Dateline: 03-24-2010

CONvergence Gaming

Evil is nigh and the villains are running the show.

Geek culture is rife with the games people play: So join in for the celebration of the opposite of heroes in Gaming. Every geek worth their salt (especially those who know where that cliché comes from) has played an RPG, computer game, card game, or strategy game at least once. At CONvergence, we will provide a place for anyone to orchestrate and play some games, relax, and have fun.

But we need one thing above all else: YOU!

Our department doesn’t only cater to Gamers. We want to provide a full experience for everyone! Let us know what we can do for you. Putting board and strategy games down in ConSuite certainly worked, but we want you to spend time with us in our main space on the 22nd Floor in the small conference rooms, too. The rooms tend to be quiet, and have comfy chairs. Plus, it could be another opportunity to put in some volunteer hours and earn that awesome T-shirt!

Every year, we need people to hang upstairs and check badges as folk come in to join in the fun. All it requires is a couple hours of your time. In return, just volunteering for a single, one-hour shift, you will get invited to the post-con Volunteers Party; just eighteen and you’ll get a free Volunteer T-shirt! Want to volunteer ahead-of-time and ensure yourself a decent time slot? Contact Dave Rust at phantos@visi.com and let him know!

But that’s not the only way to earn Volunteer hours. You can also become a referee!

We’re on the honor system, here; hours that you put into preparing for a game before the convention count towards your total number of volunteer hours (up to a maximum of ten hours)! Mind you, these have to be hours spent on making something solely for the convention, but you’re creative, but you can do it! And, of course, the time you spend actually running the game also counts as volunteer hours.

In addition, we need loaner computers. For example, if you have a computer that can play Quake 3, we would love to be able to use it for our LAN gaming room. (Mac, Linux, or Windows computers are just fine). The minimum specs we’re looking for are machines with a 500MHz processor, 256MB RAM, and a 3D graphics card. Please contact us for more details (or with offers) at phantos@visi.com.

If you want to run an RPG, computer game, card game, board or strategy game, or even a LARP, just contact one of Gaming’s Sub-Heads (see below)! Let them know when you’d like to schedule it, how many hours it’ll take (we tend to schedule things in 1-1/2 hour blocks; most RPGs, therefore, tend to be 4-1/2 hours long), and how many players you’d like to accommodate. Get us the information early and we’ll even get it in print before the convention!

Also, the Game Library will return, so be sure to contact us to donate anything to the convention’s collection. Each year we get dozens of new submissions, so help us keep this CONvergence tradition alive by donating your used games to a community who is truly grateful! We are also in need of more up-to-date games, so if you need to make additional space in your home, we’ll be happy to give some of those extra games space in our home!

We look forward to seeing you at the convention and remember: This is your chance to explore that part of the hotel many of you may not have seen before... the 22nd Floor!