Contrary to everything I’ve been taught about writing pretty much anything, I’m starting this bit with a rhetorical question (and a damn good one at that). Tell me, kids: where would gaming be without the artists?

That’s right—absolutely nowhere. We wouldn’t have Link’s green tunic, Mario’s red hat and overalls, Snake’s badass eye-patch and bandanna, Katamari’s—er—Katamari, Cloud’s pointy yellow hair, or any of the Resident Evil zombies for that matter. These talented men and women have been giving us delicious eye-candy for years now, and it’s about time they get some recognition.

I ran into Juri H. at VGXpo 2009 (arguably the worst con I’d ever been to). She was the shining light of the expo, offering passersby the opportunity to view an absolutely stunning portfolio and the chance to take some of this work home with them for a measly ten bucks. I was floored by her work, and it was then that it occurred to me that these artists deserve some recognition (at least those with talent, anyway—har har!).

So once a month Ill be showcasing one of these artists, their work, and a spiffy little interview so you can learn more about them. I’m proud to introduce Juri H. as my first Binge Gamer Featured Artist. No joke, her work inspired this feature. Her art is fantastic, vibrant, and downright beautiful.

Interview machine gooooooooo!

Tell us a little about yourself (who you are, where you’re from, where you currently live, if you go to art school and where you go, etc.).

I’m Juri H. from Japan, living in NJ currently. I came to the U.S.A. in 2004 to study psychology and intended to be a psychotherapist, but couldn’t ignore my passion toward art, so I transferred to the University of the Arts in Philadelphia and graduated in 2008 majoring in Illustration.

My oldest memory is having a huge desire of wanting draw the shadow of a chandelier in the hotel lobby where my grandparents took me when I was two-and-a-half. Passion for drawing has been with me since I can remember.

What motivated you to pursue a career as an artist?

Hmmm, it’s hard question. I just want to draw and paint, so it doesn’t have to be a career as long as I can draw and paint. But nothing can make me as happy as art, so I’m just trying to be happy. I guess that’s the motivation.

What’s your favorite medium to work with?

Pencil and white Conté on brown paper and watercolor. But I like oil and color pencil too.

What artists have been your greatest influences?

There are so many artists I love, so it’s hard to say. Mucha, Bouguereau, Klimt, Rembrandt, and Vermeer are top five. I love something classical, elegant, and feminine. Also Kinuko Y Craft is my living hero. Not only because she is also from Japan and succeeding in Fantasy art—the area I want to be in—but also she is amazing as a person.

What are some of your favorite games?

I haven’t play video games for the longest time, but FFVI was one of my favorites. I loved Popolo Crois and The Legend of the Holy Sword 3, but I don’t think they were released in U.S.A.

Who are your favorite characters to draw/paint?

Fairies, angels, goddesses, or an innocent looking girl in a fantasy setting. If it has to be anime/game, that will be Major from Ghost in the Shell.

What is your favorite piece that you’ve worked on, and what’s the story behind it?

This one could be my favorite since this came out just as I wanted it to be (I usually don’t like my pieces). This was my homework for self portrait assignment in the school and I hate doing self-portraits, so I tried to hide my face and have fun putting my favorite elements like wings. The wings also symbolize my imagination, growing all over my body. I’m trying to pull them off to not drain in the delusion, but at the same time I’m holding them to my imagination not leaving me.

Ultimately, where do you want to go with your art career-wise?

I want to get published with classic fairytale children’s book eventually. That’s my ultimate goal, but I want to try video game character design in U.S.A. or fantasy book covers too.

What do you do when you’re not busy drawing or painting, aka what are your hobbies and how do you pay the bills?

I love reading and cooking. That’s what I do when I don’t feel like painting. I also like playing piano, knitting, and taking photos. When I used to live in Japan, I did traditional Japanese flower arrangement and tea ceremony practice in my spare time, but I don’t have enough tools and space to do them in U.S.A. currently. I want to do these again once my life gets more settled.

The way of paying bills? Some art gigs for small graphic design companies, coloring comics, selling prints at conventions, and taking commissions from people wanting naked Sephiroth fan art to people in need a serious oil painting portrait to hang on top of their fireplace. Surprisingly, putting them all together will be enough to feed me and my dog.

So where can your fans go to find more of your work?

• All my pieces including doodles
• Selected portfolio
• Comic coloring

If you think you have what it takes to be a Binge Gamer Featured Artist, contact me at perry.piekarski@bingegamer.net with some links to your stuff. Your work needs to be at least somewhat related to video games, and I make no promises. If you’ve got the goods, you get the interview. Simple as that.

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.

On the first (and last) day I attended VGXpo 2009 (some know it as Friday), I had the privilege of meeting with Storm City Games for a chance to try out their upcoming DSi exclusive, System Flaw.

And if there’s ever been an exclusive, this is it.

System Flaw is the first game for the DSi that works only on the DSi (no PSP port for you!). Reps from Storm City boasted (jokingly) that Nintendo had to redesign their box art because of them, pasting a spiffy little “Only For DSi” label on the top left corner of the game box (how’s that for sticking it to the man?).

System Flaw is, in essence, a FPS. But instead of designing elaborate maps and quirky stages for you to explore, the game takes place in the scariest place imaginable for gamers such as myself—THE REAL WORLD (cue ominous music).

As you play System Flaw, you’ll see all the stuff around you on the DSi’s screen as it’s seen by the DSi’s outside camera (aka the one that faces other stuff than you when you play). Using the top buttons and twirling like a lunatic (see above gif for example), you shoot lasers at flying skulls and jellyfish looking things that attack you from all sides.

And you know what? The game’s pretty damn fun. I didn’t know what to expect when confronted with a “real world” FPS, but I do know that I liked what I saw. Storm City Games told me System Flaw has 100 levels, but didn’t mention whether it include a swivel chair (an accessory I definitely recommend for this game).

I also felt undeniably guilty when I pointed the console at the people watching and viciously blasted them with my lazer beamz. But let’s not talk about that.

System Flaw hits stores later this month, so if you’re a DSi owner, keep an eye out and don’t get too dizzy.

BOOTLEG PREVIEW TRAAAAAILER!

Listen live below, get us on iTunes, or download the mp3 here

Show notes and related links:

We have been playing: Crüe Ball (Genesis), The Path (PC), Resident Evil 5 (PS3), Left 4 Dead (PC), Okami (Wii), Halo Wars (Xbox 360)

James and Mike take on this week’s episode of WCG Ultimate Gamer (which we sadly believe you should be watching, download the first episode here)

Best of the Rest Newsletter Announcement

NEWS:

Capcom defends RE5 DLC pricing

GameStop Finally Stacked on Nintendo Wiis

Deutsch Bank says Nintendo Profits set to fall

“The Path” – A virtual rape game?

Game Fuel. It’s Back.

Euro MP Calls for Video Game Panic Button – Will games come with a PG version and R version?

VGXPO and Wizard World are now friends — Mike weeps joyous fanboy tears

If you play Animal Crossing, you may touch children

Diablo’s Producer Says Diablo III Doesn’t Feel Like Diablo

But none of that matters since I still won

Publishers would like Sony to drop their PS3 price now, please

Philadelphia’s Wizard World is one of the largest comic book conventions in all the land, save for the San Diego Comic Con. Philadelphia’s Video Game Expo (VGXPO) is the largest video game show on the East Coast (until PAX hits Boston). The two entities are now combining forces, pledging to share content between the two shows.

So how is this deal going to work? Basically Wizard World will see “tens of thousands of square feet” of video game and video game-related content, while VGXPO will get a much needed infusion of comic book content.

So when will East Coasters be able to see the fruits of this new marriage? Well, Wizard World Philly goes down from June 19-21 and VGXPO happens between October 9-11. Both events will be held at the Pennsylvania Convention Center and we can’t urge you guys enough to hit up both these shows.

If you hadn’t gone to the VGXPO in Philadelphia at the end of November, you should look into going to it next year. After all, as NBC and Lunar Tide Media have announced today, the event was quite the success.

Over the three days the event was being held at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, VGXPO 08 drew 24,674 gamers. It should be noted that 4 of those were exceptionally glorious individuals who put together this quaint website. You’re welcome.

Steve Fallas, VGXPO’s Event Manager, expressed his gratification with the turnout this year:

VGXPO is an event that caters to both core and casual gamers… With our relationship with NBC we were able to market to both groups and bring together nearly 25,000 gamers to experience the rich diversity of gaming experiences. We are very pleased with both the industry and consumer turnout at this years VGXPO.

Sure, he may sound subdued, but it is important to note that he was getting “VGXPO ROXXORZ!!1!” tattooed on his forehead*.

PMS Clan founder Amber Dalton aka “Athena Twin” spoke on how VGXPO has turned into an incredible success story that can only grow bigger and better than anyone could have expected:

VGXPO’s an amazing success story… There is so much to be said for what VGXPO has become for the video game industry…the core gamers, plus the casual games audience, were here to play all the top games. Certainly, VGXPO 2009 can’t be missed by any company that markets games.

You know, we spent all three days at VGXPO, and we talked with a lot of people. In fact, we talked with a lot of people about her, and you know what we discovered? Nobody liked her.

Nobody. As one exhibitor told us, her voice was “grating on the nerves” and he had wished that she would have just “shut the fuck up for a few minutes”.**

If you were at VGXPO, tell us what you thought. And tell us if you plan to be at VGXPO 2009, scheduled for October 9th thru the 11th at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, PA.

Why did VGXpo suck? Here are the top ten reasons:

1. David Jaffe canceled at the last minute… and was not replaced.

There wasn’t really a good line up of “celebrities.” Mark Shaw from Mythic gave a talk on MMOs and a few D-listers were signing stuff, but in general, Jaffe was the big name. Before we even got here, we heard that he was only going to appear via Skype, but he didn’t even show up for that in the end. Weak. That was probably Jaffe’s fault, but they didn’t have anything to take his place. There should have been someone or something lined up instead – at least a fucking panel.

2. Almost every other event was moved from room to room… and then also canceled.

I wanted to see at least part of Postal and attend the Q&A with the makers afterward. The screening room moved around, the times changed, and ultimately, I heard that it never happened. The same thing was true of other panels and events. Sometimes, entire rooms just didn’t exist. Oh, it was awesome.

3. Most of the games you could play were older games…and you had to stand in line forever to play them.

Where were the demos? That’s the whole point of coming to a conference…getting to demo some cool games and talk to developers. Er…I played Mario Kart? Seriously. What’s the point? I can do that at home, and without waiting in line.

4. Tournaments, events, and the cosplay competition were highly unorganized.

Everything was last minute, from the schedule to the MCs to the judges. Even the staff couldn’t answer our questions half of the time, which was not really their fault. It was just lack of communication and, as we found out later, most of the volunteers didn’t show up. Speaking of schedules, the one in the guidebook was about as helpful as a horse armor in Oblivion. (And yes, James bought that.)

5. The opening act for the after party was this guy.

Ok, I get it. A screaming Pikachu with 150 songs about Pokemon is a novelty. They’ve found their niche, and they probably get one or two opportunities a year to actually play. But come on. Most people do not like this kind of music, and since that’s all that was going on, they went home. You gotta start with a band that more people can enjoy.

We actually talked to one guy outside who said (and I quote), “They were so bad that I left twice. I think they made me impotent.”

6. People weren’t ready on Friday.

We got there when the doors opened at 10 for the press. I can understand that people were still setting up at that point. But at noon, when it opened to the public, vendors and staff were still setting up booths. The Dell LAN center didn’t open all day, to my knowledge, dealers and other vendors hadn’t all shown up yet, and Rock Band wasn’t even freaking calibrated for the TV. Details, people. A good event is all in the details. NOTE: I later found out that most of the problems were due to the stupid Union rules, since it was held at the Philadelphia Convention Center. So blame them, not the staff.

7. Public relations must have sucked or been non-existent.

As an attendee, I know how poorly the website was designed, making it a pain to try to make plans. It took weeks to get our press conformation, and we were some of the only media people I saw there. That’s not even mentioning that they didn’t check our IDs or business cards or even our names. We just said we were press and they handed us press passes. Anyone could have done that.

Worse, though, I don’t think that they really contacted companies about attending. There were definitely some cool companies there, but it should have been packed with people peddlin’ their wares or at least doing demos like TN Games did. Besides the retro game/toy dealers, there were maybe a dozen or so companies there.

Another NOTE: I found out that the ENTIRE event is run by volunteers, without a single person getting paid. So that makes sense as to why they were lacking in some areas, especially with PR.

8. You have to clean the food area… and have options.

Look, I expect overpriced sodas and greasy food at events like this. Its part of the charm? In any case, VGXpo was no exception to the rule. My issue was that by Sunday, the tables in the food area were NASTY. They hadn’t even been wiped down in three days.

And I’m sorry, but it pisses me off that there was only one general food option – a stand that sold general “stadium” food – hot dogs, pretzels, mini pizzas, and so forth. It was either eat there or walk to Wawa. You can guess what we did.

9. One of the coolest events wasn’t explained well, and thus, people didn’t attend.

The organizers had a great idea…attendee-run panels. Basically, they had rooms set aside with audio equipment and seats JUST for the public to go in and start debates, anything goes. Problem was, people just walked by and saw empty rooms. There needed to be a staff member there organizing things and a set time for panels to start and end. I wasn’t even really aware of what was supposed to be happening until a staff member explained it to us on Sunday afternoon.

10. The price of the VIP pass wasn’t really justified.

Those who bought VIP passes basically bent over and let VGXpo fuck them in the ass. The whole draw of the VIP pass, which was significantly more expensive, was to get preferential seating at the events and to get in a little earlier. Only most of the events were canceled and they were still setting up stuff before the doors opened.

On top of that, I heard that people waited over an hour to get in. That. Sucks.

In general, that was what the problems all boiled down to: people waiting too long to do too little with absolutely no organization. I mean, part of that was lack of preparation, but let’s face it; NO ONE expected over 10,000 people to show up on Saturday alone. When you rely on volunteers, don’t yet have the support of the big companies, and are forced to follow bullshit union rules, the whole event suffers. Luckily, I think that this is one convention that is only going to grow. They’re totally focused on the fans, and someday, may be able to compete with E3.

1. The staff was awesome.

VGXPO isn’t staffed by employees who are working ’round the clock to prepare for the event. All of these people were 100% volunteer, doing it purely for the love of gaming. They ran around like nuts trying to get everything done, and even when things didn’t go as planned (which was pretty much all day on Saturday), they kept smiles on their faces.

Beyond that, the staff took care of the vendors. While there were definitely bumps on the road, staff members were always easy to find if you needed help. In fact, most vendors said that staff members actually anticipated their needs and brought them water, helped to fix problems, etc.

2. The layout was fantastic.

For this kind of event to work, there has to be a natural flow to traffic around events and vendor booths. The showroom at VGXPO was set up extremely well, making it easy to move from place to place. There was also plenty of seating, even on Saturday when it was pretty full.

3. Philly is a great location.

Listen, I’m not a huge fan of the city of brotherly love. In fact, in my opinion, the entire city smells like pee. However, I’m glad that, there’s a decent video game conference on the east coast. Philly is a better location than New York City, Boston, Baltimore, or other cities in this area. The Philadelphia Convention Center may not be the optimal location, but I’m glad east-coasters have something.

4. Many of this year’s problems were due to the union.

The Philly Convention Center is controlled by a union, and there are a ton of rules anyone using the center has to follow. These rules are set up for “safety reasons,” but they’re really a bunch of bullshit. One problem rippled out to another problem, which put everyone behind even more. If they move VGXPO, they’ll get to cut out many of the problems they had this year.

5. This conference is focused on the gamer, not on the media.

As a member of the media, I guess that should piss me off, but that’s not what a conference should be. VGXPO was all about the gamer, with every empty showroom space filled with TVs or arcade games or computers. They could stand to have more demos and speakers, but this focus on the consumer is why VGXPO can be better than E3.

6. The price was perfect.

I heard from people who went last year that they dropped the ticket price, but in any case, this year it was $15 to get in for the day or $30 for the weekend if you wanted a regular ticket, and even for a VIP ticket, the price was only $150 for three days. Kids’ prices were even cheaper, and you could also save money by buying online before the event. In my opinion, this is one of the main reasons why they had over 26,000 people attend. Hopefully, it will remain affordable!

7. The booths were interactive.

Sure, there were some boring vendors, but the vast majority of the booths had demos of their products or other interactive stuff. For example, one of the vendors had a TV set up, and you played Worms 3D against people for prizes. All of the vendors were awesome.

They also had “vendors” in costume, specifically to walk around the show and take pictures with people. That was a really neat touch. I didn’t personally see him, but I heard that Master Chief from Halo looked so real that when he was standing still he looked like a statue.

8. They gave us variety.

This show wasn’t just about video games. They also gave us other things that interest the same target audience, like comic books, graphic artists, Star Wars fan groups, bands, anime movies, and web show actors. Hell, even Suicide Girls had a booth. In other words, there was more to do than just play video games.

Hopefully, this will only expand. I mean, the variety was there, they just need more vendors in general. I like the idea that this isn’t just for gamers though. There’s a little something for every geek out there!

9. They had an after party on Saturday night.

There were actually TWO after parties – one for adults that I believe was by invite only and one for everyone who had a ticket to the convention. I saw a little bit of both, and they were pretty fun. I liked the idea of having something to do on Saturday night, especially for the people who drove a few hours to get to there.

10. They have a lot of good ideas that, hopefully, will happen next year.

Beyond the variety and smiles, this expo will be great someday because they’re really innovative. Their idea of what a video game conference should be is a vision we don’t see with E3 or even PAX. They had rooms set aside for panels run by the you, the attendees. They had Rock Band and Guitar Hero and DDR. They had prizes for people willing to get up on stage and play games. They made YOU part entertainment.

Listen live below, subscribe to us on iTunes, or download the mp3 here.

Show Notes / Links of Interest:

*Gamasutra’s VGXPO Sunday Write up

*Super Secret Binge Gamer Forums

*The truth about the NXE Hard Drive Install Chart

*PS3 version of Destroy All Humans destroyed in North America

*SOCOM says screw you to Europe

*Monster Games has been working on a Nintendo title for two years

*Xbox 360 shipping with 256mb on board memory

*Midway stocks drop

*Capcom stocks at all time high

*Binge Gamer @ VGXPO Videos are up on YouTube!

Yay to a semi-successful day back on the site. Tomorrow I spend most of my afternoon and evening flying, so don’t expect too much from ol’ JW. Instead, be sure to sit back, relax, enjoy time with your family, prepare the Thanksgiving Day activities and rejoice in the knowledge that, come Thursday, you and me and everyone else in the United States will be united in one common cause:

Watching the Lions lose.

…if you live in Canada, you’re welcome to come chill at my place.

James: The 3rd Space Gaming Vest is one of those things that when you hear about it, you scoff and dismiss it. However, once you slip the vest on and go through a few rounds of Call of Duty 2 or Dead Space, you become a believer. The first time I put the thing on, I thought Mike was standing behind me and poking me in the sides. Of course I realized that it was actually the vest and from that moment on I was sold. Figuratively. $170 is a little steep for most gamers, but if you have the cash to spend then you would be doing yourself a great service by picking this thing up. Just make sure yours isn’t branded.

And no, they aren’t paying me for this. I know, I know. I’m sad about it, too.

Mike: I went into the vest not knowing the cost, only knowing that I hate a mouse and keyboard for my controller. Looking past this, I wanted myself to finding as many cool guns and as many enemies to get shot by as I could. Because after seeing James reactions to the vest, I thought he was faking to be nice to the exhibitor. I couldn’t have been more wrong. The feeling each shot gives is dead on, that is both being hit and shooting. I can actually see the device coming in handy to help a player based on the theory that if you smack a dog on the head with a newspaper it will stop peeing on the carpet. You don’t really get hurt by the vest, but it is a very surprising pressure that you feel that I can’t help but say “woah” I want one of these!

…

And then I later found out how much it was. Reality kicks in. Technology this advanced is still a little bit away from the general public for now, but at $170 it isn’t completely out of reach for the gamers that would consider this (ie those that buy the latest most expensive video card released). Not thinking about price, put me down for one (once it is released on the Xbox 360).

Allison: My initial reaction was “$170 bucks to feel like you’re being kicked in the stomach? No thanks.” After trying it out, though, I want one. The gun kick was really realistic, an it was just enough pressure to feel neat without distracting you from the game. With the sale price (see below), I think it is definitely in a decent price range for someone who is really into shooters like CoD4. It isn’t as bulky and “in the way” as you may think. Overall, a good product. Not for me, because I’m not a big FPS fan (they’re ok, but not my fave). It is really fucking fun to try out though.

Perry “the intern”: I’m not much of a PC gamer (at all), but I must say that the 3rd Space Gaming Vest is definitely an interesting and worthwhile experience.  Although I would personally prefer some sort of shaking or vibration over the groping Salad Fingers feel of the vest, it’s quite excellent at telling the player which direction he’s being shot from.  It’s responsive and accurate, not to mention the thing is sleek as hell and fits quite comfortably.

I agree that the $170 price tag is a bit too steep for any casual gamer.  As with any costly add-on, buyers run the risk of blowing a lot of money on a peripheral which could lose its novelty quickly.  It’s not something I’m personally willing to invest in (aha!), but this definitely appeals to its target audience—the hardcore FPS player.

As a side note, I think it would be awesome if they made a model that gives players a slight shock (you know—for those masochistic gamers out there).  However, I don’t think that’s very likely, as it’s kind of dangerous (yet very cool).

Specs on the vest:

Available now at Target and other retailers around the world, the gaming vest comes in two sizes, and believe me – this WILL fit anyone. It is actually meant to be really snug so you feel every little movement. They come in both black, camo, and pink (as worn by the PMS Clan). Regular price is $169, but they’re offering it at a special holiday price for just $129 if you buy online at their website and enter the promo code TNVEST.

Will they be making this to work with consoles? Absolutely. Representatives from the company tell us that they’re already working on wireless console versions, probably out sometime next year.

BG: So David, what was your primary inspiration for God of War?

DJ: …

BG: Interesting. Have you always had an interest in Greek mythology?

DJ: …

BG: Truly fascinating. Now we all know that you are both reveared and reviled by gamers for your “brutally honest” attitude about life. How does somebody who lets fans into their work and personal lives as much as you do deal with the inevitable haters?

DJ: …

BG: Ouch. Very brutal, indeed. Can we get a picture?

…obviously, there won’t be a full interview. Hell, we completely bullshitted the above “excerpt”. But you see, we had no choice as the David Jaffe appearance was canceled. The only person who didn’t actually know that it was canceled? David Jaffe.

According to Jaffe, who was scheduled to appear at VGXPO this past weekend over Skype, he found himself sitting “on [his] ass, playing some MK vs. DCU and waiting to go virtually on stage” for most of Saturday. In fact, Jaffe says on his blog that he wasn’t even informed that the sit-down had been canceled until over a day after the event was set to go on.

Odd thing is,I JUST found out- as in minutes ago, as in TONITE, SUNDAY NITE-that the appearance was officially cancelled an hour (or perhaps just minutes) before it was supposed to occur.

So on my end folks: I had- and still have- no idea what happened.

Jaffe is quick to point out that he’s not upset that the thing was canceled, only about the fact that he wasn’t informed that it was canceled until about… some 30+ hours after the fact. Oh, and he still hasn’t heard back from the organizers at VGXPO regarding the cancellation.

After spending the whole weekend at VGXPO and speaking with the management there, I would have a very hard time thinking that they would just go and blow him off. Odds are there was some kind of communication mix-up and the people who were supposed to get in touch with David simply never got the word. We’ve asked a official of VGXPO for their side of the story, and will pass along what they have to say once we hear back from them.

UPDATE: Don’t forget to vote for YOUR favorite on the sidebar… Binge Gamer fan fave gets major bragging rights!

FEMALE CATEGORY:

Toni, Sailor Moon
She should have won, or at least been top three. Sucks going first. - AB
I’m with Allison — I like the Rebecca outfit, but Toni here was totally snubbed – JW

Sam, Naruto from Naruto

Kelsey, Rebecca from Resident Evil

Diomira, Makita from Red Star
She actually spoke some Russian, came as a character no one knew yet was decked out, loved it. – MM

Rosemary, Baroness from GI Joe

Karina, Zack from Final Fantasy VII

Abby, Moochu (or Miltank!?) from Pokemon
My favorite costume, despite at first I honestly thought she was from Viva Pinata – MM
Dude, me too. I liked her better when I thought that. - AB
Make that three. – JW

Tori, Navi from Zelda

Brianna, Saphira from Black Cat

MALE CATEGORY:

Greg as Raccoon Mario
Guy was in character ALL DAY.. no exaggeration – MM

Michael, Kankuro from Naruto

Robby, Mario from Dr. Mario
*cues The Lonely Man* – JW

Brian, Skull Kid from The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask
I was considering cropping this picture to just the Mask… but… – MM

Matt, Ichigo from Bleach

Voki, Zexion Kingdom Hearts 2

Mike, Big Boss from Metal Gear Solid
Raccoon Mario was awesome, but this was just plain the shit. – JW

GROUPS:

Bravo, Margie, and Pooh, Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood
I couldn’t figure out who the guy with the fish was, thought it was the Animal Crossing kid – MM
I didn’t care who the guy with the fish frog was, frankly. Loved Sonic and Knuckles and their theatrics, though – JW

Allison and Warren, Anna and King from Tekken
They were great in costume, and they were even more amazing to just talk with. Also, King is Air Force, which gives him extra credit in my book – JW

Elizabeth and Frank, The Ice Climbers
The Ice Climbers were definitely my favorites! -AB

Ashley and Casey, Riku and Roxas from Kingdom Hearts 2

Katie and Adam, Kumatora and Ness from Earthbound

Click to enlarge a huge ass picture of all the contestants (so huge that I had to combine two pics… go photoshop!)

Some people who deserved to get seen though they didn’t make it to the competition but still showed up to the XPO in full garb:

“L” Tetrimino from Tetris and Mr. Game & Watch from Smash Bros
I just have to explain this one. I wanted a photo of that Tetris piece. I am a Tetris nut. Then this little kid pops up and steals the thunder. We could not stop cracking up, he announced many times that “I am Mr. Game & Watch” while doing the proper pose. This kid is a guranteed bad ass when he is older. – MM
What Mike said. – JW

Ness
Better than the Ness that entered the competition. – MM

A Zombie and Rebecca from Resident Evil
I know Rebecca was already entered, but had to show the zombie some love here. – MM

UBCS from Resident Evil

Sorry if we spelled your name wrong, let us correct it for you and also shoot us an email if you want us to link to your myspace/blog/site.

• They parked an entire gaming bus in the conference. Used for parties, this bus is lined with chairs and TVs/consoles. They actually drive it around to anyone who wants to rent it out for the rent.
• TN Games let us demo a gaming vest that simulated shooting, falls, and even gun kickback. At first, we weren’t so sure, but after using it, oh man is it cool.
• Mike found himself in the middle of a PMS stage show in which he had his ass spanked by another contestant and did push ups with a gaming girl on his back to win something cool…FOR YOU GUYS!

We also played with robots, checked out some games for the largest TV available for purchase (over 100 inches), and (of course) played a bunch of games. All of this on the first day, which isn’t even a busy day by any stretch of the imagination. If I can get a wireless connection, I’ll be updating with some pictures and news directly from the conference tomorrow, but if not, check back on Sunday and Monday to get more about it.

Oh, and don’t forget to email us if you’ll be in town and want to meet up at the convention!

——–

A quick post update on “A Quick VGXpo Update” from your friendly neighborhood Paco-Man:

First, it is 2:25am and I need to be asleep.

Second, Allison got to the site here and gave you a quick update before I did (bitch!)

Third, she didn’t use spellcheck.

Fourth, spellcheck is actually ’spell check’ (according to Firefox)

Fifth, all you Binge Gamers, I assure you, videos and pictures will be coming as soon as we can get ‘em to you, including any information behind them… like why James seems to now be part of the PMSClan…

If you’re going to be at VGXPO this weekend, let us know. We love to meet our readers, and you have to admit — we’re pretty damn awesome. So if you’re going to be there, let us know. If not, keep checkin’ back right here as we let you guys in on the awesomeness that is Philly Classic VGXPO.