My favorite event of the year happened in Phoenix, Arizona this past weekend and, boy, was it an experience. Game On Expo has been an event in the past that brought some very impressive voice actors, showed off some really fantastic retro gaming, and also had the most intense Street Fighter tournaments I’ve seen in person.
While the event usually takes place in August, Game On Expo 2024 saw quite a few changes, including a date change to March. This meant a few things for Game On Expo. It meant that it was one of the first Arizona conventions to happen in 2024, it meant that the team only had seven months to prepare for this year, and it also meant that they could move to the North building, which has a significantly larger footprint. It also meant that it was happening during the “not as hot” month of March instead of the “this absolutely sucks hot” month of August.
All of these combined factored into how this weekend went, and here’s how I felt about it.
The Bad
I’m going to start off by being a bit of a Negative Nancy here (sorry Nancys of the world, I don’t think you’re negative!). On Friday, the event opened at 1 pm, and due to some horrific traffic that we don’t discuss, we didn’t get in until around 2:15 pm. When we arrived, the parking garage was full and the line for the convention center spanned as far as the eye could see. No big deal, this happens at conventions and it’s something we’re used to! Plus, the parking isn’t the convention’s fault, three other events were happening in the area that weekend so of course it’s full! We decided to grab a bathroom and beer break before getting in line because we assumed it would be about a 30-minute wait. OH BOY were we wrong…
@threeifbyspace For those attending Game On Expo in Phoenix, AZ just a heads up!!! The line is very very very long. #GameOnExpo #GameOn #Phoenix #PhoenixConventionCenter #Arizona
We waited an hour and 48 minutes in the rain to get inside. This was because they only had four security scanners set up, a drastically smaller number than last year.
The guy behind us paid an extra $100 for VIP. He didn’t have any direction on where to go for dedicated entry so he missed the extra hour he was supposed to get inside the exhibit hall. Plus, on Friday they didn’t even have an option for VIP, ADA, and specialty badges to have a different entrance. Thankfully, Game On Expo took quick action and by Saturday they had doubled the amount of security. They also added an area for ADA, VIP, and additional specialty badges to enter through. It still didn’t help the fact that hundreds of people were miserably standing out in the cold waiting to get inside on Friday, but it was something.
The Ugly
We missed the one major panel that we wanted to see, which was the Metal Gear Reunion panel. However, considering the other two panels we attended maybe it wasn’t that big of an issue. I’ve been to a lot of conventions over the years, including this convention twice, and the people waiting in line to ask questions to the panelists ALWAYS kneel while they’re waiting. This is seen at every other panel I’ve been to. That did not happen this time. People who had, once again, waited in line for an hour or more had their view of the panelists blocked because no one was directing the questioners to kneel.
@threeifbyspace The line for the Baldur’s Gate panel 30 minutes before it begins. #GameOnExpo #GameOn #Phoenix #PhoenixConventionCenter #BaldursGate #baldursgate3
For some reason, the panel rooms weren’t being monitored by staff (or if they were you couldn’t tell) so people were acting like they were hanging out in a common area during the entire thing. The Grand Theft Auto 5 Reunion panel was an absolute mess once it came time for Q&As. Everyone in the back half of the room was talking at full volume. I don’t really know what happened, but it was extremely disappointing to not be able to hear or see the panelists after waiting in line for a good chunk of time!
Another weird thing they did this year was empty the panel rooms in between. I can’t think of any other convention that does that, (including this one in the past!), and honestly, it sucks when there are three panels in a row you want to watch because people who were in the Resident Evil panel and also wanted to see the Baldur’s Gate 3 panel didn’t have a chance.
Tiny Nitpicks
Another small nitpick I have about the convention was that there wasn’t a delineation between the Artist’s Alley and the Vendor. Usually, there is a little sign above the Artist’s Alley area telling people that’s where they were, but this year it was all jumbled into one and it led to a mild feeling of not being able to see everything I wanted to.
It also felt like there was a lot of unused space, which again I understand was because of the change of location, but it felt awkwardly cramped in some areas and awkwardly open in others. The entire Guest signing area was a complete and utter sheet show the whole time (Neil Newbon had a 5+ hour line, wtf?) so they really could have given that area more space I think.
The Good of Game On Expo
Ok Ok, I’ll stop harping and highlight some of the good things that happened!
The REALLY good thing Game On Expo did this year was own up to their mistakes. They made sure to update people as soon as they realized there was a problem with the lines and they made sure to rectify the situation to the best of their abilities. With only 7 months to plan and for it being in a different space, they did a good job. I can see next year being much different and they’ll likely be taking the criticism, constructive and otherwise, to heart to make necessary changes.
Guest list? A+. From the GTAV crew to the BG3 crew, Metal Gear (would have been nice to see the panel) to Sonic and pretty much anything in between, the guest list was stellar this year. It has been fantastic in the past, but this year every announcement they made left me going “NO WAY!” so that was really fun to see. The variety of guests was also really fun!
In the Ring at Game On Expo
They also had wrestling during the convention! Have you ever wanted to watch “Sailor Moon” take on “Rosie the Riveter” in the ring? The answer is yes. It was wild, it was fun, it was one of the best parts!
Another thing they have every year is concerts happening in the exhibit hall, which unfortunately I missed this year but have enjoyed in the past!
They also have gaming space galore.
@threeifbyspace So many arcade cabinets and other games to play all weekend long! #GameOnExpo #GameOn #Phoenix #PhoenixConventionCenter #Arizona
So many arcade cabinets and areas to hang out and play. There was so much going on that we definitely missed a lot!
Game On Expo Final Thoughts
Overall, I still really love Game On Expo. I believe once they get their groove of being in this new location, things will spark the way they did last year (and last year I was in LOVE with the convention). The March date is much better than August (it spaces out my “must-do” conventions to every 3 ish months instead of having nothing until May), I like the fact they have more space, and I enjoy the caliber of guests they’ve been getting. Hopefully, they make some changes next year, but that’s for time to tell.
For anyone who enjoys gaming in Arizona, I highly recommend Game On Expo and will absolutely be attending again in 2025!
Plus, I got an interview with a vampire. That was pretty damn cool to set that up. More on that later.
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