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Oz Comic-Con Sydney 2019 Highlights
We were lucky enough to attend Oz Comic Con 2019 in Sydney and take in all the amazing sights and sounds! There were plenty of regular favourites and a few newcomers that shows just how much conventions are growing in popularity. Another very welcome addition we noticed was the increasingly family friendly nature these cons are becoming, with a scribble wall and colouring corners for kids!
There was a strong presence from the ESL (eSports League Australia) which is always good to see and they had live competitions running all weekend. The Southern Cross Garrison of the 501st Imperial Legion was also out in force, bringing some impressive cosplay from both sides of the force including Stormtroopers, Wookiees and Tauntauns!
The artists corner was buzzing with activity, allowing upcoming artists to show off their skills and sell some of their merchandise. Lots of booths filled to the brim with pop culture goodies spread themselves throughout both the halls. We were also lucky enough to stumble onto some retro goodies that included figures, vehicles and playsets from Star Wars, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Ghostbusters and Masters of the Universe.
Just in case you missed out on all the fun we brought you some highlights!
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Mat Panek, Chief Games Reviewer
Retromancer – Collector, repairer & fan of retro games & tech. Atari to Amiga, Nintendo to Sega! LD, Zip, Beta and a proud dad! One half of the TiredParents on Twitch.
Follow Mat on Twitter and Twitch
GAME MASTERS: THE EXHIBITION OPENS 27 SEPTEMBER 2019
NFSA turns into Australia’s biggest video game arcade, featuring world’s greatest designers, characters & 100+ playable games!
Following a 6-year international tour and more than 1 million visitors, Game Masters: The Exhibition will return to Australia and make its Canberra debut at the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia (NFSA) from 27 September 2019 – 9 March 2020. The ultimate experience for gamers and families alike, Game Masters has been updated to include the latest gaming blockbusters as well as Australian creations.
Game Masters is an interactive journey through five decades of video game history, offering both a behind-the-scenes look at the creative process behind the world’s most popular characters and franchises, and a chance to play them. Featuring interviews, never-before-seen concept artwork, an amazing display of vintage consoles and collectable items, and more than 100 playable games, visitors won’t want to leave!
No matter whether you played Pong at the local milk bar in the 70s, or spent last night playing Fortnite on your phone, Game Masters has something for everyone: from the arcade era through to today’s eighth generation consoles and mobile game technology, and from the most popular video games on the planet to independent games with a cult-like following.
image source: Game Masters: The Exhibition Melbourne 2012
HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDED IN GAME MASTERS: THE EXHIBITION
The first section, Arcade Heroes spotlights pioneering designers from the trailblazing and revolutionary arcade era, including Shigeru Miyamoto (Donkey Kong, 1981), Ed Logg (Asteroids, 1979), Masanobu Endo (Xevious, 1982), Toru Iwatani (Pac-Man, 1980), Eugene Jarvis (Defender, 1980) and Tomohiro Nishikado (Space Invaders, 1978). During this period designers were not always recorded for posterity, as was the case for the featured games Scramble, 1981 developed by Konami and Elevator Action, 1983 developed by Taito.
Leading contemporary designers who have had a major impact on shaping the medium as we know it feature in the second section, Game Changers, including Blizzard Entertainment (Diablo III, 2012), Paulina Bozek (SingStar, 2004), Tetsuya Mizuguchi (Sega Rally Championship, 1995), Peter Molyneux OBE (Fable III, 2010), Yuji Naka and the Sonic Team (Sonic the Hedgehog, 1991), Sega (Alex Kidd in Miracle World, 1986), Alex Rigopulos and Eran Egozy (Rock Band 4, 2015), Tim Schafer (Broken Age, 2014), Yu Suzuki (Hang On, 1983), TT Games (LEGO Batman 3: beyond Gotham, 2014) and Will Wright (SimCity, 1989).
The third chapter of the exhibition, Indies explores the pioneering and future-focussed world of independent game designers. Artists such as Jonathan Blow (Braid, 2008), Capy (Critter Crunch, 2008), Ken Wong (Florence, 2018), Halfbrick (Fruit Ninja Kinect, 2011), Masaya Matsuura (PaRappa the Rapper, 1996), Markus ‘Notch’ Persson (Minecraft, 2014), Rovio (Angry Birds, 2009), Bennett Foddy (Getting Over It, 2017), thatgamecompany (Journey, 2012), and The Behemoth (Castle Crashers, 2008) are profiled in this section.
Game Masters also features unique experiences such as a spectacular multiplayer dance stage for Dance Central 3 (2012), hands-on experiential music booths and a selection of original classic arcade machines from the 1970s and ’80s acquired especially for the exhibition, all playable in their original form.
Game Masters: The Exhibition will be open to the public from 27 September 2019 to 9 March 2020 at the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia (NFSA) in Canberra. A program of special events and screenings will complement the exhibition for the duration of the season. Tickets will be available from 9 August 2019; audiences can sign up for Game Masters updates and special VIP ticket offers here.
- Where: National Film and Sound Archive of Australia, McCoy Circuit, Acton ACT
- When: 27 September 2019 to 9 March 2020; 10am to 4pm, Monday to Sunday (except Christmas Day and New Year’s Day)
- Tickets: $19/$15/$12 (adult/concession/junior 5-17). Kids up to age 4 free. Family passes available.
- For more information/bookings: NFSA.gov.au/gamemasters
Oz Comic-Con Melbourne 2019 Highlights
Oz Comic Con Melbourne (2019) has come and gone. It is always a blast attending this event.
If you missed out on being there, don’t fret, our awesome photography team from REE Photography captured some awesome pics from Melbourne on the Queen’s Birthday weekend for you to enjoy and feel like you were there!
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REE Photography
The new and awesome photography service that captures all of your special moments from pop culture and gaming events.
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Women In Gaming: Celebrating Success, Expertise and Diversity
Goto.game is partnering with the Australian Esports League (AEL) for Australia’s inaugural GIRLGAMER Sydney Festival at this year’s Vivid Sydney.
The first GIRLGAMER Festivals took place in Macau in 2017 and Portugal in 2018. In 2019, GIRLGAMER Festival is expanding to South Korea, Spain and Brazil, as well as Sydney.
Goto.game will bring influential leaders in the gaming industry, including streamers, hosts and speakers such as Jessie ‘GeekGG’ James and Amy ‘HelloMissPotter’ Potter, to the GIRLGAMER Sydney Festival, and will manage and measure the performance of social media and promotional support across owned, earned and paid media using Digivizer’s real-time platform.
According to the Interactive Games and Entertainment Association’s Digital Australia Report 2018, 67% of Australians play video games and 46% of those are female. In an industry that grew 25% in Australia (IGEA) in 2018, women of all ages who play games of all genres are an important audience for gaming software and hardware companies, the esports sector and commercial sponsors.
Yet according to both Phid McAwesome of goto.game and Darren Kwan of AEL, women remain under-represented in the esports world with large scale events historically highlighting the talents of men. GIRLGAMER Sydney Festival is an event to celebrate and shine a spotlight on women and those who identify as such in gaming.
GIRLGAMER Sydney Festival details:
The GIRLGAMER Sydney Festival is part of Vivid Sydney at Chatswood. The live tournament will see players battle it out on stage, competing in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Blizzard’s Overwatch, and Super Smash Bros.
- Venue: The Concourse, Chatswood
- Date: 9th and 10th June, 2019
- Schedule: 10am – 7pm
- Prices: Normal Ticket – $20; Student Ticket – $15; Family Ticket – $40. Tickets available at https://www.girlgamer.gg/register/sydney/
image source: GIRLGAMER Festival
Pac Maze: An Immersive Pac-Man Inspired Escape Maze
A real life Pac-Man escape maze? Yep, you have read that right!
The peeps at Pac Maze have created the ultimate nostalgic Pac-Man inspired escape maze in Melbourne for one day at a secret location within 15 minutes from the CBD!
This immersive activation will bring a huge maze with the chance for players to lose themselves in a pixelated world, running, dodging ghosts and grabbing fruit to be the ultimate winner. Inside the maze, players will need to complete a coded pac puzzle along with collecting fruit. The first to complete the puzzle and collect all the fruit will be crowned the ultimate winner. If a player gets caught by a ghost they will lose a life – lose 3 lives and you’re out! Now that is old school rules.
Once players escape the Pac Maze they can kick on in the 80’s themed pixel room, which will include the OG Pac-Man game and a DJ who will be belting out the classics to wind the clock back.
Sounds fun! For full event details and ticketing, go here.
PS: We hope this isn’t the same mob that ran the much maligned Mario Kart (IRL event) in the CBD.
Retro Gaming Festival Coming To QV Melbourne
Woohoo, it’s Game/On at QV Melbourne from this Friday, 31 August till Sunday 23 September!
QV Melbourne welcomes the new spring season with their month long Game/On event which will feature a retro gaming world with Pacman, Donkey Kong to name just a few, gaming lounges and an Augmented Reality (AR) Scavenger Hunt, live music and lots more to get your game on!
In the QV Melbourne Retro Gaming Arcade Zone there will be all of your favourite retro video games, from Frogger, Pac-Man to Donkey Kong and Space Invaders! And guess what, it’s all FREE to be enjoyed from 11am – 7pm daily in QV Square.
image source: ms.ausretrogamer
Did you say you want competitions? Well then you are in luck! There will be plenty of Gamer vs Gamer Competitions, so grab your friends (or a few strangers) and get your game on in a Super Smash Bros. showdown in QV Square! Competitions will be held every Friday from 5pm. Heats are on the 31st August, 7th and 14th of September, with the finals taking place on Friday, 21st September. If you think you’re up for the challenge (of course you are!), then get practising and register here!
If you prefer a quest, then the Augmented Reality (AR) Scavenger Hunt is for you! Explore the QV Laneways with this exclusive and FREE AR scavenger hunt for your chance to win part of a $10,000 prize pool. Some of the great prizes up for grabs include:
– Republic Boutique gift voucher
– Dyson Supersonic Hairdryer
– $100 Bar Tab from Father’s Office
– Marshall Midi ii Bluetooth Headphones, plus more!
For more deets on the AR Scavenger Hunt, check out the T&Cs.
And for every one that just wants to immerse themselves in Game/On nostalgia, there will be a party on every Friday night from 4-7pm, with a Nintendo themed candy bar, a DJ spinning retro chiptunes and a live progressive art installation in Albert Coates Lane, painted by some of Melbourne’s most vibrant visual artists. Like we said, the best part is that it is all FREE for you to enjoy.
Oh yeah, make sure you tag @qvmelbourne and use the hashtag #QVGameOn when you visit QV Square for Game/On between Friday 31 August and Sunday 23 September to go in the draw to win a $500 QV shopping spree.
Game On like Donkey Kong!
image source: ausretrogamer at PAX Aus
Oz Comic-Con Melbourne 2018 Highlights
If you missed out on attending Oz Comic-Con 2018 in Melbourne, we have you covered!
With our trusty cameras in tow (thanks Alan Ly!), we snapped quite a few photos (over 60 photos actually) to make you feel like you were there, from awesome cosplay, comic book creators, artists, vendors with tempting gear, to a Star Wars X-Wing waiting for you to enter its cockpit and some Doom shenanigans at Bethesda’s booth.
Scroll through and enjoy what was a pretty epic Oz Comic-Con 2018!
If you made it this far, please consider supporting us by shouting us a coffee so we can keep bringing you heaps more awesome content! Thank you.
Dialed In: Meeting Jersey Jack Pinball’s Jack Guarnieri
If you weren’t aware, there is more than one player in the pinball manufacturing business. Jersey Jack Pinball started in January 2011 and immediately took the pinball scene by storm, creating and releasing innovative, fun and quality pinball machines. This trailblazing pinball company was founded by Jack Guarnieri, an amusement veteran of some forty years and a visionary that understands that pinball must break new ground in features and technology to keep players interested and to attract new ones to this wonderful game we call pinball.
In their short history, Jersey Jack Pinball (JJP) has introduced a number of pinball innovations; the high quality backboard LCD-HD screen, RGB-LED playfield lighting, rich audio, QR codes with social media integration and exquisite playfield toys to name just a few. Keeping this ground breaking momentum isn’t easy, but JJP understands that it is crucial to their continuing success.
JJP definitely took a leap of faith with their latest machine, Dialed In – it is refreshing to see a pinball company take a risk and be at the bleeding edge of pinball design and technology! Pinball designer extraordinaire, Pat Lawlor jumped on board and has integrated a number of mind-blowing features, like Bluetooth connectivity enabling additional player capabilities through a smartphone and a camera that emblazons player selfies on the backboard LCD screen. You would think that Dialed In’s original concept may not attract players to it, but we reckon Pat Lawlor and Jersey Jack Pinball have absolutely nailed it! With the game being meticulously developed over a number of years, it shows that no stone has been left unturned for an engrossing and engaging experience. With only the software left to be completed by the legendary Ted Estes, we can’t wait to see the final result!
Dialed In undercover! Waiting for the Australian unveiling
The unveiling of Dialed In! The anticipation was unbearable!
This past weekend, Mr Pinball and Bayside Pinball Club hosted the Jersey Jack Pinball event, with JJP founder and CEO, Jack Guarnieri as the guest of honour. Jack’s Australian unveiling of Dialed In drew a capacity crowd at the Sandbelt Hotel in south-east Melbourne. Eager onlookers could not wait to get their first glimpse of the machine and have a play. Once the machine was available for play, it was like moths to a flame – the queue to play the machine became longer by the second! We were glad that we waited for our turn, as playing Dialed In was a mesmerising experience that left us wanting to play it over and over again. The playfield was inviting, the ‘feel’ of the flippers felt right, the flow of the silverball was precise and that rich thumping audio was just so visceral! Dialed In is already a winner from our brief experience!
Meeting Jersey Jack Pinball’s Jack Guarnieri was both an honour and a humbling experience
The crowd is abuzz awaiting Jack’s inaugural Australian keynote speech!
The other highlight of the event was meeting Jack. Greeted by a warm hug, we knew that Jack was the kind of person we could immediately call our friend. Jack’s eagerness to get to know people, his intellect and humour made him very endearing. He made himself available for people to approach him, even going without food all day to ensure that he got to meet as many folks as possible. Jack’s keynote speech at the unveiling of Dialed In and the Q&A session were great insights into the man and the JJP company, from his fascinating beginnings in Manhattan and the Jersey Shore, to pinball operations, manufacturing and distribution. We hope that Jack returns to Australia in the not too distant future!
Many thanks to Wayne Gillard from Mr Pinball and Lucas Bardin from Bayside Pinball Club for putting on such a great event!
Jack introduces Pat Lawlor’s original concept game, Dialed In! And it’s a beauty!
The crowd gathers to take a closer look!
Always drawing a crowd – Martin Robbins gets dialled in!
Check out Marto’s selfies on the backboard!
Finally, it was our turn to play!
We were mesmerised by the playfield
The Hobbit – Black Arrow edition made its Australian debut at the event too!
Australian IFPA Co-Director, Luke Marburg is taken by The Hobbit
Getting ready for Jack’s fireside (Q&A) chat
Even with technical problems, Jack managed to power through and keep the crowd entertained!
Grant Levy shows off his Battle Pinny homebrew pinball machine
Always available for a chat
Jack and his magic TEXTA!
Last call of duty – autographs!
Bayside Pinball Club were raffling off this Judge Dredd beauty
There were other pinball machines to be played!
Stacey Borg (aka: DRC) and Martin Robbins go head-to-head
Pinball was the winner on this day!
We’ll definitely keep flippin & tweetin’
Low-Level Festival 2016
The Low-Level festival is happening again this year on August 19th and 20th at The Muse in Brooklyn, NYC. This year’s unique event will bring together 14 live musical and visual performances, large scale installations and game cabinets.
Among the talented exhibitors, Andy Reitano will be there to showcase his secret soviet weapon arcade game VEC9 and the latest build of his new NES game, Super Russian Roulette. Andy will be there both days testing the latest updates with players, so make sure you drop by and give him some constructive feedback. You never know, you may score some exclusive giveaways!
Just in case you don’t know what the Low-Level festival is all about, it is two days of lo-bit music, art and indie arcade games. Performers and exhibitors at this year’s Low-Level event will include: Make Up & Vanity Set, Chipzel, FearOfDark, Trey Frey, Partytime! Hexcellent!, Enerjawn, Death by Audio Arcade, Line Wobbler and many more!
If you are keen to hit Low-Level 2016 in NYC this weekend, check out the ticketing details here!
image source: Low-Level and Andy Reitano