TEXT books will be replaced by comics and science experiments by fantasy games at the University of Limerick this weekend when it plays host to a major gaming and comic convention.
Brocon, now in its seventh year, runs from Friday afternoon until Sunday evening and will feature a variety of gaming tournaments, a family board gaming area, anime screenings, a mix of panels and a series of workshops.
Staged in four different arenas, Brocon offers something for everyone: the Games Hall will feature the very best in contemporary video-gaming with the ever-popular FIFA 16 and Mario Kart 8 featuring alongside breakthrough hits like Rocket League and Hearthstone. The Main Stage will focus on the wider elements of gaming culture, chief among its attractions is a talk by John Romero, co-founder of id Software and creator of Doom and Quake.
Those seeking something more soothing can visit the Theatre area which will run a series of productions based on iconic manga animations, Blade of Tempest among them. Finally, the Upper Rooms will focus on card-based and board games with a special Games of Thrones event first thing Sunday morning.
Emily Waters and Jay McKeown are two members of the team that run BroCon every year.
According to Jay, the BroCon name comes from a gaming term, “If something in a game feels like it is overpowered or unfair against the rules, gamers tend to say it’s broken.” Emily has her own take on the name, “It’s the tagline too, ‘If it ain’t BroCon, fix it!” she says.
“We have a big masquerade. It’s really cool, all the people get dressed up!”, she explains.
“They go through the whole competition and they win prizes. It makes for a really good vibe, there’s individuals and then there’s groups. We had a superhero family last year.”
“We are also going to do an arts and crafts area. We are trying to get kids more involved because we see it as a family thing. We are slowly but surely getting more people interested.”
Besides promoting this nearly-mainstream culture in Limerick, BroCon also raises money for charity through auctions and raffles. Last year, it raised almost €3,000 for Pieta House, the suicide and self-harm crisis centre.
If you want to know more about the line up of events at BroCon 2016, head on over to Ulbrocon.com.
