Now in its 13th year, the Classic Gaming Expo is the
world’s largest and oldest convention of its type, catering to the glory days
of yesteryear, when the Atari 2600 was the centerpiece of living rooms across
the country, when Pac-Man and Ms. Pac-Man were king and queen of the
arcades and when households equipped with an Apple II or a Commodore 64 were
the envy of the neighborhood.
Spawning such imitators as the Midwest Gaming Classic and the
Oklahoma Video Game Exhibition, the Classic Gaming Expo remains the most
popular convention of its type, entertaining attendees with dozens of coin-op
machines set to free play, a large showroom floor featuring vendors selling
classic cartridges and consoles, live music, a swap meet, a live auction
(always a highlight of the show) and much more.
“The video game industry is double the size of the music industry,
and while there are several music halls of fame and museums, there isn’t a
single dedicated video game museum,” Santulli said. “It’s time!”
A gamer since the original Odyssey system appeared under the family
Christmas tree in 1972, Santulli has one of the largest video game collections
in the world. He’s also the editor in chief of Digital Press, a quarterly fanzine (fan-made magazine) devoted to
video games.
“I’ve always been a pack rat, and I’ve never grown tired of
collecting video game cartridges,” Santulli said. “You see, there’s more to a
video game than just looks and fancy packaging. In each cartridge there’s a
challenge that’s waiting to be met. A history waiting to be studied, and all of
the greatest electronic artists, musicians and engineers had their hands in the
development, and you, in turn, have them in your
hands.”
At the Classic Gaming Expo, the men (and, in some cases, women) who
designed games for the Atari 2600, ColecoVision, Intellivision and other
systems of the late 1970s and early ’80s are considered to be much more than mere
programmers. They are, in fact, celebrities who meet and greet fans, autograph
game boxes, systems and cartridges and give presentations about their days in
the industry.
Numerous such “celebrities” are scheduled to appear at CGE 2012,
including David Crane (Pitfall!), Don
Daglow (Utopia), Warren Davis (Q*bert), Bob Polaro (the Atari 2600
version of Defender), Warren Robinett
(Adventure), Robert Smith (Dragonfire) and Steve Woita (Sonic the Hedgehog 2). Composer Tommy
Tallarico, co-creator of the concert series, “Video Games Live,” and Leonard
Herman, author of ABC To The VCS and Phoenix: The Fall And Rise Of Videogames,
will be in attendance as well.
Casual gamers may be surprised to learn that new games are still
being produced for older systems that were abandoned by their manufacturers
years ago, a notion that CGE enthusiastically supports. Designed by fans and
amateur programmers, these so-called “homebrew” titles are often sophisticated
in nature and frequently come with a box, a manual and a labeled cartridge.
Better yet, many of them are fun to play.
Several homebrew publishers will offer their products for sale at this
year’s Classic Gaming Expo, including Elektronite, a Canadian company
specializing in Intellivision games (such as the newly released D2K Arcade), and Good Deal Games’
Homebrew Heaven, which offers more than 400 different homebrew titles in their
online store (www.gooddealgames.com).
One question remains: why would someone want to play (much less
purchase) an old, outdated game for an old, outdated system when there are so
many shiny new titles for such current-generation systems as the PlayStation 3
and Xbox 360?
Santulli sums it up best.
“There’s a certain simplicity that defies the standards we put on
graphics and sound today,” he said. “Audiovisuals are but a small part of the
experience of playing a game like Parker Bros.’ Reactor for the Atari 2600. It’s the way they draw you in. No
tricks or special effects to distract you from the challenge at hand.”
Albert Yarusso, co-founder of AtariAge.com and frequent CGE
exhibitor, agrees.
“Even though modern game systems have amazing graphics and sound,
the most important aspect of any video game is that it actually be fun to play,”
he said. “Because classic game systems, like the Atari 2600, had very simple
graphics, game designers had to focus on the game-play. It is this simple
pick-up-and-play philosophy that makes for quick gaming without the need to
invest in large amounts of time as many of today's games require.”
What: Classic Gaming Expo
When: Aug. 11-12
Where: Plaza Hotel & Casino
More info: www.cgexpo.com