10-22-2010, 10:30 AM
MAGFest 9 is drawing ever closer so I wanted to see if anyone else is going or has an interest in going. MAGFest, or Music And Games Festival, is a convention centered around video games, music, and art that takes place at the Hilton Mark Center in Alexandria, VA during January 13 -16.
What is MAGFest? At MAGFest you can expect to find all the following and more. A 24-hour console room with just about every console ever made. A hall full of arcade cabs, set on free play of course. Concerts every night performed by chiptunes artists, such as Zen Albatross and Virt, and cover bands such as Metroid Metal, The Megas, and the OneUps. A 24-hour jam space where you can bring an instrument and rock out if you feel so inclined. A 24-hour movie room that plays all the geek movies that you can think of. A LAN room where you can BYOB or use a provided one. Both console and PC game tournaments for all the games you'd expect and more. There is also the standard con fare of panels/events that range from topics of game development to interviews with voice actors to a cooking competition, a merchandise hall, and guests that range from voice actors to indie game developers to the internet famoose people whom you've probably seen their work on the youtubes and the newsgrounds. For more information about this year's lineup, check out the MAGFest website.
How is MAGFest different from all the other video game related conventions? Comi-Con or PAX this ain't. MAGFest is much smaller (about 2,200 last year) and, in my opinion, more intimate than those other mega cons you may have been to. You end up seeing the same people every day at the various panels and concerts. The bands and guests love to hang out with other attendees. There are room parties going on all the time that you can easily find yourself a part of. The guys who run the thing are extremely approachable and are good people. There's a general feel of community about the place that you don't seem to get when you're lost among the crowds of some of those other cons.
If any of you are interested in going, I have a room reserved at the hotel that MAGFest is taking place at with some space left so PM me if you're interested.
What is MAGFest? At MAGFest you can expect to find all the following and more. A 24-hour console room with just about every console ever made. A hall full of arcade cabs, set on free play of course. Concerts every night performed by chiptunes artists, such as Zen Albatross and Virt, and cover bands such as Metroid Metal, The Megas, and the OneUps. A 24-hour jam space where you can bring an instrument and rock out if you feel so inclined. A 24-hour movie room that plays all the geek movies that you can think of. A LAN room where you can BYOB or use a provided one. Both console and PC game tournaments for all the games you'd expect and more. There is also the standard con fare of panels/events that range from topics of game development to interviews with voice actors to a cooking competition, a merchandise hall, and guests that range from voice actors to indie game developers to the internet famoose people whom you've probably seen their work on the youtubes and the newsgrounds. For more information about this year's lineup, check out the MAGFest website.
How is MAGFest different from all the other video game related conventions? Comi-Con or PAX this ain't. MAGFest is much smaller (about 2,200 last year) and, in my opinion, more intimate than those other mega cons you may have been to. You end up seeing the same people every day at the various panels and concerts. The bands and guests love to hang out with other attendees. There are room parties going on all the time that you can easily find yourself a part of. The guys who run the thing are extremely approachable and are good people. There's a general feel of community about the place that you don't seem to get when you're lost among the crowds of some of those other cons.
If any of you are interested in going, I have a room reserved at the hotel that MAGFest is taking place at with some space left so PM me if you're interested.
