Calgary Expo Day One
Outside the swank Hotel Arts in downtown Calgary, the falling snowflakes are getting fatter. The first day of the Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo is now a wrap. It’s a huge and growing show in a big modern convention centre. (As we say up here Canada way.) Media headliners include Leonard Nimoy, Malcolm MacDowell and Billy Dee Williams. The beloved Mr. Nimoy made national news on Friday by making a pilgrimage to the town of Vulcan, Alberta, which for many years ago leveraged its name into a celebration of Trekly kitsch.
The gaming guest track consists of me and robheinsoo. We weren’t sure what to expect as guests at a full-on comic con. For example, we didn’t realize until we hit the floor that there would be tables waiting for us in guest alley. Given the comics focus of the show I was entertaining visions of a lonely sit but in fact we had a steady stream of folks popping by to say hello. Even more gobsmacking was the packed seminar room we had for our State Of the Hobby Gaming Industry panel. The sub-tribe was out in force. After some opening pontifications, we opened the floor to questions. Fifty minutes went by way too fast as we discussed the impact of electronic gaming on classic wargames, the ongoing future of story-focused games, and hobby gaming as the vanguard of e-publishing. Rob handled some Qs in his capacity as 4E lead designer, from the reasoning behind the sharp break from 3E to the behind-the-scenes on the multi-classing/hybrid class rules.
He’s also been demoing the heck out of his latest project, Emperor's Gambit, the new version of Three Dragon Ante. It came out on Monday-if only someone had a bunch to sell at the show they’d be cleaning up. Meanwhile I’ve been talking to folks about Hamlet’s Hit Points, GUMSHOE and more.
The con organizers have been taking care of us and overall the show gives off the mellow vibe of a smoothly run event. If you’re in the area and considering coming by tomorrow to wave the gamer flag, by all means do so.