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So, Ed Fleming is pretty much a douchebag
Surly Yerby
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
I apologize if there is already a thread about this, but a quick look and I didnt see one.
Has everyone read the bit about Ed Fleming of VGXPO showing up at PAX in a drunken stupor?
Anyway, a few people noticed that VGXPO has a MySpace page, and several people jumped into their group forum and pretty much asked if the organization had any explanation for his actions. A couple dozen people replied, all of it was pretty much "what the heck was up with that?" A few people had even said they were now on the fence about attending, and all it would take to reel them back in was some sort of apology or explanation.
The topic then suddenly disappears.
Someone involved in the original thread makes a new one, "pure awesome" that simply is pointing out all they did was delete the thread and not explain anything, and how thats not really very good PR. I tried to reply to it, but I seem to have been banned from posting in their board now. What a great way to handle criticism.
Has everyone read the bit about Ed Fleming of VGXPO showing up at PAX in a drunken stupor?
Anyway, a few people noticed that VGXPO has a MySpace page, and several people jumped into their group forum and pretty much asked if the organization had any explanation for his actions. A couple dozen people replied, all of it was pretty much "what the heck was up with that?" A few people had even said they were now on the fence about attending, and all it would take to reel them back in was some sort of apology or explanation.
The topic then suddenly disappears.
Someone involved in the original thread makes a new one, "pure awesome" that simply is pointing out all they did was delete the thread and not explain anything, and how thats not really very good PR. I tried to reply to it, but I seem to have been banned from posting in their board now. What a great way to handle criticism.
Second Place is just First Loser
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I guess there's still Blipfest in NY, although that's more of an art/video game/music type thing, featuring artists using hacked consoles to make music.
Also, the 100+ arcade machines set on free play is a huge draw. If only PAX could have had something like that...
Between those two things and the fact that this place is within 2 hours from where I live makes me have to go.
Compelling point. I was forgetting about his harassment of exhibitors, and mostly focusing on him being an idiot drunk.
Not that I'm defending him, mind you. I'm just saying. I had no idea what he'd done until Gabe said something whereas the Teletubbies were outside, bothering EVERYONE.
Fleming pulled the same thing at the Classic Gaming Expo (www.cgexpo.com) last month - promoting his show to all of our vendors (not the 'get drunk/hit on organizers' routine).
A repeat douche bag, eh? Not surprised.
If you look at the main website for the game convention, it does not look like it will be fun anyway.
Hey now, there's ICON each year in late march at Stony Brook University on Long Island. I've gone there 3 years now and they have yet to disappoint me. Kevin Sorbo and George Takei as guests of honor? Hell yeah.
I went to the expo last year when it was in Valley Forge (literally 2 miles from my house). It was extremely disappointing and a pretty big rip off. Lots of old machines on free play sounds cool until you realize you had to pay $30 to get in and the old machines and a couple vendors selling old NES games and comic books is pretty much all they have. I barely even stayed more than a couple hours.
If you guys are looking to support something on the east coast where the people running it are not assholes try out MAGfest. It is rather small, but I think they are in the same spirit as PAX.
I'm hoping Minibosses return to MAGfest and also the Oneups. If they do I'm definitely going.
That sounds awesome, actually. I'm assuming this is the right place? http://www.iconsf.org/
I'll definitely look into it, although I take they are more into SF than video gaming? Or is it kind of 50/50?
SpecTrE3353:
Damn. That sounds pretty bad.
Phanman:
MAGFest looks epic. I think I will definitely have to check that out.
That's it. And it is 50/50 with everything. One thing I suggest is going to the theaters late night and watching the movies/TV shows they're showing (Red Dwarf gets a dedicated theater).
FLEM: Hi, I'm Ed Fleming. I run VGXPO, a mid-sized con in Pennsylvania, and I wanted to come here to PAX to pick up some pointers about improving what we do.
STAFF: Oh, sure thing. Show yourself around, ask if you need anything.
FLEM: Hey thanks. This is a great community, amazing thing you have going here.
and poof! no ill-will, no bad press. Hell, imagine the difference in attendance at his con if instead of a story about what a jerk he is, Gabe had posted a note telling everyone on the East Coast about the opportunity to meet this nice guy Ed Fleming at his gaming con.
Sheesh, why did the guy have to act so dishonestly?
I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that he's a big old dramaqueen who wanted to "infiltrate" the "enemy." He was probably humming the Mission Impossible theme while staggaring down the escalator.
Yeah, I can guarantee if things had gone down like this, not only would I be attending, but I probably would have contacted him to see if he needed any extra hands to help out. As it is now, anybody who brings up VGXpo to me is gonna get told the story of Ed Fleming the douchebag, then get told to save up and go to PAX next year.
Discuss.
And finally, he claims he's written a lot of articles. Well then why can't I find any on the internet? Or any mention? I ran out of references to his expos, kept on searching, didn't find a single mention of any articles from him. Just to compare, I then did the exact same search for a known videogame journalist, and found dozens of articles from him, and references to articles published in print magazines. Either Ed Fleming hasn't written any articles for years, or he never did (or he counts advertisements for cons as articles).
It's amazing how alcohol can make actions seem a lot more rational than they are.
It sounded like the guy was so wasted the night in question that I'm surprised he can remember it at all.
Y'know, for someone who has written articles for "15 years", his spelling sucks worse than mine does at 7am in the morning, after getting off of a 10 hour shift at work. Tiered, anyone?
I didn't really say anything negative at all about the VGXPO, so his defense is somewhat suspicious....O_o
Oh the internet! What a joy
According to one of the moderators over there, the IP address of this first time poster and Ed Fleming match.
Hey, I'm Chuck Whitby. I run a small game convention in PA called Too Many Games (formerly East Coast Gaming Expo). We're nothing on the scale of PAX (our biggest show was 10,000sqft and the average show is 5,000sqft), but we hope to grow to something that the whole gaming community will enjoy. I'm not a businessman, I'm not a salesman, I'm not a viral marketeer, I'm not anything but a gamer who runs a gaming convention.
We're really looking to get as many gaming communities involved in the show as we can, either as vendors/exhibitors or as attendees. I hope some Penny Arcade community members will come out and have a good time with us at our spring 2008 show. If you'd like to be a part of the show in any aspect, drop me a line either here or shoot me an e-mail.
I've met Ed Fleming on numerous occasions, and while he's always been a seemingly nice guy to me, I don't have a hard time believing what occurred at PAX. He doesn't seem to be denying what happened, just spinning it, so I really think what's been recalled on PA is what really happened.
If this comes off as spam or whatever, please know that's not what its intention is. Ask anyone who's been to one of my shows, I'm just a good guy looking to let everyone else have a great time. 8*)
Well you know teenagers always trying to look older than they really are. :P 8-)
WHOA. WHOA. WHOA. WHOA.
WHOA.
Some guy got drunk and hit on a woman? Stop the fucking presses, Jenkins! This is gold! Gold!