SYRACUSE, NY (Oct. 17, 2023) — Hundreds of people from central New York and beyond came to Syracuse for the tenth annual RetroGameCon, a convention celebrating the robust history of video gaming. The Oncenter was jam-packed with vendors and artists selling video game merchandise, esports players aiming to compete in Rocket League tournaments, and dozens of dozens of consoles from every decade since the inception of games.
Above and beyond the typical con fare of vendors and displays, RetroGameCon provided its guests with live entertainment from every aspect of the gaming world. Bands including Lame Genie, Thrillkiller, and Megatronix performed synth and heavy metal covers of iconic video game theme songs. Live stage events hosted costume competitions, trivia games, and a charity auction. Panelists at the convention included Nolan North, Doug Cockle, and Nadji Jeter–some of the most famous actors in the gaming world, playing characters from Uncharted, The Witcher, and The Last of Us respectively.
More than the name suggests, the RetroGameCon focuses on all things old and new in gaming. The convention provided attendees the opportunity to play games on everything from fifty-year-old consoles to the latest and greatest PS5. One section of the center was dedicated solely to arcade machines; another hosted an esports tournament with teams from high schools around the city. Rather than just featuring games from decades ago, the con is holistic–showcasing how the gaming community started, and what it’s become now.
RetroGameCon looks to the future, too. One corner of the con center boasted an “indie dev showcase,” an area for up-and-coming independent game developers to set up booths and show off their projects. One booth in the con’s marketplace was selling not merch, but software–an easy-to-use game-building software that mimics the Nintendo Entertainment System, for beginner developers to make their first video games. When I asked one esports competitor if he was “any good,” he very gravely responded, “Yes.” He’s only fifteen, but his confidence speaks to a future in the ever-growing esports industry.
If there’s anything to take away from the RetroGameCon–besides handmade figurines, new video games to play, and a Legend of Zelda plush–it’s that video games have been around for a long, long time, and they’re not going anywhere.
