SIMCON, the University of Rochester Simulation Gaming Association's (URSGA) annual games conference, will be held March 22-25 on the River Campus of the University of Rochester. Gaming enthusiasts not only from the Rochester area but also from across the Northeast and as far away as California are expected to attend.
This year's convention, SIMCON XXIII, will feature officially sanctioned tournaments and other events centered on games of all kinds, including team and individual role-playing, live-action role-playing, board games, miniatures battles, and collectible card games. There will be a Merchant's Bazaar of goods for sale, an anime room for screenings of the Japanese animation, and all-night sessions on Friday and Saturday nights where events and games continue around the clock.
Large-scaled networked computer gaming comes to SIMCON for the first time, with a 60-seat bring-your-own computer LAN party starting on Friday evening and running through Sunday afternoon. Tournaments include such popular multiplayer games as Unreal Tournament, Quake III, and Diablo II.
Also featured will be the second annual SIMCON 50-50 Charity Auction, scheduled for Saturday, March 24. Fifty percent of the auction proceeds will be donated to the Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, and the remainder supports URSGA's activities including next year's convention.
Special guests at the convention will include Kevin and Maryann Siembieda of Palladium Books, publishers of Rifts and other popular role-playing games; Origins award-winning game designer Ken Hite, whose work has appeared in game lines including Call of Cthulhu, GURPS, and In Nomine; Ellen P. Kiley, a full-time freelance writer and editor from Pittsburgh and co-author of several titles for White Wolf Game Studio; and Geoffrey C. Grabowski, a freelance writer and designer and now line developer for White Wolf's forthcoming role-playing game, Exalted, which will be demonstrated at the convention.
Admission to the convention is $12; admission for college students with a valid ID is $10. Admission includes a number of game events, all of the game demonstrations, the anime room, and the panel discussions with convention guests. Some tournaments and events require an additional fee. SIMCON XXIII runs from 6 p.m. to midnight on Thursday, March 22, and then remains open around the clock from 4 p.m. Friday, March 23, until 8 p.m. Sunday, March 25. For more information, contact URSGA at (716) 275-6186 or check out the SIMCON website at http://www.simcon.org.
Note to Editors: Complete press kits may be requested from and specific questions directed to the convention's Director of Publicity at publicity@simcon.org.