Got your New Year's plans squared away? Well nuts to that! Go to MAGFest instead!

From January 3-6, the Music And Gaming Festival will once again be tearing down the walls of the Gaylord National Hotel in National Harbor, Maryland. Those who have attended past events can't stop singing its praises, and I doubt its 11th iteration will be any different. Four-day passes start at $40 per person, $30 per person if you are rolling in a crew of eight or more, and hotel rates start at $135 a night.

Last year, extraordinary performances by Nobuo Uematsu's band Earthbound Papas, live speedrunners / rock collective Bit Brigade, and others left attendees all wet in the pants. On the schedule so far this year, Bit Brigade will return as will my boy Random a.k.a. Mega Ran. Special guests include Arin "Egoraptor" Hanson, the voice of Duke Nukem Jon St. John, and most likely the HAWP crew plus Ashley Davis, though they have yet to be formally announced.

But the headlining guest is none other than Kinuyo Yamashita, famed Japanese composer responsible for the soundtracks of the original Castlevania, Mega Man X3, and a very dear game to my heart called Power Blazer. In fact, I think I'll have her sign my boxed copy!

Legacy Comments (will be imported soon)

NotoriousBIG420

hehehe...Gaylord.

N7

Dudes & dudettes totally worth going... had a blast last year! Me at about 4:30am hammered with Jon St. John:



Already bought the Swag Pass :D Pax was cool but MagFest is betta

N7

We should be clear... MagFest is a 24/7 arcade where you get drunk as fuck and play video games with fellow nerds.

WHY AREN'T ALL OF YOU GOING?!?!?

Tino

ALREADY BOUGHT A PASS. HNNNNNGGG

Darren Nakamura

I'm thinking of doing this instead of PAX East next year. East was great, but I'd prefer something lower-key, I think.

amtalx

I missed the last one due to a pretty violent cold. That won't happen again...even if I have to give all of you my herpes.

ludex

"Kinuyo Yamashita, famed Japanese composer responsible for the soundtracks of the original Castlevania, Mega Man X3"

Composer of MMX3 a.k.a. best OST ever? That is enough for me

MeanderBot

I'm going to register out of sheer optimism, and hope I'll be able to scrap together enough funds and get over my southwest fear of the northeast cold. After a few years of hearing other people endlessly phrase it, I really hope I can make it!

Andrew Benton

So, you know all know, there are community members setting up a large Dtoid group registration for the show.

Sign up for the Google Group for more info.

Andrew Benton

So, you know all know, there are community members setting up a large Dtoid group registration for the show.

Sign up for the Google Group for more info.

Wedge

Needs a MAGfest west, PAX is lame.

Sparkkirby3

Wish they had either a PAX or MAGfest for Midwest (even better if in Chicago), because going to either is unfortunately too expensive for me ;-;