OKGE 2004!

[2600Lives]

And for the love of GOD disregard the dorky pose I stuck when MMF took a picture of my shirt. Lol. Just picture me in Captain Marvel's red and yellow outfit there....

[MegaManFan]

Well I for one didn't think it was dorky 2600, but then I'm a dork myself so my perception may be biased.

 

Al's camera is not the only one who caught the elusive Sauron!

http://www.particles.org/okge/2004/okge-Pa...es/Image34.html

 

BTW sounds like we really missed out on the good times AFTER the ribs. Still I at least took the opportunity to get George's autograph when I had the chance!

[pmpddytim]

Well OKGE was my first gaming expo and I have to say I had a lot of fun.

Glad that you enjoyed it!

 

I also took my lynx but nobody seemed to be playing them so I didnt get to try any multiplayer action.

Sorry about the Lynx multiplayer games. I asked several people at OKGE if they wanted to start a Lynx multi-player game like Warbirds, but no one seemed interested. Although I did forget to bring extra batteries, power paks, or AC adaptors for long Lynx sessions.

 

Any chance you saw my table with about 50 Lynx games, 3 systems, pouches, cases, etc...., next to a Jaguar set-up?

It was 2 tables down from my Space Invaders competition table.

 

I also loved all the systems that were hooked up to try. I had never played a Vetrex or Virtual Boy before!-Tim

 

Did you get to try my Vectorcade joystick for the Vectrex? Everyone that did, loved it, and offered to buy it.

 

As for the Lynx, maybe we should have planned it different. Possibly have an entire table for Lynx multi-player gaming, with plenty of stuff for everyone.

 

Brad

 

I think I must of hovered over your table for 15min gawking at your stuff, wishing I hads such a great collection . Where did you get those game wallet type things? My fiance finally pulled me away to show me that galaga table and I played that for some time.

 

I don't think I used your vetrex controller. I played the one that was right across from the AA booth, I think it had asteroids on it.

 

Maybe next year several of us can go in together and get a table just for multiplayer action for several different systems! Maybe we can even hook up a 5200 and play some 4-player castle crisis. Perhaps even set up a contest with prizes .

 

I think over all we stayed for about 2 1/2 - 3 hours. Most of that was gawking/ playing the free arcade or trying not to get our pictures taken.

And just a little bit of shopping.

 

-Tim

[Flack]

I came back from OKGE to find my cable modem completely crapped out ... something at the box a technician will have to fix, so I didn't really get a chance Sunday to chime in.

 

Everyone I got a chance to meet at OKGE was super nice ... meeting and getting to hang out with Phosphor Dot Fossils and Icbrkr were definitely the highlight as I talk to them so much online, but there were a lot of other people that turned out to be really cool. I met so many it's hard to keep track, but MegaManFan and his wife stick out in my mind for sure! MMF is very cool and it was great to swap stories with him (I loved his story about how his collection got started, even if my drooping eyes at that point didn't show it). Brad's Space Invaders and Vectrex get up was outstanding, and it was cool to see both the young and old taking turns in the Space Invaders competition chair. Albert even made the rounds and stopped by my table to get the whole 'pirate speech', and it certainly made me feel like he (and all the others at the AA booth) were there for the same reasons as everyone else, and not just in it for the money. By the way, I also have to say that although not as flashy as some of the other tables, Atari Troll's table (which I was seated next to) was overwhelmingly awesome. Some of those hacks were killer, the Borg Tennis one made me laugh really loudly. I think some of the people walked right by his booth, not realizing that those carts were homebrews. They looked *that* good! Jack was really friendly and came off as a truly nice guy -- couldn't have asked for a better island tennant, although I'm sure after 8 hours he was getting pretty sick of my little presentation.

 

Once Jesse recovers from this year's, I hope plans for OKGE 2005 begin. I know I'm already trying to figure out how I'm going to top myself next year! And for god's sake Jesse, get some help! I'm sure you could find a couple of young volunteers to pitch in a day's work for Krispy Kremes and a PS2 game or two.

 

[icbrkr]

Finally relaxed a bit so here's my report of the show:

 

The wife and I got there about 8PM and was promptly ran into by Mica and his friend (wish I could remember his name offhand) who waved at us from across the hotel - this wouldn't be a big thing but I only met him once last year at the show and he wasn't even an exibitor! Found the room was promptly greeted by Flack who remembered me which is a good thing due to the terrible version of the "Face Recognizer" software I have in my brain. He was nice enough to help Ginger and I offload everything I had in the car and setup a bit. We shot the shit for awhile when Jordan Hamilton from PCs and Such started hanging around and we all preceded to have a long conversation about Commodore computers. After a bit of this, we all drove out to Butter's favorite place... Bennigans! After the meal, Flack was suckered into buying a "mondo chocolate ice cream" dessert which he promptly took back with him and left in his car.

 

We got back at about 11:00 and set up until about 12:30. We had an issue setting everything up - 2 of the joysticks that were being hooked up the C64/SX64ers were bad . Luckily I had 2 that were in the sell pile that promptly went into the "show" pile. I went up to the room and tried to sleep - and didn't. The wife was smart and took one of her "blue pills" (sleeping aide!) and promptly conked out.

 

The next morning the wife and I piled downstairs to test out everything. Everything *looked* good, but a few minutes into the show, the CD32 promptly decided it was no longer able to play Chaos Engine anymore. Luckily, the night before Flack had dropped off some.. "legit" CD32 games which, wow, worked without a hitch!

 

The next 8 hours went by quickly - the crowds were amazing! It was considerably larger than last year. I did some off and on shopping, bought some of Heather's SMS stuff (and the wife sent me back to buy some NES titles), I picked up some uncommon 2600 stuff from the "big box of almost rares for $5", and even some Vic20 stuff from Brad. There was a lady in the back that had some CoCo stuff that I was interested in, but she couldn't give me a price, and really just wanted me to trade "my action figures that I had at home in the garage" (that I have none of). Greg Little, a local to Tulsa, and I spent quite awhile BSing about Commodore stuff (it's one of my fav topics ) and Jordan showed off his shockingly horrible version of Zelda for the CDI. I finally, after almost a year, gave Earl a 1541 disk drive for his C64 so he could finally get it working. It had been sitting on the garage floor and the wife had almost started using it as a speed bump. I spent some time over at Earl's table playing with the Galaxian tabletop (never seen one before) and trying to play Power Lords with his rare trackball controller... needless to say, I suck at it. I wandered often over to Flack's table often (sometimes because I was getting sleepy from going to bed so late and I couldn't sit down any longer, and others cause the wife was prodding me to go see if he needed any help).

 

All in all, I met a bunch of great people, and hopefully I'll have a bit of a better setup next year!

[purenergy]

Maybe next year several of us can go in together and get a table just for multiplayer action for several different systems! Maybe we can even hook up a 5200 and play some 4-player castle crisis. Perhaps even set up a contest with prizes . -Tim

That's exactly what I have planned for any event, or get-together. The computer opponents (AI) cannot replace the feeling you get when playing against a live opponent.

 

I was able to enjoy attending the NWCGE earlier this year, and the best times would be multi-player action. Bombastic (PS2), War of the Monsters (PS2), and Rush 2049 (Dreamcast) gave several gamers the opportunity to blast each other away!

 

Personally, I don't think it matters which console (or consoles linked) that we use, as long as it's fun for everyone.

 

Brad

[Phosphor Dot Fossils]

OK, my "after-action report" now, transcribed from a post I already wrote on the DP forums:

 

OKGE 2004 was an outstanding show. I ran into some comically embarrassing technical glitches at my own table that apparently meant my much-touted video display couldn't run past 20-25 minutes (!!!), but I gave up on it and just put some games up on all my screens, and that = a happy crowd. Sold LOTS of stuff, scored a Gamecube, some 2600 and Colecovision goodness, new Pac-Man toys (!), two working 2600s, and much more. And a Commodore 1541 drive from icbrkr, who feared that it had a destiny as a speedbump in his garage. Autographs from George "The Fat Man" Sanger, who also played music for an hour or so with another member of Team Fat and had a great sense of humor and seemed to enjoy the whole thing on the level of being an attendee like the rest of us. Larry Dixon, formerly of Origin Systems, was also quietly making his way around, and I had a blast talking to him about Wing Commander (the games and the movie), and his kick-in-the-pants story about turning some guy named Rick Sternbach down on a design gig on some new version of Star Trek they were working on in the 1980s... D'OH!!

 

Reasonable prices all round on the vendors' end of things, and stuff on display that I had not seen in YEARS. Whoever was running the Pac-Man & Q*Bert collectibles display - my hat's off to you. I drooled over that memorabilia. And the vendors were incredibly nice - I wound up having to borrow a PS1 A/V cable from Game Crazy, and that's a cable they could have sold had it still been on their table. This was a great event - full of cool stuff I hadn't seen before, cool people, and running over with that warm neighborly feeling of the southern midwest that I'm rather fond of.

 

Oh, and Flack had THE standout table this year - outstanding presentation, and on a subject he knows really well! I went over there and he walked me through the items he had on display, and he'd been going through that same story all morning and I was just transfixed. I had a hard time staying behind my own table this year because everyone's stuff was just so interesting.

 

Not to cast any aspersions on last year's OKGE, but this one was a QUANTUM leap forward. Congrats to Jesse Hardesty - I do believe he's landed himself right smack in the middle of the midwest's biggest gaming event! Attendance was WAY UP this year from what I saw - and lots of returning faces from last year. Big crowd in the morning, different big crowd in the afternoon. I talked myself hoarse demonstrating the Odyssey, talking about video game history, and just shooting the breeze, even giving a rather rambling interview to HawgWyld. Some shoulda warned him that I can go on and on about classic games until I foam at the mouth and fall over backwards!

 

And of course a blast to see everyone there again - Flack, chocobokick, Albert, icbrkr, purenergy, Vespertillio and his pal Juan, MegaManFan & Mrs. MegaManFan, Carrie and Brad from Messiah, and anyone I may have neglected to mention.

 

Rockin' show, folks. Don't miss it next year. I don't see how there can help but be a good show a year from now too! And maybe by then I will have found a DVD-R that doesn't glitch!

 

Also, one more thing - I feel I owe a public apology to Jess because, during breakdown, I threw out some crazy offhand comment about "Wow, maybe this'll be two days next year!" and I could almost feel the poor guy's blood pressure rising because I know he's just now depressurizing from THIS year's show. I kinda felt like an ass about that, and I'm deeply sorry for it, Jess - yet another example of my enthusiasm running away with me (and admittedly me being more than a little bit tired, else I probably would've done a better job of editing my own thoughts before they escaped my mouth). It's just...that's how much I love this show. But you're right, a two-day event is probably out of reach for now in this part of the country - even AGE was, if I'm not mistaken, a single-day event. Jess and his lovely wife put on one heck of an event for all of us, but really, I'm not trying to make anyone's head explode here, so for that comment - and any implication that might have been taken from it that this one day of OKGE was in any way not adequate - I am truly sorry, because that couldn't be further from what I was actually trying to say: OKGE rocked.

 

And now for something completely different...some more pics.

 

It's kinda hard to tell, but the large red object in this guy's lap was his kid, completely conked out while daddy jammed on the Gamecube.

 

Virtual Boy!

 

I wanted the grand prize from Brad's Space Invaders tournament SO BAD. Brad, where did you get this to begin with? Must...own...one.

 

Some of the prizes being given away every hour. Hey, for once, I wasn't the only table with a Magnavox Odyssey!

 

I believe this 2600-era gadget was also at Brad's table - I had never seen one in person before. When you demand the lack of certainty of an Intellivision controller in your 2600 gaming, Suncom presents the Joysensor - sensing your joy slipping away as someone frags you for the umpteenth time today! But I keed, I keed - I've never tried one out!

 

Teach your children well. This Galaga cocktail was "booked" the whole day - I didn't get a single game in!

 

These should give you an idea of what kind of crowd there was at OKGE - a very healthy turnout considering that the bulk of OKGE's traffic is probably walk-ins.

 

One day, two days? Doesn't matter. If you missed OKGE this year, do not miss it next time!

[SteveW]

Hey, for once, I wasn't the only table with a Magnavox Odyssey!

 

That was a nice touch, having an Odyssey hooked up. I've never had the chance to play one, and with it being so rare, i'm sure that i'll never get another one. The "Etch-A-Sketch" controls took a little getting used to, along with the tiny size of the pong paddles. But it was a neat slice of history. Thanks for letting us get an opportunity to play it!

 

 

And that Suncom Joy-Sensor isn't all that bad a controller. Not something you would use on a regular basis, though. I still think that the Atari CX-40 is the all time best videogame controller ever created.

[2600Lives]

I did notice something odd this year that didn't happen last year, though. Maybe 10 or so times during the day, someone would walk up and pick up a game and hand it to me, expecting to buy it. I had to tell them that I was just an exhibit table, and not a vendor (though I did sell a few things when I got a good offer, but not my really prized stuff). One guy even asked me if my "other stores" had something he was looking for. That was kinda odd. Someone even wanted to buy my Samus bobblehead! (Sell my Samus bobblehead?!?! Horrors!) I really should have had that foresight to put up an "exhibition only" sign, but hell, getting everything ready AND getting some sleep was really a chore. Next year...next year. Anyway, I'm gonna go back to getting my butt handed to me on Medal of Honor Frontline...

[Phosphor Dot Fossils]

Oh yeah, I had NOT FOR SALE printed up on my placards and stuff this year - last year I wasn't selling anything but I got lots of offers anyway. This year both Kent and I brought stuff to sell, and sold plenty, but it was the stuff with the NOT FOR SALE signs that always got the most offers. We kept track of it for one hour, and someone made an offer on the Coleco tabletops every eight minutes. And there was one guy who really did not want to hear a "no" when he asked if he could buy the Doctor Who pinball marquee! I wrote up a new hand-written sign for the tabletops that said "They're not for sale...but feel free to play 'em." I'd rather have the stuff up front for people to play and have to rebuff the buy offers than put any of it under glass or 'behind the ropes.' They're games, they're there to be played.

[MegaManFan]

He even had to tell ME the Tron figures weren't for sale, and the sign was right in front of my nose where I could read it - but I had to ask anyway!

 

Can't tell you how many times somebody came up to AA's table asking if we had Atari 2600's for sale!

[ATARI TROLL]

Man, I had a blast....

 

My thanks to the kind individuals I was able to meet

 

Crossbow and his wife Best Hosts and don't know how they did it. Both were extremely and friendly

 

Mr & Mrs MMF (best all around conversation to have with an Atari Couple!)

Phossor Dot Fossils (way cool setup)

 

Flack-had and evolution of some of the best game systems one drools over!

 

Albert had an awesome setup as well....secured me a copy of seawolf...still presently playing at the moment!!

 

I scored a supercharger and SteveW was extremely cool routing an IPOD through it and providing me a demo of what I will buy next! thanks again Steve!

 

I did get a chance to meet Eric D Lee with his son!

 

Overall I am glad that all liked the OKGE....If there is one next year Crossbow, consider me more than just a table investment!

 

Cheers and thanks to all for posting the pics....

 

PS Stan the Borg Collection was wanted by several people but I told them they were only for demo only.......they were the most played games besides SEAWOLF! One individual wanted CPUWIZs TX Chainsaw Massacre/Halloween double ender that he did for me a while back

[ATARI TROLL]

edit

 

Crossbow and his wife Best Hosts and don't know how they did it. Both were extremely BUSY and friendly

[HawgWyld]

I talked myself hoarse demonstrating the Odyssey, talking about video game history, and just shooting the breeze, even giving a rather rambling interview to HawgWyld.

 

Hey, I'm just as bad, so don't worry. You'll come off fine in print when a little trademarked "Hawg Magic" is utilized. I can ramble about classic games, too, but I had to be all professional and such on Saturday as I was on company time. Not a bad gig, really -- got some games I needed for free, essentially, as them newspaper folk will compensate me for my time there, mileage and etc. Ah, yes, there's nothing like spending a pocket full of cash while knowing you'll get it back from your employer in a week or two.

 

Again, great show. Jesse and his wife, Angel, were outstanding hosts and I can't thank them enough for being so kind to me.

 

The only problem is this -- after finally buying "Star Fire" and playing it for hour after hour, I'm kind of addicted to homebrews. Thank God I have an understanding wife

[SS]

 

 

I saw one of these at John Hardie's / DP's table at the ECGE two weekends ago. Perhaps the coolest controller ever! Makes me wish that I had a modded PS2.

[MegaManFan]

 

   

 

I saw one of these at John Hardie's / DP's table at the ECGE two weekends ago.  Perhaps the coolest controller ever!  Makes me wish that I had a modded PS2.

 

You're telling me! I kept drooling at or near that thing every time I walked by it at the con. MUST, HAVE, ONE.

[Phosphor Dot Fossils]

Just for you, MMF, I'm gonna do my level best to get one by next year. And have the Tron action figures playing it.

[MegaManFan]

If I get one, I'm posing it with either Farscape figures or WWE wrestlers. Maybe both! Dargo and Triple H battle for Space Invaders world supremacy!

[HawgWyld]

Indeed, the OKGE article is FINISHED and will run in The Morning News on Sunday. I'll post a link after it shows up on the Web.

 

I got quite a bit of room, but not enough to include everything in the article I wanted to. Hope I got it right, at least.

[MegaManFan]

Can't wait to see it!

[Phosphor Dot Fossils]

My own retrospective article can be found here.

[Dan Iacovelli]

My own retrospective article can be found here.  

 

good report PDF, (I didn't go through everything just the people you met section) btw: I saw something that caught my eye in the pic of brads jaguar. why it's the final jagfest issues(I say issues because I noticed the cover of the cafepress edition then I took asecond look and noticed a color

printed version of the same issue(@ brad, didn't know you were going to print it in color no wonder people asked you about it. it's cool though I usally print a master that way and make copies in b/w(the color version usally goes for aprize as well))

[HawgWyld]

Well, the article's up. If you want to see it, head on over to http://www.nwaonline.net and click the "Classic Video Games in Demand" link in the Northwest Arkansas Business section.

 

They seem to be having some HTML issues tonight (I hope they'll resolve them soon) and the article isn't as complete as I wanted it -- had to lead off with the stuff about what Atari and Radica are up to, see. Also, it's not as long as I wanted it -- I wanted about 60" of copy, but I only got 45". Oh, well.

 

I'll post the PDFs tomorrow when they're available (or, I'll link to them, at least -- we're not supposed to quote full article, right )

 

Again, I hope I got it right!

[HawgWyld]

By the way, that will appear in both "The Morning News of Northwest Arkansas" and our sister paper, "The Southwest Times Record" in Fort Smith, Ark. Both have a combined circulation of around 90,000 on Sunday.

 

Hey, not "New York Times" numbers, I realize, but I thought someone might be interested.

[HawgWyld]

And, now, even the site is messing up. Here's the direct link to the article:

 

http://www.nwaonline.net/archive/2004/09/2...ess/292624.html

 

Grrr....