BayAnime.com

Japanese Anime and Pop Culture convention presented by Hyperbooster’s Studio.

Location: Boys and Girls Club, 450 Guerrero St, San Francisco, CA 94110
Website: http://www.hyperbooster.com

Pre-registration: $6/day, $10/weekend
On-site: $10/day, $16/weekend

Events:
music performances
tabletop and console gaming tournaments
cosplay contest
dealer’s room
artist alley
live panels
karaoke

NORCAL PRESENTS:
NORCAL STRONGSTYLE 4

BROUGHT TO YOU BY NAMCO-BANDAI GAMES!

STREAMING LIVE BY IPLAYWINNER.COM!

Norcal once again brings you one of the biggest tournaments of the year, NORCAL STRONGSTYLE 4, and fresh off of the release of TEKKEN 6 for the PS3 and XBOX 360 systems, we plan on kicking off 2010 with the biggest STRONGSTYLE yet.

Along with bringing the best players from Norcal, Socal, and across the nation, we are bringing in numerous top level players internationally. We are proud to bring to NORCAL STRONGSTYLE Rain and Tongbal Love from KOREA. The level of competition will never be higher, so if you want to see how you truly stack up, you must attend this tournament.

The tournament will be held on January 30th and 31st at the Domain Hotel, only a few blocks from Sunnyvale Golfland. There will be multiple events at the venue besides the main tournament, such as a team tournament and special matches to be set up for everyone to see.

Everyone who is looking to prove their worth, challenge the best, and have a good time should book your tickets as soon as possible and come on out.

All attendees, players or spectators are welcome during the tournament and special events!
Big thank yous to NAMCO-BANDAI games and www.iplaywinner.com

Location

Domain Hotel
1085 E. El Camino Real
Sunnyvale, CA 94087

http://www.jdvhotels.com/domain

Registration

Online at http://norcalstrongstyle.com
Discounted Registration Rate ($10)
Allows For REGIONAL SEEDING
Allows For Placement on Preliminary Brackets viewable online before the tournament

Onsite:
Regular Registration Rate ($20)
NO REGIONAL SEEDING
Random Placement in bracket

Website

http://norcalstrongstyle.com

On September 24th, we will be hosting the Ubisoft launch party for their new game, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Smash Up. Join us in rooms 246 and 247 at 7:00PM for some fun, food, and prizes. Here’s a tentative schedule.

7:00-8:00 ~Free play, pizza arrive.
8:00-9:00 ~Raffle at 8, then tournament.

If you want to bring gamecube controllers to replace any of the wiimotes, feel free to bring them.

Location: Dwinelle, 246 & 247

Organizer: Cal Animage Alpha

Website: http://www.ocf.berkeley.edu/~animage/

Stanley Liu, CAA President:

I want to remind you guys to come to game night tonight at 7:30 in 246 and 247 Dwinelle. It’ll a lot of fun and a great way to meet some of the members. We’ll have board games and video games galore, including 4 fighting sticks. Make sure to check us out.

Location: Dwinelle, 246 & 247

Organizer: Cal Animage Alpha

Website: http://www.ocf.berkeley.edu/~animage/

Location: Davies Symphony Hall, San Francisco
Tickets: Adult prices start at $30. Half price for ages 17 and under. [Buy Tickets]

For more information visit: http://www.ffdistantworlds.com

Thanks to Cassie for this tip!

Location: Dwinelle, 246 & 247

Organizer: Cal Animage Alpha

Website: http://www.ocf.berkeley.edu/~animage/

Location: Dwinelle, 246 & 247

Organizer: Cal Animage Alpha

Website: http://www.ocf.berkeley.edu/~animage/

Location: Dwinelle, 246 & 247

Organizer: Cal Animage Alpha

Website: www.ocf.berkeley.edu/~animage/

Location: Moscone Center, San Francisco

Website: www.gdconf.com

According to this article on Gamespot, Sony has confirmed the closure of their one and only Playstation store at the Metreon! Ever since I moved to San Francisco (5 years ago!) the Playstation store has been one of few places that I always feel compelled to check out whenever I’m in the area, and it’s definitely the best place to kill time while waiting for a movie to start. Sony Style will also be leaving the Metreon when its lease expires on March 31st. The Playstation store will close sometime this summer.

There’s no news yet about what will be taking their place, but the Metreon is already looking pretty empty these days. I’m betting that the whole complex will eventually just become more of an extension to the Westfield Mall (who already owns the building anyway), the food court will expand with some proper restaurants, and it will wind up as just another yuppie plaza in a fancy building…

With the old arcade at the Metreon long gone and now the PlayStation store closing, it seems that support for public gathering places for gamers is dwindling to nothing. I guess everything’s going the way of the private console at home, and now your only option to challenge unknown opponents is virtually via online gameplay. Personally I miss those days of putting up your coin to get next in line!