The Midwest Gaming Classic takes over Milwaukee’s Baird Center downtown featuring everything from vintage home video game systems, to the latest in gaming technology. Throw in some pinball, cosplay, 70’s and 80’s nostalgia, and you’ve got an event that now attracts tens of thousands of visitors annually.
In addition to interactive displays and opportunities to play video games new and old, MWGC includes board games as well. Most of the items on display, including game consoles half a century old, are still free to play. “Sit down, play for 5 minutes, and walk away,” Tom Dunk told WTMJ’s Wisconsin’s Morning News. “That’s the beauty of a convention like this. You get a chance to see all this old tech.”
Dunk, host of a gaming podcast called “Guys, Games, and Beer” has been helping with the MWGC for more than 10 years. He recalls the show’s humble beginnings. “They literally would clear out a hotel room,” Dunk remembered. “They’d take the bed out, and you’d set your gear up in there, and now look at where we’re at.”
Where they’re at, Dunk estimates, is about 30,000 visitors for the largely 2-day event. A Friday preview night is sold out. Tickets for Saturday, 10-8PM and Sunday, 10-5PM are on sale.
