Background
My last convention of the year has come and gone. It was a fantastic weekend of video games representing all stages of creation and a menagerie of pop culture memorabilia in all shapes and sizes. celebrating the medium’s history. It was an excellent reminisce of bygone times. It was Vincon.
I’ve actually attended last year’s Vincon as a volunteer, helping Games Ahoy run the carnival games. Because it was more of a work visit, I didn’t document it very well. But I’m happy to say that this year’s con was greatly expanded from last year’s. The venue opened two halls for use instead of cramming everything into one. I hope that expansion remains in future years.
The convention’s North Hall served as its entrance. Here, merchants set up their stalls and tables lay waiting to be used for the Saturday swap meet and to play tabletop games supplied by the Wyoming Gaming Library. In the South Hall, live music sounded from artists like Airship Overdrive, Jelly Fish Farm, and the Chunderfins, providing ambience as guests enjoyed carnival games, interactive console displays, and a handful of arcade machines.
The convention
The bulk of my visit happened on the convention’s first day. When I crossed the threshold and began browsing the vendors, I knew it would be fun. The familiar faces of Fandom Theory Embroidery, Oathen, Cori the Massage Wizard, King’s Cards & Creations, Our Own Game Company, and Sloth Panda Creations had all set up shop in the First National Bank Building. But among the wild and vast array of businesses, one of my first purchases came from ESVARS LLC.
Mr. Cuenca’s energy was infectious and he presented himself as a man who was enthusiastic about his wares. They may have cost a pretty penny, but the pair of ponchos I bought were worth it. The Mario poncho sees use my during late night gaming session and the Spider-Man one was gifted to an aspiring filmmaker friend.
I continued wandering through the packed vendor hall, eventually bumping into Cori the Massage Wizard. On one side of him was Unstable Culture, a 3D printing business from whom I ordered a a carrying case/dice tower hybrid. On the other side lay Trinkets N’ Tidbits Custom Jewelry, a purveyor of chainmail accessories. I was enticed by a tri-color dice bag and hovered around the table trying to decide to make the purchase. Cori seized the opportunity to endorse me and my little hobby. So, of course, I had to rise to the occasion.
The day continued without another serious encounter. The final thing I did before the convention closed was get into an Oathen four-way free-for-all which ran for at least 30 minutes.
Vendor Spotlight: Giant Fox Studio
On the convention’s second day, I aimlessly wandered around the North Hall, absorbing the con’s sights and sounds and playing a puzzle from King’s Cards and Creations. Besides it, within the narrow connecting corridor between the two halls, was the booth for Giant Fox Studio. Two tables had been put up. One table was dedicated to a party game called BATSU! The other held a couple of computers set up. In between them sat a standalone arcade cabinet.
My first was the Batsu table where I was given an explanation of the rules. Players select a judge for the round and draw cards to create a scenario. The non-judge players then have to act out the scene akin to stand-up comedy. The person who performed the worst as decided by the judge receives a “Batsu” or punishment.
The next game which caught my attention was the arcade cabinet. It held a demo for the company’s newest project named Swing Striker. It married the swinging mechanics from something like a Spider-Man game to the sport of soccer. Akin to Rocket League but with grappling hooks instead of RC cars. I tried my hand at the tutorial and while I didn’t dislike it, using a controller made the movement hard to grasp.
My third stop was their far table where I playtested a demo of Deep Mysteries, a point-and-click style puzzle game. The story centered around a newly promoted employee who arrives to find her workplace mysterious abandoned. The impression I received was one of a throwback to series like Monkey Island while not overwhelming. I see great potential in this title after it completes development. After the playtest, I chatted up Benjamin Roberts and Jaime Fraina about what they do.
To wind down my day, I listened the live tunes of Airship Overdrive. I searched among the vendors for a little bit longer, buying Christmas gifts from Glitch Gaming Apparel. Around 2:30 P.M. I was ready to pack it up and go home. Another successful convention visit.
Review and Thoughts
I view Vincon as a restful and laid-back convention, which makes it perfect to cap off the year. Other conventions I’ve visited like GhengisCon, Wyoming Gaming Con, and Fort Collins Comic Con have had game demos, open game tables, and panels for attendees to visit. Vincon had game tables too, but in my perspective, they weren’t the main focus. I would suggest that Vincon’s goal is to reflect and admire gaming’s history. To look back, see how far it’s grown, and realize how much can still be done.
My convention season is done for the year. The most likely con that I’ll be going to next is GhengisCon in February. In the meanwhile, I’ll be trying to restart my video game review series, “The Blackhawk’s Backlog.” I believe I’m close to installing a new hard drive which will give me much needed space for video recording. Good night and be safe everybody.
James Meyer 