Fragapalooza 2008 – Day 3 – The Crazy Games Begin
The final full day of Fragapalooza brings with it some interesting times. Where Day 2 is a sedate event worthy of public consumption, Day 3 is where everyone is sleep deprived, heavy stimulated on energy products, and ready to do anything for some free computer hardware. Let’s take a look at some of the weird and wild contests that make up the tapestry of mental unbalance.
The first event to be announced was one that has been suggested several years over. Unfortunately the venue where Fragapalooza used to be was, amongst other things, unsuitable for such activity. However we were in a new venue this year, and it’s floor were ripe for use in some good ol’ fashioned office chair racing. Really, what’s the worst that could happen?
Well as the video shows, there was plenty of oppotuniry for things to go wrong. It was still incredibly fun; the LAN party equivalent of a rally race. No one was hurt, and someone walked away with some pretty sweet gear. Still, we weren’t able to go without causing some damage.
Fragapalooza 2008 – Day 2 – Pink Edition
We last left off with the closing of Day 1 of Fragapalooza 2008. Held in Edmonton, Alberta, this huge LAN party had just concluded the first day with the arrival of gamers from all over the city and country. Computers were setup, ceremonies were opened, enemies were killed (virtually), and overall much fun was had. Many gamers played into the wee hours on the morning (including me, which is why this post is late), and with the break of Day 2 it was time to stop gaming and step up to support a great cause.
Due to some of the scheduling conflicts caused by our venue change, the dates that Fragapalooza 2008 were to take place on coincided with The Alberta Cancer Foundation’s Weekend to End Breast Cancer. Gamers aren’t the virtually trained killers a lot of mainstream media make them out to be, and we enjoy participating in a good cause that benefits our fellow person. So it was a natural fit that Fragapalooza had to step up in some fashion, and support The Weekend to End Breast Cancer. This lead the staff to decide to first dye their hair pink the week before Fraga, and then have it shave off at the event.
They brought on the Est-elle Academy of Hair Design as sponsors, so the hair colouring and shaving was at least done by professionals. Everyone then assembled around the stage to witness what was easily going to be the biggest spectacle of that afternoon. Many of the staffers are rather…attached to their hair. Some have been growing it for years. Added to the fact that they are supporting a great charity will make this sacrifice all the more entertaining.
Fragapalooza 2008 – Day 1
Dawn broke on the city of Edmonton, and for a select few gamers it was truly a day to awake for. Yesterday was the first day of Fragapalooza. Though the forecast was calling for a high of 32C few were worried. Soon we would be inside, under air conditioning, and enjoying four straight days of gaming madness. I gave a quick sneak preview of this awesome LAN event, and now it’s time to show you exactly what goes on inside. I’m pleased to bring you Day 1 of Fragapalooza 2008.
Day 1 started and ended in much the same way. Since this is the first day, there isn’t much going on. People are just arriving, technological and social bugs are still being worked out, and things really don’t get started. Still I was glad to see the Futurelooks.com banner hadn’t fallen from its place. This banner has seen adventures in Vegas, Taipei, and varied and sundry areas of Vancouver, and now it’s followed me to Edmonton. I’ll of course be posting a full article on the event at Futurelooks.com, once it’s over and I’ve recovered.
As for setup, it proceeded fairly smoothly. Everyone filed in, and slowly but surely got setup. There were chairs to re-assemble, components to connect, and bags to check to make sure nothing was forgotten. By about noon, it was safe to say nearly half the participants had arrived, and were setup.
In addition to the computers, many had to setup their sleeping quarters. Fragapalooza events many years ago had an area where participants could setup a tent should they want to. This year that tradition returned, and Tent City was reborn. Some us still prefer to sleep on a quick-setup mattress on the floor in front of our computers, but if you wanted a tent you more then welcome to set one up.
With many people setup and settled in, it was time to start the opening ceremonies. It was also time to give away some free stuff. Every year the Fragapalooza staff and sponsors give away some special prizes to those that registered early. This year, those that were the first 200 to register were eligible to win a GeForce 8800 GTS based video card, and those in the first 400 could win a Intel Core 2 Quad Extreme processor. Intel also had some very comfortable (and highly coveted) small pillows to throw into the crowd. Speeches were made – including one by me – and the event was now officially under way.
Another Year, Another Massive LAN Event!
Every year in the city of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, a fun little event happens. It attracts men (and some women) young and old to a city that will only see summer for another couple months. But these people aren’t concerned about the weather, because they’ll be spending most of their time inside. The reason for that is that this fun little event also happens to be the largest LAN party in Canada. With almost 1,000 participants and a history spanning back more then a decade, Fragapalooza has become a staple of the Edmonton gaming scene and has made quite a name for itself across Canada and some parts of the US.
Taking place this year at the Northlands Sportex from August 7 to 10, this huge LAN will be host to over 65,000 square feet of BYOC goodness. There will also be competitive tournaments, fun contests, and the self-imposed challenge of staying up as much as possible during the entire four days so you don’t miss a single thing.
I know I’m rather excited to be attending as this is my 6th year, and it never gets boring. I did write a huge article outlining the day to day goings-on for The Tech Zone in 2006. This year is going to be different, as I’ll be shooting for daily updates on this blog and one final review over at Futurelooks. I also get to take on the role of tech philanthropist, as I will be giving away many Futurelooks sponsored prizes at random an in some fun contests. Overall, this is going to be my best year at Fraga yet.
As for the gear I’ll be using at this year’s Fragapalooza, I though I give a quick preview here. This isn’t just a hardware showcase though, as this should serve as a decent guide to what to take to any LAN.
It’s Just Across From The Santa Maria
This past Saturday, I headed out to the well known West Edmonton Mall to check out one of the latest stores to open. For those that don’t know, West Edmonton Mall was for the longest time the biggest shopping mall in the world. Thanks to the construction boom in China it’s now relegated to the largest mall in North America, and the fourth largest in the world. That still doesn’t stop it from attracting a large number of tourists every year, as well as a number of unique retailers not seen anywhere else in Edmonton. My destination today is just a retailer.
That’s right, the biggest mall in North America now has an outlet for one of the most hyped brands online. Joining the ranks of Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal, we now have our own Apple Store. Apple’s products are decent, but thanks to the barbarian hordes know as the Apple fanboy you’d think Apple was the second coming of Jesus. Yes they are surprisingly absent from the above pic. That’s because I went to weekend after opening weekend. I don’t dig mass hysteria over a single company, don’t like getting up before 10:00 AM on a Saturday unless there’s a damn good reason, and I had another miracle to witness that morning. Even with all that, I was still drawn to the place. I had to check out the gadgets within, which I’ll further showcase after the jump.
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