For the fifth year in a row, 20,000 gaming fanatics are expected to make their way to the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Downtown Pittsburgh for Replay FX (Aug. 1-4), a convention celebrating gaming in all forms. From competitive gaming to pinball and other arcade games, and even board games, Replay FX brings all elements of gaming culture to one place.
Replay FX began with the Replay Foundation, an organization that believes in the preservation and enjoyment of pinball machines. The event now features over 1,000 pinball machines and arcade gaming machines.
The convention will also jump into the future with virtual reality games and esports. The Pittsburgh Knights, Pittsburgh’s officially recognized esports team, will appear for gaming sessions and photo ops.
At its core, esports is competitive gaming and has gained popularity through online streaming formats such as Twitch and YouTube Gaming. At Replay FX, the Pittsburgh Knights will be hosting multiple tournaments for the popular fighting game Super Smash Bros. as well as a tournament for the vehicular-soccer video game Rocket League.
The Knights partnered with Replay FX in February, and have been working to unite and celebrate retro and modern gaming.
“We’re really excited to do this, and the main reason we’re excited is because one of our core missions as a company is to bring families together through gaming,” says Angelica Sirabella, communications director for the Pittsburgh Knights. “We think this is going to be the perfect opportunity to do that because there will be something for grandparents who played pinball when they were kids. You have people who grew up playing Atari or Pong when they were kids, and then there are young people who want to see virtual reality stuff.”
The 2019 expo also will bring an intense pinball tournament with some of the world’s greatest pinball players. Notable competitors include Daniele Acciari, an Italian pinball player currently ranked fourth globally, and Todd MacCulloch, a retired NBA player who now hosts his own pinball tournaments.
Other pieces of gaming history will be available for guests enjoyment including the original gaming console, the Magnavox Odyssey from 1972, Atari, and the original Nintendo Entertainment System from 1982.
In addition to games from every generation, Replay FX will also feature live music and cosplay contests throughout the four-day-long expo.
“I really think there are things for everyone, and you can’t say that about every event," says Sirabella. "I think this is definitely family-friendly and family fun.”
Replay FX and Pittsburgh Knights work to preserve gaming history
