Date   : Sat, 23 Oct 2010 17:00:03 +0100
From   : samwise@... (samwise)
Subject: R3PLAY / 6-7 November 2010 / Blackpool

Hey, everyone.

For anyone who hasn't already signed up for it, this is a posting
about the last big (and it will be big!) retro event (proceeds to
charity), organised by the new CGEU group - co-founded by our
community's very own Dave Moore.

R3PLAY involves the organisers of just about every major Retro Event
in the last 18 months (e.g. Retro Reunited, Acorn World, Byte Back,
RV2010, Retro Computer Games Festival etc) teaming up with numerous
other figures and communities from within the Arcade/Pinball and Video
Gaming world, to put on one BIG show.

There'll be areas for STH/*. and also Retro Software, plus there'll be
many more Acorn machines within the main gaming zones
[Atoms/Elks/Beebs/Masters/Arcs etc]. But it's not just about gaming -
for example, the National Museum of Computing @ Bletchley Park will
also be facilitating a display at the show.

R3PLAY is looking like it may well prove to be the biggest meetup of
STH forum members to-date - certainly it'll be the last chance this
year.  One other reason, if one is necessary, for making the effort to
get to R3PLAY is that Dave has suggested this may be his last attempt
at organising an Acorn get-together after an initially disappointing
response to this event.  Whether we can talk him out of that
retirement in 2011 remains to be seen - but a good showing at R3PLAY
will help that goal!

And remember, this one is MUCH more than just a Retro Show - there'll
be plenty of stuff on offer for modern gamers too, and if Arcade
Cabinets are your thing - then expect to see more of these things than
at all previous events combined!

Retro Software will also be launching our first white label release,
Repton: The Lost Realms - the frankly amazing sequel to Repton 3 which
has been hugely anticipated - not least by well-known games pundit
Iain Lee who will be on hand to give it a whirl, along with a few
other well-known faces.

Full text of the press release included below.  Discussion over at
STH, including an up to date list of attendees (let us know if you're
coming!) is here:
http://www.stardot.org.uk/forums/viewtopic.php?f=25&t=3122

Hope to see a lot of you there.  Get your tickets and the latest info
here: http://www.R3PLAY.info/

Cheers,

Peter.


Press release
============

R3PLAY (pronounced ?Replay?) is a brand new show celebrating four
decades of gaming history. Presented in association with Retro Gamer
and gamesTM magazines, this unique event will offer gamers of all ages
the chance to experience gaming systems from the 1970s to present day.
Hosted by TV personality and videogame fanatic Gail Porter, the R3PLAY
Expo will take place at The Norbreck Castle Exhibition Centre in
Blackpool on 6/7 November 2010 ? the final weekend of this year?s
famous Illuminations.

More than 300 systems will be available at R3PLAY comprising the
finest possible selection of consoles, coin-ops and computers from all
over the globe (with all machines set to free-play). Visitors will
have the opportunity to take part in prize gaming competitions, listen
to Q&A sessions with guest speakers, participate in workshops, view
galleries of video game artwork, win fantastic raffle prizes, tender
bids in a special auction and much, much more! Ticket holders will
also be able to purchase games, systems, accessories and memorabilia
via a number of specialist seller stands.

R3PLAY is dedicated to the celebration and preservation of the ?3 C?s?:

    * CONSOLES
      Ranging from the humble Atari 2600, through the SEGA vs Nintendo
console wars of the 1990s, to the all-conquering behemoths that are
the PS3, Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii. Video game consoles from all
corners of the world will be showcased at R3PLAY allowing visitors to
play on rare and obscure machines they may never see again!

    * COIN-OPS
      Arcade and Pinball Machines have captured the nation?s
imagination since the first mass-produced classics of the 70s and 80s.
R3PLAY not only looks at the retro classics, but thanks to the support
of leading arcade communities, there will be plenty on offer for the
new generation of arcade gamers, too.

    * COMPUTERS
      The UK was a world leader in 80s computing and R3PLAY will
celebrate the diverse history of Acorn, Amstrad and Sinclair, as well
as their international competitors such as Commodore and Atari.
Furthermore, fans of PC-based gaming will be able to enjoy both the
very latest releases, in addition to classics such as Commander Keen,
Descent and the original network version of Doom (Deathmatch anyone?).
The National Museum of Computing will also be on hand, raising
awareness of computing history in the UK.


Adult ticket prices are ?12 for single-day entry and ?20 for a weekend
ticket, with reductions for children and families. It is expected that
the full allocation of tickets will be sold in advance through the
dedicated website: http://www.R3PLAY.info

Organisers, the Computing & Gaming Events Union (CGEU) have already
staged a number of arcade/video gaming and computing events, raising
thousand of pounds for charitable causes in the process. At R3PLAY,
the CGEU will be raising funds for Macmillan Cancer Support and The
National Museum of Computing at Bletchley Park.

R3PLAY presents a fantastic social networking environment for gamers,
a perfect location for casual play as well as intense competition.

Further announcements regarding activities, sponsors/partners, lists
of systems and special guests will be made over the coming weeks.