RF Generation Message Board

[img width=700 height=367]http://magfest.org/webhook-uploads/1486051956226/MAGWest_2017_logo.png[/img]

At long last, a major-league vidya-con for the South Bay! MAGWest will be held August 25-27, 2017 at the Santa Clara Hyatt Regency, in the heart of the Silicon Valley! Well, actually more like the left lung of the Silicon Valley. ANYway, after being unable to attend the last two events I posted on this board due to illness, I'll be damned if I'm gonna miss this one.

More info about the event to come. BTW if you feel like volunteering, why not fill out the MAGWest online volunteer form here:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdlKud0pVxsFR8jElc2YUUhEbJIx-AWVvpLtKwXzcdSIwrWUQ/viewform

Just be sure to answer that last question as honestly as possible.


...'Late

While it is a little bit of a drive and only a short time before PRGE, I'm not totally opposed to trying to head down there. We could meet up and find some pancakes, apply for jobs at the big G, go to that bay aquarium and you could introduce me to so many Goodwill employees. Lots of things to do down there.

 

Hey now,

MAGWest tickets are now available! for $50 you get the basic pass to attend all three days! Just head on over to:

https://west2017.uber.magfest.org/uber/preregistration/form


The host for this event, the Santa Clara Hyatt Regency, will be more than happy to take your room reservations:

https://aws.passkey.com/event/48965238/owner/2281/home


There are a lot of other hotels in the immediate area, many a decent walking distance away, which you can check out here:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/HotelsNear-g33046-d1419970-Santa_Clara_Convention_Center-Santa_Clara_California.html


All of these lodgings are just a 10-15 minute shuttle ride from Mineta San Jose International Airport:

http://www.sjc.org


And here are the airlines that go through SJC, which includes Southwest, American, Alaska, Air Canada, and other carriers:

http://www.sjc.org/airlines


Oddly enough, I'm not very familiar with the South Bay independent video game shop scene. However, there are a few places nearby-- both geekin' and not-so-geekin'-- that you might find of interest:


Levi's Stadium is just a short walk from from the convention. Sign up to tour it here:

http://www.levisstadium.com/tours/


Just a mile south is California's Great America amusement park:

https://www.cagreatamerica.com/


Aaaand a bit further north is the Computer History Museum in Mountain View:

http://www.computerhistory.org/


Go a few more miles north, and you can take a gander at the California Historical Landmark known as "the birthplace of Silicon Valley:"

http://www.hpmuseum.net/divisions.php?did=37

http://www.hpmuseum.org/garage/garage.htm


Arguably the most notable San Jose landmark/tourist trap is the Winchester Mystery House:

https://wmhonline.winchestermysteryhouse.com/Info.aspx?EventID=3


BTW I checked to see if there were any tours of the Apple main campus in Cupertino, or the U.S. subsidiaries of various vidya companies based in the south bay and peninsula. Sadly, but understandably, they keep pretty tight security in these places; unless you're a VIP or have connections, it's next to impossible to get an inside look.


More info to come...

Hey now,

- The single-attendee pass for all 3 days will go from $50 to $55 at the start of June.

- If you would like to run a panel for the event, you can submit your panel at...

http://magwest.org/contribute/panel


...through the end of June.

Please note that "if your panel is declined please do not take it personally. Panels are just a subset of how attendees can contribute to MAGWest."

Registration is now up to $55...

Ummm... is there anybody out there even thinking of attending?

I thinking about it. Mrs nupoile wasn't.

She is using the excuse that there is something else going on in late August that we should go to but aren't. In that case she was thinking about it but I wasn't :P    My excuse for that one is that it's in the desert, outside, in N.M., in late August. She seems to think Cali is going to be hot then too. I tried to tell her that there is probably air conditioning inside....

Hey now,


That settles it, then... I guess I'm not gonna see you there after all. And I was so stoked to show you my collection of pocket-computer calculators, too.  :'(



MAGWest is being held in the convention capital of the south S.F. Bay Area. Downtown Santa Clara has lots of big air-conditioned hotels, and is just a few miles up U.S. 101 from Mineta International Airport... and about a 45-minute drive down from SFO.

As for the prevailing weather: it can actually be quite variable and unpredictable, though I do expect it to be somewhat hot in late August this year.

ANYway, the three day passes are now up to $55 each.

Less than a month to go...

Just a couple days to go...