Video gaming has roots in ye olde pen and paper and tabletop games. Dungeons & Dragons. Cyberpunk. Warhammer. Bubble Bobble.
Okay, maybe not that last one. But for the others, Gen Con is the place to be if you love the scent of sweaty dice and hot graphite. Sadly, the expo has been a purely overseas shindig, leaving Australians with little recourse but to cough up a few thousand for return air fare.
This year, things are different. Gen Con has made its way to our shores and, from June 3-6, the Brisbane Convention Centre will be geek central. Damn shame it’s not in Sydney, but what can you do?
If you register online, a full expo ticket will set you back $55, $66 if you buy on the day. Alternatively, you can get a single day pass for $16.50, or $22 at the door. There’s more pricing details on the site.
Even if you’re not interested in tossing around magic missiles, there’s much on offer for the excitable video gamer – a 200-person LAN tournament; previews of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed; recruiting by THQ and an appearance by Krome’s Steve Stamatiadis.
Big, fat action-filled press release after the jump.
PRESS RELEASE – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday 22nd May 2008Over 500 Games and Tournaments at Gen Con™ Australia, Brisbane!
With over 500 games and tournaments, Gen Con™ Australia is the biggest ever interactive game-playing convention to be held in the country!
There’s something for everyone at Gen Con™ Australia, the best four days in gaming!
Australia’s first ever Gen Con™ gaming convention will kick off in Brisbane from the 3-6th July 2008 at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre. Gen Con™ is recognised internationally as the biggest and best games event in the world and with over 500 events and tournaments already scheduled, Brisbane’s convention won’t let visitors down!
Gen Con™ will be the venue for computer games tournaments, miniature war games tournaments, board games tournaments, card games tournaments, role playing tournaments, costume play competitions and parades, movie premieres, and lectures and seminars on games development.
Tickets are $16.50 online, in the preregistration period which closes in mid June, or $22 at the door. Once registered you can lock in your place in the competitions you plan to play in.
Hot tournaments to talk about are everywhere at the show. But you must sign up at www.genconoz.com as soon as you can, because places in the exciting events are filling fast. Major competitive tournaments include:
• Flames of War Asia Pacific Championships
• The last ever Games Workshop Grand Tournament for Warhammer 40k; Warhammer Fantasy; and Lord of the Rings
• Australian Championships for Mechwarrior and Heroclix: The winner of national MechWarrior competition will win a trip to Gen Con Indy 2008 to compete in the World Titles
• First time ever in Australia: Warmachine HardCore Championship
• Australian Championship of Rummikub, the winner of which will qualify to compete the world’s elite Rummikub champions in Europe for the world titles.
• QLD Championships for Settlers of Catan and Carcassonne
• Play board games all weekend long with the GenCon Oz Board Game Bonanza. Games include: Monopoly; Ra; Ticket to Ride; Settler; Kill Doctor Lucky; Robo-Rally; Blokus; Puerto Rico; Talisman; Memoir 44.
• Card games of every kind throughout the convention, including: Legend of the Five Rings; Magic the Gathering; Yu-Gi-Oh!; Pokémon; World of WarcraftA line-up of events and participation-based tournaments has never been seen like this before in Australia. There will be something for everyone at Gen Con™ Australia!
Gen Con™ Australia Event Highlights include:
• The 4th edition Dungeons & Dragons will be showcased for the first time in Australia!
• Never before seen previews of Star Wars: Force Unleashed will be unveiled to the public!
• In-house movie theatres will be playing anime films from Madman Entertainment
• The Australian Movie Premiere of Dragonlance the Movie sponsored by Paramount Pictures
• Costume Play Competitions will be run every day on stage
• Daily Costume Play Parades will be held both morning and afternoon!
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• See the largest gathering of collectable card games tournaments in Australia including: Pokémon, Yu-gi-oh!, World of Warcraft, Magic: the Gathering
• Roleplaying Gamers Association National Tournaments will be held including Dungeons and Dragons 4th Edition scenarios!
• See the largest collection of miniature war games tournaments in Australia including: Warhammer, Lord of the Rings, Mechwarrior, War Machine, Heroclix
• Play in our 200 player computer game tournament featuring: Counterstrike Source; Call of Duty 4; Starcraft; Warcraft 3
• Lectures and Seminars will be held throughout the convention on games development from key members of the Game Developers Association of Australia
• THQ will give demonstrations of their latest developments: Mercenaries 2: World in Flames and Lord of the Rings Conquest will be on display by Pandemic
• Experience the spectacular world of Vikings and Gods in Viking: Battle for Asgard by Creative Assembly
• Learn about the games development industry and see the latest games from companies such as: THQ, The Creative Assembly, Pandemic, Fuzzy Eyes, Halfbrick.
• THQ, QANTM, and Griffith University will all be actively recruiting at Gen Con™ Australia.
• Leading Comic Stores will be there, exhibiting rare and exciting products
• Live Podcasts will be featuring first-rate Australian guests and gamesA host of special guests will be attending the convention. Attendees will not only be able to play every game imaginable, they will also be able to:
• Delve in the mythical mind of International New York Times Bestselling Author, Tracy Hickman author of Dragonlance trilogy.
• Listen to licensed Author Sean Williams, present on the novelisation of Star Wars: Force Unleashed, his latest exciting project
• Meet Steve Stamatiadis, co-founder of Krome Studios, and lead developer of exciting electronic games such as: Ty the Tasmanian Tiger; Star Wars Force Unleashed and many more.
• Go post-apocalyptic with Graham O’Neill, the author of several Warhammer 40k novels.
• Get animated with well known voice actors Chris Sabat (Dragonball Z), and Jason Marsden (Dragonlance).
• Meet other authors and celebrities including: David Nykl (Stargate); Marianne dePierres (Author); Kylie Chan (Author); and Mungo McKay (Undead)The event will be launched with Friday Night’s Ruckus by the River on July 4 – a party to kick off the games! The event is open to all convention attendees and will gather gamers, geeks and pop-culture fans to the fore for some interactive fun!
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