RF Generation.  The Classic and Modern Gaming Databases.RF Generation.  The Classic and Modern Gaming Databases.

Posted on Jun 30th 2015 at 12:00:00 PM by (wildbil52)
Posted under Moar Games, Just a bunch of people who like the games


I recently spent two days at the RetrowareTV table at Too Many Games 2015 in Oaks, PA.  I sold a few things, bought a few things, and helped spread the word about our upcoming RetroWorld Expo this coming October.



This was my second visit to TMG.  The first was a few years ago when Duke, Izret, NeoMagicWarrior, Russlyman, Waynepe and about a dozen others all met in Oaks, PA for a few days of fun and games.  I had a blast then and I had a blast this year.  John, Lance and I drove down on Friday morning.  We set up the table that afternoon, went to the RetrowareTV panel around 6:30 and stayed up entirely too late with a pretty impressive crowd of Retro gaming YouTube personalities.

I was surprised at how many people I ran into that were from Connecticut: people I recognize from ConnGo meetups, people whom I had seen at local trading events, local artists with video game prints that I just couldn't resist, and the list goes on.  We love going to events like these because we love games, but even more so than that, we love going to these events because we feel good to be around people who are just like us.


I have a theory about Expos/Conventions.  I think that most people plan on attending for the purpose of buying video games, or at least, shopping for video games.  So many of us spend so much time going to garage sales, thrift shops and flea markets for the CHANCE to find games.  When 80 video game specific vendors get together in once place, it's almost like our minds go into overload.  After the initial rush of being around so many games subsides, I think most people just like being with their friends and the people they relate with at these shows.  I had so many great conversations over the two days I was there.

I had a great conversation with a young boy with a LaserScope on his head.  His parents weren't gamers, but they brought their son all the way to TMG from Massachusetts and they couldn't have looked happier.  I saw NeoMagicWarrior for the second time in two years.  He was on the hunt, not for some big elusive "White Whale," but for a copy of Star Fox Adventures to play with his girlfriend.  I met Chris from OTC games, who has sponsored the Collectorcast for some time now and was able to convince him to book a table at the RetroWorld Expo in October.


These are just a few of the encounters I had with random gamer folds while I was there.  It really is a great feeling to have such great interactions with the people who love the things you love. It really reminds you why you want to put on a show in the first place.  You don't just want this feeling for yourself, you want to share this feeling with your people.

For those considering attending TMG in the future, here are a couple of tips that others on RFGen have already pointed out:

Bring Cash  Lots of cash.  Many more vendors are accepting paypal than used to, but cash is still king.

Bring Food  No offense to the food provided by the Expo hall, but it is average at best, expensive at worst, and the lines are NEVER short.  Pack a sandwich, bring your own water and save those dollars for the games!

Talk to Strangers  Yeah, I know, many of us are socially awkward (this guy), but I'm always amazed at how great it can be to talk to a complete stranger about a game that you loved growing up to find out that they either feel the same way OR that they have never played it and you have encouraged them to give it a try.

I'm not putting this last one in bold because it isn't a requirement, just a suggestion:

Buy or play a Tabletop game.

TMG has a pretty decent freeplay Tabletop area and a bunch of cool people willing to teach you how to play.  There is only so much game hunting you can do over three days.  After two days, you have pretty much seen every game there is to buy at the event.  On Sunday, play a board game.  I picked up this beauty right before we left.  Maybe my RFGen houseguests in October will be willing to give it a try with me...FORESHADOWING!




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Comments
 
You want socially awkward go to a board game convention.  I just went to Nexus Game Fair this weekend in Milwaukee (all 4 days) Smiley and played Dead of Winter for the first time.  Awesome game!  Have you played before?
 
Played this with Crabby and our regular tabletop group. We lost.
 
Haven't played it yet, just heard lots of good things.  I kind of enjoy brutally difficult tabletop games.
 
Hey Bill, was talking to you for awhile about the convention at your booth. Really wanted to go to the con but already made plans with the wifey for a trip that weekend. Hopefully everything goes well and I will be able to attend next year. My friend and I were selling our art at this show, I guess I should have wrote something on here, seems a lot of rfgnens went.
 
Glad to hear you had fun this year. Wish I could have made it. Also, who puts video games into giant boxes like that anymore? Wink
 
It was a lot of fun. My son had a blast. Will definitely be returning for next year
 
@Duke.Togo:  You would love Dead of Winter. Wink
 
Glad you had fun at TMG Bil. Getting really excited about coming up for RWE. I'm looking forward to grabbing a few games, but as I mentioned in my last blog, I'm really making the trip to hang out with all of you guys for the weekend.  Should be fun!

I've watched videos on Dead of Winter. The mechanics are interesting, but the zombie thing is a bit too played out for me. Old man voice, "Hey you, Get off my damn lawn!"
 
Man that looks like a lot of fun.  I wish TMG was closer to me.
 
I'm with you 100% Rich. I think the zombie thing is a bit overdone but there is still room for a zombie thing with me if it is done extremely well like Left 4 Dead, The Last of Us or Dead of Winter.  The Zombie Call of Duty stuff is where I draw the line.
 
For the Zombie games I have played (Still have to try out my copy of Last Night On Earth), Dead of Winter and Zombiecide, I prefered Zombiecide to this one. Probably has a lot to do with being a sucker for cool, pack-in, game miniatures and also the fact that our group came close but we all starved to death, so therefore lost. I like the one part of Dead of Winter where in certain situations, the group will chose to vote on the fate of NPC's within the fictional colony. I always voted no. I approach a lot of these scenarios with a cruelty that would go along with trying to survive a zombie apocalypse.
 
This is the first year I was not able to attend TMG. I have gone the past two years and displayed my car inside by the arcade. It was def a blast and I meet a ton of cool people. I had to save money this year since I will have a table at RWE and I am planning a trip in October as well to Portland Retro Gaming Expo. So thats a big one.

I would also like to add you are usually welcome to bring trades to the convention. Most venders won't mind giving you some quick booth credit towards some games if you have some you no longer want.

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