Gateway 2013: The Con That Was...AMAZING!

First of all, I know I haven't updated here recently.  Things have been changing in my life (all for the better, mind you), and I haven't had time or reason enough to post up a new blogging.  Today seemed like the best day to do one.

We have just finished up our ninth Strategicon event.  Those who don't know, Strategicon is the organizations that handles three main gaming conventions here in southern California.  The events are:
 • OrcCon (every Presidents' Day weekend)
 • Gamex (every Memorial Day weekend)
 • Gateway (every Labor Day weekend)
Home Game Enterprizes, the business that I and my friends founded, has been there for each one dating back to February 2011, and we have had a blast every time.  This one, however, was particularly special.

We have some game show fan friends back east who have done a 24-Hour Game Show Marathon for charity twice (this and last year), raising money for the American Cancer Society, and a local hospital in Baltimore.  Our group saw the quality workmanship they produced and thought, "Why don't we do that?"  Three months of planning later, "24-Hour Game Show Marathon West" took the stage in Salon 103 at the Sheraton Gateway LAX Hotel, the hotel that has housed Strategicon events for the past few years.

We got off to a rocky start the night before.  We had to set up cameras and make sure the Google Hangout was working, so we could have online players play several of our games.  What we didn't take into account was that none of the cameras we initially brought was set up to connect to a computer for live-streaming purposes.  Hoo boy, here we go.  After about two hours of testing, checking, connecting, re-connecting, testing, checking, and panicking, Tim remembers he has left his camera back here at the apartment and it will do live-streaming (as he used it for his Extra Life marathon last year).  He volunteers to return to Glendale to retrieve it, and our problems are over...for the most part.

The second hurdle?  Getting the Google Hangout running.  Our room at the con (affectionately known to us as "The Studio") has spotty wi-fi access at best, because the free wi-fi signal from the lobby just trickles in.  The stronger internet signal is a paid service.  We had arranged to have the password for this event, and was approved by the con.  We didn't actually get the information until almost Midnight on Friday, causing us to suspend Hangout testing until then.  Thankfully, at the last minute, we received it, but were told only TWO DEVICES could be connected to it at any one time.  So, we determined the computer running the Hangout and the live-stream would share the duties.  Everyone else, including those running our social media sites, had to use the spotty connection, or my iPhone.

Now comes the day of the Marathon.  August 31, 2013.  12 Noon.  24 games in 24 hours with 12 people on crew.  Sounds easy, right?  Buckle up, cupcake.

To have a look at all the games we played this weekend, check out the Home Game Enterprizes website.

Streaming is running, Hangout is ready, computer and projector are humming in synchronicity...it's a beautiful thing.  We have an audience.  People from the convention are here to play, and some are here just to watch. We go through the first 12 hours sailing!  We had an almost-packed house for our prime-time block of The Time Bomb, Super Press Your Luck, The $25,000 Pyramid, and The Price is Right.  It was going like any other convention...just at a quicker pace.

Then comes the after-Midnight shift. By this point, we've all been up and going for, at most, 16 hours.  We're clearly starting to go loopy, and some of us are starting to nod off.  Meanwhile, I am still running tech on a few games, with All-Star Blitz to host at 4 AM.  We get there, and make it through.  That's when I start to break down.  I literally had to be escorted out of the room by my roommate Adam out of the hotel and to my car, which was parked in the neighboring airport parking lot (we have to park there because the blood-sucking mercenaries at the Sheraton charge $25 for valet parking ONLY...the airport parking is $13.  God bless Easy Park).  I had managed to park my car in the back row, almost in the furthest-flung corner away from the hotel that I could.  We get in and start to doze when I hear, "Travis, I don't want to alarm you, but I think you have bugs in your car."  I turn on the dome light and, sure enough, there's practically a colony of ants streaming all over my center console and passenger seat.  We quickly jump out of the car, and shamble back into the hotel.

Arriving back in the studio, the crew sees how bad I really look: tired, pale, frazzled, and slightly shaky.  I call several audibles:
 • Replace Scrabble with Blockbusters, as I have not been able to compile the games.
 • Remove myself from all technician duties until 11 AM, which is the final game, Malcolm.
 • Cancel our 8 PM event, The Game Show Machine, due to mass fatigue.
Everyone is concerned about my health, and offer to get me something to eat or drink.  At this point, I want to throw up, sleep, and cry all at the same time...but can do none of it.  So, I do the only other viable option...take a seat on a couch in the lobby across from a TV playing CNN.

The next few hours are a blur.  What I do remember is having breakfast at the hotel restaurant buffet (delicious corned beef hash), and coming back into the room with the caveat that I am not permitted to touch a computer until 11 AM.  Everyone complies and still helps me out.  Then we come to Hour 24...the final game.  I'll let the video speak for itself.



I have to thank a lot of people for their help with this event.
 • The entire Strategicon staff.
 • My roommates: Ben, Adam, Tim, and Ethan.
 • The HGE Crew: Eric, Joe, Jason, Matt, and Stad.
 • The HGE Newbies: Kyle and Nathaniel.
 • The East-Coasters: Jim, Cory, Christian, and Bob.
 • The Girlfriends: Amanda, Jackie, and Sallan.
 • Our online contestants: Ryan, Jason, BigJon, Matthew (who tragically lost The Colour of Money), Dan, and whoever else I may have left out.
 • Our in-studio contestants: Phil, Erick, Sean, Dawn, Sam, Aidan, Andre, Stephanie, Chris, and anyone else I can't remember.

To everyone: your patience, excitement, expertise, and overall greatness helped this event get off the ground and out to the people.  We made history, and made a difference for ACS, raising (as of right now) almost $800.

From the list, I do need to single out some people:
 • Kyle Serra.  Thank you for volunteering to join our band of merry misfits, and bring along your love of the genre and the generous use of your camera equipment.  You have been made an official member of HGE...I'm just sorry it doesn't pay more right now.

 • Nathaniel Thompson.  Thank you for volunteering to assist with the live-streaming and the Hangout aspect of the Marathon, and leading the creation of the HGE App!  I never in a million years would have dreamed that HGE would have an iPhone App, and it happened.  A big thank you to the Thompson/Rooney clan as a whole for allowing Nathaniel to spend the entire 24 hours with us and become the YOUNGEST HGE member.  Your Time Bomb initiation will come shortly.

 • Amanda, Jackie, and Sallan.  While one of you couldn't be there in person, all three of you helped us out by keeping, not only your own boyfriends, but in turn, all of us going for the last gasp of the day-long slog.  Bringing pastries, snacks, drinks, and good vibes kept the lights on until the sun came up and beyond.  Special thanks to Amanda for being our more attractive Vanna for Wheel of Fortune After Dark on Sunday night (sorry, Ben).

 • Stad St. Fleur.  Since you joined our posse, it seems like everything we do is more fun.  You've been with us from OrcCon 2013 to now, and I don't see you leaving us anytime soon.  Also, and I can't thank you enough, you and Jackie fumigated my car.  You didn't have to, but you helped me out a great deal.

Here's looking forward to OrcCon 2014 (Feb. 14-17, 2014), and a brand new venue: Hilton Los Angeles Airport.

And now..ao;isbhduo['weghat4rfg['ghwa08ty=]th=9

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