San Diego Comic Con is a beast.? It’s the biggest, baddest giant in town.? Yet, surprisingly, growing between its toes is an event called Gam3rCon!? Rather than withering in SDCC‘s shadow, Gam3rCon is thriving!
In some ways, I scratch my head that there are gamers who live in the San Diego area and don’t attend Comic Con.? Some are just not interested, or they’re interested but couldn’t get a ticket.? Others would attend SDCC but hate all the hype and crowds.
That’s where Gam3rCon comes in.? It’s small. It’s gaming.? It’s not Comic Con.? This was our first year to check it out, and I have to say I was impressed!
Ok, so Gam3rCon is small and independent…but not really that small.? These guys and gals rent out a five story building and pack it with an insane amount of content.? Upon entering, a gamer walks into an old church sanctuary that has been converted to a shrine to gaming with dozens of Xbox 360s and PS3s.? Shooters, fighters, and DoTA seemed to dominate the scene, while a driving simulator was projected on the wall.
All the while, upstairs is a retro gaming room complete with Atari, NES, SNES, N64, Dreamcast, PS2 and a freak’n rad Fairchild Channel F!? Yup, that’s the room where I parked for a bit.
Down the hall is an art gallery with some solid works of art, and if you’re interested in creating your own art, we spotted some graffiti and silk screening going on as well.? Did we mention the huge, green-screen photo booth for those of us who are less than artistic?!? Check out our interview with Mr. Benja from The 8-bit Cubist for more on that art gallery:
If tabletop gaming is more your thing, there was plenty of that going on in the tabletop gaming lounge.? Up on the roof was pizza and comedy.? Add to that film screenings and a bunch of other stuff that we probably didn’t even find, and there’s something for everyone.
If you’re thinking about doing both San Diego Comic Con and Gam3rCon, we wish you all the best.? Both are great and worth checking out.? As a pretty active guy in his 30s, I was hurting after packing both into one day.? If they were staggered by a week or two, I would have loved spending more time at both.? Yeah, I know, cry me a river, right?
Regardless, I’m stoked that there is one more gaming option in Southern California.? Best of all, this small, independent gaming con is thriving!? Game on!
Check out the gallery below for a closer look at Gam3rCon.
As per usual, there are a good number of fantastic rare video games and collectibles on eBay.? So which will be more valuable, can of snake meat or a custom portable NES?
I met the owner of this cart at the Tetris World Championship where he gave me the inside scoop on finding this game. I’m going to respect his confidence by not disclosing exactly where he found it. However, he did find it as a random retro video game shop. According to him, he got it for something like $10. Bringing it up the the register, he was sure that the owner, who was plenty game savvy, would recognize the game as being rare and reprice it. Apparently the title had just slipped under owner’s radar, and the guy sold him the game. He, it does sort of look like a worthless sports game, doesn’t it? Moral of the story, go check your local video game shops…you never know.
Entex Adventure Vision Arcade Cartridge System Complete in BOX Currently at $710.00 USD with 17 hours to go
Uncharted 2 Fortune Hunter Edition Playstation 3 Game This listing is currently active with $620.00 in bids. It’s a bit fishy that the seller is using a stock photo.
Wood Custom Portable Nintendo NES Apparently, guys in Turkey make fantastic looking NES handhelds.
CONTINUUM SERIES 1 – THE INFERNAL TETRAMORPH Vectrex Game Boxed Set Sold Sept. 1, 2010 for $212.51 USD.
Given the cool $1,026.51 USD that someone recently spent on an another Vectrex homebrew…all I have to say is, homebrewers…keep on brewing!? Here’s a bit of info from the game’s author:
LIMITED EDITION BOXED SET – 10 SETS ONLY! Each boxed set is numbered: __ of 10 on the back of the box. The game is also numbered in the program, matching the box.
BONUS PUZZLE! Each special edition cartridge contains one bonus puzzle! The Series 1 bonus puzzle is: THE INFERNAL TETRAMORPH
BONUS ITEM! Each set contains a Sector-X/Continuum themed bonus pack-in item! The Series 1 bonus item is: THE SECTOR-X NIGHTLIGHT SET* 2 awesome collectible nightlights from the Sector-X tetralogy! 1 CONTINUUM NIGHTLIGHT + 1 ADDITIONAL NIGHTLIGHT (chosen randomly)
PRINTED BOXES! A deviation from our normal stock labeled boxes, these are ultra high quality sturdy shiny retail boxes complete with bonus item window display!
CONTINUUM SERIES 2 – THE 7 PILLARS OF PURGATORY Vectrex Game Boxed Set Ended Sept. 9, 2010 at $330.51 USD.
LIMITED EDITION BOXED SET – 10 SETS ONLY! Each boxed set is numbered: __ of 10 on the back of the box. The game is also numbered in the program, matching the box.
BONUS PUZZLE! Each special edition cartridge contains one bonus puzzle! The Series 1 bonus puzzle is: THE INFERNAL TETRAMORPH
BONUS ITEM! Each set contains a Sector-X/Continuum themed bonus pack-in item! The Series 1 bonus item is: THE SECTOR-X NIGHTLIGHT SET* 2 awesome collectible nightlights from the Sector-X tetralogy! 1 CONTINUUM NIGHTLIGHT + 1 ADDITIONAL NIGHTLIGHT (chosen randomly)
PRINTED BOXES! A deviation from our normal stock labeled boxes, these are ultra high quality sturdy shiny retail boxes complete with bonus item window display!
Action 52 NES Game New Sealed Sold Sept. 9, 2010 for $234.47 USD.
Accessories
Sega 3-D Glasses New Complete Sold on Sept. 8, 2010 for $202.56 USD.
Collectibles
Metal Gear Solid 3 – Promotional Can of Snake Meat This auction is still live and has bids up to $117.00 USD.
Only the Metal Gear franchise can boost a game’s success by handing out cans of snake meat.
Wolf medallion from The Witcher – Rare This auction is still live and has bids up to $67.00 USD.
World of Nintendo Neon Sign 1987 This item didn’t sell for the seller’s steep asking price of $800 USD; however, it’s a pretty gem none the less.
Death Race by Exidy Arcade Game Flyer Sold Sept. 4, 2010 for $14.99 USD.
If you’ve never played Death Race, it’s an experience in itself. You drive a car using an arcade steering wheel with the purpose of running over skeletons.? Each time you do, it leaves behind a tomb stone.? The skeletons are pretty quick little guys, so its trickier than it sounds.? As innocent as that sounds by today’s standards, when I played it for the first time, it was undeniably creepy.? I can only imagine the reaction when this game first came out.
Friday was another great day at 2010 Comic-Con!? Highlights included fantastic costumes (It was Star Wars day.), phenomenal movie displays, and some hands-on time with some great games.
Oh to be a young Boba Fett…
And more costume randomness!? Did I mention that Scarecrow loves Thor?!
Who isn’t excited about Tron Legacy?!
Additionally, I was able to tour the floor with my buddies Tommy and Pat the NES Punk and to meet and booth hop with the Angry Video Game Nerd (AVGN) as well. Turns out that he’s a nice guy named James who loves video games…
I’ll keep this simple and will let the rest of these photos speak for themselves.
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Day one of the San Diego Comic-Con was fantastic!? Hands down, people watching is the best part! People go all out, and I have to hand it to any of them that put the time into making their own costumes. Plus, did I mention that the trolley stations were written in Klingon?
Who doesn’t love Legos? Seriously! Full scale Lego Harry Potter, Halo Master Chief, and Toy Story characters were great! (see gallery at bottom of post for more photos)
Aside from that, it was great to demo some upcoming games. As a big Patapon fan, I was stoked to get my hands on Patapon 3 for a few minutes. It plays exactly as you’d remember, and the music sounded great! God of War Ghost of Sparta played just as great as Chains of Olympus. (Time to dust off my PSP!) Little Big Planet 2 looked fantastic and seemed to play quite well with the grappling hook. Ironically, Bionic Commando for the PSN and Xbox Live felt clunky and had a totally frustrating grappling hook. Red Faction Armageddon had a fantastic display with the ability to get inside of one of their mech suits! Did I mention that Ninja Theory’s Enslaved plays great? If you’re like me and are looking for a Heavenly Sword sequel, this is quite a different game. However, these guys clearly know what they’re doing, and I’m looking forward to the full game!
Last week my fiancee Amber and I went down to the Microsoft store to try Kinect. At best, it felt like a lame HD version of the Playstation 2 eye toy. I had my hopes up that Playstation’s Move would be better. You know, it has more precision with that controller, right? Unfortunately, the Move feels anything but natural. The gladiator game felt like I was playing pin the tail on the donkey, and the archery game was so tedious that I didn’t even finish playing its demo. Seriously, Microsoft and Playstation, what are you thinking?
With sore feet Amber and I went to a viewing of the original 1982 version of the movie Tron. It was a fitting way to wrap up the day, and watching it with hundreds of fellow Comic-Con geeks made it all the better! Here’s the best line:
MCP Hello, Ed. Thanks for coming back early. [Dillinger settles into a chair.]
DILLINGER No problem, Master-C. If you’ve seen one Consumer Electronics Show… (shrugs) What’s up?
MCP It’s our friend the boy detective. He’s nosing around again. …
I took a ton of photos, so feel free to look through some of my favorites below:
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I love eBay for being both a marketplace and a living museum of video game history! Here are the fantastic items that I’m watching this week.
GAMES
CALTRON 6 IN 1 NINTENDO NES ORIGINAL GAME SEALED RARE
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves Fortune Hunter Edition …why are the most expensive items often sold by zero feedback sellers.? Is that (A) a guarantee that the listing is a scam, (B) simply a sign that someone wants to sell the item anonymously, or (C) some honest guy who simply never used eBay before?
SNES Donkey Kong Country Competition Complete Nintendo
Soap Panic CIB Famicom Bubble Bath Babes NES Complete
AV Pachi Slot Big Chance CIB Famicom Hot Slots NES
SYSTEMS
Unique Atari 2700 (2600) RC Stella Prototype Console You can read more about this console in the Atari Museum. Bidding still has about a day to go and this gem is going for $1,150.00 USD!
Unique Atari 2600 CX-2000 “Val” Prototype Console Also featured in the Atari Museum. Bidding still has about a day to go and this gem is already up to $2,500.00 USD!
COLLECTIBLES
SEGA Channel Hoodie
Atari Video Music model C-240 Innovative Leisure RARE!!
Lair Artbox Promotional Reel (Playstation 3, 2007)
Nintendo Super Mario Bros 1989 Puppet Kooler Cup Weird!
Nintendo Game Boy Advance Store Display Kiosk + Mario
Rare Mario Chain Chomp Soccer Ball Collectible Awesome…looks like these were used to promote Super Mario Strikers. Anyone know if these are actually rare or not?
VERY RARE Super Mario 2 Dixie Cup FULL SET 1989 For the Mario collector who has everything…
Nintendo Super Mario Bros 1989 Puppet Kooler Cup Weird! Yup, weird.
1980 PAC-MAN TELEPHONE IN COUNTER DISPLAY BOX WORKS! This is hands down the coolest phone I’ve ever seen. More photos are below…
SIGNAGE
Xbox Live 4′ Store Display Sign 360
Nintendo 64 N64 4′ x 10′ Store Display Sign
Nintendo Game Boy 4′ x 10′ Store Display Sign
Vintage Sega Genesis 4′ x 10′ Store Display Sign
Vintage Super Nintendo SNES 4′ x 10′ Store Display Sign
rare vintage Nintendo Gameboy fiber optic sign display
RARE 1996 Nintendo 64 Promo Banner Display Sign N64 Wii
Here’s a healthy list of video game rarities to get the blood flowing through your geeky little-retro-video-game-loving heart.? (Atari collectors take note of the service manuals and pirating gear!)
Wacky Races Pre-Release Test Game NES – Extremely Rare (Sold May 25, 2010 for $171.06 USD)
Nintendo World Championships NWC Cart – Holy Grail Rare Currently with a BIN of $5199.00 USD and including a few bonus items.
Collectibles & Promo Items
World of Nintendo Fiber Optic Sign NICE!! (Sold on May 26, 2010 for $295.00 USD)
1989 Eureka Nintendo Easter Cling Decoration 4 Pc New
Patapon – super rare Sony PSP press promo pack (Sold on May 28, 2010 for GBP 28.99 …approximately $44.12 USD)
PACMAN UNCUT STICKER SHEET BY FLEER, MIDWAY 1980, RARE! (Sold on May 29, 2010 for $32.00 USD)
Modnation Racers for PS3 – Rare Press Kit (Sold on May 31, 2010 for GBP 80.00 …approximately $121.75 USD)
Atari Field Service Manuals
Atari 2600 Field Service Repair Manual
Atari 5200 Field Service Repair Manual
Original Atari Home Computer Retail Sales Manual binder
Atari 400 800 Field Service Repair Manual
Atari 410 and 810 800 Field Service Repair Manuals
Atari Service Repair Center Policies/Prodecures Manual
Atari Field Service Manuals – Huge Lot inc 800 1200 XL
Atari CPS Supersalt Manual for repair service
Atari Service Repair Diagnostic Controller Jumper Board
Atari 2600 Game Pirating Copy Devices
Ok, I think we all know that coping video games is naughty.? However, having the ability to copy 30 year old games somehow seems to fall into a different moral category.
Besides all the Stadium Events stuff that keeps popping up, there are quite a few unique, rare, and valuable video games and collectibles on eBay right now. Here are a number off of my watch list. Happy retro gaming, collecting, and eBaying!
Games & Accessories:
Sealed Bubble Bath Babes Panesian Nintendo Nes (“Resealed and incomplete” would be better words…but none the less, this loose cart seems to be in great condition) (Ended April 11, 2010 at $690.00 USD)
RARE VECTREX *3D IMAGER* with 3D GAME MINESTORM in box (Ended April 11, 2010 at $406.00 USD)
Vintage Mario’s Early Years PC CD Collection never used Maybe not rare, but pretty cool.
GOD OF WAR 3 III COLLECTOR EDITION PRESS ONLY! RARE KIT These PAL promo kits are fantastic and, in my opinion, are way cooler than the GoW III Ultimate Editions. (Ended April 10, 2010 at $860.00 USD)
Collectibles:
Nintendo Store Sign Display Diddy Kong Rare Original (Ended April 13, 2010 at $76.00 USD)
Super Mario Brothers Movie Action Figures Lot of 5 1993 There’s nothing as shameful as owning these action figures…unless of course you’re considering playing with them while watching the movie. Yep, that would probably be more shameful. (Ended April 5, 2010 at $20.50 USD)
Vintage 1988 SUPER MARIO BROTHERS BROS SLEEPING BAG (Ended April 9, 2010 at $25.00 USD)
Wilton Nintendo Super Mario Bros Cookie Cutters NIP (Ended April 11, 2010 at $29.99 USD)
*** EXCLUSIVE NINTENDO NEON SIGN *** (Ended April 12, 2010 at $165.99 USD)
Vintage ATARI neon sign, Video game, Arcade, Retro, Old (Ended April 13, 2010 at $317.99 USD)
Ended:
Mega Man 9 Limited Edition Press Kit – RARE! (Ended April 8, 2010 at $160.50 USD)
San Diego Comic Con is a beast.? It’s the biggest, baddest giant in town.? Yet, surprisingly, growing between its toes is an event called Gam3rCon!? Rather than withering in SDCC‘s shadow, Gam3rCon is thriving!
Ok, so Gam3rCon is small and independent…but not really that small.? These guys and gals rent out a five story building and pack it with an insane amount of content.? Upon entering, a gamer walks into an old church sanctuary that has been converted to a shrine to gaming with dozens of Xbox 360s and PS3s.? Shooters, fighters, and DoTA seemed to dominate the scene, while a driving simulator was projected on the wall.
All the while, upstairs is a retro gaming room complete with Atari, NES, SNES, N64, Dreamcast, PS2 and a freak’n rad Fairchild Channel F!? Yup, that’s the room where I parked for a bit.
