Sunday 26 May 2013

UK Games Expo board game convention Birmingham 2013

Carcassonne just after breakfast
While I might not be the biggest board game aficionado, I enjoy playing Settlers of Catan, Carcassonne and the occasional game of Ticket to Ride, my preference is always collecting baseball cards. However I was tempted along to this Expo by my friend Dion and my two sons, who are Yugioh collectors (players?).
The Hilton Metropol Hotel in Birmingham had pretty much dedicated the hotel to board game players, every possible table, chair and vacant space was occupied by people playing board games. Entire rooms absorbed in some of the more popular 'roleplay' games.
My sons were pleased that Komani had a stand wholehearted committed to Yugioh and although missing out on a tournament, they were the recipients of so many free packs of cards they almost filled the hotel room. They were pretty happy.
After spending the morning walking around watching an excited Dion purchase game after game and participating in some demonstrations of games that were a little too difficult for me to understand, I started lamenting about the fact that this would never happen in regard to sports cards, not in the UK anyway.
Topps have Attax Expos, which are predominantly attended by children and possibly an unhappy parent, who may be forcibly dragged along, unfortunately while I may enjoy collecting them, I do not fit into the Attax demographic. I do, however, fit into the board game mould easily- middle aged, carrying a little extra weight and male. There were people of the female variety, dutiful girlfriends or wives and there were some male and females in costume, which my son helpfully explained was 'Cosplay' or LARPing, which of course I knew. I do watch 'The Big Bang Theory' after all.
But an Expo for sports cards collectors, football or American sports, I'm not sure would ever take place. It is a nice thought (or dream)though-strolling around a hall filled with various boxes, packs and loose cards/stickers of sports cards, instead of board games, role play figures and game books.
Truth be told, I actually enjoyed myself. It's not often that you get to sit around drinking Boddingtons, while trying to work out whether to build a road or another settlement. We met some interesting fellow gamers, had a chat to Larry Roznai the CEO of Mayfair games, the publishers of Settlers of Catan. and played so many different games in two days, it is unlikely I will ever remember how to play them again. Plus we met one of our favourite characters.
Although I will continue to imagine a UK sports card expo.

1 comment:

Captain Canuck said...

looks pretty cool.