Forty years ago this coming Labor Day Weekend, L.A.con co-chair Bruce Pelz made a few dollars on the side putting one of those newfangled electronic game machines in the con suite and allowing the readily hypnotized nerds to feed quarters into its yellow metal-flake console for the privilege of playing Pong for a couple of minutes.

Chicon 7, the 2012 Worldcon, plans to hold its own celebration of electronic games. Star Wars Arcade will provide historic arcade games like Space Invaders, Missle Command and Robotron, while infinitely more modern BattleTech Cockpit Simulator Pods will be available for play on convention concourse.

Historic games will be provided through Star Worlds Arcade (www.starworldsarcade.com) of DeKalb, Illinois. Star Worlds is widely recognized as one of the last arcades with coin-operated games in the US, and takes particular pride in maintaining and refurbishing historic arcade games from the 1980s. Star Worlds will be bringing no fewer than 15 of these machines to the Chicon 7 concourse for exclusive use by Chicon 7 members throughout the convention. Games on offer are expected to include such classics as Space Invaders, Missile Command and Robotron.

Showing the huge developments in arcade games of the last 30 years, the concourse will also host six BattleTech Cockpit Simulator Pods. These cockpits, created by Virtual World Entertainment, are fully enclosed military style simulators that feature seven displays (one primary and six secondary) and a full set of 90 controls (footpedals, throttle, joystick and numerous buttons). When seated in the pod, the player pilots one of a selection of BattleMechs onto one of 25 landscapes to compete for battlefield superiority with those seated in surrounding cockpits. The BattleTech pods were invented in Chicago, so Chicon 7 is doubly pleased to offer its members the chance to try them out.

I can’t say that what Chicon 7 will be doing with its historic games is exactly in the spirit of Bruce Pelz – he would not have understood the free part – however, it does bring back the memories.

The full press release follows the jump.

PRESS RELEASE #32

Chicon 7 Unites the Past and Future of Electronic Gaming

Chicon 7, the 70th World Science Fiction Convention,

Chicago, IL – August 30 to September 3, 2012

[email protected]

www.chicon.org

Postal queries to: Chicon 7, P.O. Box 13, Skokie, IL 60076

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Monday, August 20, 2012

Chicago, Illinois, USA – Chicon 7, the 70th World Science Fiction Convention (Worldcon), is bringing together a unique pairing of historic and contemporary electronic games with free access for all convention members.

Historic games will be provided through Star Worlds Arcade (www.starworldsarcade.com) of DeKalb, Illinois. Star Worlds is widely recognized as one of the last arcades with coin-operated games in the US, and takes particular pride in maintaining and refurbishing historic arcade games from the 1980s. Star Worlds will be bringing no fewer than 15 of these machines to the Chicon 7 concourse for exclusive use by Chicon 7 members throughout the convention. Games on offer are expected to include such classics as Space Invaders, Missile Command and Robotron.

Showing the huge developments in arcade games of the last 30 years, the concourse will also host six BattleTech Cockpit Simulator Pods. These cockpits, created by Virtual World Entertainment, are fully enclosed military style simulators that feature seven displays (one primary and six secondary) and a full set of 90 controls (footpedals, throttle, joystick and numerous buttons). When seated in the pod, the player pilots one of a selection of BattleMechs onto one of 25 landscapes to compete for battlefield superiority with those seated in surrounding cockpits. The BattleTech pods were invented in Chicago, so Chicon 7 is doubly pleased to offer its members the chance to try them out.

For more information, go to www.chicon7.org/arcade-classics.php and www.chicon7.org/battletech.php on the Chicon 7 website.

ENDS

Chicon 7 is the 2012 World Science Fiction Convention (“Worldcon”). The first Worldcon occurred in New York City in 1939 and Worldcons have been held annually since then except for 1942-45 when there was no event due to World War II. Chicon 7’s Guests of Honor are five-time Hugo winning author Mike Resnick, artist Rowena Morrill, art agent and collector Jane Frank, science fiction fan and former Worldcon chair Peggy Rae Sapienza, and astronaut Story Musgrave. Chicon 7’s Toastmaster is John Scalzi.

For more details about the convention or to purchase memberships, visit www.chicon.org. Send press questions, or requests to be removed from the Chicon 7 press release mailing list, to [email protected]. Send general queries to [email protected]. “World Science Fiction Society,” “WSFS,” “World Science Fiction Convention,” “Worldcon,” “NASFiC,” “Hugo Award,” and the distinctive design of the Hugo Award Rocket are service marks of the World Science Fiction Society, an unincorporated literary society.