Gaming

MIAMI (CBS4) ― South Florida gamers – it's just about time to get your game on; Miami's first video game convention begins tomorrow! Infinite Bits, featuring over 150 games, 14 tournaments, live music and special guests opens Friday, October 23 and will last through the weekend. More special guests have been added to the list – bringing some great industry professionals to South Florida.

South Florida's largest gaming event is geared toward gamers of all preferences, shapes and sizes.

Attendees will be able to play in tournaments, check out an arcade, purchase games and collectables, chat with industry experts and even wander through an interactive video game museum. For the crafty, there will be a costume contest. For those who make video games serious business, fans and industry professionals will be holding panels, including ones focusing on history and trivia.

It's a lot to take in, so if you feel the need to relax, live music will be playing. Others can escape to viewing rooms to watch movies, cartoons, anime (Japanese animation) and documentaries on games.

Newly announced guests include Derek Smart, who first appeared in the gaming industry in 1992 when Computer Games & Strategy Plus (now Computer Games Mag) previewed his first game, Battlecruiser 3000AD (a.k.a BC3K), which he started developing in the late 1980's in Europe. Over the years, he has been a prominent industry player & regarded as one of the quintessential indie developers. His solely owned company, 3000AD, Inc, has developed 12 PC games based on his industry recognized Battlecruiser & Universal Combat brands.

Miami Dade College game design teacher Miguel Oubina will also be at the convention. Oubina worked for Navteq's Mapper division. While at Mapper he was responsible for creating 3D buildings & textures for use with Navteq's realtime 3D GPS systems. From college he went on to found Nuclei, Inc. which has worked with several clients, including HGTV.

Also coming to South Florida is Billy Mitchell, current world champion in Donkey Kong and Pac-Man, and Doug Walker, also known as the Nostalgia Critic. Thousands of visitors swarm his web site each day to read reviews of old movies, television shows and games.

Neill Glancy has created games for 23 years, and shipped over twenty games spanning five console generations, from the Sinclair Spectrum to the Playstation 3. Neill has played the part of artist, animator, sound designer, game designer, project director and creative director. Most recently, he was the lead designer on John Woo Presents Stranglehold at Midway Games. Neill is currently a Game Director at Disney's Junction Point Studios in Austin, Texas.

Also in attendance will be Benjamin Heckendorn, creator of elaborate custom systems including Xbox 360 laptops and Atari 2600 portables.

If taking the world (or at least South Florida) by storm is your goal, you can win cash and prizes in tournaments including Rock Band, Halo 3, Gears of War 2, Super Smash Bros., Mario Kart Wii, Call of Duty and Street Fighter 4. If you do really well, official scorekeepers will be on hand to confirm your place in the Guinness World Records, G4tv, Gameroom Magazine and other mainstream organizations.

The Video Game Museum will showcase more than 50 different gaming systems, from the early days of Pong to the Playstation 3. The major hits of the last forty years have their place in the spotlight, next to games never released in America and games you may have forgotten about.

Games of all genres will be provided to play with friends, if battling it out for glory isn't your style. "People get the wrong impression that video games are a solo activity and only for kids," Infinite Bits founder and co-organizer Jason Cutler said. "We've placed a lot of emphasis on multiplayer games in all genres for all systems, past and present."

Infinite Bits will take place at the Doubletree Miami Mart Hotel and Convention Center. You can pre-register on their website for $30 or pick up a ticket at the door for $20 - $35 depending on how long you'd like to stay. Con-goers who wish to haunt the convention throughout the entire weekend can get discounts at the Doubletree Miami Mart Hotel.

Find out more about Infinite Bits at their website!

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