PE flies its geek flag at Con.ect 2015
It was English actor Simon Pegg who said that being a geek means never having to play it cool about how much you like something. This was certainly the sentiment over the weekend as hundreds of Port Elizabeth geeks flocked to Con.ect 2015.
Con.ect's invite went out to all who share a passion for film, gaming, cosplay and all things geek related. The event, held over the weekend at NMMU's South Campus, started on Friday night with players battling it out in Pokemon and Magic The Gathering tournaments.
The doors opened at 9am on Saturday for a day of highly anticipated gaming tournaments, and cosplaying. Those eager to add to their collections were covered too. A variety of exhibitors from Figure Factory to The Den showcased an assortment of figurines, board games, and decks. Amid the assortment of DC and Marvel comic books on sale was local Port Elizabeth artist Nadine Moolman's captivating The Order Blu: Prophecy. Moolman is both the illustrator and creator of the comic book about "a Utopian future that turns into chaos when some breaks the systems".
Hotly contested FIFA tournament
No matter the type geek you classify yourself as, everyone was catered for. Gamers got their fill with a hotly contested FIFA tournament and Pentacomp was out in full force with gaming gear and PC hardware. Let's face it, if you're a PC gamer then you're always looking at a hardware upgrade of some sort. IT specialists Plan g teased the gaming crowd with an exhibition of Activision's Call of Duty: Black Ops III, a first-person shooter slated for release on 6 November, 2015, and a look at Konami's Metal Gear Solid V The Phantom Pain.
While the con had several outstanding moments, one of the biggest highlights was the Cosplay masquerade. Cosplay is the practice of dressing up as a film, TV, book or video game character and the masquerade is where all the cosplayers have the opportunity to put their stunning creations in the spotlight. In addition to King Thranduil (The Lord of the Rings) and TV's The Arrow, Game of Throne's Jon Snow was in attendance as well as DC's Batman and his ever-present arch nemesis The Joker. Those in attendance were also treated to a parkour performance by the Assasin's Creed Brotherhood. Parkour is the activity of negotiating obstacles by running, jumping and climbing in an urban area.
By mid-afternoon the con recorded that an estimated 600 enthusiasts had already streamed through the doors. "Last year our event attracted about 86 people," confirmed event organiser Janelle Vermaak. With these numbers it's undeniable that Port Elizabeth knows how to fly its geek flag.
