Binge Gamer did GameX in a big way. There were four of us there representing the site, plus two interns and a special guest who helped us with coverage. Frankly, I was nervous that we were devoting so much time and resources to a first-year event…and then GameX proved me wrong.
First of all, if you haven’t yet read our coverage of VGXPO, which was held in Philly earlier in October, please do so. GameX isn’t affiliated with VGXPO, except for the fact that a number of staff members now at GameX used to work there. It’s a long story, and one that isn’t really completely clear to me, but there’s definitely bad 
blood. Both sides have been accused of stealing resources, actively working to hurt the other con, and otherwise being douchey. The truth? Someone from GameX told me that he believes there’s enough consumer interest for both parties to have large gaming conventions, but I’m not really buying it. Someone will come out on top as the video game convention in Philly.
Here at Binge Gamer, we try not to take sides on any issue*, but I have to admit, it was general consensus among every one of us was that GameX is the place to be. Yes, there were problems. For a first-year con, though, it was an impressive show, and I’m looking forward to going back again next year.
The one thing that sets GameX apart from VGXPO? Organization. Really, the whole comparison comes down to that one point. Everything that was so very right about GameX can (and should) happen at any con in any city in the country. Here’s what a little organization gets you:
- Great Vendors: There were not only video games to play and dealers selling used games, but there were also artists, steampunk groups, bands, reps from upcoming festivals, the Army, Star Wars cosplay groups, arcade machines, table-top designers, casual and indy gaming companies, Bawls energy drink, robotics teams, and more. It was really varied, yet still cohesive because everything fell under the “interesting to a geek” category. Oh, and QVC did a live broadcast from the show to sell Wiis and other items. That’s pretty cool.
- Celebrities: For me, the most exciting celebrity there was my hero Brian O’Halloran (aka, Dante Hicks from Clerks), along with Marilyn Ghigliotti, who played Veronica. We also got a chance to meet the members of the guild, Yahtzee from The Escapist (see right), and Rake Yohn from JackAss and Viva La Bam.
- Press Perks: In general, you as a reader probably don’t care about our experiences as press, but let’s just say this – they went above and beyond. They had a nice press room, which is really crucial to make our jobs easier, and the PR staff was AMAZING. All weekend, they ran back and forth, setting up interviews and connecting us with vendors and celebrities so that we could bring you the best coverage possible.
- Staff: Along with amazing PR staff members, GameX had great staff and volunteers in general. They were on time with set-up, and if they didn’t know how to answer a question, they took you to someone who did. After the con, a number of staff members reached out to me, just to get some feedback and make themselves available for questions. I’m still bitter that nearly all of our emails to VGXPO (including one to volunteer our time) went unanswered.
- Games: Of course there were games…it was a video game convention. GameX brought attendees a number of recent releases, but more importantly, they had hands-on demos of games that haven’t been release yet including Bayonetta (see James playing below), Dante’s Inferno, Global Agenda, and Shaun White Snowboarding: World Tour.
- Night Life: The GameX floor shut down every evening, but on both Friday and Saturday, there were things to do if you wanted to keep hanging out. It was nice that there were options for people who weren’t yet ready to go back to their hotel rooms for the night.
- Competitions: Most video game cons have tournaments, so I wasn’t surprised to see that they were also offered at GameX. What was cool, though, was that they also had an art competition (this year with a steampunk theme) and a three-day non-stop game designing competition (yeah, it was intense – they even had a roped-off area where the competitors could take naps). All of this was organized really well to get people involved and give out thousands of dollars worth of prizes.
- There was always something going on. Bands playing, tournaments, panels, live art demos, table-top gaming…if you got board at GameX, that was your own damn fault.
GameX was not without problems. Here are some of the main ones we noted:
- The convention center sucked. I mean, personally, I was a fan of it having GREAT free parking, but it was slightly hard to find and being outside of the city, the traffic sucked. It was also far from most places to eat and hotels (by “far”, I mean that it wasn’t within walking distance). I’m told that they’re looking for a better venue (*cough*PAConventionCenter*cough*) for the 2010 show.
- Their ‘net went down. Ok, so this was really the convention center’s fault I guess, but ultimately, it was GameX who had to deal with the problem, which knocked out credit card machines and all other Internet connections.
- They didn’t deliver on traffic. I was told by one vendor that he was promised 20,000+ people. Heresay, maybe, but in any case, the show didn’t really get the attendance that I think they wanted. It wasn’t empty by any means, but it was awfully slow, especially for a Saturday. There weren’t even many cosplayers, but I did snap a picture of Carmen (see right).
- The food options sucked. I don’t know for sure, but I’m guessing that they weren’t allowed to bring in outside food vendors, meaning that the only option was the convention center’s cafeteria. It was a nice area set up with food, but the options were VERY overpriced and made my stomach hurt. This wouldn’t have been a problem if the site was near fast food options.
As I’m writing this, I’m realizing that all of the problems come back to one main issue: the location. Just as GameX’s advantage was their organizational skills, VGXPO’s advantage was their great location. If you put those two things together, you’d have an amazing con.
Will GameX take over the Philly video game convention scene? This writer thinks that someone should shoot VGXPO and put it out of its misery, giving GameX the breathing space (and the location) to really flourish. Binge Gamer came to this show with an open mind, but we were a bit wary that it would be another ill-organized Philly convention. It turned out to be a fun weekend well worth the trip – and that’s keeping in mind that we had staff come from not just PA but also three other states. I can’t wait for next year.
*That’s an outright lie. Sorry.
Still not sure where the location qualms come in. I loved where GameX was held, I like not being close to anything. (It must not help attendance though)
This expo was the real deal! I understand that attendance was a little
. I’ll give it an 8 out of 10 for a
light but this was one of the best cons I ever experienced. I don’t see
why anyone would have choosen that venue but there must be good reason
for that decision. I can’t wait for next year as it will surely be awesome!
This is exactley what the east coast needed and I only hope it travels out west
at some point… Hint hint Team GameX
first year con. My advice, goto the city of brotherly love.