Got back late last night from OVGE 2008, where I sold some books, made some new friends, met some folks I had only "talked" to via the Internet, and bought some really cool stuff. I'm weary from the road and from sleep deprivation, but I had a great time and am already looking forward to next year.
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I'm terrible with names, but I rarely forget a face. I met this guy (hence the "bad with names" designation) at the Texas Pinball Festival in Grapevine back in March. This time around we got into an in-depth conversation about electromechanical machines of the early 1970s. One of the best things about doing autographings and attending conventions is meeting friendly, knowledgeable people.
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Rick Kelsey, my friend who went with me to the show, was nice enough to watch my table periodically so I could eat lunch and do some browsing.
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There was a steady crowd at the convention most of the day.
Here's Rob "Flack" O'hara, selling copies of his books, which I couldn't pass up. I've already read the introduction to Invading Spaces and am about 1/3 of the way or so through Commodork. Based on what I've read so far, I recommend both without reservation. Initially, I wasn't sure what to expect, but it's obvious that Flack is a writer and a gamer, not just a gamer who happens to write. His style is clear and unpretentious, and the hilarious anecdotes alone are worth the price of admission. For more info, check out http://www.robohara.com/.
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The admissions table and classic gaming tournament area.
The requisite Rockband/Guitar Hero tournaments/exhibitions.
The guys at Tradengames had the special of the day...
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Factory sealed copies of The Quest for the Rings (pictured above), The Great Wall Street Fortune Hunt, and Conquest of the World. These rare video/board games for the Odyssey2 are hard to find complete, much less brand new.
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More unopened Odyssey2 games.
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In addition to the aforementioned Odyssey2 stuff, I picked up Captain America and the Avengers for the NES and Flash Gordon for the Atari 2600, both complete in the box. I bought the Captain America game for research material for my next book, which will cover the NES/Sega Master System era of video games. Classic Home Video Games Vol. 2 will be published sometime in late 2009.
I met this nice married couple selling Retro Gamer Shirts. Naturally, I now have one of my own (a shirt, not a married couple).
Pac-Man Fever on display.