VGXPO 2007 - Official DP Thread

[Ed-Fleming]

He there folks...

Lots and lots of info about VGXPO is starting to hit.

// We've made a MAJOR website update - info for attendees, media and exhibitors is now online. Be sure to look through the site, there are pictures
on every page (and you might be in one).

// Pre-registation tickets are on sale... Online tickets are just $12.50 for adult and $7.50 for kids 8-14. Kids under 7 are free!

// Regarding posting on DP - we've talked with Joe and he's all for us posting - there are lots of folks on the site looking for info.

// This thread is the official VGXPO 2007 DP tread. So, if you're a fan of VGXPO be sure to check it out from time-to-time.

// If you have any questions about the show, post them up

// Last thing for now - We will be at CGE this year! Hope to see you there too.

[portnoyd]

ROFLRROFOORLROFOROLFL

Excellent job promoting VGExpo at PAX this year. WELL PLAYED

If you're wondering what me and Snidermeister are soiling our britches about, for insane lulz, check out the 2nd news post for 8/29 on Penny Arcade.

We NEED to see stonic's response. OMG HILARIOUS

[Sniderman]

OMFG LOL ROFL LOLZZZZZZ

http://i17.tinypic.com/4uszd51.jpg

[RCM]

@Portnoyd

I don't exactly know what you're referring to but it's not uncommon to promote "your event" at other shows. They do it a lot in the media, NBC will buy time on Fox, and so on and so forth. When I ran ECGXpo we traded tables with other more successful shows. Don't see the big deal.

I wish Ed luck, after last year he's going to need it (and then some).

[portnoyd]

@Portnoyd

I don't exactly know what you're referring to but it's not uncommon to promote "your event" at other shows. They do it a lot in the media, NBC will buy time on Fox, and so on and so forth. When I ran ECGXpo we traded tables with other more successful shows. Don't see the big deal.

I wish Ed luck, after last year he's going to need it (and then some).

Does hitting on PAX event staff count as promoting? LOL


Late Friday night Amber was called down to the lobby of the convention center to deal with a drunk and belligerent member of the media who was apparently yelling at a couple of our Enforcers. Amber arrived to find the man obviously hammered and harassing our security. She approached him and explained that the show was over (which it wasn't) and that he should just go home and sleep. Upon seeing Amber his behavior changed quite drastically. He stopped arguing with the Enforcers and instead stared hitting on her. He bragged that he'd been out all night drinking with Incubus. Then he suggested the two of them go see a movie, get some drinks and "see where it goes." I think we all know where it goes. Sloppy drunks twice her age really aren't Amber's type so she politely declined the offer while still trying to move him towards the door. He leaned in at this point and said "this Penny Arcade shit is weak!" and then asked her if she wanted to know a secret. He said it would "impress her" and with that he produced his business card.

*IMAGE OF ED FLEMING'S BUSINESS CARD*

He pointed at it and slurred "this is where it's at baby."

Now we'd seen this guy all weekend taking photos of our game rooms and exhibition hall. Since he was pretending to be media he also interviewed all our Enforcers about how the show was organized and managed. A few of our Exhibitors even complained that he was in the exhibition hall trying to sell them on his convention.

Amber took the card and asked him to find her the next day after he had sobered up. She had every right to pull his badge right then but was a little worried about how he might react. The next morning she happened to meet up with him on the escalators in the main hall. "Hey I remember you" he said, "but I don't remember your name."

"I'm Amber the event coordinator for PAX and I need you to give me your badge." she replied.

He looked around at the group of colleagues around him and laughed. I guess he thought she was joking. Security arrived and she pressed him again for his badge. He tried to apologize for hitting on her but she informed him that while that was certainly inappropriate it was the drunken tirade that we didn't appreciate at PAX. He reluctantly handed over his badge and was escorted out by a group of Enforcers.

I was told this story by a dozen or so other Enforcers who witnessed or took part in the event. When they gave me Ed's business card as physical proof of their encounter I couldn't believe it. I was already laughing when I turned the card over and noticed the back.

[Kid Ice]

Comment retracted. Good luck with Game Jam.

[RCM]

As mentioned, I didn't know what you were referring to Portnoyd. If half the details are true it's pretty dumb. I doubt it'll stop the locals from coming but severely damages the last strings of cred. VGXpo has.

[Sniderman]

And VGXPO's forum area is starting to fill with...opinions.

"Opinions" (http://groups.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=groups.groupProfile&groupID=102573999&Mytoken=0953D1C2-3283-4E7B-9C01683AF7E7C25C27123761)

[Apollo]

ROFLRROFOORLROFOROLFL

Excellent job promoting VGExpo at PAX this year. WELL PLAYED

If you're wondering what me and Snidermeister are soiling our britches about, for insane lulz, check out the 2nd news post for 8/29 on Penny Arcade.

We NEED to see stonic's response. OMG HILARIOUS

Oh.My.God.

Words can not begin to describe the level of humor present...

[Sniderman]

// Last thing for now - We will be at CGE this year! Hope to see you there too.Was he there? I don't remember anyone getting drunk and kicked out after badmouthing the show to an organizer while pimping his own show. Or did I miss that?

[Muscelli]

I can see why he was "spying" at the PAX expo. He NEEDS ideas. Last time I went to VGxpo, I felt cheated even though admission was free.

[TVs Hasselhoff]

So will the business cards handed out at PAX still be honored for the discount?

[Apollo]

http://web.comporium.net/~scottith/ED1.JPG

"Excuse me, but you do realize that your drinking Root Beer, Mr. Fleming? Your not actually drunk."

"Shh! It's my cover! The chicks love this!"

[Sothy]

I wouldnt hang with that guy... and I was drinking by 9am at CGE.

[intvsama]

... ...

[Lady Jaye]

Who was event coordinator at CGE? Did Fleming hit on him? *has this mental image of a drunk Fleming hitting on John Hardie*


He was. I found out about it after the show. He went from table to table, hitting up all the vendors to promote his show. The word "scumbag" comes to mind...

[intvsama]

Who was event coordinator at CGE? Did Fleming hit on him? *has this mental image of a drunk Fleming hitting on John Hardie*

Hardie is a DAMN sexy beast. 8*)

[ubersaurus]

Well played sir.

[Muscelli]

hahah look at ed fleming deleting the posts on the myspace relating to his drunk adventure.. Poor guy =P

[intvsama]

hahah look at ed fleming deleting the posts on the myspace relating to his drunk adventure.. Poor guy =P

Can't help but wonder how his wife is taking to all this, if she even knows what happened.

[Cyan]

Mr. Flemming;

Thanks for the promotion of your event at this year's Penny Arcade Expo. Be assured that your efforts did not go un.. 'rewarded' ;)

Sincerely;
Mr. Sommerfeld

[Sniderman]

And VGXPO's forum area is starting to fill with...opinions.

"Opinions" (http://groups.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=groups.groupProfile&groupID=102573999&Mytoken=0953D1C2-3283-4E7B-9C01683AF7E7C25C27123761)

It appears that the posts in question are now being deleted as fast as they pop up. Damage control is fully in progress, apparently, as VGXPO's in - what? - a little over 2 months?

[TVs Hasselhoff]

This thread seems to be more like the "Official VGXPO Intervention Thread" than anything else.

The first step in solving the problem is acknowledging that you have a problem.

...or was that what the "Volunteer" thread was about?

[Lady Jaye]

Man, I thought that this was shot off-hours.... till I spotted a lone person playing one of the arcade games.


Video of last year's VGXPO:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXFiYXLVrhg

Kinda hard to see what's going on, what with all the THOUSANDS of people there.

Now, who's got pics & video of Ed being thrown out of PAX? LOL


http://web.comporium.net/~scottith/stumblebum.jpg

[Cyan]

Man, I thought that this was shot off-hours.... till I spotted a lone person playing one of the arcade games.

That's what I thought, too. "It must be some kind of preview," I thought. The place looks dead. When you combine that along with people who say they felt like they were ripped off even though the event was free -- drunken organizers not withstanding -- it just seems like a poorly executed show.

But what's up with that ninja-like guy or, whatever he is, hitting the guy playing the arcade machine near the end of the video? The guy on the machine turns around and gives the biggest look of, "WTF?" I've ever seen ;)

-RS.

[portnoyd]

I think stonic is going to have a stroke, lulz. Pure awesomeness.

[kaedesdisciple]

I miss the Philly Classic. Shame how a good thing dies...

[ubersaurus]

I think stonic is going to have a stroke, lulz. Pure awesomeness.

I think Ed's gonna have a stroke over all the bad PR :P

[rolenta]

That's what I thought, too. "It must be some kind of preview," I thought. The place looks dead. When you combine that along with people who say they felt like they were ripped off even though the event was free -- drunken organizers not withstanding -- it just seems like a poorly executed show

For the record, the show was free in 2005, and the attendence was pretty good (in Philadelphia at least - The D.C. and Texas shows were dead).

Last year people had to pay to get in and those are the ones who were ripped off - in my opinion. However from the vantage point of my table in the back, not too many people appeared to have been 'ripped off'

[nimbus2]

deleted

[Cyan]

However from the vantage point of my table in the back, not too many people appeared to have been 'ripped off'

I was simply referring to this:


Last time I went to VGxpo, I felt cheated even though admission was free.

In the interests of full disclosure, I've never been to VGXPO, nor will I ever be. My post above is literally heresy. However, given the gravity of the situation that Mr. Fleming has put himself into, I think it's somewhat appropriate ;)

-RS.

[intvsama]

VGXpo's Wikipedia entry was deleted today.

[16-bit]

As P-A recount the incident:

1. He was partying ALL NIGHT, but the movie theatre was still open.

2. He was taking pictures and social engineering ALL WEEKEND, but had his badge revoked Saturday morning.

I'm not calling shenanigans, but lack of clarity in the timeline intrigues me enough that I'd like to hear Ed's side of the story before I draw any conclusions.

If he does have an issue with alcohol, I hope he gets help. Alcoholism is a terrible and devastating disease that knows no age, class, or race. If you've never experienced it in your family or friends, consider yourself BLESSED.

[Apollo]

Being an alcoholic isn't a disease. It's an addiction.

Now I have that episode of South park stuck in my head...

[Sniderman]

VGXpo's Wikipedia entry was deleted today.

No it isn't.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/America's_VideoGame_Expo

[mezrabad]

I think that's a really good point. Have we heard Ed's side of the story yet? Anywhere? There's a difference between "hitting on" a woman and "schmoozing" an event organizer, but I'd bet alchohol can blur that distinction.

As for promoting VGXpo, regardless of his reported behavior: how many people who hadn't heard of VGXpo now know about it because they read P-A? I'd say that's a pretty good job done promoting, despite the negative publicity he's receiving for his actions as an individual.

I don't care if he's the biggest jerk on the planet, what does that have to do with a videogame expo? I mean do people go to CGE because the organizers niether drink excessively nor have an appreciation for attractive women?

That being said, I don't know the history behind Ed Fleming and the VGXpo. It sounds like many of you have bad blood towards the event. Other than someone acting like an ass when they were drunk (oh, and I'm sure NONE of us has ever done that...) what's the real story here? Point me to some threads if you don't feel like typing.

[Sniderman]

Personally, I could care less about the drunken tomfollery. Who here hasn't gotten drunk and done something stupid? But to get drunk, do something stupid, and then immediately identify one's self as a competing con's organizer? And, at the same time, shit-talk the con you're curently at to one of the con's movers-and-shakers? Oh, that's just galactically stupid.

And, before all of this happens, to be identified as someone who is looking to take notes, snap pictures, and - in effect - copy "what works" at the con he's attendingfor his own con later in the year? You now enter "Death-Star-Level galactic stupidity."

So, as I said, the drunkeness doesn't really come into play. But antagonizing the con organizers, then IDENTIFYING himself as a competing con organizer? "This is where it's at" indeed.


what's the real story here? Point me to some threads if you don't feel like typing.

Oh dear heavens. Pop "VGXPO" into the thread search above and read some of the older ones for what you're looking for. It started with DP being banned from the first VGXPO event, and went downhill from there.

[Cyan]

I think that's a really good point. Have we heard Ed's side of the story yet? Anywhere? There's a difference between "hitting on" a woman and "schmoozing" an event organizer, but I'd bet alchohol can blur that distinction.

But that's the point entirely, really. By deleting any forum post on his site that mentions the event, by cowering in his hole, wherever he is, he's speaking volumes about what really happened.

If what happened was materially different than what Gabe represented, then we would've heard about it by now. Anyone in the type of business that Mr. Fleming is in knows that it's important to clear the air as soon as possible. Make a statement on the web site, explain what happened.

Or, at the very least, if it did happen as Gabe describes, it's time for Mr. Fleming to do the right thing. It's time for him to man up, admit that he did what he did, and do the honourable thing and resign from VGXPO.

Instead, if he continues to hide and be a coward about the incident, then the show will always be known as "the show represented by that drunk guy at PAX." At least with Mr. Fleming gone, the show can continue on its own merits.

Saying that Mr. Fleming and VGXPO have nothing to do with one another is like saying Bush has nothing to do with Iraq.

-RS

[intvsama]

No it isn't.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/America's_VideoGame_Expo

Yes it is.

[MonoTekETeA]

America's Video Game Expo my bootie. Lol, forget VGExpo, from every body I talk to, I hear about trashy this place is. I like to improve conventions, but in order to improve conventions, you need to have a good foundation. Last time I checked, Bill Cosby's Jell-O doesn't make a good foundation, which is what replicates Ed professionalism on all fronts.

[stonic]

As for promoting VGXpo, regardless of his reported behavior: how many people who hadn't heard of VGXpo now know about it because they read P-A? I'd say that's a pretty good job done promoting, despite the negative publicity he's receiving for his actions as an individual.

Mel Gibson did a "good job" of promoting himself as well... and look what it did for his career. :cheers:



I don't care if he's the biggest jerk on the planet, what does that have to do with a videogame expo?

You'd be supporting the "big jerk" by going to his show. If you don't have a problem with that, then by all means go. I'll use another famous actor as an example- Tom Cruise. He did such a good job at self promotion that Paramount dropped him, and he's one of the most bank-able actors in the biz. You see this happen all the time in the entertainment world - some model gets caught doing drugs or an athlete is busted for cheating, sponsors can't drop them fast enough.



That being said, I don't know the history behind Ed Fleming and the VGXpo. It sounds like many of you have bad blood towards the event. Other than someone acting like an ass when they were drunk (oh, and I'm sure NONE of us has ever done that...) what's the real story here? Point me to some threads if you don't feel like typing.

Have fun:
http://www.digitpress.com/forum/showthread.php?t=67384
http://www.digitpress.com/forum/showthread.php?t=56401
http://www.digitpress.com/forum/showthread.php?t=90949
http://www.digitpress.com/forum/showthread.php?t=97299

As I said in another thread, the fact that Fleming has said nothing publicly and has been busy erasing people's comments about it does nothing but reinforce the fact that it happened just as P-A reported. Otherwise he would have posted a rebuttal on his site last night.

And I can say that I've never acted like a drunken fool. Then again, I don't need alcohol to do that :monkey:


PS: Here's some more interesting reading:
http://forums.penny-arcade.com/showthread.php?t=34142

[mezrabad]

As I said in another thread, the fact that Fleming has said nothing publicly and has been busy erasing people's comments about it does nothing but reinforce the fact that it happened just as P-A reported. Otherwise he would have posted a rebuttal on his site last night.

If he had posted his version of events (if his version differed any) then I think many people would just accuse him of perpetrating a different sort of damage control.

Regarding Mr. Ed: I'm sure there's a line somewhere which, if crossed, I might say, "well, fuck him and his crapxpo", but from the incident at PAX as described by Gabe, I wouldn't consider that undefined line crossed. If he starts eating babies, electrocuting puppies or systematically eliminating certain ethnic groups, I'm sure I'll hear about it here and will reconsider my stance.

Thanks for the links, I'm looking forward to reading about all the other the atrocities against humanity this guy must've committed.

Here in Texas, I'm feeling pretty damn far away from most videogame expos. The last one I hit in TX was VGXpo in Dallas in 2005, which my son and I enjoyed. Even though it wasn't nearly as good as OVGE 2006 or CGE 2007, it was quite a bit closer. If the success of an expo (even one promoted by an alleged jerk) presents a remote possibility of a recurring expo in Texas, even a mediocre expo, then I'd like it to succeed. After travel and lodging costs for CGE, I can't afford to hit another expo any further away than OK for the next few years.

[Sothy]

Ya I can kinda see what mezrabad is talking about. I like to drink and be an asshole. And did a bit of both at CGE.

I did not however Drunkenly try to bang Joes wife, call him an asshole and say the expo sucked and then give out business card for Sothy Squad Convention "which would fucking pwn by the way" but you know whatever.

[ubikuberalles]

But what's up with that ninja-like guy or, whatever he is, hitting the guy playing the arcade machine near the end of the video? The guy on the machine turns around and gives the biggest look of, "WTF?" I've ever seen ;)

I figured he was a Monty Python Knight who says Ni! and he tried to cut down the mightiest gamer in the arcade with...A HERRING!

[Kid Ice]

Thanks for the links, I'm looking forward to reading about all the other the atrocities against humanity this guy must've committed.

He banned DP from his show, so that explains why we don't like him. It's really pretty simple.

[Vectorman0]

The wikipedia entry for VGXPO still comes up for me.

It doesn't show up for me. The deletion log says this:

18:04, 30 August 2007 TexasAndroid (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:TexasAndroid) (Talk (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_talk:TexasAndroid) | contribs (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Contributions/TexasAndroid)) deleted "America's VideoGame Expo (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=America%27s_VideoGame_Expo&action=edit)" ‎ (CSD G11 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WP:CSD#G11): Blatant Advertising (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WP:SPAM))I'm guessing since it was deleted recently, maybe certain people can still see it. (maybe those who do some wikipedia editing?)

[rolenta]

I was able to read it yesterday. Now it's gone.

[PapaStu]

I can read the Wiki article just fine right now (8/31/07 930 am PST) and i'm no Wiki editor or anything of that nature.

[intvsama]

I can read the Wiki article just fine right now (8/31/07 930 am PST) and i'm no Wiki editor or anything of that nature.

Try deleting your cache and reloading, it's definitely gone. If you can still view it, try to undo and older edit, maybe it will bring the article back online.

[digitalpress]

I don't care if he's the biggest jerk on the planet, what does that have to do with a videogame expo? I mean do people go to CGE because the organizers niether drink excessively nor have an appreciation for attractive women?

For the record, at least one of the CGE organizers drinks excessively and has an appreciation for attractive women.

*raises hand*

Maybe he's just trying to take a page from my book. I never shared my secret with him though: be a lovable drunk who is irresistable to the ladies :)

[Lady Jaye]

...because you know, us the DP girls are secretly part of Joe's harem. Just don't tell Liz. :P

[rolenta]

For the record, at least one of the CGE organizers drinks excessively and has an appreciation for attractive women.

Well Joe, if you're one, then I guess at least two of the CGE organizers drink excessively and have an appreciation for attractive women :)

[intvsama]

Well Joe, if you're one, then I guess at least two of the CGE organizers drink excessively and have an appreciation for attractive women :)

I think that's a prerequisite for running a video game convention. 8*) *wink wink drink drink*

[Ed-Fleming]

The PAX story is a significant embellishment of what really happened... I am not going to go into details, but I was at PAX and, for the most part, had a fantastic time at the show.

For the record:

- The story on the PA site is contrived.

- I never talked shit about PAX, its was a great show. First and foremost, like you, I am a gamer, so attending shows like PAX and CGE are fun for me. With regard to CGE - I never had the chance to say, your show rocked! I look forward to your next event.

- I am a journalist (I write a few articles each year and have written since I was in high school - for about 15 year), and was invited by the PAX PR team to attend as a member of the media. Sure, at the show I was also talking up VGXPO, but I also had meetings with media reps from a few companies. I often joke about wearing two hats - one as a member of the press and the other as an evangelist for VGXPO - that's why I am bald :) --- It's crazy for them to say I was at their show spying. I talked with Jeff and Robert at the show. In addition, staff from PAX were at VGXPO last year.

- When I see a pretty girl sometimes I'll flirt with her. I was flirting with Amber, but she wasn't happy with that. However, in hindsight, it was 2:30 in the morning and Amber probably was up all day and it was the last thing she wanted to hear. My behavior wasn't out of control and I was just trying to make these people laugh, they were all very serious and very tiered. Also for the record, Sue (my wife) is aware of what happened and she knows that I am flirtatious.

- On Saturday night, around midnight (not the morning before), I saw Amber and wanted to apologize to her for being forward with her the night before. I could see that she was tiered and wasn't in a chipper mood - we talked for a few minutes and then asked me to leave the convention. I was a little flabbergasted at first, but my friend and I left.

- Last, I've asked PA to take the post off of the site, but they wont. In emails back and forth, they recently sent me, and my staff, emails saying I was also smoking pot at the show and was high. It's just a bunch of craziness.

I am pissed off, and it is a bunch of BS. I've talked to a lot of people to gage how I should react. Right now, I'm taking the advice to not do anything, just focus on making VGXPO bigger and better. And that's what I'm going to do.

So, for the moment, I am not going to be posting on the forums. If you want to get in contact with me, feel free to email.

- Ed Fleming

[Apollo]

Give the guy a break.

[Pantechnicon]

{Bold emphasis added by me, your friendly and helpful forum grammar cop.}




- I am a journalist (I write a few articles each year and have written since I was in high school - for about 15 year)...

...I could see that she was tiered and wasn't in a chipper mood...

...I've talked to a lot of people to gage how I should react.

- Ed Fleming

Perhaps if you're not too tired, you can grab a dictionary so as to better gauge your relative abilities as a self-purported professional writer.

Hunter S. Thompson probably drank a lot more than you do over a period of more than 15 years and never seemed to have trouble finding the spell checker.

Carry on.

[Apollo]

{Bold emphasis added by me, your friendly and helpful forum grammar cop.}



Perhaps if you're not too tired, you can grab a dictionary so as to better gauge your relative abilities as a self-purported professional writer.

Hunter S. Thompson probably drank a lot more than you do over a period of more than 15 years and never seemed to have trouble finding the spell checker.

Carry on.

Pantechnicon, when you decide to pick apart someone's grammar on the internet, your getting pretty pathetic.

For fucks sake. For all the people who blame Ed of not being able to forgive people since the whole DP-banning tirade are being pretty hippocritical right now. Lets leave this all behind us, as it's getting no one anywhere by acting childish. How many of you have never done something you regret? How many of you are perfect?

Answer: None of us.

Simply put, grow the fuck up.

[PoorSpinJobEd]

This is my first exposure to the abortion-in-progress that is "VGXPO". While some cock-jockey like Ed Phlegming is at the helm, I'll not be attending. Not until the cock-jockery ends.

I'd like to paste a snippet from a post in a thread over at PA titled "So, Ed Fleming is pretty much a douchebag"


What really hacks me off about this whole VGXPO thing is how easy it would have been for Ed Fleming to make friends with the PA Community instead of making himself look like an asshat.

...

Hell, imagine the difference in attendance at his con if instead of a story about what a jerk he is, Gabe had posted a note telling everyone on the East Coast about the opportunity to meet this nice guy Ed Fleming at his gaming con.

Sheesh, why did the guy have to act so dishonestly?* - i emboldened a part I really want to sink in with you, Ed. Gabe and Tycho love gamers, they love their audience. I'd be damn surprised if they weren't open to the idea of sharing some of their awesomeness with you to improve things at your convention for East coast gamers. Well, before the drunken spectacle, that is.

That shamefully inept attempt to spin this story is... laughable. You didn't even bother to deny the drunk aspect of this sordid tale.

Heh, you're like the Larry Craig of the video game industry.

We're all just waiting for you to resign. :bareass:

[Pantechnicon]

Pantechnicon, when you decide to pick apart someone's grammar on the internet, your getting pretty pathetic.

No one is above the occasional typographical or spelling error. For instance, there are six of them in your last response. If, however, you're going to write a post in the midst of a public credibility crisis wherein you declare yourself to be - of all things - a journalist, then it probably doesn't hurt to double-check the spelling before you click the "Submit" button.

I'll leave now. Please, carry on.

[PoorSpinJobEd]

For the record:

- The story on the PA site is contrived.

- Ed Fleming

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=contrived


con·trive /kənˈtraɪv/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[kuhn-trahyv] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation verb, -trived, -triv·ing.
–verb (used with object)
1. to plan with ingenuity; devise; invent: The author contrived a clever plot.
2. to bring about or effect by a plan, scheme, or the like; manage: He contrived to gain their votes.
3. to plot (evil, treachery, etc.).
–verb (used without object)
4. to form designs; plan.
5. to plot.

Please elaborate on your first comment there.

Specifically, how did PA plan for you to show up to PAX drunk and act like a total boob?

[RCM]

There's a news item about this on Kotaku that's essentially regurgitating the PA post.

If I were Ed and really didn't do anything wrong (as he claims) I'd issue a release, do the rounds in the press, and perhaps sue PA for defamation.

[portnoyd]

Nothing will change the fact that Ed acted like a total boob and he's not even denying it. He set himself up by being drunk in public and hitting on a event staffer. End of story.

What did he expect? PA to sweep it under the carpet?

LAUGHING ON-LINE Ed Fleming LAUGHING ON-LINE

[Sniderman]

Give the guy a break....

For fucks sake.... Lets leave this all behind us, as it's getting no one anywhere by acting childish....

Simply put, grow the fuck up.

And yet, earlier in this same thread, posted on Wednesday...


Oh.My.God.

Words can not begin to describe the level of humor present...

"Excuse me, but you do realize that your drinking Root Beer, Mr. Fleming? Your not actually drunk."

"Shh! It's my cover! The chicks love this!"

Careful you don't break something falling off your high horse there. Apparently, 48 hours is the time limit on how long things are funny.

[Apollo]

And yet, earlier in this same thread, posted on Wednesday...

Careful you don't break something falling off your high horse there. Apparently, 48 hours is the time limit on how long things are funny.

I'll admit, when I posted those, I didn't know the full story, and hadn't checked some older threads.

I first found the story funny, I'll admit. But when I saw how viscously he was being, for lack of a better word, attacked, I felt sorry for him. I think we all need to take a step back, and think about what has happened. Hear me out for a sec...

Think about the concept of Karma. Bad things happen to bad people, good things happen to good people, etc;

While there definitely was some poor decision making on VGXPO's behalf (whether or not it was by Ed or a different member of the team), I like to believe that he received his punishment by the gaming community as a whole finding out about what happened at PAX, whether it was true or slightly embellished or not.

However, I feel that the actions that are currently taking place by DP members are overly harsh, and should put bad blood aside and try to either be somewhat supportive of someone in the gaming community who tries to organize a con. If not, then just be quiet and try to be respectful. I hate to use this phrase, but be the better man. People make mistakes. After seeing some of the posts made about this topic, it makes me think quite differently about some of the people on this forum.


Just my 2 cents.



And now, I'm just going to enjoy the show.
:popcorn:

[mezrabad]

stonic: your Mel Gibson picture made me laugh tears into my eyes. After reading what I've read of some of the threads you posted, I can also understand why you'd be hacked off at this guy. I vaguely remember DP having been banned from some expo, but I hadn't remembered who had been responsible for it.

I guess, while I don't see Mr. Ed as evil, I can see where you're coming from. I'm the last person who can blame you for holding a grudge, as I'm very guilty of that myself, often. I suck at forgiving people (though it would be much better for me if I learned how to, as it is no good for my blood pressure).

I can also understand (now seeing his actions within a larger context) how his behavior as described at PAX would be immediate "laughing stock" as cartoon people used to say.

pantech: six? dang, I could only count three. I...am...inferior... :( ( ;) )

sothy: I'd be first in line for a Sothy Squad Convention! First in line, hell, I'd pre-order! I'd even bring my wife so people could drunkenly hit on her and she could ask them to turn over their badges.

kid ice: you're right. That was the bit I was missing.

DP: actually, the only thing that could probably make me ever be energetic and brave enough to organize a gaming expo would be some assurance of there being attractive women somewhere in the mix. (yes, I'm married, too, but it's a ring, not a blindfold. :) )

It's a bummer about the whole previously-DP-banned thing. My first expo was Philly Classic 2002 (I was there with my four year old boy and my three month old girl) and that show helped me discover DP, and this community helped to encourage me to become pretty obsessed with old console games. PC 2002 literally changed my life, not to mention the amount of storage space I need for all my crap, but that's another story.

I'm not saying everyone should go kum-by-yah and group hug 'ol Mr. Ed, but as far as there being video gaming expos, shouldn't our attitude be "the more the merrier?" I mean, there might be people out there who haven't heard of DP and who haven't thought about their Ataris, Intellivisions or Odyssey^2s for years who stumble upon information about VGXpo, attend and are reminded how much fun they had playing those old games. There's no substitute for going to an expo and seeing a wall of old arcade machines on freeplay (yeah, something Dallas VGXpo 2005 sorely lacked, but I digress) as that was pretty much a videogamer's wet-dream in 1982.

I want VGXpo to do well (as do some of you, as some are calling for Ed's resignation and aren't really trying to kill the event per se.) I want any gaming expo to do well. So, even if Mr. Ed is guilty of everything said about PAX and previously (and I don't see reason to believe otherwise) I wouldn't let it keep me away from VGXpo (were I living in the Phila area and hadn't just shot my gaming expense wad for the next half-decade at CGE).

ubik: I really need to rent MP and the Holy Grail. I can no longer quote the holy hand grenade benediction and it's really bugging me. :)

[Kid Ice]

However, I feel that the actions that are currently taking place by DP members are overly harsh, and should put bad blood aside and try to either be somewhat supportive of someone in the gaming community who tries to organize a con. If not, then just be quiet and try to be respectful. I hate to use this phrase, but be the better man. People make mistakes. After seeing some of the posts made about this topic, it makes me think quite differently about some of the people on this forum.

I was sort of with you until we got here. First of all I don't know what "actions" are taking place. He could simply stop posting here and we would just forget about him and that would be the end of it. I don't see anyone here going out of their way to give him a hard time, or doing something "vicious". In fact if this happened to someone we LIKED I don't imagine the posts would be all that much different. To me "vicious" is slashing his tires, threatening his life, sabotaging his expo, etc. At worst what's happening in this thread is childish (kinda like playing videogames).

Secondly, your advice to "put bad blood aside" and "be the better men" is uninformed, and really pretty arrogant. You already acknowledged you "didn't know the whole story", and it's pretty clear to me you don't know the whole story.

Since you chose to mention what you think of some of the people on this forum, allow me to inform you that I think you spend an awful lot of time correcting others for someone who has only been around a couple months. And I'm one of the ones who likes you.

[J2games]

this topic has gotten quite a bit of heated discussion on our boards as well, almost feud like!

http://j2games.com/new/forum/index.php?topic=317.0

odd this MW guy is...

[Cyan]

I think what's getting confused here is the difference between "evil" and "stupid." Adolf Hitler was evil. Nobody's claiming that Ed is "evil", they all just think that he's stupid.

I don't know about you guys, but what makes this whole thing so incredibly funny is the fact that, you know, if you're promoting your event at another event.. say, the second-largest video game event in the *world*, don't you think you'd be on your best behaviour? In particular, don't you think that you'd follow a few basic common sense rules, say, the same sort of rules that you impose at your own convention, particularly about being intoxicated while on the premises?

But if it was just about intoxication, that wouldn't be such a big deal, right? I mean, that's stupid enough in its own right, but hey, there's a ton of drinking that goes on at PAX, so who cares, right? No, it goes further. He then slams PAX *while he's there promoting his own event* and then boldy declares something along the lines of, "this is where it's at, baby."

But that's okay, right? I mean, he was drunk, right? So, that's okay, right? Well, it goes even further! He then begins hitting on the girl running the whole event, while intoxicated! But that's okay, right? I mean, all us guys like talking to a pretty woman, right? Right?

So, while there's nothing *wrong* with Ed's actions, they sure are stupid.

Now, what makes this even more retarded is that Ed should've been doing the exact *opposite* of what he was doing! I don't know about you guys, but if I'm promoting my event at another, I'm going to treat that place like a church in the fucking Vatican. There's no way I'd be having drinks, because I'd be too busy out and about gladhanding everyone and promoting my event. I'd want to be as sharp as possible and look my absolute best to anyone I was talking to. I'd be treating everyone, *especially* the event manager, with the greatest amount of respect.

Some people think that Ed's sneaking around and promoting his event in the exhibitors hall was wrong. I think that, had he managed to pull in at least one exhibitor to his event, it would've been a brilliant idea. But in light of what happened, it just adds more fuel to the stupidity fire.

Last, but not least, I am really sick of hearing about how we haven't "heard Ed's side." Fortunately, he's posted here and put that bit to rest. He says that Gabe's story is materially different than how it really went down. I disagree.

Why do I disagree? Because, when it comes down to it, this is a "he said, she said" sort of thing. If it were just "Ed vs. Amber" involving a discussion in her office, then I'd believe that there's perhaps more that isn't being said. But, it was "Ed vs. Amber plus countless PAX security." When there were that many Enforcers around who actually saw the event first hand, it's hard to believe that not one of them has come forward and said, "Hey, actually, that's not really how it happened."

To make matters worse for Ed, when you consider the amount of animosity which already existed towards VGXPO (between DP members, for example), it just sounds like Ed may not be the best businessman out there.

That's okay, fortunately for Ed, it's not a crime to be stupid.

-RS.

[captainspotlight]

Why do I disagree? Because, when it comes down to it, this is a "he said, she said" sort of thing. If it were just "Ed vs. Amber" involving a discussion in her office, then I'd believe that there's perhaps more that isn't being said. But, it was "Ed vs. Amber plus countless PAX security." When there were that many Enforcers around who actually saw the event first hand, it's hard to believe that not one of them has come forward and said, "Hey, actually, that's not really how it happened."



I will have you to know that those Enforcers that you give so much credit to happened to be a bunch of teenagers who were half asleep that evening!

I saw a lot of it. From what I saw it looked like Ed was just having a good time and just trying bring levity to those sleepy "enforcers". There were others around also, not just the Enforcers.

And where are those Enforcers? Why don't they come forward and tell the truth. He seemed like a nice enough guy from out of town.

You guys have got to cool it with Ed and give him some slack until you know what really happened. God, I wish I had a camcorder that night so you guys could see. Something seems to be going on with this story that is out. They made him out to be the stupid beast. He was no more intoxicated then a lot of the others. I just had to sign up and write what I saw because I am getting sick and tired of it.

[Vectorman0]

Why do I disagree? Because, when it comes down to it, this is a "he said, she said" sort of thing. If it were just "Ed vs. Amber" involving a discussion in her office, then I'd believe that there's perhaps more that isn't being said. But, it was "Ed vs. Amber plus countless PAX security." When there were that many Enforcers around who actually saw the event first hand, it's hard to believe that not one of them has come forward and said, "Hey, actually, that's not really how it happened."



I will have you to know that those Enforcers that you give so much credit to happened to be a bunch of teenagers who were half asleep that evening!

I saw a lot of it. From what I saw it looked like Ed was just having a good time and just trying bring levity to those sleepy "enforcers". There were others around also, not just the Enforcers.

And where are those Enforcers? Why don't they come forward and tell the truth. He seemed like a nice enough guy from out of town.

You guys have got to cool it with Ed and give him some slack until you know what really happened. God, I wish I had a camcorder that night so you guys could see. Something seems to be going on with this story that is out. They made him out to be the stupid beast. He was no more intoxicated then a lot of the others. I just had to sign up and write what I saw because I am getting sick and tired of it.

Have you been drinking again, Ed?

I ask because making an alternate account, posing as someone else, and proceeding to make up some story is probably not in your best interests at this point.

[ubikuberalles]

captainspotlight? More like captainobvious!

I did an IP search and guess what? captainspotlight and Ed-Fleming's IP match!

Thank you Ed for creating the most pathetic and lame post I've seen in weeks.

Thank you! Thank you very much!

[Cyan]

I did an IP search and guess what? captainspotlight and Ed-Fleming's IP match!

Are you serious? My god.


I will have you to know that those Enforcers that you give so much credit to happened to be a bunch of teenagers who were half asleep that evening!

You're right. It's a shame that those volunteers worked so hard that they were bloody tired at the end of it all, isn't it?

But, they're still witnesses. It's called a "balance of probabilities." Since there's more of them recounting the story one way as opposed to your way, guess which story has more credit? (Not withstanding that your story, so far, seems to be "it didn't happen that way.")

Dude. If the IP thing is true, stop now. You're really, really starting to not look good, here :)

-RS.

[Kid Ice]

I will have you to know that those Enforcers that you give so much credit to happened to be a bunch of teenagers who were half asleep that evening!

I saw a lot of it. From what I saw it looked like Ed was just having a good time and just trying bring levity to those sleepy "enforcers". There were others around also, not just the Enforcers.

And where are those Enforcers? Why don't they come forward and tell the truth. He seemed like a nice enough guy from out of town.

You guys have got to cool it with Ed and give him some slack until you know what really happened. God, I wish I had a camcorder that night so you guys could see. Something seems to be going on with this story that is out. They made him out to be the stupid beast. He was no more intoxicated then a lot of the others. I just had to sign up and write what I saw because I am getting sick and tired of it.

Did you really think we wouldn't be able to match the IP?

Although I'm sure you will spin this as a "joke" later.

If you are going to provide as much entertainment at your expo as you have been on the web this week, I'm going!

[Apollo]

Holy shit, Ed Fleming. You are pathetic. Before, I tried to be fair enough to give you a second chance and redeem yourself, at least in my eyes. But then you go and make an alt account and do this. Words to describe this level of both stupidity and lack of shame simply escape me.

[I-Am-Not-EdFleming]

Hey guys.. someone who is not Ed Fleming here (really!) who wants to weigh in on what went down at PAX. I was right there and saw it all happen.

What really happened is this. Ed had just come back winning every after hours PAX tournament when he spotted this Amber chick who was clearly on her period. Ed kindly offered to fill her Enforcer role and everyone else's role as PAX Enforcer for the night so they could get a break - because you know Ed can do that, he runs The Greatest Gaming Show Ever... Ever, VGExpo, because that's where it's at. Such a task is easy for the virile Ed. He once inpregnated 30 women without pulling down his pants.

So Amber responds for him to fuck off because she knows PAX sucks and VGExpo is where it's at. Ed was not offended though, because he knows VGExpo is where it's at. Ed, being the great, great man he is, offers to buy Amber dinner and a movie to make her feel better and then he can offer her pleasure like no woman before her has ever felt.

This causes Amber to smash Ed's nuts with a Guitar Hero guitar which doesn't phase Ed, because his balls are made out of the remains of Nolan Bushnell's personal Atari 2600. This is because Ed is a great man, for he runs VGExpo, the only gaming convention to boast an attendance record greater than the entire population of Japan.

Ed, feeling her pain, buys everyone who is still there several rounds of drinks, which makes them hate him even more, because it reinforces just how bad PAX is in comparison to the Gaming Tour De Force which is VGExpo. Ed, realizing that he has to go across the street and cure cancer, because he can, gives up on the hopeless Enforcers and retires for the night, dreaming of whatever good things he can do for the world.

The next day, he arrives at PAX and finds that Tycho and Gabe, fresh from their morning Satanic ritual, are there with Amber and want to remove him from the show. How can this be? Who would want to remove Ed Fleming, a great and honorable man who is fair to all those who want to bask in the glory of VGExpo, The Greatest Gaming Convention Ever... Ever.

So they take his badge and are quickly singed for touching such a holy object. Ed then turns to them and apologizes for the atrocities he knows he did not commit. When he does this, heaven itself opens up and lifts Ed back to PA on a pillow on angels, for even heaven knows that VGExpo, with its near infinite attendance record, is better than PAX or anything else in this universe.

This is all true and this is all how it happened. And I am most definitely NOT Ed Fleming.

[Dan Iacovelli]

yeah and bsacily this whole fiacaso could have been avaioded if ed just did nothing and went about his business. it all depends how you look at things.

[Kid Ice]

I got a PM from Mr. Fleming claiming he did not write the post (by this I assume he means the Captain Spotlight post, not the other one).

I don't know if he PMd me because he wanted to engage in direct conversation, or he wanted me to spread the word, or what. So I'm just passing it along here.

For the record, I don't give a crap what the guy did at PAX. And I think I've reminded everyone he banned DP at the first show enough. So I'm dropping out of the "He Man Ed-Haters Society". For whatever reason he is not going to stop posting at DP, so fine. You have my blessing to dig the hole deeper, sir, and I wish you the best.

[Apollo]

I got one too, Kid Ice.

[DigitalSpace]

Hey guys.. someone who is not Ed Fleming here (really!) who wants to weigh in on what went down at PAX. I was right there and saw it all happen...

ROFL ROFL

[Dan Iacovelli]

I got a pm also from Ed, also saying he didn't post it.
I don't what the whole thing is, but I'm sure Ed is great guy and I have heard he does a good job at his own show so I am sure this will all be forgotten by the time VGEXPO comes around.

[mindlesspunk77]

All I wanna say is I was a vendor at both VGXPO's and I had an awesome time at both shows. Ed has always been nice to me and I have never had a problem with him. Also I will be attending vgxpo this year as an atendee I dont like where ed has taken the show and told him this on numerous ocasions. But i mean a huge arcade and a chance to maybe get somthing for my collection and its 45 mins away what the hell else am i gonna do

[rolenta]

All I wanna say is I was a vendor at both VGXPO's and I had an awesome time at both shows. Ed has always been nice to me and I have never had a problem with him. Also I will be attending vgxpo this year as an atendee I dont like where ed has taken the show and told him this on numerous ocasions. But i mean a huge arcade and a chance to maybe get somthing for my collection and its 45 mins away what the hell else am i gonna do

I too have been a vendor at the last two VGXPOs in Philadelphia, as well as the fiasco in Washington DC in 2005. I won't be a vendor this year although I probably will attend since it's only 90 minutes away. I know Ed since 2003 and have never had a problem with him although we've disagreed about several things including his decision not to include DP in 2005, and I definitely don't agree with his official counts from last year. Finally I don't agree with his vision. VGXPO would work fine as a small local show like Phillyclassic. It will never be another E3. Although they help pay the rent, I really don't think a show like this should have such vendors as the U.S. Army, Verizon, and Comcast (by way the way, the website still doesn't mention who the exhibitors are this year). Also, I'm not looking forward to this move to Central Philly. As has been mentioned in other forums, the traffic and parking will probably be horrendis and will bring back unfond memories of the DC show where vendors had to pay to park blocks away as well as pay the Union to unload our cars (thankfully Ed took care of this for me).

I really believe Ed's intentions are good. I don't want to comment on this PAX thing because I wasn't there. And the whole thing with DP I can't blame entirely on him. He was put between a rock and a hard place. When you're trying to establish a new show and your biggest vendors say they'll pull out if a certain group attends, it kind of puts you in a tough position. I won't say Ed made the right call but it was a position I never hope to find myself in.

[intvsama]

I want to extend an open invitation to DP, Atari Age, Penny Arcade, and all other gaming communities, everyone is welcome at all my shows. I would never consider banning a particular group of people because another group of people doesn't want them in attendance. All my events are always very open and very casual, that's something I pride myself on. If I can borrow a line from the great NOA president Reggie FIls-Aime, gaming should be about inclusion, not exclusion.

If everyone enjoyed the feeling the legendary east coast convention PhillyClassic once had I urge you to join us in 2008 and 2009 for our upcoming conventions. We're looking to expand to include discussion panels, more free play gaming stations, guests, perhaps some keynotes from people who are more knowledgable about gaming than most or who work in the industry. If anyone wants to be a part of future TMG and VGC (more on that in the future) shows please, I urge you to contact me and join in the fun!

[stonic]

Think about the concept of Karma. Bad things happen to bad people, good things happen to good people, etc;

If you do, then right now AFAIC Ed's scorecard is getting balanced. But he's obviously not learning a damn thing from his PAX experience, because right after he just got done telling people...

"I am pissed off, and it is a bunch of BS. I've talked to a lot of people to gage how I should react. Right now, I'm taking the advice to not do anything, just focus on making VGXPO bigger and better. And that's what I'm going to do.

So, for the moment, I am not going to be posting on the forums. If you want to get in contact with me, feel free to email." - Ed Fleming

...he contacts several sites trying to get the PAX incident articles removed, posts here under a fake name, and PM's several people here in an attempt to further spin his side of the story. He was right about one thing in his post- a bunch of bullshit is exactly what it is because that's all I've ever heard from him for the past 2 years, and that's why I have no problem saying he doesn't deserve anyone's support at this point. The show needs to either fold or be run by someone else.



However, I feel that the actions that are currently taking place by DP members are overly harsh, and should put bad blood aside and try to either be somewhat supportive of someone in the gaming community who tries to organize a con.

People on Kotaku are labeling him a pedophile:
http://kotaku.com/gaming/pax/vgxpo-visits-pax-295537.php

People on the PAX forum are nearly as insulting:
http://forums.penny-arcade.com/showthread.php?t=34228
http://forums.penny-arcade.com/showthread.php?t=34142

But yet people here are being overly harsh?!



And the whole thing with DP I can't blame entirely on him. He was put between a rock and a hard place. When you're trying to establish a new show and your biggest vendors say they'll pull out if a certain group attends, it kind of puts you in a tough position. I won't say Ed made the right call but it was a position I never hope to find myself in.

You're right, because the vendor(s) in question deserve their share of bad press. So just who were these BIG vendors that held so much sway with Fleming that VGXPO 2005 would have utterly failed w/o their presence (assuming for a moment the 05 shows were a success)? Because they're the ones who truly need to be banned.

[rolenta]

You're right, because the vendor(s) in question deserve their share of bad press. So just who were these BIG vendors that held so much sway with Fleming that VGXPO 2005 would have utterly failed w/o their presence (assuming for a moment the 05 shows were a success)? Because they're the ones who truly need to be banned.

I don't want to go there Scott because it was my understanding that some of these vendors were also swayed into their actions, just like Ed. And from what I heard, amends have since been made so there is no point in rehashing any of this.

From my vantage point, the Philly show in 2005 was a success (unlike the one in DC. I can't speak for the TX show), although I dispute the numbers that Ed has always claimed. And while I'm sure a lot of people came by out of curiosity while visiting the NBC show, I would bet very few of them spent money.

As I have repeatingly stated, I thought the 2006 show was a complete waste of time.

[mindlesspunk77]

As I have repeatingly stated, I thought the 2006 show was a complete waste of time.

I totally agree with you there as someone going to have fun. But as a vendor it was the best show I ever did. doesnt make any sense to me being as admission was rediculous and there were barely any vendors who had anything to do with gaming.

[skulkingghost]

People on the PAX forum are nearly as insulting:
http://forums.penny-arcade.com/showthread.php?t=34228
http://forums.penny-arcade.com/showthread.php?t=34142

But yet people here are being overly harsh?!


I am the guy who wrote the second article there. I do not believe I am being overly harsh, I could tell story after story of helping out at conventions, and working for his company Videogame.net. You would be surprised. I got a couple of nasty voice mails from his brother after I posted what I said on penny-arcade. But, I stand by what I said, if you wish I can upload them here.


I just wanted to chime in saying I was not trying to be overly harsh. Looking back on the post I feel back for using foul language, as that brought them message I was trying to convey down a few notches, but other than that. Just wanted to chime in and say I stand by my previous post.:sob:

[skulkingghost]

oh ok then. It was a simple misunderstanding. Thank you!

[mezrabad]

skulkinghost's post over at Penny Arcade, more so than the description of Ed's behavior at PAX or his spineless banning of DP damns Ed pretty well. While perhaps less credible due to its single-source "I wuz robbed!" nature, it none-the-less sounds pretty awful. If there are others who were involved in that program who would come forward and talk about it, both positive and negative, that wouldn't be a bad thing.

As it is, I'm pretty glad I'm not faced with the dilemma of missing VGXpo or helping to support this guy given that I don't live close enough.

[skulkingghost]

I can give you some good stories you;d love not involving money or anything that directly affected me if you wish. You would love some things I was privy to.

[Sothy]

I saw a pdf of the show floor layout.

SUBARU WILL BE THERE!

AND MORAL KOMBAT!!!!

RESERVE TICKETS NOW BITCHES

[skulkingghost]

and if you have already reserved issue a chargeback now bitches!:villagepeople:

[Kid Ice]

and if you have already reserved issue a chargeback now bitches!:villagepeople:

A wise man once said "Who is more foolish? The fool, or the fool who follows him?"

EDIT: Geez, that wasn't very nice. Let me restate a little more constructively. Maybe some other forums would be interested in your stories?

[rolenta]

Has anyone heard anything about this lately now that it's just about a month away. I was planning on attending but nw I'm not sure.

1) Ed asked me to make a speech about Ralph Baer's Brown Box. I wrote back to him and said I would be attending but I'm not sure about the speech. I haven't heard from Ed since.

2) The VGXPO site still does not have a list of exhibitors

3) No on-site parking! This gives me painful reminders of the disaster that was called VGXPO 2005 in Washington DC. Vendors had to rush in and have union members unload thier vehicles (for a fee) and then get out quick;y and find off-street parking (for a fee).

4) One thing I thought fuinny was that you could get a discounted room at the Hilton Garden Inn for 'only' $249 a night by using the VGE discount code. If you go to the Hilton website and book a room directly from there without the code it's only $169 a night!

As I said I was planning on attending since Philadelphia is only two hours away for me. However I'm starting to get cold feet because of this silence.

[Vectorman0]

2) The VGXPO site still does not have a list of exhibitors

Here, I will list some.

Make sure to brace yourself.

Intel
Nvidia
Underground Gaming
Moral Kombat
Subaru
Atari
Comcast
Dell

[portnoyd]

FUCK YEAH SUBARU! I am pumped for them to tell me how to put a 2600 in my Brue Nissan Versa.

[rolenta]

At CGE, Ed mentioned that he was also signing up Verizon and the U.S. Army.

[MrMAGFest]

The only form of communication I've ever been able to use with Ed is email. Not once have I reached him on the phone. If you haven't tried it already, I'd give it a shot.

Sadly, I myself could not even get a proper reply from him, even with the assistance of Blake (who's been helping him out a lot more I hear), in time to help him set a few things up at vgxpo this year. I will probably not attend this year in fear of it being a revival of vgxpo DC, and also in fear that we will not get any traffic.

[Dave-Kramer]

Hi everyone, I am Dave Kramer, the manager for VGXPO. Recently, Jenn Johnson and I have started running much of the day-to-day operations for VGXPO. While Ed is still involved with the expo, most of the responsibilities for VGXPO are now in our hands. Ed asked me to make sure that I keep the classic gaming communities on Digital Press and Atari Age up-to-date and so I've just created the account on this website - so please pardon me if I don't know all of the etiquette of this site right off the bat. In addition, I'll make an effort to read through this site at least once a week and provide you with updates on the show as events develop.

In addition to Jenn and I, there are a few others that are involved in running VGXPO. This includes Paul Shaffer and Blake Calelo. So if you've been in contact with any of us, we are all capable of answering your questions or getting a question answered in short order.

In addition to these staff updates, we'd like to let everyone know that this year's show is already a lot bigger then ever before. VGXPO has grown significantly over the past year and we've got a huge amount of content in store for you this year. I've also have one more big news announcement for you ... at the expo this year we are starting a new retro-only event simply called: Retro-Con

Here's the run down on Retro-Con:


With VGXPO coming up shortly we wanted to make sure you knew about the newest addition to this year's expo – Retro-Con!

This year brings so many changes to VGXPO (a new and bigger location, new exhibitors, movie presentations, professional gaming tournaments, the Breaking In conference, the VGXPO College Fair, and so much more) and one of the things we wanted to do was make sure that we never lost sight of VGXPO's roots, the classic gamer. With all of the changes to VGXPO over the past few years we took a hard look at how to best accommodate our growth and the passion of so many of our attendees for classic gaming - the result is the formation of Retro-Con.

Retro-Con is a new event that will happen concurrently with VGXPO and take place in the conference center at the Pennsylvania Convention Center on November 3 and 4. From the larger classic vendors to the Videotopia Arcade - there will still be a significant amount of classic gaming on the VGXPO show floor. However, as we started to grow we noticed that, for some of the smaller vendors, the changes to VGXPO just became to overwhelming for them to participate in the main VGXPO hall.

We want to remedy this and are making Retro-Con look and feel like other classic gaming events and swap meets. To do this, Retro-Con will feature a small, intimate atmosphere and focus on classic gaming vendors. As part of Retro-Con's inauguration admission is free (even without a VGXPO pass) and vendor tables are $75 each.

For those vendors that still want to be part of VGXPO's main floor, single tables are $185. These tables come with table-drapery and a single chair, and put you in the middle of the action of the main hall. In addition we also offer full 10x10 booths. These professional spaces come with pipe and drape, and electricity for $1400, plus we offer additional options that also come with carpeting and bigger floor space.

You might be asking yourself, why the difference in price between the VGXPO main hall and Retro-Con. The truth is, that on the main floor we are charged a rental and union fee for tables and booth decorations. In the conference center, however, the rental costs are less, and our team does not have to pay added fees from the convention center.

We acknowledge that the success of VGXPO, and the future success of Retro-Con, is attributed to all of our wonderful vendors and exhibitors. We thank you so much for your support.

We look forward to seeing you at VGXPO and Retro-Con!

Best,

Dave Kramer
dave@vgxpo.com
VGXPO Event Manager
www.vgxpo.com

[Dave-Kramer]

1) Ed asked me to make a speech about Ralph Baer's Brown Box. I wrote back to him and said I would be attending but I'm not sure about the speech. I haven't heard from Ed since.


I was BCC'ed on this. I think we've been waiting to hear back from you. It would be fantastic if you could come out and talk about the Brown Box - please email me to discuss.



2) The VGXPO site still does not have a list of exhibitors


This may be a mistake on our part, but we're placing logos on the website as they come in. I'll see about making a page.



3) No on-site parking! This gives me painful reminders of the disaster that was called VGXPO 2005 in Washington DC. Vendors had to rush in and have union members unload thier vehicles (for a fee) and then get out quick;y and find off-street parking (for a fee).


There are over 1000 parking spots for the convention center on Arch St. and over 3000 spots within walking distance to the convention site. Yes, you may have to pay for a spot, but that's not uncommon in a major city.

There is a lot of space to find parking - in addition, all of the regional rail lines and subway lines run right under the convention center. The convention center is and market east are a major travel hub for the city.

We've also paid for the 'dryage' union costs. No vendor will have to pay to move in our out of the convention hall.



4) One thing I thought fuinny was that you could get a discounted room at the Hilton Garden Inn for 'only' $249 a night by using the VGE discount code. If you go to the Hilton website and book a room directly from there without the code it's only $169 a night!


Since we are under contract with the hotel, I've even looked into this and asked them about it. They think you may have found something else, and think you might have been looking at the hotel that is listed Philadelphia / Ft. Washington that rate is about $150 a night. The Hilton Garden Inn in Philly is $299 a night without the discount code. This is a wonderful hotel - it has large LCD screens, awesome beds, and a refrigerator in the room. We have a few rooms left, and most of the folks from the west coast are staying there.

On the other hand, some of the other hotels we were working with are now booked up. One more thing, there are a few other hotels listed on VGXPO's website that are more budget friendly, like the Travelodge and Residence Inn. If you are thinking about staying in the city there are lots of options.

[rolenta]

Since we are under contract with the hotel, I've even looked into this and asked them about it. They think you may have found something else, and think you might have been looking at the hotel that is listed Philadelphia / Ft. Washington that rate is about $150 a night. The Hilton Garden Inn in Philly is $299 a night without the discount code. .

No, what I looked up was the Hilton Garden Inn on Arch street (and by the way, the Ft Washington hotel is $119 a night, not $169.

It could have been a glitch. When I look up that hotel now, it does indeed say $299 - $399 a night. Much too rich for my blood.

[Drexel923]

Retro-Con is a new event that will happen concurrently with VGXPO and take place in the conference center at the Pennsylvania Convention Center on November 3 and 4. From the larger classic vendors to the Videotopia Arcade - there will still be a significant amount of classic gaming on the VGXPO show floor. However, as we started to grow we noticed that, for some of the smaller vendors, the changes to VGXPO just became to overwhelming for them to participate in the main VGXPO hall.

We want to remedy this and are making Retro-Con look and feel like other classic gaming events and swap meets. To do this, Retro-Con will feature a small, intimate atmosphere and focus on classic gaming vendors.

LOL

Did Ed write this shit for you.

Overwhelmed?...more like underwhelmed by the large area with nothing going on. You guys really are something. You start your show on the backs of the Classic Gaming community, then proceed to not listen to any advice on how to improve the show, try to turn mainstream, fail miserably...and now since we are so important to you, you "generously" stick us in a corner away from the real "show".

Also, if Retrocon is so big and important, don't you think you could have spent a whole 10 seconds and copied that huge list of classic venders you alluded to.

Will you guys just go away. We know you don't care about the community at all. Your in this for money and thats cool...but don't think that we don't know whats up.

This show is not about us here and hasn't been in a long time. Go post on Gamefaqs or the Xbox forums to reach your crowd.

[Dave-Kramer]

In the past few months some of the vendors have told us that the costs for VGXPO were just too high for them to participate. When a show like Too Many Games is $50 a table and our tables are triple TMG it sometimes makes it harder for someone to be able to know if they will be able sell enough product to cover costs. On the other hand, we've been told by other vendors that they made more money at VGXPO then any other show they've done.

The truth is, with a convention center we have to pay a ton of money for each table we get from them and there is no way for us to reduce that cost. However, we don't have the same fees in the conference center so we're able to make the costs to participate lower.

The scope of VGXPO makes it too big to fit into a smaller meeting space, but we were hoping that Retro-Con might be able to fill the gap. If no one is interested, then there really must be a ceiling for the collectible games market. That's okay if there is, but I hope there's room for it to grow.



Also, if Retrocon is so big and important, don't you think you could have spent a whole 10 seconds and copied that huge list of classic venders you alluded to.


In regards to this we have sent emails out about VGXPO and Retro-Con to all of the vendors in our database. It looks like your a vendor, and I don't know if you're in our DB - I can add you if you would like.




Will you guys just go away. We know you don't care about the community at all. Your in this for money and thats cool...but don't think that we don't know whats up.


We want to grow the community and I take issue with anyone saying were in just for the money. Sure, we are a business, but we're a few people that really love videogames - and the fact is we all grew up playing Atari, and just like you, we collect games. If you look at our community, its a small space - I think shows like VGXPO could be used to grow the classic gaming space.

I've been working on VGXPO since year one and I attended every PhillyClassic, except the first one, but VGXPO is not PhillyClassic. I sure did like PhillyClassic, but the vision for VGXPO was to grow into a multi-layered show, one that includes classic and new gaming, arcades, PC and whatever else might develop over time.

Other then trying to include everything in one show, is what are we doing wrong? And more important, why can't new and retro gaming exist at the same show?

[Muscelli]

Mixing the two is pointless, there really isn't any point in having vendors provide the newer releases when they can be found in any Gamestop/Bestbuy/ hundreds of other stores... The great thing about the classic gaming shows is that you are able to buy the older games that you cannot normally find in a store.

[Drexel923]

In regards to this we have sent emails out about VGXPO and Retro-Con to all of the vendors in our database. It looks like your a vendor, and I don't know if you're in our DB - I can add you if you would like.

How does that help those that don't want to be a vender, those that may show up to the show, or those who want proof that this list is really all you and Ed say it is. If your here to promote your show, VGXPO (and including Ed from the past) should be a little more upfront with stuff that we will see. Again, we are not Gamefaqs here, we are a classic gaming community...we don't care about Subaru and Moral Kombat, we want to know if it will be worth our time and money to show up for classic related items/events. In the past we've heard nothing but overblown stats and hype out of Ed with no real facts and 99% of the time those things turn out to be false. So your going to have to try harder to impress us. Your show isn't that far away and people have no idea if they will go or not...that is not a good thing.


Other then trying to include everything in one show, is what are we doing wrong? And more important, why can't new and retro gaming exist at the same show?

If you want to know what "you" (VGXPO) have done wrong in the past, feel free to read up in this thread and all the previous threads about it in the past. I won't waste my time repeating all of these things since most people around here know about it.

These comments are not meant to attack you as a person (as I don't even know you), but at VGXPO as a whole and it's relation between "you" and the classic gaming community (DP and others)

[intvsama]

When a show like Too Many Games is $50 a table and our tables are triple TMG it sometimes makes it harder for someone to be able to know if they will be able sell enough product to cover costs.

*cough* Our tables start at $27 and go up to $33. And those prices are even UP over past events. We're also now offering booth style setups for people who wish to have more space or prominent locations. We offer a 12'x18' booth immediately inside the main entrance for $275, another one right behind it for $250 and 12'x12' booths for $120

Just because people can't afford a $1000 booth doesn't mean they shouldn't be a part of the main show floor. Our floorplan is available for anyone to check out at www.toomanygames.com/2008/floorplan2.jpg There's no separate rooms, nothing's partitioned off. If you're part of TMG you're part of TMG.

BTW, that enormous area (720 sqft) in the top left is being reserved as hopefully a joint effort between DP and AA. If anyone knows Joe or Al pretty well, start poking and prodding them to make sure they accept our offer of that space for an INSANELY cheap price. 8*)


On the other hand, we've been told by other vendors that they made more money at VGXPO then any other show they've done.

Well, when you're one of only two or three vendors it's hard not to make money if people are looking to spend.

[mindlesspunk77]

Well, when you're one of only two or three vendors it's hard not to make money if people are looking to spend.

I totally agree with chuck 100% here. Other than me and tom and mike from http://www.collectorscardsandgames.com/ there were no other vendors with a large selection of affordable games. So me mike and tom couldnt help but make lots of money. its like opening up a water store in the middle of the desert if there is no competition really its easy to make lots of money.

And also Ive always supported both ECGX TMG and VGXPO ive always had ten times more fun at chucks shows and always felt like i was just as important as every other vendor. It was for fun there was no buisness side. And that is where VGXPO has gone wrong.

LONG LIVE TMG! MAY 4th 2008 ITS WHERE ITS AT BABY! *FLASHS BUISNESS CARD*

[J2games]

Sorry kids - J2GAMES HAS DECIDED NOT TO ATTEND THE SHOW. OUR UNDERSTANDING IS THAT OTHER VENDORS HAVE BACKED OUT AS WELL DUE TO MOUNTING COSTS.

$1400 for a table, $250 a night for hotels, travel expense, meals. etc. After last years attendance, we cant justify the increasing cost.

Jay
www.j2games.com

[Dave-Kramer]

I wanted to give the online community a sneak peak at the exhibitor line up for VGXPO 2007. In the following list you'll see the exhibitors and their placement on the show floor. A PDF map of the floor can be seen at
http://www.vgxpo.com/2007floorplan.pdf (please note the floor plan may change before the show).

Please feel free to post this message on other forums and websites that you think might have an interest.

Thanks,

Dave


COMPANY BOOTH NUMBER Amount of SPACE

Collectors Cards and Games 110,111,112 10x30

Comcast-Corp TBD

Dell 201 20x20

Devry 149 10x10

Digipen 155 10x10

Digital Press 117 10x10

EA's Rock Band 803 70x40

ECA 207 20x20

ECD 173 10x10

Emergent Technologies / Mary Margerate 156 10x10

Full Sail 147 10x10

Future TBD

GAME COCK 206 20x20

GameJOBS.com 148 10x10

Gameloft 146 10x10

Gamer's Gear TT20 na

Gamershield TT10 na

Hardcore Gamer 179 10x10

Ideazon 209 10x10

Intel 801 80x40

J2 Games 115,116 10x20

Lead Stream 178,181 10x20

LOST CAUZE 129,124 10x20

MORAL KOMBAT TBD 10x10

Noob Sauce TT30 na

NVIDIA 301 30x30

Panasonic Tour Bus 802 70x40

Patriot 176,177 10x20

Pelican 180 10x10

Philips amBX 703 20x20

Power Up Games TT40 na

Savannah 157 10x10

SMU 159 10x10

Subaru 601 40x50

Trade My Games 182 10x10

Tyrone McCloud - Track Beat Productions 114 10x10

UGS 501 30x50

VGXPO Autographs TBD - 118, 125? 10x20

GameZone 118,119,120 3 10x10s

GameZone 123,124,125 3 10x10s

LAN Gaming 302 30x30

NES World Champs 107,108 10x20

PMS Clan 173 10x10

Red Storm 10x10

VGXPO T-Shirts 106 10x10

VideoGame Camp 104,105 10x20

Videotopia 1 212 20x20

Videotopia 2 213 20x20

Virtual Rush 187,188,189 10x30

Zdavis Media/ 1 Up.com 101,102,103 10x30

Stage Area STAGE LOUNGE 30x70

Ziddio / Gamer Invasion / Halo 3 305 30x30

** Please note, the floor plan has some white blocks, we are waiting for
contracts back from exhibitors before we fill them, in addition, while AtariAge is on the current version of the floor plan, we have not yet confirmed that they will be at the show.

[Dave-Kramer]

Turn your old games (and systems) into a free pass to VGXPO!

We’ve teamed up with the VideoGame Museum and children’s charities to provide you with the chance to come to VGXPO for free. All you have to do is donate some of your games to these great groups.

To get your free pass all you need to do is drop off your games (and/or systems) to the VGXPO Will Call desk. Here are the options on how you can get into VGXPO for free:

Option 1
Donate any one of the following game systems and get 2 weekend passes to VGXPO:

PlayStation Portable
PlayStation 2
Game Cube
Xbox
PlayStation 3
Xbox 360
Nintendo Wii
Nintendo DS
Pentium 4, or higher, PC (or Lap Top)
Apple Computers (2004 and later)


Option 2
Donate two working games for the following game systems and get 1 weekend pass:


Xbox 360
Nintendo Wii
PlayStation 3


Option 3
Donate five games for the following game systems and get 1 weekend pass:


PlayStation Portable
PlayStation 2
Game Cube
Xbox
Nintendo DS
Any Modern PC or Apple Games (released after 2003)


Option 4
Donate any retro game system and five games and get 1 weekend pass:


Any retro system (non-PC) and any 5 games


Please note, all game systems, computers and games must be clean and be in working order. All game systems must have Power and A/V Wires and at least one working controller. PC and Apple computers must include all internal hardware (hard drive, memory, video card), keyboard and mouse - monitors are not required, however only LCD screens will be accepted.

[J2games]

One of our J2Games.com readers supplied the following details about cheap parking for those driving to the 2007 VGXpo:

"It's about a 4 block walk to the convention center from the garage but it's a newer, clean garage and it's only $5 a day to park on weekends. Much better than $20 a day for one of the lot's 1-2 blocks from the convention center.

Here's the link to the garage: http://www.philapark.org/findparking/parking_locations.aspx?parking_location_id=5 "

Unfortunately, J2Games has decided against attending the show (as previously annouced.) The table rates, hotel rates, travel fees, etc have escalated to the point that anyone not local will take heavy losses just to attend. (and we don't want to jack up the prices just to cover the costs, no sense in raping our customers just to support attending a show.) It also appears not many other videogame sellers are attending either.

You will be able to find Bill Kunkel, "The Game Doctor" and Rob Faraldi, "Gamer's Unite" covering the show for us. Make a point of saying Hi!

[rolenta]

You will be able to find Bill Kunkel, "The Game Doctor" and Rob Faraldi, "Gamer's Unite" covering the show for us. Make a point of saying Hi!

Bill informed me last Friday that he and Laurie will not be able to attend the show either. So unless things changed in the past week, I wouldn't count on seeing them.

[Dave-Kramer]

VGXPO is less then a week away - and the exhibit floor is 90% sold out. We have over 40 exhibitors coming to the event, as well as a few gaming legends, including the Game Doctor himself, Bill Kunkel. This year is sure to be different then years past but VGXPO is growing and is sure to be a great event. I hope you'll consider attending.

[rolenta]

We have over 40 exhibitors coming to the event, as well as a few gaming legends, including the Game Doctor himself, Bill Kunkel.

I stand corrected. After reading this post I checked with Bill and he told me that he decided to attend after all.

[Mangar]

(sigh)

I miss the old Phillyclassic

[BillKunkel]

I stand corrected. After reading this post I checked with Bill and he told me that he decided to attend after all.

I wanted to thank Ed Fleming, who really went out of his way to facilitate my getting to this year's show despite some seemingly impossible scheduling problems and I do look forward to seeing the Usual Suspects and meeting some new faces. Hope to see you all there. And when I say that, please bear in mind that I COULD HAVE gone to Amsterdam instead.

If that isn't validation, then none exists.

[Sniderman]

...please bear in mind that I COULD HAVE gone to Amsterdam instead.

O_O
Wow.

I certainly hope you feel you made the right choice next week then.

[mindlesspunk77]

(sigh)

I miss the old Phillyclassic

Come to TooManyGames in Reading PA! Its the closest to philly classic your gonna find in the philadelphia area!

www.toomanygames.com

[intvsama]

Did anyone go tonight? Any first night impressions?

[Sniderman]

1UP's VGXPO opening day/set-up blawg (http://www.1up.com/do/blogEntry?bId=8467544&publicUserId=5450684)

Only thing I've been able to find after 2 days...

[Phosphor Dot Fossils]

I hereby nobly offer to go to Amsterdam on Bill's behalf. ;)

[rolenta]

Okay, here's what I thought about VGXPO:

It's exactly what I thought it was going to be. Basically, it wasn't good, it wasn't bad - somewhere in the middle.

Ed told me two years ago that his vision was to have a show that rivaled E3. While VGXPO wouldn't eactly rival E3, it's on that path. The show was full of exhibits; and only one classic vendor decided to show up. That was good but he didn't fit in with the rest of the exhibit.

Everything could be seen in about a half hour. There was Suburu and Panasonic, and Intel. The problem was that there weren't really any games! Without a presence of at least one of the three console manufacturers having their games to display, it's not really a gaming expo. Even if there were third party companies showing they're games it would be something. But they weren't there either.

The back of the venue was empty and some smaller booths were either empty, or close to it. The girl from Digipen looked lonely and bored. Then there was one booth of a guy selling videogame hot sauce(?) and it wasn't Billy Mitchell.

I missed the Moral Kombat showing but the showdown between Jack Thompson & Lorne Lanning was interesting at times. The trailer for Postal didn't make me run out and want to see the movie.

I saw people having a good there. Again, if Ed could get more console-related companies there, including at least one of the manufacturers, the show might make it a smaller-E3 type venue. But first we have to see how many of the exhibits who were there this year will return.

[mlambert890]

Good summary by Leonard. Basically, this show is now an attempt at a Digital Life Jr (for anyone familiar with that show).

Moral Kombat and the debate were great, the side panels were a good idea (if sparsely attended), and the show floor was fun although only about 30% full.

I don't know that vendors like Panasonic, NVidia and Dell will continue to make the kind of investment they made this year though. Dell really spent some cash on this and I can't help but wonder how their local marketing team can justify the spend. They had some good personalities on hand (N'Gai, TommyT, Jack and Lorne, lots of those "pro gamers") and some nice trade show floor exhibits, but it didnt seem like it drew a large enough crowd.

If all involved are willing to accept losses for a few years, and Philly had the appetite for tech that a NY or an LA does, it *might* end up a decent show.

At this stage though, it has nothing to do with classic gaming really and any attempt to try to create that bridge (outside of a panel or something - maybe hosted by Leonard!) would just confuse it. The lone vendor really seemed out of place (although I think he did sell some stuff) so I suspect that all of the vendors that opted out had the right idea.

[rolenta]

At this stage though, it has nothing to do with classic gaming really and any attempt to try to create that bridge (outside of a panel or something - maybe hosted by Leonard!) would just confuse it. The lone vendor really seemed out of place (although I think he did sell some stuff) so I suspect that all of the vendors that opted out had the right idea.

In Ed's defense, he did ask me to lead a discussion about the Brown Box but I opted out because 1) When he asked me I was in the process of creating three training courses for work and was burnt out from them, and 2) I'm not an expert on the Brown Box

Ed talked about having Retrocon alongside VGXPO. At the time, I thought it was a bad idea because I didn't feel that Retrocon would get the traffic because everyone would be in the main exhibit hall. This was based on last year's show where Videotopia, which was outside the main hall, was packed, yet very few people walked past my table. If enough vendors signed on, Retrocon might have been successful. However Atari Age never responded to Ed's request; J2 games backed out at the last moment. Ed asked DP to have a booth, and Joe turned around and asked me if I wanted to run it. I immediately said yes, which is why DP was listed on the floor plan. However, after I thought about it, I realized I was hasty in accepting and that the logistics were really not doable by me, so I -- and DP, had to drop out a week before the show.

Videotopia, which was not allow to fly their banner because of union rules, only had a handful of machines, as compared to last year. And even they were not packed. At any given time it was easy to walk up to them and have a sleection to choose from without waiting.


Basically, this show is now an attempt at a Digital Life Jr (for anyone familiar with that show)
Very good analogy! But truthfully, I went to the first two Digital Lifes and was totally bored by them and decided to never attend another. I like the idea of merging all aspects of gaming - classic and modern - into one show; if it could be done.

[Sniderman]

Another review:

Drive by Scenery: VGXPO 2007 « RetroRamma (http://retroramma.wordpress.com/2007/11/03/drive-by-scenery-vgxpo-2007/)

[rolenta]

Another review:

Drive by Scenery: VGXPO 2007 « RetroRamma (http://retroramma.wordpress.com/2007/11/03/drive-by-scenery-vgxpo-2007/)

Who is this guy? He must have gone to a different show than I went to. Or maybe the Friday show was better than Saturday's (which is historically always the busiest).

Over 150 arcade and 100 console games? Jeff from Videotopia told me he only brought around 50 arcade machines. They were arranged in two circles, each circle containing 15-25 machines. As far as console games were concerned, the only consoles Ieven saw were the PS3s that were set up in the Panasonic trailer to show how the games looked like on Panasonic's TVs. There was a lot of network gaming, but that was on PCs. And the girl from Digipen looked bored and lonely and she was out of there before the show ended.

And finally, does this guy know that when a company wants to get people to their booth, they DRAW them in, not DRAWL them in?

[Coldguy]

Who is this guy? He must have gone to a different show than I went to. Or maybe the Friday show was better than Saturday's (which is historically always the busiest).

Over 150 arcade and 100 console games? Jeff from Videotopia told me he only brought around 50 arcade machines. They were arranged in two circles, each circle containing 15-25 machines. As far as console games were concerned, the only consoles Ieven saw were the PS3s that were set up in the Panasonic trailer to show how the games looked like on Panasonic's TVs. There was a lot of network gaming, but that was on PCs. And the girl from Digipen looked bored and lonely and she was out of there before the show ended.

And finally, does this guy know that when a company wants to get people to their booth, they DRAW them in, not DRAWL them in?

:oops:

He would be me, and I would like to thank you for point out some typos that I did. I was typing out this review in a car on the way to a family event and wanted to post it up before I got there. I was there on Friday with Pixy and we both had the its sucked attitude. If you were there you could easily have finished the main show room in less then 2 hours. I was waiting for the band but when we all realized they were a no show it was a big let down.

Also the numbers I got from the website for vgxpo, so I would like to thank you for pointing this out. As for Pixy's take, well.....he is Pixy and that is his style to leave nothing out of it. As I said if I was a vendor or had a press pass it would have been worth it, but since I could not justify myself to spend another 40 bucks to go back into the city to see more of the same and attend a press discussion I skipped the other two days. Maybe next year I will go back but it really needs to show me some advances so that the mistakes can be corrected for next year.

[rolenta]

Whoops, if I knew you were a DP member I wouldn't have sounded so harsh! Sorry!

[Coldguy]

Whoops, if I knew you were a DP member I wouldn't have sounded so harsh! Sorry!

It's alright, if I am wrong I rather admit that I am wrong and correct my mistakes. I just hope you guys like the other postings on the blog and read it daily. Trying to make a nitche in the retro world.

[intvsama]

Any attendance estimates before we get the 'official' figure from the VGX camp?

[rolenta]

Any attendance estimates before we get the 'official' figure from the VGX camp?

I don't know. I would say maybe a thousand on Saturday but that number could go in either direction. The place seemed packed when Patrick Wong and I arrived there around noon.

[Coldguy]

Any attendance estimates before we get the 'official' figure from the VGX camp?

I say 350 on Friday it was not packed the entire day and the mood was good with no waiting to anything special.

[mindlesspunk77]

Any attendance estimates before we get the 'official' figure from the VGX camp?

Id say 1000 tops on saturday.

[Sniderman]

The cosplay folks are starting to post their opinions. Still damning... (http://forums.cosplay.com/showthread.php?p=2158507)

[Lady Jaye]

Where? I didn't see any mention of VGXPO in that thread? :?

[Sniderman]

More from a blog... (http://www.gamervision.com/blog)

And the Cosplay link above, check the posts from the second one down, starting with:


Well, I changed my mind about it and decided to go . A lot of people have been talking about it so hopefully it will be fun. I just got back from the VG Xpo and that was TERRIBLE.

Oh... dammit... Was goona go to that, Sounds like i didn't miss much. What was so bad about it?

Out of the entire PA Convention Center there was only one vendor there and they were selling mostly PS1 and old Game Boy games. The 'Video Game Museum' was pathetic; it was just a few shelfs with game systems thrown on them. It look like someone's junk room! The only reason why I knew it was the Museum is because there was a sign over it and me and my friend literally laughed.


Wow, that's a pretty scathing evaluation! I'd like to see someone have a positive review of it but in the meantime it sounds like it was a real disappointment. And to think the guy who thought about it all was trying to woo people at PAX? Fat chance, now.

EDIT:
Another review. More positive than others, but some mistakes made were pretty glaring at "America's VideoGmae Expo:"
VGXPO: Lots of Potential; Stupid Mistakes (http://blog.wired.com/games/2007/11/vgxpo-lots-of-p.html)

[RCM]

Bill Kunkel and I both did a piece on the show. I think Bill intends to publish more content this week. Enjoy!

Bill: http://j2games.com/new/forum/index.php?PHPSESSID=32f31d7e2b8c6ed5fefbf119ac3a1f fd&topic=960.0

Me: http://j2games.com/new/forum/index.php?topic=962.0

[J2games]

Just to clarify on something Lenny mentioned in his posting, J2Games did not back out last minute. We purposely sat on the fence until the end when Ed Fleming called us with a deal on tables. ($1400 a table is ASTRONOMICAL!) At first I agreed but told him I'd follow up by the end of the weekend. Before Sunday, I actually called and confirmed that we WOULD NOT attend the show.

The show wasn't shaping up to be a good place for us vendors and the costs (even Ed's discounted space costs) were still more then anyone who had to travel could really justify. (if we were still in NJ it would have been simple, but think of $800 in hotel costs, travel fees, meals THEN table rental costs for a show that last year was a total bomb - that's too much risk.)

If you are looking for some reviews from the show, we have them with pics. I think you'll find the same flavor from my guys as what you are reading here. Ok show, not good, not bad.

From Bill's Perspective:
http://j2games.com/new/forum/index.php?topic=960.0

or

From Rob's Perspective:
http://www.j2games.com/new/forum/index.php?topic=962.msg1647#msg1647

[rolenta]

Just to clarify on something Lenny mentioned in his posting, J2Games did not back out last minute.

Sorry Jay, my error. I saw your post where you announced that you were indeed attending so I thought that it was definite. Then Mike Thomasson told me that you weren't coming after all, so that's why I thought you backed out at the last minute.

If anyone backed out at the last minute it was me when I called Ed a week before the show and told him I wouldn't be able to run the DP booth.

[16-bit]

I think if I would have went as an attendee, I would have had a great time. I've always wanted to meet the Game Doctor since I am a big fan of his work during the VG&CE era. 0I have the complete set and issue one was the first magazine I ever bought and I still have it and would love to have it autographed one day.

J2 should give TooManyGames another chance and bring the "Doctor" with him! :)

Carlson

[mindlesspunk77]

J2 should give TooManyGames another chance and bring the "Doctor" with him! :)

Carlson

I second that motion!!!!

[intvsama]

FIRST!

er... third. 8*)

[RCM]

Is there a dude named Wes that was at VGXPO who's on DP? We've chilled at a ton of shows but never got his contact info, if you're here shoot me a PM.