On March 1, the 2025 Vandal Gaming Conference noticed a profitable day filled with thrilling competitors, panels from business professionals, merchandising and cosplay. Sponsored by the Dean of College students and Workplace of Data Expertise, the occasion passed off all through virtually the whole lot of the Pitman Heart.
VGC is an annual occasion devoted to gaming of all types. This consists of tabletop video games like Dungeons and Dragons and Settlers of Catan in addition to digital video games like Mario Kart and Road Fighter. Organizers have been busy all day because the occasion ran for 13 hours with a myriad of points of interest occurring all through.
Varied College of Idaho departments arrange store on the conference, providing tournaments, freeplays and giveaways. The Heart for Incapacity Entry and Assets held a demo exhibiting college students the way to make gaming extra accessible, and the library supplied their board sport assortment for anybody occupied with some lower-stakes gaming.
College students received to be part of the occasion as effectively, with Visible Expertise and Design (VTD) majors showcasing their digital initiatives and 3D prints.
Native companies additionally received a style of the VGC. Safari Pearl, a Moscow enterprise that sells comics and video games, supplied portray, video games and a cosplay contest. Hodgins Drug and Interest, one other native enterprise and pharmacy, hosted a number of card sport tournaments, together with Pokémon and One Piece.
Wayne Ebenroth, the Director of Vandal Esports, mentioned the significance of occasions like VGC with The Argonaut.
“Gaming is a piece of society that doesn’t at all times get as a lot consideration. It’s rising by way of [national conventions], however within the board and online game communities there’s nonetheless a requirement for occasions across the native area,” Ebenroth stated.
Ebenroth estimated that round 1,000 people attended the occasion this yr.
One of many important points of interest that introduced many attendees was Beak Bonk 2025, a big match primarily specializing in preventing video games like Tremendous Smash Bros, Tekken and Road Fighter, although typical video games like chess are additionally featured. One of many largest gaming tournaments of the Inland Northwest, Beak Bonk attracts a few of the most skilled gamers within the area.
Whereas many occasions lasted a pair hours, Beak Bonk continued all day, starting at 10 a.m. and concluding round 8:30 p.m. It was held within the Worldwide Ballroom, one of many solely rooms sufficiently big to carry such a big and rowdy event.
Nonetheless, college students and skilled gamers weren’t the one demographics in attendance. Samantha Hammes-Buehler, a Group Supervisor on the Esports Lab, stated her favourite a part of working the conference wasthe probability to work together with the numerous kids who have been current.
“I got here to this as a child, and now I get to present that have again. Among the finest components of right this moment is I’m seeing all these little faces which have been exhibiting as much as our native tournaments. And sure, with Beak Bonk we’ve a few of the greatest gamers within the nation, but it surely’s additionally the place for kiddos to study and blossom into future players,” Hammes-Buehler stated.
At 2:30 p.m., a panel devoted to a dialogue on the gaming business was held. Panelists included two UI VTD alums, Grayson Highbanks and Reilly Cisco, in addition to David Korus, a veteran of over 25 years within the business.
Main dialogue factors embody how communication and collaboration are important within the gaming business, particularly contemplating the tight turnarounds many improvement groups are anticipated to perform. Highbanks spoke on a four-month deadline he and others needed to meet whereas engaged on weapons belongings in Borderlands, a first-person shooter online game.
Synthetic intelligence was one other scorching subject through the panel. Highbanks stated that the usual of high quality is so excessive for main online game distributors that it’s typically simpler to do it your self than debug AI-generated content material. Cisco talked about that AI is one other “software for an artist’s toolbox, not a substitute.”
The panelists additionally mentioned how gaming has been a traditionally male-dominated business. Korus stated that variety within the inventive staff makes greater high quality video games that enchantment to wider audiences, but it surely’s exhausting to rent individuals who don’t apply, encouraging girls who could also be within the enterprise to place themselves on the market.
Director of IT Providers Darren Kearney performs a big function in arranging every annual VGC. Having been there from the start, Kearney mentioned how the conference has grown and what he does to raised assist college students annually.
“The primary time we did it, we have been considering small, possibly 30-40 college students would present up. We ended up having 300 college students attend. We realized it was an underserved group, which led us to deliberately plan these conventions with what college students would possibly need in thoughts,” Kearney stated.
Greater than an area for gaming, the VGC is a spot to make mates with like-minded people. Kearney shared that he loves speaking to college students and seeing them work together with each other.
“Typically it’s exhausting once you come to varsity, you don’t know anybody and also you’re unsure you’ll find your tribe. And this occasion supplies an atmosphere the place you would possibly be capable of try this,” Kearney stated.
Alison Cranney could be reached at [email protected].
