When is the busiest time for the Ferguson Center? Is it noon on a weekday when you can hardly find a table for lunch? It always appears as though hundreds of students are walking in and out of the Ferg at that time. However, this Saturday, that record may be beaten.
This Saturday from 10 a.m. until 10 p.m., the Ferguson Center will potentially be filled with more than 500 PixelCon attendees.
PixelCon is a gaming convention hosted at the University, which celebrated its inaugural year last year.
David Kilborn, a senior majoring in communication studies, and one of three or four main planners for the event, said the ABXY Gaming Network was planning to do a similar event in five years but the convention was able to happen for the first time last year. The convention is a joint project between ABXY and Creative Campus.
The convention will offer a wide spectrum of events for different gaming interests. Kilborn called it a “deconstruction of the video game community.”
“We have art in the art gallery, we have a concert, video game tournaments, a cosplay contest, free play areas that are both children-oriented and college-age-oriented and there is also a raffle benefitting Up Till Dawn at St. Jude’s Hospital,” Kilborn said.
Erin Smelley, a senior majoring in advertising and a main planner for the event, said that there is a variety of different media in the art gallery which is all video game inspired.
Kelli Abernathy, a senior majoring in finance and another planner of the event, said the raffle prizes include games, posters and other gaming memorabilia and that 100 percent of the proceeds will go toward the charity.
“There is also a zombie walk,” Smelley said. “Sean Hoade, the former University professor who also did this for his class, will be running it. [Attendees] will dress up and walk around like zombies. Anybody can join in.”
Other events include an area where Lego has set up a large amount of Legos for attendees to play with as well as a showcasing of the new Lego Universe game, Smelley said. Stuart Jeff, a game designer for BigHugeGames, will also have a panel discussion on how to get into the video game development industry.
There is also the possibility that G4’s “Attack of the Show” is going to send cameras to viewers who will be attending PixelCon, Smelley said. These viewers will do coverage of the event for G4 and then G4 may air it on national television or put it up online.
Registration is free and open to the public and everybody is able to pre-register online or at the door.
“It is a completely free event,” Kilborn said. “The only thing you could be charged for is if you want to enter a gaming tournament or the raffle. Part of that money goes to the charity as well. The rest of it goes to a pot for the winners of the tournament.”
“It’s tough to make it free but we got generous funding from all of our partners including the SGA and the HRC, who made it possible,” Smelley said.
Kilborn advised students to register early.
“We expect a lot of people for the on-site registration so there may be a slightly longer line,” Kilborn said. “Last year there were equal numbers of people who signed up for pre-registration as those who were at on-site registration.”
Last year PixelCon had approximately 450 attendees. This year 300 people have already registered, and the event is expecting double the amount of that to register on-site, Smelley said.
Food will also be available for attendees, with parts of the Ferguson Food Court remaining open as well as Subway and Starbucks.
“It’s a great chance to interact with the community and school and different people from different states,” Smelley said. “It gives a nice social setting and makes you appreciate what goes into gaming.”
Kilborn said there are people registered from Florida, Tennessee, Georgia, Mississippi and all over Alabama.
“It’s a great event,” Abernathy said. “Students should come and see how big the gaming community is. It’s a great group.”
“I definitely think that students would enjoy it,” Kilborn said. “You can come in and there is a wide spectrum of types of games — Table-Top Gaming and Crimson Castle is also working with us. It’s a great place to hang out and have a study break. People who are into the music or the art will find things that they like too.”
Colin Whitworth, a senior and a member of the Creative Campus team for the event, said the PixelCon team has put a lot of hard work into the event.
“The PixelCon team has literally been working on this all year,” Whitworth said. “I think the most outstanding thing that has happened is the massive amount of networking that have gone into making this event special. There has been communication with several prominent developers and companies.”
Whitworth encouraged students who may not even be heavy gamers to still check out the event.
“As for me, as a person who is in touch with my geeky side, but not quite a veteran gamer, I enjoy people-watching and generally enjoying the community,” Whitworth said. “In the end, whether you want to see the people, hear the music, or throw down on a Nintendo Wii, you should really be there. This is more than a game night – if you’re not a gamer it’s more of an immersion into a new world, and it’s not something to be missed.”
