-MGC/)
Have you ever been interested in working in the video games industry? Not really sure on how to get started? Make sure you are at theMidwest Gaming Classic this year, as one of the officers of theWisconsin Chapter of the IGDA will be on hand to discuss exactly how tobreak into the games industry.

Space Invaders Co-Op Tourney Announced (http://www.midwestgamingclassic.com/news/108/15/Space-Invaders-Co-Op-Tourney-Announced/)
Think you have great Space Invaders skills? Join up with a friend or family member and prove it at the Midwest Gaming Classic!

IGDA Meeting to be held at the Show (http://www.midwestgamingclassic.com/news/107/15/IGDA-Meeting-to-be-held-at-the-Show/)
The Wisconsin chapter of the International Game Developers Association, or IGDA, will be hosting an open meeting at the show.

Take on your friends in the Versus Room (http://www.midwestgamingclassic.com/news/106/15/Take-on-your-friends-in-the-Versus-Room/)
New for 2010, want to play games against each other in ways you never expected? You won't want to miss this room!

DreamTR

02-10-2010, 11:37 PM

I will be buying arcade stuff, so hopefully there are some good things.

martyg

02-11-2010, 12:17 AM

WiFi Play Area Announced (http://www.midwestgamingclassic.com/news/110/15/WiFi-Play-Area-Announced/)
The popular Nintendo DS WiFi Play Area returns in 2010!

martyg

02-15-2010, 01:32 PM

The ECA Joins as a Sponsor (http://www.midwestgamingclassic.com/news/120/15/The-ECA-Joins-as-a-Sponsor/)
The Entertainment Consumer Association, or ECA, has joined the Midwest Gaming Classic as a sponsor!

So Many Presentations, Space is Expanded (http://www.midwestgamingclassic.com/news/123/15/So-Many-Presentations-Space-is-Expanded/)
At the 2010 Midwest Gaming Classic, there are going to be so many different presentations from people that for the first time ever, there will be two different main speaking venues!

VGEvo to Return (http://www.midwestgamingclassic.com/news/111/15/VGEvo-to-Return/)
VGEvo.com, the community center which includes the amazing VGEvo Podcast Network, is set to return to the Midwest Gaming Classic in 2010!

Frogger Tournament Announced (http://www.midwestgamingclassic.com/news/122/15/Frogger-Tournament-Announced/)
It's not easy being green, nor is it easy winning this brand new Frogger tournament at the Midwest Gaming Classic!

Star Fox Competition on Star Fox Competition Cart (http://www.midwestgamingclassic.com/news/114/15/Star-Fox-Competition-on-Star-Fox-Competition-Cart/)
Want to compete on a really rare cartridge made specifically for competition? Then check out the Star Fox Competition Cartridge competition!

New Super Mario Bros. Wii Tournament Announced (http://www.midwestgamingclassic.com/news/118/15/New-Super-Mario-Bros-Wii-Tournament-Announced/)
Think you are good at this modern classic? The Midwest Gaming Classic is teaming up with 102.9 the Hog to bring you a brand new tournament!

Irides: Master of Blocks Tournaments Announced (http://www.midwestgamingclassic.com/news/117/15/Irides-Master-of-Blocks-Tournaments-Announced/)
New Dreamcast release Irides: Master of Blocks will host two different tournaments at the show -- single player and co-op!

Raiden Tournament to be Held (http://www.midwestgamingclassic.com/news/116/15/Raiden-Tournament-to-be-Held/)
Classic 2D shoot-em-up game Raiden will have an intense tournament held at this year's show!

Opcode Games Joins the MGC! (http://www.midwestgamingclassic.com/news/113/15/Opcode-Games-Joins-the-MGC/)
The Midwest Gaming Classic is proud to announce Opcode Games as a new vendor for the 2010 show!