Video Game Track Open for Business!
To the Gaming Furs at Large:
It's that time again, where Kiric and I come to tell you about the exciting things happening in the Video Gaming Room at Anthrocon 2011! We're trying to get an early start on scheduling events for this year, so if you're interested in holding a video game tournament of any sort, please let us know! If you ran a tournament last year, you will get priority scheduling during the convention, so give us a yell if you're going to help out again! Any system is allowed, but if it's for older consoles then be prepared to put up or locate enough equipment to make sure the tournament can happen; all equipment is donated, after all.
Speaking of donations, if you are interested in bringing consoles, games and controllers along for the ride, that would help tons! This year we will be changing things around a bit to make sure that checking your equipment in and out of the room will go smoothly. We also want to continue our no-lost-equipment streak, so we'll be filling out inventories for anyone who volunteers their gear. This room cannot survive without donations, so whatever you can provide we will happily use.
Volunteers are also needed to make this room work. If you have a couple of hours of spare time, please think about volunteering in the VG room! It only takes 10 hours to get a T-shirt, and 15 hours will get you a free membership to Anthrocon 2012! Please contact us if you're able to volunteer and help out a fellow gamer.
Kiric and I had fun running last year's VG room. I hope that this year the VG room will be the place to go and we hope that you'll be a part of the fun. Game on!
--Turtyl & Kiric
Anthrocon 2011 Video Gaming Track Co-Leads
Is the format going to be revealed before the actual tournament? (I'm mainly interested in is it single instrument or band, is no fail on, is it Expert only, and if it's not secret then if it's purely point based, percentage based, or some mix thereof.)
Also, if equipment is needed I can probably convince a vendor that's attending to drag some of my stuff along... bigger items might be trickier (I'm at another con up until AC). Since everything takes space I'd like to only have to beg the vendor to bring what's absolutely needed - though the microphones and games I can pack into my luggage without trouble. The keyboard might fit in my suitcase as well.
All my materials are Xbox 360 - I can potentially contribute from the following list:
-GH2/GH3/GH:A/GH:M/GH:SH/GHWT/GH5/GHWoR/Band Hero (the pinkness!)
-RB/RB2/RB3/GDRB/LEGO
-Two wireless RB2 guitars (you'd better be good at smacking the Back button if you want to deploy overdrive reliably though)
-Two of the ugly old wired GH2 era guitars (the X-plorer)
-A wireless GHWT guitar (I didn't fix the strum bar, so the standard warning about holding the bar firmly when not strumming applies)
-The GHWT drum kit (shudder)
-An ION Drum Rocker with a Rock Pedal (I really doubt I can bring this along due to size, but if it's needed, maybe. The pedal might be easier to bring).
-Two USB microphones
-Two mic stands (one with boom - good for if the drummer feels the need to sing while drumming)
-One keyboard + keyboard stand
I do remember that it was not a single instrument format, though Milt will have to elaborate on the details beyond that.
That's some equipment list ^_^ I think Milt has most (if not all) of the actual games, and a large percentage of the downloadable content. Bringing the various controlers and at least one of the mic stands would be great, also I'm sure we could use another Xbox if you can bring the console, too. As always, please don't stress about bringing everything and the kitchen sink if it's going to be a hassle for you. Also don't bring anything you don't mind other people using most of the time.
Sweet, and we're making all the time you help us out official volunteerness this time! Do you want the same time slot as last year? We had several other people bing guirars that we didn't wind up using much, due to your awesome ones, so we should be fine. ^_^
That should be fine. I never actually used the volunteer hours from last year, I lost the volunteer sheet and didn't end up finding it until after the cut-off date for using it. Definitely not going to make that mistake again.
I can also contribute my ability to yell things loudly, if any tournaments need an attention-getter/hype man.
Two words: DUCK HUNT! I plan to bring my NES system with controllers and a plethera of games, of course including duck hunt. The rules of competition would be simple. Everyone would grab a time card (in 15 min increments) They would play for their time while standing behind a line 10 feet or so from the screen to prevent point-blank cheating, record and submit their round number and score after losing or running out of time, then after everyone in the competition has gone, the highest round number wins. Prizes would go to the person who got the furthest. In the event of a tie, the score would determine the winner. In the event the round number and the scores are the same, then there would be some sort of sudden-death match to determine the winner.
I also plan to volunteer for a good portion of the convention (at least 15 hours), so you can bet that I will be there.
Did you know that the second controller can controll the ducks in Duck Hunt?
That sounds great Mordechai! I'll add you to the list of people interested in hosting a tourney and you'll be hearing from us soon about details.
Sweet 
I just hope that the duckies at the con will understand that it's all in sport. Just in case, we should add a disclaimer:
*No ducks were harmed in the duration of this tournament*
Keep in mind that the Zapper might not work correctly with newer TVs, as in anything that doesn't use a standard tube. Also, I've got a large box of NES/SNES games that I may or may not bring, along with an FC Twin to play them on. If I were to bring anything, I'd make sure to bring Tetris Attack and a few multiplayer NES carts.
If need be, I will bring my TV, which I planned to do anyway for my personal use in my hotel room. I have about 30 titles including SMB 1 + Duck Hunt, 2, and 3; Zelda 1 and 2; the entire Mega Man series; Metroid; Tetris; Kirby's Adventure; Super Contra; a couple space shooters; Mike Tyson's Punch Out; and the Tengen Pac Man games. I don't have much as far as multiplayer cartrages besides Super C, but in the day of the NES, players had to "take turns." I know, and archaic phrase, but that's how it worked back in the day. Most of my multiplayer games are on my N64, which I don't plan to bring. If I bring too much stuff I'd never leave my hotel room, which would defeat the purpose of going to Anthrocon in the first place.
Wow, you and Kage are seriously in sync or something. I was just asked by him how many of our older CRTs for this year's con. I'll ask him to make sure both of the old CRTs make it to AC (one is already reserved for DDR). We usually open briefly Thursday night for setup/dropoff purposes. If you're there at that time, we can test it out.
I'll be arriving at the con on Wednesday night to settle in and unpack. So, yea, I'll be able to be there Thrusday (where ever "there" will be) to dropoff/ setup/ and test the equipment. If an extra CRT TV is needed, I will have one available. It's a 22" MagnaVox with built-in VHS and DVD players.
I don't know if this would be an issue, but my NES uses the old cable hook-up rather than the standard AV cables. So long as the TVs have a cable jack and at least 4 channels, everything should work. This is also convenient because this allows multiple systems to be hooked to a single TV for quick system swapping.
Yes, that's my general reaction too.. but I'd rather have the general hissing at using CRTs than the screaming/hairpulling/teethgnashing of trying to get DDR to sync with the newer TVs we have ^_^ Fear not, the CRTs will be strictly quarantined and isolated to decrease the possibility of multiplying.
I donated my Wii last year to the gaming room and just posting here that I'll probably do so again (with Smash of course <.<). Also I'll be bringing a PS3 this year (complete with MvC3 ) I'd really like to see a MvC3 tournament and would possibly host one if needed (just I would need help coming up with a prize <.<)
would anyone be interested in setting aside a block of time to get together and play and talk about monster hunter?
I have Monster Hunter Tri for the Wii, but that requires wifi. ^^;
if there was rockband id bring my gutar but my brother smashed it. -.=.- any tornament's count me in i will not win but i like to think so 
actuly im quite good at duck hunt and ddr but yha stuped brother
The thought is appreciated, and there's definitely going to be Rock Band.
Can a con even exist without a game of DDR and Rock Band to christen it?
Plenty already do, I just don't go to them.
As always, I'm up for helping out in the game room whenever you need me (except when I'm asleep).
Also up for hosting another Rock Band tourney, just need to decide on a format for this year. I'll be bringing a handful of controllers, but I won't be able to bring as many as last year. My own supplies are getting a bit low, and RB/GH controllers go through a lot of wear and tear, especially at cons.