So things have been very busy lately partly because of the above and partly because of some things I've been working on on the quiet that I should be able to provide less vague news on very soon, but the
Escapist Expo is just weeks away (specifically 2 of the buggers at time of writing) and there's still
time to register, North American peeps! Also there's a
facebook page you can join now, and I've been provided with a list of panels I'll be taking part in over the weekend of 14-16 September. Presumably there will be other panels that don't have me in them, but this is my blog so they're not my responsibility. Let's have a look-see:
Fanboyism
Time: Saturday, 12:00 P.M.
Location: King’s Landing
Panel: Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw (Zero Punctuation), Bob “MovieBob” Chipman (Escape to the Movies), Jim Sterling (Jimquisition), Mark Kline, PsyD (Clinical Director, HRS, Inc, Columnist at The Escapist), Paul Saunders (Writer & Producer at LoadingReadyRun)
Description:
Fanboys. We all know one, and some of us may even be one. Like it or
not, “fanboyism” is a massive force in nearly all social circles, either
online or as part of your local gaming group. But what’s the impact the
phenomenon really has on our culture? Escape to the Movies
host Bob Chipman and Jimquistion star Jim Sterling tackle the issues
alongside Dr. Mark Kline, and Paul Saunders from LRR.
Hour of Love
Time: Sunday, 12:00 P.M.
Location: King’s Landing
Panel: Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw (Zero Punctuation), Bob “MovieBob” Chipman (Escape to the Movies), Chris Pranger (No Right Answer, Media Sandwich), Jim Sterling (Jimquisition), Mark Kline, PsyD (Clinical Director, HRS, Inc, Ask Dr. Mark)
Description:
Hour of Love sets out to answer one important question: what if some of
your favorite gaming critics were all put in one room and only allowed to say nice things for an entire hour? Dr. Mark Kline moderates as The Escapist contributors must all swallow their bile and think about nothing but rainbows instead.
How to Review Games
Time: Saturday, 1:30 P.M.
Location: King’s Landing
Panel: Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw (Zero Punctuation), Bob “MovieBob” Chipman (Escape to the Movies), Susan Arendt (Managing Editor at The Escapist), Jim Sterling (Jimquisition), Graham Stark (Director & Producer at LoadingReadyRun)
Description:
Reviewing videogames looks easy, but it takes more than just playing
something and writing about it – especially if you want to keep an
audience entertained. Learn the art behind the entertainment as the
minds behind Zero Punctuation, Game OverThinker, and Unskippable discuss the tools they use to take games apart.
My Favorite Game
Time: Friday, 12:00 P.M.
Location: King’s Landing
Panel: Janelle Bonanno (Business Developer at The Escapist), Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw (Zero Punctuation), Cory Rydell (Critical Miss), Gavin Dunne (Miracle of Sound), Graham Stark (Director & Producer at LoadingReadyRun), Jim Sterling (Jimquisition)
Description: Everyone has that one game that they put on a pedestal. The one game that you measure all other games against. The Escapist
contributors talk about their favorite games and why they will always
compare new titles to the one game that provided the perfect mix of
character, story, and skill challenge.
Q&A with The Escapists
Time: Friday and Saturday, 4:30P.M.
Location: Kings’s Landing
Panel:
Ben “Yahtzee” Croshaw (Zero Punctuation), Bob “MovieBob” Chipman
(Escape to the Movies), Susan Arendt (Managing Editor at The Escapist),
Jim Sterling (Jimquisition), Graham Stark (Director & Producer at
LoadingReadyRun), Cory Rydell (Critical Miss), Gavin Dunne (Miracle of
Sound), Chris Pranger (No Right Answer), Mark Kline, PsyD (Clinical
Director, HRS, Inc, Ask Dr. Mark), Paul Saunders (Writer & Producer
at LoadingReadyRun)
You’ve
got questions, we’ve got answers. If you’ve ever wondered how Yahtzee
learned to talk so fast, why MovieBob hates Michael Bay, why Jim is
banned from Konami events or if Gavin really is that bad at Call of
Duty, now’s your chance to ask. Escapist staff will be pulling questions
directly from the audience, so be ready to be curious.
Return of the Sequel 2
Time: Friday, 3:00 P.M.
Location: King’s Landing
Panel: Susan Arendt (Managing Editor at The Escapist), Ben “Yahtzee” Croshaw, Bob “MovieBob” Chipman (Escape to the Movies), Chris Pranger (No Right Answer), Graham Stark (Director & Producer at LoadingReadyRun)
Description:
Every year, it seems like there’s more and more sequels out there.
We’re told that merely putting a “2” at the end of a game’s title
increases the chance for monetary success, but the cost is a shortage of
original concepts, settings and ideas. Yahtzee, Movie Bob, Chris
Pranger and Graham Stark headline this all-star panel discussing the
preponderance of sequels and their influence on movies, games and
culture.
That's your lot, so make notes in your diaries, attendees. I'm quite looking forward to all this, the topics sound like I can get a decent gush on, and that second one in particular should be quite the spectacle, I think. Mighty good fun this convention season lark, right readers?
