Canada's Arcadia gaming festival in Montreal

by Alexander Sliwinski { Nov 1st 2006 at 5:45PM }

The Arcadia gaming festival is running from November 10 - 12 at the Stade Uniprix in Montreal, you know -- Canada. Yes, the neighbors to the north are having a gaming festival and it's apparently a very big and cool thing. We'd love to tell you all about it, but sadly this series of tubes called the interwebs isn't getting us in touch with the festival organizers. With only nine days left, it seemed fair to let you know about it anyway.

The roster of sponsors is pretty impressive, including Nintendo, Microsoft and Ubisoft. The event website says Arcadia is, "An interactive experience that will waken your senses and emotions in a fantastic world of multimedia projections." Is there some extracurricular activities going on at this games festival? One Canadian tipster says that you'll be able to play the Wii at the event -- yeah, now you're interested.

Tickets are $20 ($17 USD) for all three days plus taxes and "service fee," which we hope means no more than $25 ($22 USD). So, dear readers, if you have any light to shine on this gaming extravaganza, we sincerely hope you'll leave a comment. Montreal is only a few hours away, so if it sounds good, maybe we'll go cross the border.

[Thanks Jay]

And if somebody could please, please, please explain this photo from Arcadia 2005 ...

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Matt @ Nov 1st 2006 5:56PM

hey i'm coming to this event I live 45 minute from Montreal. The Stade Uniprix is pretty big, been to a couple of shows there. Yes, we will be able to play the Wii. Pretty nice :D come!

Jose @ Nov 1st 2006 6:00PM

The combination of high potency marijuana and the Wii has zombified the children of Montreal. Yeah, that's most definitely it.

Jose @ Nov 1st 2006 6:03PM

Also, the new fashion trend is to wear your thong on the outside of your pants.

Francois P @ Nov 2nd 2006 10:37AM

Isn't the Stade Uniprix an outdoor facility? I watched outdoor boxing over there last june.

November seems like a very cold month to have this happening there. Or is this taking place somewhere inside that I am simply unaware of?

Jack @ Nov 1st 2006 6:16PM

I go to university in montreal, i'll see what i can find out.

Phil @ Nov 1st 2006 6:30PM

Am I going to pay 20 $ tp play wii only a week before launch ? you bet !
Last year's edition was nice but a bit small. But they had the 360 before launch and E3 2005 zelda demo !

oh and #2 .... "high potency marijuana" is the town motto you know :-D

Incognito @ Nov 1st 2006 6:44PM

The tickets cost $34.85 CAD in total for three days inluding taxes and service fee.

Jimstyle @ Nov 1st 2006 6:50PM

They will have Zelda, Red Steel and other Wii games, plus Gears of Wars and Rainbow Six Vegas for the Xbox360. Couldn't go last year but it sounds like it's bigger this year. I'll check it out!
Here's the official site for more info.
http://www.festivalarcadia.com/arcadia2006_english.html

jeffx @ Nov 1st 2006 7:35PM

I'm pretty sure that dude with the black suspenders is a pretty big TV host/Comedian here in Quebec. Didn't know he enjoyed such a Godlike status though.

Izzy @ Nov 1st 2006 7:48PM

www.festivalarcadia.ca has absolutely all the info you could ask for.

That pic is most probably from their VG-inspired music show. They're having one this year with Freezepop, TOUCHBOY and Minibosses (not at the actual festival, it's a seperate show at a seperate venue, it's just associated with the festival by name). I love Minibosses, and any self-respecting gamer should check them out.

Yobari @ Nov 1st 2006 8:02PM

The Minibosses show tickets are 32,85$CDN (taxes and service fees included).

Already got my tickets and i'm ready for an awesome weekend.

Fuzzy Muffin @ Nov 1st 2006 8:33PM

The guy was just reving up the croud for a competition.

I would like to see any of u Joystiq guys covering this thing. i went to the one last year it it was killer!

Ian @ Nov 1st 2006 11:26PM

I'm down to going. Maybe there should be a meet up ?

I live 45 minutes away from the venue (Train + bus).

Deth @ Nov 2nd 2006 1:42AM

SWEET! A festival dedicated to the best console ever made- The emerson arcadia 2001! All 5 of us owners will be there! :)
Cheers!

Cassius @ Nov 2nd 2006 1:57AM

Hey, I'm going. I'll actually be at the Centre NAD booth showing off a game level we made. Free Pass to show off the shit we did at school. Woot! It's sad our Free Pass won't get us to cut the Wii waiting line though. :(

Rusty Chicken @ Nov 2nd 2006 7:20AM

To all those going!

Where and when we all going to meet up?!?!

Decide for yourselves.

i say rockstar booth!

Simon @ Nov 2nd 2006 9:17AM

I live in Montreal and work at Ubisoft actually.. I don't have much info on this year's Arcadia besides what the other comments say (Wii, Zelda, GoW, 360, etc..), but I heard that last year's Festival was way bigger than expected. I'm going to this year's for sure!

You can also check the following teaser website. It's funny, but pretty gross at the same time:
http://www.gamingnonstop.com/main.html

witzor @ Nov 2nd 2006 10:25AM

The guy is a comedian, and I think its part of his show. I've seen it before. In short, he ask why you never see a croud go really crazy in a comedian show, just like in a big rockstar concert. So he ask the croud to just do it, go crazy for him, just to know the feeling... Sound stupid, but when you see it live, it works really well. His name is Christopher Williams.

Cybermind @ Nov 2nd 2006 8:26PM

if they are playing during that timeframe, check out this montreal band

http://ourstyle.kicks-ass.net

http://www.demonoid.com/files/details/516857/?show_files=#comments

yes, its legal to download. they are all for it.

marie-annick boisvert @ Nov 4th 2006 1:20AM

i am the producer of the event. Send me your questions to info@festivalarcadia.com. and by the way stade uniprix is an indoor stadium who use to be 16 tennis court. so 80 000 foot square

Susie @ Nov 13th 2006 4:43PM

I went to this show in Montreal this past weekend - it was pretty well organized and the facilities were definitely big enough, however - the line ups to check your coat and to get to the games themselves were a little rediculous - and people could have been monitored a little better so they didn't hog the games on other people - otherwise , it was an interesting thing to go see, not enough for me to go again - but that was because I'm an adult and didn't like fighting my way around little kids. ~ on a side note, I was there with someone who has epilepsy and another one with a head injury who were both bothered by the strobe light in the entrance-way. Was that really necessary?