For load out... Is there a way to utilize the freight elevator for the single game load outs? Maybe they could detour Wells St for those loadings and keep the ramp for trailers and multiple game load outs. With so many vehicles, they logistics seems to be a nightmare.

That Silverball Mania looked great , thank you for bringing it.

Who brought the Doctor Who pinball with different sound music.? Was that a pinsound board by chance?

This is a great way to go - but might turn into even more of a problem if too many people do it. There's a looong parking lane down there where people could pull up and load a game and scram - but you almost need your own dolly and someone else to get the car and meet you there to make it work well. You also have to get out before the Guys, Games and Beer from the 2nd floor get started unloading. They go that route and don't elevator efficiently at all, so they really clog up the works.

It seems like most seasoned guys would be setup to do that. Maybe a MGC staff member could oversee the area, owner brings game down, gets car, hands tag to staff member before it leaves the premise.

If any of the guys who helped out with unloading games happens to be reading this, thank you so much for helping move the machines - and thank you for having the patience for that idiot in the silver Buick SUVwho had the entire cargo space loaded with luggage and vendor purchases and had to essentially empty out the entire car in order to get his pinball machine loaded up.

(That was me, guys. Thanks for being awesome.)

I didn't say it didn't work. Im saying make it 2 seperate events centered around each categories specialty. Hold it outside of the city, as it was more convenient all around that way, and charge a lot less for both. Perhaps offer a drink credit for a soda or something, for the illusion at least of a deal. There's no way you can play enough pinball in 1 day to get any idea if it's a good game, especially being rushed by everyone waiting behind you, etc. I feel im just paying more for activities im not possibly going to partake. Im not saying some don't like both, but if I'm serious about pinball and buying these machines, I'm focused on making a good decision on a purchase.

You can always bring a game and get full access to play everything all night long. The after party is a great place to evaluate games. Many of these guys just hangout thus opening up more opportunity for you to play anything and everything as much as you want

That's all an excuse. I think many people were deterred by the fact that they held it in downtown mke, a place many would rather avoid.
Also, there was plenty of room for as many pinball games as they could fit. They other gaming crap vastly overtook prime real estate.
Also, smart people knew that downtown mke would be a disaster to transport games to and fro. And, it was.

From someone that brought multiple games and has done so every year for the past 7? now... It really was pretty easy to be part of this show and have lots of fun along with it. You are becoming a broken record at this point. While there are always things to improve (and MGC does every single year), how about sharing something you actually liked about the show.

If you did not like anything, then I guess that this is just not the show for you and luckily there are lots of shows to pick from.

Of the 20k people in attendance over the weekend, I saw lots of smiling faces.

You should start a show, Sounds like you have it all figured out

I feel the opposite. I've upped my contributions since the move to downtown. I will admit... I avoid downtown the rest of the year tho but have a great time this weekend. I do venture out of the Center while down there too. Pretty easy to walk around and check things out downtown... Especially for someone like me who avoids downtown as much as he can.

On a brighter note, just wanted to say a huge thanks to all the game hall workers (Tully, Aaron, Mike, Tom, Keith, Chris, and all the others that I am forgetting to name).

You guys bust your ass every year and this show runs so smooth on the front end due to all you do behind the scenes to make it all happen!

A sincere thanks and it is impressive how much you do and deal with in the back.

You spent $1000? Do you realize that's a spring break vacation for some families? If this was all my passion, and nothing else, fine this would be my vacation. Being smart with money tells me $1000 family weekend isn't for the average family, and I'm not talking low income either. Having a vacation coming end of April, 2 weeks in Hawaii, i assure you $1000 for a pinball weekend isn't even close to a deal.

$1000 for spring break??? Are you going to the swamp?

Swamp-People-Season-Seven-4 (resized).jpg

I would rather it be held in an area outside of the city.
Have a pinball only centered event where there's a ton of new games, a ton of old games. Possibly a vendor used for sale area.
Let people set up used parts for sale tables.
Have multiple vendors offering troubleshooting and repair services so we don't spend half the money shipping out parts.

I would feel i gained a lot more at the event and no doubt stay the weekend. 1 day shopping for parts and getting boards repaired, and the rest of the time playing pinball.

Possibly just start a completely new event 6 months later.
At this event i just don't think it offers everything many of us would rather partake pinball wise

Is this event successful, a circus at times and popular? Definitely, but so was britney spears and her music but was it good? No way. Mgc was decent, but im more interested in a pure pinball focused event, for which it deserves.

It is our spring vacation. Last year we took two long weekend vacations. Expo and mgc. Nowhere else, and Thats our choice because we as a foursome love pinball and arcades. Not for everybody i understand and thats ok. We like this. Ive been to europe, ive been to hawaii, and now i want to play pinball. We didnt have to stay overnight, we didnt have to eat out every night at decent restaurants, but this is our thing. We coulda done it all prob for $300 or so if we went on a budget and i dont think thats bad at all. In my opinion mgc is a great attraction and a great value. Not many places someone like steve ritchie hangs out and plays games with the regular folk. Not everybody's cup of tea, but it is ours. If u disagree, thats cool too.

Ok man, I'll be looking forward to the leonml pinball show next year in podunk WI. I'll be sure that I'll bring my own white bread, PBJ, and Shasta.

For the REST of us...thank you to all the game-bringers and goatdan for working tirelessly for months to organize and put on a fantastic show! It was awesome to see people in the industry take part and mingle with the crowd. It's getting bigger and bigger each year and something to be proud of.

Think. I didn't mean for college kids, or going to Disney. Plenty of families camp and do other travelers. Don't be so arrogant or entitled.

Pretty sure Dan has pursued dozens of options over the years, and this venue made the most sense (I think I remember it was possibly going to be the baseball stadium nearby at one point). The existing venue at the hotel sucked, there's no other way to describe it. It was massively packed, often times where you can't even walk by (ESPECIALLY IN THE PINBALL ROOM). I was apprehensive the first year too being downtown (I'm a suburbanite at heart), but I don't really see why that's a big deal? You drive right by the front, hang a right, park in the parking garage half a block away for a measley $5 (try parking downtown chicago sometime at say the house of blues, it's like $35).

Does the $45 entry fee kinda suck? Yea, but I get why it has to be that. It's a HUGE venue hall, tons of gaming related celebrities coming in, and honestly if that's the price I have to pay to play the newest games shortly after the announcement than so be it.

Steve Richie.. LoL

My wife and I walked thru the Marco area, she says to me "was that Steve Richie dressed in black with the earpiece". I said, "Yep", she tells me that he hit her boob. His arm went up as she walked by and smack... She said he looked at her in embarrassment and apologized. LoL.

Loved the show.

If that had been me, I would have thanked your wife.

Sounds like you are talking about Expo. Why don't you go this year and see how it is. I guarantee you will be disappointed compared to MGC. Sure I wrote a novella about things to fix, but overall, they were not public facing and they were minor. Growing pains/new location stuff. Stuff that just would make things smoother, especially for new game bringers.

Yes my podunk multiple lake and multiple gold course community. The world renowned Sands golf resort actually must like podunk. All us poor podunk trailer trash golfers and boaters, etc.

No one's suggesting the country you jackass. Just not downtown Milwaukee. Yeah, the place everyone is clamoring about. Vacation capital. Use that rock that resides on your shoulders for something other then a hat rack.

Do you have a 75 inch TV and a bulldog too?

Deleted... No sense arguing.

Deleted. No sense arguing.

I told her she should have said "Steve Richie can grab my boob anytime"

It used to be half outside mke, and had more pinball stuff going on. The biggest difference is the circus show style and tons of vendors new games. All i want is more pinball, more convenient at a better price for the event and food, etc. If you're not downtown you don't need to cover the high cost of rent and vendors don't either, food or otherwise. Im not here to change minds. So the fact that some are getting butthurt resorting to petty degrading name calling level antics surely shows the caliber of people that can't accept a differing opinion or understand what many others may wish was offered. I guess if you put up a circus tent, clowns will appear anywhere.

Who's doing the name calling?

And the food there is REALLLLYYY expensive...let me warn you. Plus the parking? Oh man...Oh it hurts.

Im guessing there's some white trash angle you're looking to fulfill in your mind with this line of questioning? What's next? How big my dick is? What does this matter. Why so butthurt someone differs from your opinion and it's a threat? Signs of insecurity.
Is funny how forums become high school cliques mixed with the vigor of present day narrow minded political disputes that boils down to one side name calling as it's only solution to civil discussion and human interaction, as carefree as a zoo monkey flinging poop.

Hey man - I'm just trying to put point out the fact that you have all these great ideas, but you come here to crap on all the hard work and time that the event organizers, vendors, game-bringers, etc have put in to make this show possible. And you come in here expecting people to sympathize and join in on your pity party, but it's not going to happen. Yes, there are things that can be improved, but coming here and bitching about doesn't help anyone. Complaining that it's not a pinball exclusive show, something that it never claimed to be, isn't winning you over. That fact that the TWO biggest pinball manufacturers have chosen MGC to reveal their brand new game and allow them to be played by the general public for the first time, is an amazing aspect that you're going to overlook because a sandwich cost $9, esp coming from Mr. Golf Course and Lake Side Property man.

if you're so well-to-do, then a few bucks for a sandwich, or whatever it is, should be a drop in the bucket. Let it go. If it tickled you so terribly, don't go again next year. you'd be doing us all a favor.

It has been discussed in detail why this location was chosen and why they had to move from the old location . They did search for locations outside of the city . This one in the city was by far their best option (meaning it had everything they needed and were willing to work with them )

I love that it's right downtown.. I hate when events are in the suburbs. (Chicago Expo should be IN Chicago).. if I want to leave the event, I can walk to other spots in town or take a short uber to cool bars, and restaurants. Most suburbs are just filled with crappy chains.

Yes, those bold enough to fall out of line and actually offer a dissenting view and the negatives in anything are the only ones who will bring on anything in society in the form of constructive change. There's plenty of people like you to get in line and offer nothing but a firm set of lips to plant next to the 500 on either cheek. Hey no one wants to upset the applecart after all, right? Otherwise people like you will be there to beat you back in line.
What you and everyone else like you offers, is nothing.
Funny, i never met anyone or anything that couldn't be better.

Mgc must be your pinball wet dream. Unfortunately i expect more for pinball.

It's not a pinball convention... It's a Venn diagram of pinball, gaming, and nerds. Sorry it's downtown, but it's a way better location than the Sheridan. IMO

Who's doing the name calling?

Come on, i said name calling level antics. Using passive aggressive bs concerning one's podunk white trash expectations, or living standards or locations. Stop paying stupid. It's childish and is an attempt at shaming to keep people in line.

I was just thinking about my first MGC. 2008 Olympia. Man Dan and Gary has done an awesome job leveraging a jaguar show into an awesome all encompassing game show. My first one had maybe 40 pins total. And now look at the numbers and national recognition. I understand without all encompassing gaming the show would have never gotten popular enough to be a half pinball show with national prowess. Thanks for the work to get Wisconsin on the pinball map and a local show with soo much. Ps the food is soo much better than that overpriced sheritan hallway stuff.

You're not demanding better. You're demanding different. The show will not be what you clearly want. They're not going to make it pinball-only most of all, so why not just attend a different show that aligns more closely to your ideal? There are shows for pretty much every taste now. Pick a different one.

Come on, i said name calling level antics. Using passive aggressive bs concerning one's podunk white trash expectations, or living standards or locations. Stop paying stupid. It's childish and is an attempt at shaming to keep people in line.

You’re probably not fun^^^^^

Rather than just provide feedback, volunteer at the show to help make improvements. We can always use extra hands on deck to help make the show run better.

Can we not bask in the afterglow of the orgy we just had?

And you know this how? Inside credentials please?
Otherwise you know nothing.
I don't care if mgc changes to what i want solely. Maybe they schedule another event closer to what i suggest. Fact is , you have your opinions and i have mine, and there's plenty to agree with both.
Somehow this is threatening to some of you. Too bad

I agree this show just gets better every year. The location is great. There are tons of bars/restaurants within walking distance, though it did appear to me that there were more homeless/transients than I remembered seeing last year.

The load out did take a while. I think I was in line for an hour or so, from about 5:50 to 6:50. Hopefully that aspect gets ironed out.

Great game selection, lots to do and see, and the MGC staff as always was awesome. I like seeing all the familiar faces each year and meeting new ones.

See you all next year.

Only way i see it run better from a purely pinball oriented point of view is to make a purely pinball event. Volunteering will give me less time in my busy life to check out actual pinball.

For all those who say, well, start your own pinball event in podunk blah blah blah.
So when you buy cars and they aren't what you expect, do you start your own auto manufacturing business? No!! So, stop being moronic.

Wait, isn't this Expo? Outside Milwaukee, pinball only, new games/old games, used parts for sale, multiple vendors - albeit i think only one for repairs, 6-months later.

I like the other stuff too... Not into much of it but it is fun to see. My little guy likes Pokemon so we spent some time checking out vendors for that. He loves pinball so this was the perfect show. I don't like going downtown any other day of the year but I spend the entire weekend downtown for this.

He's another clown. Making assumptions to passively aggressively belittle someone. Good one!!
Remember
ASSumtion and ASSume begin with what? And the one who does this is usually the what? Exactly