I've looked over the site and seen the schedule. I'd probably love the MTG draft if I knew the current Magic rules. I've never heard any of the bands. If they actually had an Oculus rather than a panel about it, I'd go just to use it. I can't find a list of vendors. None of the tournaments are games I've actually played. None of the other listed games are games I know how to play. The arcade stuff might be cool, but it's pretty hit and miss.
Of course there are cos-players, like that was in doubt.
This is interesting. MAGfest has a twitch channel and is streaming the Machinae Supremacy concert now. I'm watching it, and these are guys are quite good.
Yay technology!
Thanks for the heads up! I managed to catch the last couple of songs before they finished their set.
I knew they were recording, but didn't know they were streaming via Twitch. My drunken face was close enough you might be able to make it out between the various heads and horn-throwing arms.
It was a fantastic concert, too. I would love for them to return and play a larger set, but evidently they're crowd-funding a larger tour in Europe that would start in the Fall. So who knows if they'll be able to return annually, but it turns out MAGFest was the largest show they had ever played. People came out all the way from the West Coast just so they could see MaSu perform live, and damn did they deliver. My friend got to hang with them after the show. I, however, wanted to see a friend play and then had to drunkenly pass out.
MAGFest is a really good time, but I have mixed thoughts on it as a whole and how best to enjoy it. Just as I had to figure out my approach to PAX East, I need to figure out my approach to MAGFest. However, the music is the top draw here, and they are certainly trying to develop a varied selection of sounds.
For those interested, the Twitch stream that MeatMan was talking about can be seen here. I'll post their concert at Assembly if anyone is interested. That was a few songs in I believe, so it's only maybe a little more than half of the actual show.
So, here's my general feedback of the event and my experience with it (extra long since Nick the Newbie will hopefully/maybe be coming back to check it out).
The Good:
- MAGFest knows what their attraction is, and that is a music festival. On Saturday both Main Stage and Second Stage were occupied with musical acts until the "Main Concerts" around 7pm on the main stage. Even so, you'll easily find people in the halls messing around, or folks in the Jamspace playing together. On the whole, it's less a gaming convention and more a festival of music appealing to gamers and about or based on games.
- There's a sizeable variety of tunes, though a lot of it ends up being Chiptune or Metal/hard rock. I imagine that's just the majority of what's available out there, but there are a group of artists that are blending genres or are part of less common band styles. There's a decent number of rap artists there, and then there are bands like Missingno that are a bit more jazzy (well, they remind me of Chicago actually). I'm actually hoping my friend submits their band Mario Speed Wagon next year. Either way, it highlights that there's a little something for everyone while providing access to musical styles you might not otherwise be into.
- The size of the vending area and arcade is absolutely HUGE, though it's the same arcade provider as at PAX East and Escapist Expo. That's not a negative thing, though. There's a lot of machines, better maintained than at some locations I've been to. However, some will inevitably go out of commission.
- If you're into music and rhythm games, especially Japanese ones like Beatmania and Pop Fever or whatever it's called, then this arcade is heaven for you.
- For a four day event, the passes are cheap. More so, my friends got adjoining hotel rooms for three nights and the total cost (after getting some room service I believe) was $550. Considering prices for events like PAX East, that's f*cking phenomenal, especially considering how nice the hotel is.
The Bad:
- I don't think I know a single person to have had anything good to say about a panel they went to. Granted, I don't know anyone that attended any of the YouTube personality panels, such as those for JonTron, Egoraptor or Two Best Friends Play, but just about any other panel, even the one featuring John St. John and the voice actress for GLaDOS, were met with disappointment. I don't know what MAGFest can do in this regard, though, other than try to cater to people with more interesting panel ideas or better credentials.
- I cannot speak for other panel rooms, but the MAGES panel room was long and narrow with only one set of speakers towards the front. This was horrible as it limited how many people could hear. In fact, I was honestly surprised that a festival where sound would be so important has overlooked it in such a simple area.
- There was a huge reliance on using Guidebook over printed materials, which I understand as it helps cut costs and keep the event cheap, but not everyone has a good smart phone (hello!) or a smart phone at all. While the schedules they provided were helpful, they didn't come with clear explanations about what the different events were and were completely missing a schedule of performances. As I only wanted it for whoever was performing on Main or Second stage, I abandoned it quickly. I then had to clear whatever data I could so my phone wouldn't Female Doggo about running out of data while using Guidebook.
- There were no schedules set up by Main or Second stage, at least not by default, which is just mind-blowing to me.
- There were plenty of signs that stood out quite well trying to point everyone to different locations. MUCH more helpful than when I've been to PAX East trying to figure out where I'm going. However, there need to be more sign posts, so to speak, at random locations. I was frequently asked where Registration was, for example, and examining the map didn't always help.
- I will give them a bit of a break, though, as the hotel isn't designed like other convention centers and thus takes a bit of getting used to. And the hotel is HUGE, so it's easy to lose your bearings. Once you've been there before, however, it's less of a problem.
Other things I'd like MAGFest to consider or change:
- Triforce Quartet on the Main Stage. Honestly, I love metal, but X-Hunters have way too a monotonous sound compared to some of the other talent that could have been up there. I imagine the bands selected for main stage are chosen specifically for their popularity, but I think there should also be a "merit" factor there too. So toss in Triforce Quartet, who filled the Second Stage to near bursting.
- The event is cheap and so is the hotel rate (technically (when compared to events like PAX East or Otakon)), but there isn't a lot of cheap food in the area from what I could tell, or at least it's not easy to find. I don't really know what MAGFest can do about that (not like you can just summon food trucks, right?), especially since it's an area designed to gouge con-goers, but see if there are special deals you can strike for attendees at local areas, coupons or something, or create a sort of food guide that highlights deals such as the McCormick & Schmick's happy hour prices. Our group ended up giving quite a bit of business to a Papa Joe's pizza place at some point because they slid coupons beneath the doors on our floor.
- Perhaps more promotional videos of the website featuring some of the artists, so anyone anticipating the event can get some early exposure to bands they may not know or get a bit energized. Listing them on the website and linking to their pages is fine and all, but most people are very, very lazy. Even when it comes to pointing and clicking.
My Personal Experience:
As I said, I have to learn how to approach MAGFest in a similar fashion as I did PAX East. I went with a crew that had very, very different goals or styles than I did, and thus I became a bit let down Friday evening and Saturday before the main concerts. This had nothing to do with the convention, just that I tried to organize time to sit down and chat and hang with my friends that I hadn't seen in a while, and it kept on getting screwed up because I was essentially trying to coordinate between separate groups all doing their own thing. It's in fact why I didn't get a very long meeting with Zudz, who was quite pleasant to meet. His friend Anthony and his wife, too. They all seemed like they would have been fantastic to sit down and just talk with.
Because of its structure and, again, a variety of unaffiliated groups I was acquainted with, I didn't have any set "fallback" spot like the PAX East tabletop section. If I were to compare the events, in PAX East I'd go wandering the Expo Hall, maybe with a partner in crime (see: Amoebic and I checking out The Last of Us in the morning) or alone (see: most of my time at the Expo Hall). Seeing the different performances at MAGFest was mostly the same. However, I didn't have that fallback Tabletop section where I could rest, regroup, and perhaps organize with other con-goers. This hurt my MAGFest experience.
As a result, next year I am going to try and get more friends to go, but in particular I want to try and get more GWJers going. Seeing as so many are unable to attend PAX East this year (I'm still uncertain at this point if I will or not), I'm thinking MAGFest may become an easier sell next year.
In any event, most of my time was spent checking out performances, especially on Saturday, and I got to hear a bunch of new artists as well as some familiar and favorites. I got to check out my friend Tim and watch him perform as D&D Sluggers again. I got to eat cheap and spend very little the entire weekend, which is a first for me in terms of conventions. The only thing I truly didn't get to do was play board games with my friends or really meet new folks like I did last year.
So next year? Well, hopefully I'll be better off financially, so staying there Thursday to Sunday will hopefully be in the cards. I also intend to put forward my own panel ideas, though I kind of need partners in crime for them panels. Either way, I'm already jotting them down. That way instead of complaining about "not enough good panels" I can be part of the solution. I'm not bringing board games, however, unless I know there will be someone else that will be available with a similar schedule/preference of events as I have.
Pictures to come.
- If you're into music and rhythm games, especially Japanese ones like Beatmania and Pop Fever or whatever it's called, then this arcade is heaven for you.
Dammit. Even if it means flying in and paying for a hotel alone, I'm going to be at this next year. Mark my words.
Pages