“So why are there two websites?”

Certainly we can understand why it might be confusing for an event like the Midwest Gaming Classic to have two websites.  Why can’t the first website just do everything the second site does and more?

For a time we did consider incorporating this site into the main Midwest Gaming Classic, but it soon became evident to us that MGC In-Depth would take on a whole new direction of covering the show than just an expanded press release or a destination to click on for more information.   While the Midwest Gaming Classic proper website is a great hub for show announcements, as a tool it didn’t make much sense to incorporate interviews, show features, a historical analysis, and even game reviews into its pages no more than it is wise using a hammer for cutting along the dotted lines of a paper.

But why do any of these things?

One thing that we have noticed over the 10-plus year history of the Midwest Gaming Classic is that a lot of the information from past shows has begun to disappear.  Did you know that at the very first “Midwest Gaming Classic” – or the Jagfest 2K1 as it was called then – revealed a way for developers to release decrypted Jaguar CD game projects for the first time?  Or that the show was one of the first spots that a prototype Jaguar VR unit was shown to the public?  In fact, the show was even one of the first places where several Jaguar & Lynx prototypes were demonstrated to the public including Thea Realm Fighters, the Atari head-to-head fighting game that featured the original Mortal Kombat actors.

Information like that may be out on the net, somewhere, and some may even be found on the Midwest Gaming Classic website, but just what about those games made them interesting?  How did the VR unit work?  Why is it that Thea Realm Fighters had absolutely no chance of being commercially released?  For that matter, why was the Midwest Gaming Classic called the Jagfest at all?  Suffice to say that even if you could find out information like this about the Midwest Gaming Classic, first-hand reports like these are virtually nonexistent on the web today.  The show’s rich history is being lost as websites close, forums lose their favor and a thick layer of posts drive interesting MGC information further and further into the archival depths found only through countless pages of search engine garbage.  MGC In-Depth aims to bring these facts and first-hand information back into the forefront.

The show’s rich history is being lost...

MGC In-Depth is also a great way for people to find out more about the current offerings at the Midwest Gaming Classic.  Admittedly, the Midwest Gaming Classic doesn’t have the same sway with media as a mega-convention like the E3, nor does our content always line up with the interests of popular “here & now” video game blogs.  Hopefully one day that sway will build and those interests will better line up, but right now there is a site that can give you the lowdown on a new console or a new game announced at the MGC rather than waiting months after the show for the news to possibly resurface on the various blogs.  MGC In-Depth is a key resource for both gamers at the show witnessing those things and one for even those that cannot make the show.

Finally, you may ask just what else does the future hold for MGC In-Depth?  In essence, we hope that you will tell us by writing about your own experiences at the Midwest Gaming Classic.  We want to know what you saw at the MGC, who you met or what guest speaker you enjoyed, what games you played, and especially what would you like seeing from the Midwest Gaming Classic going forward.  As the show evolves the content on MGC In-Depth will too.  We hope to hear from you soon!