Midwest Gaming Classic 2022 - April 29th - May 1st

[+frankodragon]

Just got home from it today.  It was kind of nice there weren't many hanging around the WATA booth in the vendor area.    It would of been nicer if WATA weren't invited at all due to their reputation. Some vendors still were using eBay as it's pricing guides; one of them was kind of a snot located near the Mario and Peach inflatables as he wanted full price for a sealed Microvision Bowling game.

[SiberianSpForces]

Went with my brother and a pal. I forgot about Wata. I so would've brought my sealed Intellivision Triple Action so I could retire... It was fun overall. There was a rather drunk lass who was nice up at the top floor. I threw my hat in for the Tekken 7 tourney, but got eliminated in a close match. Think I was the only guy wearing an Intellivision shirt. ? I'd go to it again. Yeah, some prices were bonkers. Got the kiddo a stuffed firepower Mario and I thought the gal said 15....No, got texted the receipt and it was 50. Oh well, she'll be happy to get it.

Edited May 1, 2022 by SiberianSpForces

[Dauber]

Typing this from an Amtrak on the way home. Despite my outward lack of socialness, I had a good time. It's hard to believe that when I first went in 2006, this event that now takes up three floors of a convention center was just a couple of rooms in a suburban hotel! Picked up a couple of Vectrex overlay repros from Sean Kelly as well as the hacked version of his multicart (39 games hacked for unlimited lives and other similar features), a few pieces of non-gaming-related artwork (VERY thrilled with the Duke Silver print I got!), met Warren Davis and had him sign my Creating Q*bert book (I had NO IDEA he was going to be there -- I happen to be in the middle of reading the book and brought it with me!), talked with Brian Colin and his wife for a bit (he's now officially retired yet finds himself busier than when he was still working!), played a few games (Baby Pac-Man was shockingly popular this year!)...I was very tired this weekend, though, after a few rough weeks at work, so I actually completely ditched Friday night and just collapsed in my hotel room, and left the show at 5pm on Saturday and again collapsed. Had a really good time catching up with a few folks on Sunday.

 

Quite happy to see AA users BassGuitari, Thanatos, nateo, and...I think that's it. (If I didn't mention you, either I forgot or I was NOT happy to see you.)

[H454]

7 hours ago, frankodragon said:

Just got home from it today.  It was kind of nice there weren't many hanging around the WATA booth in the vendor area.    It would of been nicer if WATA weren't invited at all due to their reputation. Some vendors still were using eBay as it's pricing guides; one of them was kind of a snot located near the Mario and Peach inflatables as he wanted full price for a sealed Microvision Bowling game.

Was that the guy with no prices on or around anything?

The guy running the booth was tall and had I think had a black button shirt on?

[+frankodragon]

The seller was tall and he was naming his prices instead of having them marked.  I also found it odd as he wanted me to find out the ebay prices (he assumed I had a phone but I don't use one).  So he had some other nearby to check the prices.  As a seller, why didn't he have a phone or a laptop at hand to find out himself the prices instead?  

[Gamemoose]

2 hours ago, frankodragon said:

The seller was tall and he was naming his prices instead of having them marked.  I also found it odd as he wanted me to find out the ebay prices (he assumed I had a phone but I don't use one).  So he had some other nearby to check the prices.  As a seller, why didn't he have a phone or a laptop at hand to find out himself the prices instead?  

I saw that guy too. I saw some vinyl album, something like “Zelda and Chill” and he piped up saying it was $60 as it was a limited release. I looked at some more of his wares but like it was mentioned above-no prices. And so I passed on his table.

 

i went all three days. Friday was Ben Heck’s class which my elder step son and I had a good time in. We built little handheld games of Moon Pat…er…Force which was working when we got done. I learned our irons weren’t that great and the sponge you get in the kit isn’t great for cleaning the tip. 
 

Saturday I took the next step son in line for his birthday. He pretty much played Elden Ring but I got to play a bunch of stuff. And we shopped. Our Switch collection got a nice boost.
 

Sunday I brought my daughter as I usually do and we played what she wanted. We were playing arcade games during the auction, so I sidestepped as I played DK3 as the auctioneer was trying to sell the game I was on. Some arcade machines went for cheap! I think Hang On, which looked awesome, went for either $125 or $175 (I think it was the former).
 

All in all we had a good time. The food offerings was different this year. We had ramen options (more on the “close to authentic side”), Chinese food, bakery, roasted nuts and mac n cheese. It was neat for the change but didn’t have the variety as past shows at the Center. We didn’t see any shows or talks except for The Harp Twins as I kinda knew them (they performed twice as special guests in a Celtic themed musical show my wife puts on each year. Also one of the twins has the same name as one of my twins, which was comical). I picked up a comic from them for one of my twins who wanted one earlier in the year but forgot to bring cash. 

Here’s another year in the books! Can’t wait to see what comes down the pike next year!

[H454]

I avoided the that guy's table. I learned a long time from buying used cars - No price, Move on.

Not putting a price lets them size you up and automatically puts you on a defensive position.

I'm very pro capitalist, But this is a tactic of the scummy and lazy.

 

5 hours ago, Gamemoose said:

Sunday I brought my daughter as I usually do and we played what she wanted. We were playing arcade games during the auction, so I sidestepped as I played DK3 as the auctioneer was trying to sell the game I was on. Some arcade machines went for cheap! I think Hang On, which looked awesome, went for either $125 or $175 (I think it was the former).

 

All in all we had a good time. The food offerings was different this year. We had ramen options (more on the “close to authentic side”), Chinese food, bakery, roasted nuts and mac n cheese. It was neat for the change but didn’t have the variety as past shows at the Center.

Is that what it went for?

I couldn't hear the final price. I thought they were got for a pretty good prices - a nice change from the stuff elsewhere at the show.

 

I was wondering about the food too. I would have thought more food vendors would be trying to sell at the venue.

[Crimefighter]

 

 

 

 

Well here's the walkaround in three parts - didn't cover the RPG board game area as that's not my thing.

[H454]

The stall I was talking about is 2:20 on the last video above.

[Dauber]

12 hours ago, Gamemoose said:

Sunday I brought my daughter as I usually do and we played what she wanted. We were playing arcade games during the auction, so I sidestepped as I played DK3 as the auctioneer was trying to sell the game I was on. Some arcade machines went for cheap! I think Hang On, which looked awesome, went for either $125 or $175 (I think it was the former).

 

Dynamite Cop went for $70! And supposedly there was one on eBay for $3300!

[+thanatos]

Anyone catch how much the Cyberball went for?

[8th lutz]

On 5/1/2022 at 2:23 PM, frankodragon said:

Just got home from it today.  It was kind of nice there weren't many hanging around the WATA booth in the vendor area.    It would of been nicer if WATA weren't invited at all due to their reputation. Some vendors still were using eBay as it's pricing guides; one of them was kind of a snot located near the Mario and Peach inflatables as he wanted full price for a sealed Microvision Bowling game.

When I was at the Midwest Gaming Classic last year, I don't see a lot hanging around the WATA booth either and I did see the same thing as you did this year. I hope not all of people hanging around the Wata booth happens at other shows Wata Games is a vendor at.

 

What I know is one of the vendors did have a problem this year. I am referring to the vendor that sold Intellivision games. Of the sellers at that stand had a sheet of prices missing after a transaction happened with some customers before my younger and I either made it to the stand or start looking. My younger brother and I heard this on Saturday morning or early Saturday afternoon. 

 

 

Edited May 3, 2022 by 8th lutz

[Crimefighter]

Yeah the auction didn't have the right variety of bidders this go round.  A few bought their games back. 

 

If I was driving a pickup instead of a Prius C....

[+frankodragon]

9 hours ago, H454 said:

The stall I was talking about is 2:20 on the last video above.

Yup!  That's the vendor I was referring to as well. 

[+thanatos]

Guess I should have an Atariage badge or something - I ran into Dauber a few times because I recognized him, but sorry @frankodragon that I didn't run into you, or @Nateo, that I also know I met at past shows. 

 

Oh, and also thanks Carl @Songbird, as he let me pick up my Asteroite order in person, since he had them there.

 

Great time overall, my CoCo ran for another 20 hours without incident, not bad for a 35 year old machine!

 

 

[+frankodragon]

I did have a go at the CoCo Donkey Kong game.  I only lasted the first level so I played only once.  I did notice a couple of YouTube personalities but decided to mind my own business instead.  I was hunting for Atari donor carts and found a vendor with common games for $1.  Can't complain about that since commons are +$2 each.

[Nateo]

Got a deal on a boxed Odyssey 2 with games on Sunday. Turns out up didn't work on one of the joysticks, but luckily it seems to just be a short break in the membrane.

This was also my first year taking my 7 year old son, and he LOVED it. He was telling my wife and I about his plans to set up his own Midwest Gaming Classic in his bedroom ?

[Rastan88]

I live in Michigan, and it absolutely kills me that this convention was one week earlier than the ferry that crosses lake Michigan to Milwaukee in a little over 2 hours opens.  Turning an easy, easy trip to have fun into a 9 hour drive around the state.  Sigh.  

Edited May 14, 2022 by Rastan88

[Keatah]

MGCE needs more emulator displays and booth babes. Less guys touching their asscrack.

[Keatah]

Yeh man sumguy in the 2nd vid looks like he's pulling his pants up and scratching the crack a little. This is around 13:12, and by 13:14 it's down enough to pick up the smell. Imagine him touching and playing all the cabs. And the absence of hot booth babes is plain to see! Any time index will do.

 

Anyhow it looks like a fun thing, been wanting to go especially when it's only a couple of towns down the road. But had prior engagement elsewhere.

[+thanatos]

Wow, glad you took 2 seconds of video to comment on a whole convention.

[Keatah]

I'm glad I did. When I go next year I'll have my pack of wipes with me. It can't be unseen. You know that. I know that. And everybody that sees it will know it. Seen too many gamers do that.