Giant Bomb Chicago Meetup: May 14!

UPDATE: This starts at 8pm in the side room. We have access to the projector, so I'll try to bring some controllers for Spelunky!

I've been terrible about putting something together since moving back, but no more!

On May 14, we're gonna hang out at the Emporium (http://emporiumchicago.com/).

I don't have any other details just yet, but I'll update them in this thread, as they come together. I'm going to see if it's possible to book their side room and hook up games to the projector they have there, but no guarantees yet!

I know it's a weekday, but these places get packed on the weekends, and I want to gauge turnout...!

It'd be really cool if you could do this on a Friday or Saturday. I'm up in Grand Rapids, about a 3 hour drive out, and work weekdays. This is probably the closest I'll get to a GB meet up, just sucks that it's midweek.

Bummer. Work on your old campus, and the 14th is right in middle of the busiest week of the year. Oh well. Next time!

We'll do another one, promise.

That sounds awesome, Patrick! I will almost certainly try to definitely make it, possibly for sure! Wednesday is actually a pretty good day for me for something like this.

I'll be in Chicago on business that week, so I'll probably be able to stop by and take part in this shindig. Great timing, as far as I'm concerned!

Wow the emporium is changed since I last went. Didn't realize they expanded like they have and are opening a Logan Square location. If Emporium doesn't work out there is another bar in the area that could work, on Fullerton and Western called Logan Arcade (http://loganarcade.com/). I personally haven't been but I have heard it was great before it was a barcade (it was a arcade/record store). It could be easier to book space there on a weekend.

Awesome, I couldn't make last year's meetup, and although Wednesday is going to be pretty tough I'm going to do everything I can to make this one.

Damn it. Why didnt this go on when i lived in Minneapolis and i was close. Have fun everyone.

Darn I won't be back home till a week after that. I hope you can do another one this summer Patrick!

I'll possibly stop in after work. Hopefully parking down there isn't the worst, but this could be a whole lot of fun.

I mean, they have Bad Dudes vs. Dragon Ninja with beer!

I really want to go but I already said I would see a friend who I haven't seen in awhile. I already worked out how the convo would go where I say "I'm gonna drive to Indiana to Chicago to talk this guy named scoops for a night and some other duders and ditch you" and I don't win it. Also Indiana is not a shit hole don't believe Tony's lies.

I'd totally come but i'm not 21, everyone else have fun though the place looks pretty rad

Three days before my birthday, and it is only a few hours south...

I might get run out of the place for being from Packerland. :(

@mixedupzombies: damn right Indiana is alright...I'd make the drive from Indianapolis in a heartbeat of it wasn't for work...maybe Scoops will make this a traveling thing. Great idea Patrick any way for the community to get together is a good thing:)

I'd love to come, and visit my favorite dinosaur skeleton Sue, but weekdays are pretty full at the moment.

Two more days errybody! :D

I'll definitely be looking forward to meeting some more of you GB Chicago folks! Or silly people like me who are going to be driving the distance to hang out. Indianapolis represent!

I'll probably stop by after work.

I will be there as I live close enough that I can walk over. The bar/arcade is pretty cool I just hope the turnout is decent, but the bar isn't really ever dead even on weekdays. For out of towners not familiar with the area, there are a lot of good food options nearby and you can bring food into the bar. I would definitely suggest Big Star for tacos or Piece for pizza.

Sucks that there is no jukebox there, was hoping to hear the X-Files theme come on at any moment...

@patrickklepek: So is this for sure happening tomorrow? Any other details to update with?

I'd definitely be down for coming by after work tomorrow night.

CRUNK TIME!

Ill pop in after work since it's on my way home.

There's more than corn in Indiana. Like crack, crime, and the Indianapolis Colts. I guess Gary's really just a suburb of Chicago.

Would be awesome if there was something at Game Works in Schamburg or Galloping Ghost in Brookfield. Driving in to the city on a weekday during finals week is something I can't do. To those going, have fun.

Possible to get a time frame? I'm probably going to be in Milwaukee Friday and I'd leave a day or 2 earlier.

Oh hey, tomorrow's my birthday. Probably shouldn't abruptly call into work to make a 5-hour trek to Chicago, but I hope this goes well.

I think Patrick tweeted that it would start at 8PM.

Alex would never do this in NY. He hates people.

Awesome that they were cool with letting you run the projector!

Sounds great! Might I suggest Headquarters off of Sheffield as an alternative, games are free there instead of tokens.

Beer is overpriced there, and they don't have a 20' projection screen on which Patrick can do live Spelunky runs...

So who is all planning on going to this?

I will also be there. Look for the tool in a tie and a combover.

I'll be near the projector and I'll put a Giant Bomb logo up. :)

@sparklykiss: is there a big Indianapolis giant bomb underground I dont know about?!

Where's the livestream?!?! ;D

I'm in

@patrickklepek: sweet can't wait see GB chicago at emporium !

On the way from the suburbs now.

Being a few hours into Wisconsin, I am definitely going to be watching for the next one of these so I can plan for it!

Oh shit, I accidentally went home and now I'm 30 miles away. Ah!

I forgot my work laptop at home this morning and had to turn around to get it and then I decided to work from home today instead of doing a double commute and so now I'm nowhere near the meetup and I am sad.

Alas, the pitfalls of a weekday meet up.

I left around 10:30, but it seemed like things could have been heating up still. It was great to meet those of you guys that I did, and hopefully we'll have another event soon. Hope you all had a fun time,

KirePDX (short dude in the tie)

@sparklykiss: As someone who lives in Bloomington I would definitely support some Indianapolis shenanigans with other duders.

Just got back from the event, awesome times. Thanks to Patrick for putting this thing on despite being unsure of the turnout. It was a good crowd, met some great people throughout the night. Even Max Tamkin managed to make a surprise appearance to play a round of Spelunky for 5 minutes. Definitely an awesome event, hope there are many more to come!

@kirepdx: it was good to meet you. Lonnie

@gamecommaperiod: Hey man, it was good to meet you, too. Too bad we have different consoles, otherwise it'd be good to find a reason to dust them off with a multiplayer. Regardless, hopefully at the next one, we can get some Sportsfriends action.

Had a hell of a time last night! It was great meeting and talking to everyone. It was cool that Max Temkin showed up, if only for a few minutes. Got to talk with him briefly and thank him for some of the best laughs I've ever had, haha. Patrick, thanks for putting this together! It was nice meeting you, duder! Can't wait to do it again soon.