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MAGFest (Music and Gaming Festival, originally the Mid-Atlantic Gaming Festival) is an annual festival held in the
Washington metropolitan area The Washington metropolitan area, also commonly referred to as the National Capital Region, is the metropolitan area centered on Washington, D.C. The metropolitan area includes all of Washington, D.C. and parts of the states of Maryland, Virgin ...
that celebrates
video games Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device to gener ...
and
video game music Video game music (or VGM) is the soundtrack that accompanies video games. Early video game music was once limited to sounds of early sound chips, such as programmable sound generators (PSG) or FM synthesis chips. These limitations have led to ...
, as well as their surrounding
culture Culture () is an umbrella term which encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, customs, capabilities, and habits of the individuals in these groups.Tyl ...
. MAGFest's primary features are a large open video gaming room, a hall of arcade cabinets, concerts by
chiptune Chiptune, also known as chip music or 8-bit music, is a style of synthesized electronic music made using the programmable sound generator (PSG) sound chips or synthesizers in vintage arcade machines, computers and video game consoles. The t ...
artists and video game cover bands, and a Bring Your Own Computer (BYOC) LAN Party.


Attractions

MAGFest's arcade hall is open 24 hours a day. The exhibition hall contains hundreds of full-size arcade cabinets, and even pinball machines that are donated for the event from local collectors and vending companies. All arcades are set to play for free on admission price, and are monitored 24 hours a day by maintenance and technical staff. The arcade hall includes specialty lighting, laser lighting, and music to invoke the feeling of a traditional arcade. The game selection ranges from 1970's vintage black and white games, vector monitors games, Cathode Ray Tube games, modern/Indie arcades; as well as contemporary Japanese candy cabinets and Japanese dance/music games like
Dance Dance Revolution (''DDR'') is a music video game series produced by Konami. Introduced in Japan in 1998 as part of the Bemani series, and released in North America and Europe in 1999, ''Dance Dance Revolution'' is the pioneering series of the rhythm and dance V ...
and
Taiko No Tatsujin , lead=yes, group=lower-alpha (Japanese: 太鼓の達人, Taiko no Tatsujin, lit. "Master of the drums") is a series of games created by Namco. In the games, players simulate playing a taiko drum in time with music. The series has released games ...
. Arcades range from various manufacturers like
Atari Atari () is a brand name that has been owned by several entities since its inception in 1972. It is currently owned by French publisher Atari SA through a subsidiary named Atari Interactive. The original Atari, Inc. (1972–1992), Atari, Inc., ...
,
Nintendo is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational video game company headquartered in Kyoto, Japan. It develops video games and video game consoles. Nintendo was founded in 1889 as by craftsman Fusajiro Yamauchi and originally produce ...
,
Taito is a Japanese company that specializes in video games, toys, arcade cabinets and game centers, based in Shinjuku, Tokyo. The company was founded by Michael Kogan in 1953 as the importing vodka, vending machines and jukeboxes into Japan. It b ...
, Midway, Williams,
Capcom is a Japanese video game developer and video game publisher, publisher. It has created a number of List of best-selling video game franchises, multi-million-selling game franchises, with its most commercially successful being ''Resident Evil' ...
,
Sega is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational video game and entertainment company headquartered in Shinagawa, Tokyo. Its international branches, Sega of America and Sega Europe, are headquartered in Irvine, California and London, r ...
, ICE, Rock Ola, and Exidy. Games that challenge various abilities include driving simulators, shooting simulators, labyrinth games, and others. There are multiple events and tournaments that occur during the event that allow you to challenge dozens of others for prizes. They also host a ten-game tournament that spans the entire event which allows players to openly compete on 10 classic arcade games to work on getting the highest scores possible with the ultimate prize being given to the player who scores the most points total on all games. There a console hall open 24 hours a day that houses over a hundred 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. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own controllers or fighting game pads to compete with. Consoles range from vintage Atari 2600, Intellivision style games all the way through the years to the most current and up to date Xbox/PS/Nintendo systems and games. Even steam titles are playable and indie game developers have been known to introduce or beta test new games at the events. Tournaments are performed frequently throughout the event on several platforms and game types for prizes. In 2013 the MAGFest Indie Videogame Showcase, "MIVS" was started. It features between 40 and 60 booths of indie game developers each year. Since 2016 there has been an "Indie Arcade" section, housing new arcade games created by indie developers and artists from around the world. The bulk of these cabinets are curated through Death By Audio Arcade in NY. In 2017 the "Indie Homebrew" sub-section was started, which has featured new indie games that can be played on classic consoles from the 1980s and 1990s such as the Atari 2600, NES, etc... The concert areas host nightly performances in multiple rooms simultaneously of famous and up and coming bands. Music is themed, but not limited to; Chip Tunes, video game music, and related works. Many luminaries of video game music fan culture have performed at MAGFest. Previous bands include
Machinae Supremacy Machinae Supremacy is a Swedish/Finnish band that combines modern heavy metal, power metal and alternative rock with chiptunes. Self-defined as "SID metal", many of their songs use a SidStation that features the SID chip of the Commodore 64. ...
,
Earthbound Papas The Earthbound Papas are a Japanese progressive rock/metal band performing songs and interpretations of music from video games, notably including the ''Final Fantasy'' series. Nobuo Uematsu, the acclaimed composer of music in the ''Final Fanta ...
,
Minibosses Minibosses is an American progressive rock band originally from Northampton, Massachusetts and now located in Phoenix, Arizona. They are known for their video game music covers, which are instrumental rock variations of the theme music from cl ...
, Powerglove,
the NESkimos The NESkimos is an independent American video game music cover band from St. Augustine, Florida. It is known for songs based on video game music, and covers of songs from popular television shows and movies. The name is a portmanteau combinin ...
, the Advantage and
Chromelodeon Chromelodeon are an 8-piece indie rock band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are known for their live shows (which have been described as "visceral") as well as their unique instrumental sound. Their music is achieved by utilizing a combinatio ...
. Other major attractions include guest panels from the video game industry such as
Sid Meier Sidney K. Meier ( ; born February 24, 1954) is a Canadian-American programmer, designer, and producer of several strategy video games and simulation video games, including the ''Civilization'' series. Meier co-founded MicroProse in 1982 with B ...
, Jon St. John and
Nobuo Uematsu is a Japanese composer and keyboardist best known for his contributions to the ''Final Fantasy'' video game series by Square Enix. A self-taught musician, he began playing the piano at the age of twelve, with English singer-songwriter Elton Jo ...
. In addition, the fan remixing community is well represented with sites such as
OverClocked ReMix OverClocked ReMix, also known as OC ReMix and OCR, is a non-commercial organization dedicated to preserving and paying tribute to video game music through arranging and re-interpreting the songs, both with new technology and software and by vari ...
. Filmmakers such as X-Strike Studios, Main Moon Productions, PBC Productions, and There Will Be Brawl have also appeared at the event. MAGFest has also included academic 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 DJ battles, a jam space, an open mic stage, a large
LAN party A LAN party is a gathering of people with personal computers or compatible game consoles, where a local area network (LAN) connection is established between the devices using a router or switch, primarily for the purpose of playing multiplaye ...
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."


History

MAGFest was started by Joe Yamine in 2002, as a small event in Roanoke, Virginia. Marinelli, director of press and public relations, stated in interview that Yamine "wanted people to just come together, play games, and rock out to some great video game cover bands". The original event featured three bands, an arcade room, a dealers room, a video room devoted to anime, a dance party area, and auctions of rare video games and art. Brendan Becker took over from Yamine at the following event, and the number of attendees grew from 250 to 3,000 over the course of eight years. Marinelli credited word of mouth for the slow but continued growth of the event, adding "It’s not about seeing something no one’s ever seen more; it’s about getting together and celebrating what you love". The event was extended in length from MAGFest 8 in 2010, going from a three-day to a four-day schedule. In 2012 the convention moved to the Gaylord National Harbour Convention Centre for MAGFest X, a far larger venue than the previous. This then became the primary venue for the event. Beginning in 2014, some additional annual conventions began to be held. This started with MAGLabs at the former venue in Virginia, and MAGWest held in California each year. Attendance at the main event had reached 20,000 by 2016, and peaked at 24,000 at Super MAGFest 2020, held that January. In November 2020, an organisation named "friends of MAGFest" expressed concern about the MAGFest board of directors, alleging financial neglect, mismanagement and abuse by the Executive Director, Paul Birtel. After negotiations with Friends of MAGFest, Birtel fired three board members associated with the group as well as the events director, which in effect cancelled the planned Pandemic-era virtual event. Further board resignations occurred in January 2021, followed by Birtel himself later that month.


Event history


Main events


MAGLabs

In the wake of MAGFest's move from Virginia to Maryland in 2012, a secondary circuit of smaller events were held at the former primary venue in Alexandria. MAGLabs has not been held since 2018, but the organisers have indicated that future events may be held.


MAGWest

A west coast MAGFest circuit launched in 2017. The event was conducted online in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. These events were uploaded to the official
YouTube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
channel after they concluded.


References


External links

*
MAGFest 7 pictures

MAGFest 5 pictures

MAGFest 1 pictures


Press


Destructoid review of MAGFest 6

PBC Productions' MAGFest 6 Montage

D.C. Music Download Review
{{DEFAULTSORT:MAGFest 2002 establishments in Maryland Music festivals in Washington, D.C. Music festivals established in 2002 Video game concert tours Video game conventions