HEART OF NEON is...
embracing the unknown
When I went to my first computer expo - The Official Commodore Computer Show, probably in 1986, hosted at the Novotel in Hammersmith - it was my second time in London, but it still felt like destiny.
The first time I went to London was on a trip organized by my secondary school in 1980, just a sightseeing vacation for Scottish school kids really, but it woke something in me that wouldn’t be denied. London was an exciting place to be, and I wanted more.
By 1986 I had a C64 and was an active member of Compunet, the online service provider exclusive to that platform. I was a club-joining kind of guy at the time and had fallen in with the Independent Compunet Club, or ICC. They were going to be running a booth at the Official Commodore Computer Show, and the guy coordinating the group, a guy called Terence, invited me down to help run the booth. How could I refuse? The idea of getting back to London was 100% something I wanted to happen. My mum was _extremely_ skeptical, but I was given enough leeway to venture off on my own and take the bus down to London.
I was a sloppy kid who didn’t have the common sense of a goose, but regardless I met a lot of interesting people, some of whom became friends. The show itself was loud and chaotic, and at the time it seemed to me to be exotic and decadent (the bar was open all day, lol). The PCW shows at Earls Court put all that in perspective, so perhaps Novotel was the perfect computer show to be my first.
It was a moment in time, really. I only did the computer show thing for a couple more years. They got much, much bigger and kind of vulgar in a grotesque sideshow kind of way, and I really didn’t like being in massive crowds like that. I missed the naive charm of those Novotel days. Apart from one abortive attempt to attend E3 in the mid-90s, I didn’t go to another computer gaming event until I was already in production for HEART OF NEON, following Jeff and Giles around the Manchester Play Expo in 2017.
Naturally it was a different vibe again, thirty years on from my first adventures in computer gatherings. It was a huge event, and what was new to me was the retrogaming ability to straddle the past and the present at the same time - new games in evidence for sale, some by well-funded companies that put on a big show of it, while down the back of the auditorium were the massive pinball and video cabinet arcades evoking the 70s and 80s I barely knew. It was all new and old at the same time, which on reflection makes a perfect setting for Jeff and his work in just about every regard.
This coming weekend I’m going on another adventure, visiting the Pacific Northwest of the U.S. for my second time, this time to participate in the Portland Retro Gaming Expo, which is as far as I know the largest retro gaming event in the country. It’s really going to be something..! Not the least because…
I'm hosting a panel with an exclusive look at Jeff Minter and his abiding love for the arcade genre - 11am (D137-D140). Here's the teaser
Here's the catalog spiel:
HEART OF NEON: JEFF MINTER & THE ETERNAL ARCADE
Jeff Minter's career began in the golden age of arcades, and for forty years he has kept that dream alive. HEART OF NEON is a documentary highlighting how Jeff's love of classic arcade games has inspired generations of video game designers and players alike. In JEFF MINTER & THE ETERNAL ARCADE, an exclusive PRGE/HEART OF NEON presentation, director Paul Docherty maps the video arcade territory that Jeff has staked out for himself, keeping the neon glow alive.
I'm also moderating the Jaguar AVP panel with James Hampton at noon (E145-E146), and the Llamasoft panel with Jeff in the Portland Ballroom at 1pm!
This is all a little bit out of my comfort zone. Presenting my own work is fine but hosting the James Hampton panel is new. I spoke to James in anticipation of the event last week. He’s a really nice guy. I was shocked to find out we both share Keene, New Hampshire as somewhere we used to call home. Small world and all that, eh?
If you’re in the vicinity you should stop by and say hi. I could use you support! I’ve tried to make it my habit to embrace the unknown, but that doesn’t mean I’ve stopped feeling intimidated by it : )
For information about the rest of the event and acquiring tickets, please visit the event's official homepage:
https://www.retrogamingexpo.com/