California Extreme

Show Discussion => General Show Information => Topic started by: Altrus on May 06, 2014, 04:09:07 am

Title: Excited newbie with a question
Post by: Altrus on May 06, 2014, 04:09:07 am
Hello all!  I only just discovered California Extreme yesterday while bouncing around in Yelp.  I can't believe I never stumbled across this before!  I'm already preparing to preorder some passes for the 2014 show.  I've been a pinball fan for over a decade since a friend got me hooked on it, but there just aren't very many places, even around San Jose, where you can enjoy a pinball experience.  Golfland is about it, and that isn't really a 'good' experience.  We're both excited about the prospect of enjoying some Medieval Madness and Rollercoaster Tycoon.  He is very hot on the chance to play some Dr. Dude again, which I've never even heard of before now.  We understand none of the machines are final until actual show time, but the whole list from last year alone looks amazing!

So that brings me to our questions.  How crowded is the show, usually?  Are the lines bad in general, or only bad for a few specific machines?  I'm planning to get the whole weekend pass but he will only be free to come Sunday, so I'd like to be prepared to make the best use of his more limited time.  Also, is there any advice a first-timer ought to keep in mind?

Thanks to all in advance!  I haven't been this excited in a good while!
Title: Re: Excited newbie with a question
Post by: Obiwantje on May 09, 2014, 09:51:13 pm
Hi Altrus, and welcome!

Come early and enjoy a day full of video and pinball fun - there may be (short 2,3 people) waits for a few machines, but typically there are plenty of free machines to play!
Title: Re: Excited newbie with a question
Post by: RICO12X on May 25, 2014, 09:13:08 pm
Welcome Altrus. You will wish you were there for both days. Wait times are not bad. There is always a game available to play.
Title: Re: Excited newbie with a question
Post by: sgtbilkothe3rd on May 26, 2014, 01:04:10 pm
I have been attending CAX since 2005, and this is just my "unofficial" opinion.

Saturday tends to be the busier day, especially between about 2 and 8 PM it can get hard to walk around the show, but wait times at the games are not long, especially if you make yourself known in a polite fashion, almost everyone there is an enthusiast and can sympathize with having to wait for a favorite.

Sunday is a bit quieter, especially in the morning, many folks are still sleeping off the late Saturday night fun. Get there early on both days using the preregistration option because it allows you in 30 minutes earlier than normal. Sprint to your favorite game early on and you are almost guaranteed a few games before anyone even arrives to ask for their turn.
Title: Re: Excited newbie with a question
Post by: MajorRexHavoc on June 30, 2014, 04:26:59 pm
As someone who has attended most of them, it does get crowded, and seems to be getting more crowded each year.

But that is usually not a problem except for some newer or very popular games which you may have to wait for to play. But if you are willing to play other games to try something new, the crowd will not bother you as there are always some games with no lines. That is always a good time to try things you have never seen before.