The 2006 Classic Arcade Gaming (dot com) Tournament   March 2006, Wyomissing, Pennsylvania

     The very first edition of a CAGDC contest, held by myself (Mark Alpiger), and this web site, will be The 2006 Classic Arcade Gaming (dot com) Tournament.  It will be held this year during St. Patrick's Day weekend (March 17 - 19) at Challenge Arcade, located near Reading, Pennsylvania.  In what's become the standard with my announcements, I am doing something unprecedented, and unique (I always try for innovation, and not imitation !).  Specifically, it will be the first arcade gaming contest in history to be totally designed for, and around, the players that will be participating (tho I must admit that I was partially inspired by the recent Houston Arcade Championships, held in Humble, Texas).

    Now, what else makes this a 'must-attend' gaming event ?  Well, Challenge Arcade is one of the best arcades in the nation, both from the standpoint of game selection (check out the 70+ titles here), and from the fact that the owner / manager truly cares about the games, and the players too.  I wanted to carry on that ideal for my tourney, and therefore, I have picked out a selection of games that are specifically designed for gamers that have attended various events in recent years.  Also, while putting together this tournament over the last year, I consulted numerous classic gaming aficionados to find out what they wanted in a contest, and what they would like to see addressed, as far as issues they've noticed in other contest events (both recent, and from years ago).  So, based on that, all contestants at this event can rely on the following things to be in effect:

    .  the contest games will be working properly

    .  the tourney results will be updated numerous times daily over the three-day event

    .  a whiteboard will be prominently displayed, with pertinent tourney info and updates that all contestants need to know,
       or be aware of

    .  there will be four monetary prize levels, to give more players a chance to 'get in the green' (how appropriate for St.
       Patrick's Day weekend !!); in addition, the purse is unlimited, in that, the more contestants there are (past 20), then the
       bigger it will be, with no upper limit (!!)

    .  transportation to and from motels, and airports, will be coordinated with other players, so that we can best combine our
       resources

    .  and last, but far from least, there will be incredible choice as far as which games each player can play, along with there
       being popular, well-known titles, in the pool of contest games.

    Now, what exactly is meant by a 'pool' of games ?  Well, in a historic first, this tournament will actually let the players pick the games that they will play !  They can pick 6 titles to contest, from a pool of 15 contest games, tho they can actually play more (including all 15, if they wish); naturally, only their best 6 results will count.  So, instead of playing against all other players on all contest titles (which is the method for all past gaming contests), you will actually only be playing against other players (for the best percentile) on the specific titles that you pick. This ingenious method allows players optimal flexibility and choice. Note that there will be no pinball or monochrome titles in this year's event, tho next time, I may hold a concurrent tourney that has a mix of these particular types of coin-ops, if the interest level is big enough.  One final note: since the pool of games is so large, there must be a contingency in place, for the unforeseeable situation where one or more games becomes non-functional, or unavailable, at contest time.  This is unlikely, and will be avoided at all costs, but it can happen, and a list of substitute titles follows the 'pool' listing of games.  Also, to allow for a little 'tweaking' to further accommodate players, I will be taking suggestions, and also fielding possible problem issues (like, game 'X' is inappropriate for a contest, since it has a cheat that is easy to take advantage of), but only until the end of January.  After that point, the titles will be set, other than the slight possibility of substitution in the event of a game becoming non-functional, or unavailable (again, this will be avoided at all costs, and is highly unlikely).  In any case, up-to-the-day information can always be found on this page.

    As mentioned earlier, another welcome situation is that there will be well-known, and popular, titles in the contest (see the listings in the first table below).  One reason that some events may have avoided doing this is that there's the chance of one or two players 'clocking' the field (like Don Hayes, Dwayne Richard, and others), since they are so good at so many common classic titles.  To circumvent this issue (while still being fair to these incredible video athletes !), I'll be employing a method that will limit the amount that any one player is able to beat the others by (but, only on games that they make the highest score on).  Never fear, top players - great all-around skill will still be rewarded.  However, there will be a (fair) limitation to it. And, speaking of limits, there will be a time limit (per my CAGDC contest rules) of one hour of play, maximum, to avoid titles being tied up for extended time periods.  Fortunately, most titles in the contest can only be played for a period of less than an hour.

    Because I (Mark Alpiger) will, of course, be at the contest to help run things, and track scores, I am going to offer an incredible opportunity for players that wish to attempt one or more of my bounties during the event.  Since I'll be onsite, a lot of the bounty rule requirements can be waived (such as, recording the game, proving the date and settings, etc.), making it far easier to accomplish.  In addition, any bounty won will get a bonus amount of 10% from Joe LeVan, since he's offering that for any bounty that's performed in his arcade, and verified, approved, and paid out on by myself.  Note that if you pursue this offer, and if you wish to try for either the Pac-Man bounty, or try for a marathon, then a fee applies (which will cover the cost of making the game available exclusively for you, and compensation for any costs to bring it to the location, and costs for persons who must be there overnight).  This fee is detailed below.  Also, if you want to go for the Crystal Castles bounty, then (of course) you must pay the contest entry fee, since it is one of the contest games.  As a final note, if you are attempting a CAGDC bounty marathon, then you must be sure to begin before 4 PM on Friday, the 17th.  If there are two or more marathoners attempting a bounty, then we will schedule a 1 PM start time, for the attempts to simultaneously begin.  This is to allow for the most equity toward all marathon players, since even a small starting advantage could mean the difference in winning, or not winning, the bounty.  However, if a marathoner wishes to begin after 1 PM, that will be allowed, up until 4 PM.  At that point in time, or after, none of the $100 fee paid will be returned, and the attempt will be disallowed (with this exception, on the attempt: with Joe LeVan's approval (only), the player may still attempt the marathon if they follow all bounty rules (including camera, etc.), and supply all necessary equipment to follow them).

    For the full details of the regular, and the contest (for contestants only) arcade hours, see the third table below.  Note that Joe and I will try to accommodate gamers, and possibly extend these hours slightly (example: 9:00 AM start time, 11 PM stop time, tho this is a tentative possibility only).  As will be the case for all contest changes and info, see the contest whiteboard (during the event) for any and all updates.  A final note is that I (Mark Alpiger) will offer interested contestants a nightly (Thursday thru Saturday evenings only) 'seminar', where I will give playing tips and demonstrations on contest (and, possibly, non-contest) titles.  This will be both on pre-planned titles, and possibly on titles suggested by players.  Naturally, the earlier you make your request, the more likely it will be accommodated.

    Another example of accommodating contestant requests will be that Joe LeVan will (within reason) install game boards and Jamma / Neo-Geo cartridges that you may bring, into any available games for the contest.  Naturally, it will be imperative to check with him before coming to the event, in order to see how feasible this will be for your title.  However, Joe will make every effort to accommodate anyone, especially those that wish to attempt a world record.  You may contact him , or via phone; the number at the arcade is 610-376-1650, and the best time to try is evenings, Monday thru Thursday, from about 8 to 10 PM ET.

    Now, to diverge a bit from the 'nuts and bolts' info - an important issue to most contestants (especially those traveling into the Reading area) is regarding the local amenities.  The arcade is located in a mall, and is positioned next to the food court, which really makes things convenient for mealtime !  In addition, there are three hotels within a 5 minute walk of the mall, with another popular (with gaming travelers) chain, Econo-Lodge, being less than a ten-minute walk away.  For more details, and specific listings of mall 'eateries', see the 'traveler info' page.

    As far as airports go, there are three choices, each about the same time (an hour drive, give or take) away from the arcade.  Allentown / Bethlehem is the closest, but offers the least flight choices, and prices tend to be the highest.  Next is Harrisburg, which is quite a bit better with choices, and pricing.  Finally, Philadelphia offers the most flights in, and the lowest pricing.  In any case, you can check the traveler info page link above, which has full map, airport, and other information for players who are traveling to the event.  In addition, so that contestants may coordinate with each other, for cost savings, and / or convenience, simply fill out the form that's linked at the bottom of the 'traveler' page, if you can offer a ride to or from the airport, or if you're willing to share a room, and I'll post this info.  That way, all out-of-town contestants can benefit.

    Now, back to the 'nuts and bolts', and, specifically, the money matters of the contest.  The monetary prizes for the winners are as follows; first place will receive $200, second earns $100, third garners $50, and fourth gets $25.  However, where things get much more exciting is the fact that the purse is essentially unlimited.  If Joe and I get more than 20 contest entrants (a quite likely scenario), then for every one of those past 20, we will increase the base amount of the purse ($375, as shown above) by $5.  While this sounds like relatively little, just having a total of 40 contestants allows for an extra $100 in the purse, which would (for example) increase the first-place prize by over $50 !

    Well, now that the prizes are known, what is the entry fee ?  The good news is that it is just $15, if you prepay, or $20 at the event.  The prepay fee can be sent either via PayPal, or a , with the deadline for receipt (either way) being March 10th.  The exception to this is that if the fee is prepaid at the arcade, the deadline is March 16th.  Payments made at the arcade must be in cash, and the receipt provided must be presented upon check-in for the contest.

    As a bonus for any contestant who tops a current world record on any tournament game (as per the official game list table below), during the tournament hours, and under tournament rules, the player will receive double their entry fee as a prize !  While this will be a difficult feat on many of the titles (and impossible for some, due to the one-hour time limit), it is quite feasible for a new record will be set on at least one game at the event.  Note that there's a limit of one prize per person, even if they break two world records.

    The final monetary information is regarding the fee for those who will be attempting a marathon bounty (per my 2006 bounty offers).  It is a partially refundable amount of $100, with $50 to be returned when the player shows for the event (on Friday the 17th, before 4 PM only; note that if the player shows up later than 4 PM, no money will be returned; in addition, the marathon attempt will not be allowed for the bounty, unless the player follows all bounty rules (including camera, etc.), and Joe LeVan also gives his approval).  At the moment, the games that can be used to accommodate players for the marathon bounties are: Star Wars, Galaga, Joust 2, Q*bert, and Root Beer Tapper.  In addition, the bounty title Pac-Man may also be played, and must similarly be paid for with the above-mentioned fee.  Players on any of these six titles will be accommodated on a first-come, first-served basis, as far as when their fee is received (determined electronically, or by day of delivery).  The deadline for receipt (either way) of the fee is March 1st, and the money can be sent either via PayPal (a $5 non-refundable surcharge applies, because of PayPal fees), or a .

    Well, that sums up the contest parameters, and should address most questions or issues regarding the event.  If you feel there is something that I haven't covered on this page, then you may with your question, or even send a suggestion, or request (as in a game title you wish to bring in, or a game that you would like to see in the contest).

    The date of this page's last update was March 13, 2006.  Keep checking back for further updates, and, most of all, come out and support both the event, and classic arcade gaming !

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