RTX 2013

Over the 4th of July weekend, I was able to attend the Rooster Teeth Expo called RTX. Rooster Teeth is a production company based in Austin, TX that specializes in internet content. Their most famous production is probably Red vs. Blue, but they've managed to grow and branch out to other projects. Currently, one of their more favored segments is Achievement Hunter, for example.

Characters from Red vs Blue

Sweet Cosplay

This year they played host to some 10,000 convention goers, no small feat considering the first convention was in 2010. There were many different booths to see, and many different panels to go to. Admittedly, I thought the convention floor got a little stale after the first day. Despite the fact that there were plenty of people there, I found that the convention was a bit small. I know you're probably thinking that 10k people isn't a small convention, but when you consider that you can see all the exhibits within an hour, what are you going to do with the other 2 days of the convention?

The 501st always does the best Cosplay

The answer is: Panels. I really loved the panels here. The top panel on my list is probably the Richard Garriott panel about the new game that he's developing called Shroud of the Avatar. In an unfortunate turn of events, the game is going to be an MMO. I say unfortunate because I never really got involved in this type of game. However, after seeing the demo they put out, I can honestly say that I'm pretty eager to see more of this game. Also on the panel with Garriott was his trusted coworker Starr Long. While Garriott's alter-ego from the Ultima universe is Lord British, Long's alter-ego is Blackthorn. I know for most of you this is way over your head... so let me just tell you this: Ultima is the game that basically started online and adventure gaming in general. You know what... that's an irresponsible comparison. It basically started modern gaming as we see it now. Garriott is what I would consider the visionary and dreamer while Long is more in charge of the business side of things - a person to ground Garriott.

Starr Long on left, Richard Garriott on right

Second on my list of panels that I truly enjoyed was one put on by a young woman currently pursuing her PhD. Her panel was about how mental health is connected to video games and the myths that we often see on television and in the news. This was a remarkable panel with a lot of information. The speaker herself, Kelli, was extremely well-poised and definitely knew her audience. She was able to lay out all the info in a way that made sense and was pretty easy to follow. I would love nothing more than to tell you more about this panel, but I'll try to save that for it's own post later.

That brings me to something I wanted to talk to you about: Conventions. For those of you that have never gone to a convention about something you care about, I urge you to go. There is a certain type of energy there that feeds on itself - something caused by being surrounded by like-minded people. It's exhilarating, it's terrifying, and it's addicting in equal parts. At a convention such as this, there is something for everyone. I loved speaking with the people about the deeper philosophical issues of gaming and gaming culture. For example, the panel about Mental Health and Video Games was extremely stimulating and I had some very lovely conversations with people before and after the panel. I was able to speak with game developers about their games, about my lamentations of the current status of the gaming industry, and about my hopes for their games. I was even able to give them some "advice" to put it generously.

I think that guy on the left is in every one of my spartan pictures...

I will fully admit that I'm a pretty niche kind of market, and have some pretty esoteric knowledge when it comes to video games (have any of you seen or played Cataclysm? How about Dwarf Fortress? Salem?). My thanks to my friends for tolerating my habit... my love to Lady Kay for supporting it.

This was a great costume

I digress, conventions are a place where I can go and be fully immersed in a hobby that I love. It's a place where I can talk to the people that create these things that I love. Currently, I'm in love with Borderlands 2, and I was able to speak face-to-face with one of the 2K developers at PAX last year, it was incredible. This year, I got to speak with one of the developers from Cadenza Interactive, Nick Mazmanian, about the game they are currently developing, The Wanderer, and their most recent game Retrovirus. In all honesty, I'm thrilled to have been given the chance to speak with Maz. It's was a great conversation about the industry and about gaming in general, and it left me feeling more excited about what's possible. Maz is a great guy, thanks to him for giving me something to write about.

Cadenza Interactive's next game

To wrap it up, find a convention for something that you are enthused about. I'm sure there are quilting conventions if that's your thing. There are tons of nerd-type conventions that you can go to (sci-fi, fantasy, comics, video games, film), and I know there are conventions for many other hobbies as well. Go talk to the people that share your interests and ask them questions, be enthusiastic. You'll make friends and hopefully you'll learn something new.

It's a good time for being a geek/nerd!

That's a lady on the left. Seriously.

-Jack