MAGFest 9, Jan 13-16 2011, Alexandria, VA
Re: MAGFest 9, Jan 13-16 2011, Alexandria, VA
I was thinking about going but am not sure it will be worth it. Is it just a ton of arcade machines on for 24/7, like an arcade on steroids? If thats it then not sure if I will make the trip but if there are little boths where you can buy things that are rare or homebrew games then maybe it will be worth it. What exactly does MAGfest have besides arcade machines on 24/7?
Re: MAGFest 9, Jan 13-16 2011, Alexandria, VA
I think Magfest has more than just the arcade. There's a really big game room with TVs and consoles set up and a desk where you can "check out" titles (I got to play Steel Battalion on Xbox and a bunch of Atari Jaguar games) . There's a lot of tournaments almost always going on and the challenge area: You can complete challenges for prizes. Every evening there are bands that play in the music room. They have guest speakers too. I listened to Sid Meier last year (which was so awesome).
Those were the things I loved. I know there's LARPing, a LAN room, a small vendor section, panels, an anime room... I'm sure I'm missing something.
But I think Magfest's real selling feature is its atmosphere. I'm not the most social dude but at the X-men 6 player game last year me and the other guys were talking within minutes; same at a Killer Instinct cab. I sat down at the Steel Battalion rig and again, people were asking me what it was I'm playing, the asked for help when it was their turn; I just think there's a real social and friendly vibe.
Otherwise my only real advise is if you go, get the flyer they give you, look it over and find what you want to do. Any frequent con goer will probably say duh to that advise but last year was my first time and I realized you sort of get as much out of a con as you put in. If you go excited, find stuff to do and talk to people, it can be really awesome.
Those were the things I loved. I know there's LARPing, a LAN room, a small vendor section, panels, an anime room... I'm sure I'm missing something.
But I think Magfest's real selling feature is its atmosphere. I'm not the most social dude but at the X-men 6 player game last year me and the other guys were talking within minutes; same at a Killer Instinct cab. I sat down at the Steel Battalion rig and again, people were asking me what it was I'm playing, the asked for help when it was their turn; I just think there's a real social and friendly vibe.
Otherwise my only real advise is if you go, get the flyer they give you, look it over and find what you want to do. Any frequent con goer will probably say duh to that advise but last year was my first time and I realized you sort of get as much out of a con as you put in. If you go excited, find stuff to do and talk to people, it can be really awesome.
Re: MAGFest 9, Jan 13-16 2011, Alexandria, VA
damn this is awesome, i had no idea this existed. i'll need to pencil this in for next year.
Steam / PSN / Twitter: aaronjohnmiller
Re: MAGFest 9, Jan 13-16 2011, Alexandria, VA
Didn't know they had an anime room. I do know a friend of mine went a few years back to cover the music room (a mix of rock bands and chip-tune mixers).Cronson wrote:I think Magfest has more than just the arcade... There's a lot of tournaments almost always going on and the challenge area: You can complete challenges for prizes. Every evening there are bands that play in the music room. They have guest speakers too. I listened to Sid Meier last year (which was so awesome).
Those were the things I loved. I know there's LARPing, a LAN room, a small vendor section, panels, an anime room... I'm sure I'm missing something.
My scheduling skills have died of dysentery; I hope to visit at least on a monthly basis.
Still, don't forget to tip your waitress.
Still, don't forget to tip your waitress.
Re: MAGFest 9, Jan 13-16 2011, Alexandria, VA
Everything that he said but you forgot the tunes. It's Musics And Gaming Festival. For me it's all about the cabs and the people. Think of a 90's anime con, but sans the anime and only games.
Majors -=- Wedoca '22
Re: MAGFest 9, Jan 13-16 2011, Alexandria, VA
Does anyone have badges they don't need? I let the pre-registration deadline pass, and apparently they won't be letting people in at the door this year. Ideally, I'd like 2 regular ones please.
Re: MAGFest 9, Jan 13-16 2011, Alexandria, VA
- mag2001-a.jpg (29.83 KiB) Viewed 636 times
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http://wedoca.dyndns.biz/gallery/index. ... album&id=5
I'm sure fb, flickr and 'bucket have more.
Super success, blew breakers all day Thursday and Friday!
Majors -=- Wedoca '22
Re: MAGFest 9, Jan 13-16 2011, Alexandria, VA
I ended up going, and somebody stole my bag out of the console room. Its BS because they make you check your bag, then absolve themselves of responsibility if your bag gets stolen from their unguarded racks.
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Re: MAGFest 9, Jan 13-16 2011, Alexandria, VA
that sucks, dude. i'm sorry to hear that. my buddy had his bag all weekend. they were jerks about it, but he'd just walk over to where the bags were, make like he was putting his down and then just keep it with him anyway. a few times while he was playing a cab, staff came up to him and told him he had to put his bag with the others... but after buying rare Saturn games the last thing you wanna do is leave them in a big pile of bags where any idiot can just pick it up and walk out with itJamisonia wrote:I ended up going, and somebody stole my bag out of the console room. Its BS because they make you check your bag, then absolve themselves of responsibility if your bag gets stolen from their unguarded racks.
even in the music room they harassed him about his bag. what's he gonna steal? the bands?
I understand they have to cover their asses, but what about ours?
Re: MAGFest 9, Jan 13-16 2011, Alexandria, VA
Luckily nothing so rare was stolen. 4 GCN controllers, the Uncanny X-men signed by James Rolfe, AVGN DVD signed by James Rolfe, and some Atari 5200 games, worth maybe 30 cents.
I know people always say this but it happened it in a matter of seconds. We had been leaving are stuff there when we were in the console room then taking it with us everywhere else. So we go into the console room, hang my backup up on the rack, and put my jacket over it. Note: I didn't put it in that pile. So we walk around to check out some games, see an open GCN, walk to get the controllers, and bam it was gone. My jacket which was over the backpack was thrown on the floor, and the backpack was gone.
So we tell the MagFest con ops and they don't offer any sympathy at all. We go to the hotel desk, and they have us fill out a report, then my gf, who was fuming, found an Alexandria City Police Officer. They didn't want to help, refused to fill out a police report, saying they didn't think it was stolen, just misplaced, or accidentally picked up, and said "Who would want to steal video game stuff anyway?".
The most damning thing was after about the 10th time we went back to the console room looking for it, we realized all the console room rules had been thrown out the window. People were carrying bags, people were drinking alcohol in the room, people were drinking in open containers, people were drinking Four Loko, infuriating to see, in the least.
Anyway, besides that I had a great time at MagFest, however; I wish the MagFest Con Ops would have at least pretended to care that our bag was stolen, instead of immediately saying its not their responsibility. The thing is, if we wanted to push it, it actually is their responsibility because you can't actually waive your liability in the Commonwealth of Virginia, they just say that to prevent people from pursuing any legal action.
I know people always say this but it happened it in a matter of seconds. We had been leaving are stuff there when we were in the console room then taking it with us everywhere else. So we go into the console room, hang my backup up on the rack, and put my jacket over it. Note: I didn't put it in that pile. So we walk around to check out some games, see an open GCN, walk to get the controllers, and bam it was gone. My jacket which was over the backpack was thrown on the floor, and the backpack was gone.
So we tell the MagFest con ops and they don't offer any sympathy at all. We go to the hotel desk, and they have us fill out a report, then my gf, who was fuming, found an Alexandria City Police Officer. They didn't want to help, refused to fill out a police report, saying they didn't think it was stolen, just misplaced, or accidentally picked up, and said "Who would want to steal video game stuff anyway?".
The most damning thing was after about the 10th time we went back to the console room looking for it, we realized all the console room rules had been thrown out the window. People were carrying bags, people were drinking alcohol in the room, people were drinking in open containers, people were drinking Four Loko, infuriating to see, in the least.
Anyway, besides that I had a great time at MagFest, however; I wish the MagFest Con Ops would have at least pretended to care that our bag was stolen, instead of immediately saying its not their responsibility. The thing is, if we wanted to push it, it actually is their responsibility because you can't actually waive your liability in the Commonwealth of Virginia, they just say that to prevent people from pursuing any legal action.