MAGFest

MAGFest
Status	Active
Genre	Video games, video game music
Venue	Gaylord National Convention Center[1]
Location	National Harbor, Maryland
Country	United States
First held	2002
Organizer	MAGFest LLC
Attendance	Over 3000 in 2011
Official website	http://magfest.org

MAGFest (Music and Gaming Festival, originally the Mid-Atlantic Gaming Festival) is an annual convention held in Virginia that celebrates video games and video game music, as well as their surrounding culture. MAGFest's primary features are a large open video gaming room, a hall of arcade cabinets, concerts by chiptune artists and video game cover bands, and a Bring Your Own Computer (BYOC) LAN Party. MAGFest 2011 took place at the Hilton Mark Center in Alexandria, VA from January 13 to 16.^[2]

Attractions

MAGFest's arcade hall and console room are open 24 hours a day.^[3] The hallway contains dozens of cabinets, ranging from vintage shoot 'em ups^[3] to contemporary Japanese candy cabinets. Additionally, the console room houses dozens of televisions and attached game consoles, where guests are invited to play at will and each station's game is periodically swapped with a different one from a game library.

The concert area hosts several nightly performances of video game music and related works. Many luminaries of video game music fan culture have performed at MAGFest. Previous bands include Minibosses, Powerglove, the NESkimos, the Advantage and Chromelodeon.

Other major attractions include guest panels from the video game industry such as Sid Meier and Jon St. John,^[4] and from video game fan sites such as OverClocked ReMix. Filmmakers such as X-Strike Studios, Main Moon Productions, PBC Productions, That Guy With The Glasses, and There Will Be Brawl,^[5] have also appeared at the event. MAGFest has also included intellectually-driven panels such as "Game Studies 101" where attendees were given a basic introduction to the manner in which scholars study video games.

Additionally, MAGFest features an open mic stage, a large LAN party environment, a film screening room, a tabletop gaming room, vendors, contests like "name-that-tune," and a video game "challenge booth" where players can "try to tackle insanely difficult gaming feats for prizes of all sorts."^[6]

History^[7]

Dates	Location	Attendance	Featured performers
MAGFest 10 January 5–8, 2012	Gaylord National Convention Center National Harbor, Maryland	TBD	The Earthbound Papas, Armcannon, Bit Brigade, Descendants of Erdrick, Dj CUTMAN, The Megas, Metroid Metal, The OneUps, Random Encounter, Temp Sound Solutions, This Place Is Haunted, X-Hunters, Year 200X
MAGFest 9 January 13–16, 2011	Hilton Mark Center Alexandria, Virginia	3000+ (Capped)	The Protomen, The Minibosses, The OneUps, Metroid Metal, Armcannon, Bit Brigade, The Megas, Year 200X, X-Hunters, Entertainment System, This Place Is Haunted, Rare Candy, Dj CUTMAN, A_Rival, Powerglove, Armadillo Tank, brentalfloss
MAGFest 8 January 1–4, 2010	Hilton Mark Center Alexandria, Virginia	2200	Armcannon, Armadillo Tank, Entertainment System, The Megas, Metroid Metal, A_Rival, Rare Candy, Select Start, Temp Sound Solutions, The OneUps, The Smash Bros., This Place Is Haunted,[8] brentalfloss
MAGFest 7 January 1–4, 2009	Hilton Mark Center Alexandria, Virginia	1350	Armcannon, Armadillo Tank, Entertainment System, The Megas, Metroid Metal, A_Rival, Rare Candy, Temp Sound Solutions, The Smash Bros., This Place Is Haunted,[8] Year 200X
MAGFest 6 January 3–6, 2008	Hilton Mark Center Alexandria, Virginia	1050	The Advantage, Armcannon, Powerglove, Select Start, The Smash Bros., Temp Sound Solutions, This Place Is Haunted
MAGFest 5 January 4–7, 2007	Sheraton Premiere Vienna, Virginia	950	Armcannon, Chromelodeon, Parasprinter, Powerglove, The Smash Bros., Temp Sound Solutions, This Place Is Haunted, Wave Theory, Year 200X
MAGFest 4 January 13–15, 2006	Doubletree Hilton Charlottesville, Virginia	750	The Minibosses, The NESkimos, Parasprinter, Powerglove, Search Snake, The Smash Bros., Sprite Slowdown, This Place Is Haunted, Wave Theory
MAGFest 3 October 1–3, 2004	Clarion Hotel Williamsburg, Virginia	500	Inheretics, Chromelodeon, The Jenova Project, The Minibosses, The NESkimos, Temp Sound Solutions, The Smash Bros., Wave Theory
MAGFest 2 October 31–November 2, 2003	Clarion Hotel Williamsburg, Virginia	375	The Minibosses, The Smash Bros., Wave Theory
MAGFest September 27–29, 2002	Holiday Inn Tanglewood Roanoke, Virginia	265	Everyone, The Minibosses, The OneUps

References

1. ^ "MAGFest X: January 5-8, 2012, National Harbor, Maryland". MAGFest. http://magfest.org/mag10announcement. Retrieved 2011-07-14. 
2. ^ "MAGFest 2010". UpcomingCons.com. http://www.upcomingcons.com/upcomingcons/320-MAGFest. Retrieved 2009-07-04. 
3. ^ ^{a b} Topher Cantler. "What you missed at MAGfest 8". http://www.destructoid.com/what-you-missed-at-magfest-8-159706.phtml. 
4. ^ "MAGFest 2010 Lineup Released". http://www.wired.com/geekdad/2009/11/magfest-2010-lineup-released. 
5. ^ Info Page on ThereWillBeBrawl.com
6. ^ Joe Grogan. "Recapping MAGFest 8". http://terminalgamer.com/2010/01/05/recapping-magfest-8. 
7. ^ "MAGFest Information". MAGfest. http://magfest.org/info. 
8. ^ ^{a b} On The Scene, Gaming and Rock: 'THIS PLACE IS HAUNTED' Hosts The 'FINAL VIDEO ARMAGEDDON' This Saturday

External links

• MAGFest official website
• MAGFest 7 pictures
• MAGFest 5 pictures

Press

• Destructoid review of MAGFest 6
• PBC Productions' MAGFest 6 Montage