It’s just over a week away from the Summer Gamer’s Expo (GAX) and the Moose Jaw Gamer’s Association is excited to see its pre-registration numbers looking better than last year.
MJGA spokesman Kristian Sjoberg hopes that bodes well for the weekend-long gaming marathon because the itinerary is packed with all kinds of cool and nerdy stuff on July 12-14.
From Atari to virtual reality, card games to board games, there will be something recognizable to just about anyone who’s dabbled in a game or two — both common and unique. There are a number of seats for personal LAN (local area network) gaming, as well as console games set up with a projection screen for group gaming, along with various tabletop games to round out the weekend lineup.
Alongside the free-range gaming, there will be few competitive and non-competitive tournaments running, as well as the only national qualifier tournament in the province for Settlers of Catan.
Currently, there’s still a few spots left for one of the internet access seats, to bring along your computer or console and marathon your game of choice — pre-registration ensures there’s room for your rig, whatever it may include.
Sjoberg encourages people to come out for the weekend, as the proceeds raised from admission will be donated to the Moose Jaw Food Bank to help launch their new program, Mighty Munchies.
“We've always done something towards children because they're our next generation of nerds,” joked Sjoberg. “Where this Mighty Munchie program comes in, from the Food Bank, is they get given things. . . that they can still have as a snack to get them through the day.”
Admission to the Summer GAX on the day of will still be $15 for the weekend, which Sjoberg noted was a pretty good price for even just one night of games — and pizza, if you stop in Saturday night — let alone a whole weekend.
“Some people don't want to kind of commit to a Friday, Saturday and Sunday gaming,” said Sjoberg. “But if you come Saturday night, you get the pizza party and play board games for a couple of hours, with your spouse as a date night — and $15 isn't that bad for a night out.”
Cosplay
The MJGA is also going to be taking over the Cultural Centre with its inaugural Cosplay Alley, on July 6 at Sidewalk Days.
With cosplayers from groups like Queen City Cosplay in Regina and members of the Moose Jaw Camera Club, there will be plenty of chances to snag a photo with a favorite character or ask questions about costume-making and cosplay.
The MJGA will have their booth set up during the three-day street fair, offering test-plays on their virtual reality rig and answering any questions about their organization and their biannual gaming expos.
Both the Summer and Winter GAX are a great event for the gaming community, and Sjoberg encourages everyone to consider taking part: from the most experienced gamers to the new and curious.
“We are a charity and we are donating to a charity,” said Sjoberg. “Even if people want to just come out and spend a couple of hours hanging out, looking around, they're more than welcome to.”
Pre-registration for Summer GAX admission can be purchased online, at the MJGA website.
