MAGWest 2026

Join a ZUMBA™ session with high-energy dancing and moving your body to VGM + Latin hits! This is a fun, beginner-friendly activity for all dance levels and to share the joy of movement, rhythm, and energy as a community. Bring good shoes, water, and a sweat towel if needed.

Panelists:
Brooke Ferd [ZIN Instructor/VGM Musician, www.brookeferdmusic.com]

CurtDogg, aka the host of Double NintenDare, double-dips his toe into classic 80s and 90s television with some cheesy cartoons and tapes from his childhood, while riffing on them with friends. Hop in your PJs and grab a bowl of cereal and be ready to be taken back to a simpler time... for better or worse.

When technology such as the CD-ROM and early CG arrived in the late 80s and early 90s, both Hollywood and Silicon Valley lost their collective minds with excitement over new creative possibilities and scrambled to collaborate together. A slew of movies featuring early CG were released, while Full Motion Video technology and high quality audio were core to the experiences of classic games such as Myst, Rebel Assault, the 7th Guest, and Wing Commander. Yet not all were successful; for every Myst, there was a Night Trap or a Sewer Shark. Join Rob Curl and Steve Horowitz to explore game and audio design in this era of “Sillywood”! The session will examine key titles from the period, including Cadillacs and Dinosaurs, which Horowitz worked on with Rocket Science Games, and analyze the distinctive aesthetics that emerged from the fusion of Hollywood production techniques and interactive media. The talk will also address why many of these ambitious projects became fascinating failed experiments, offering insight into the challenges of integrating live-action storytelling with early interactive technologies and what their legacy reveals for contemporary game design.

Panelists:
Robert Curl [Museum Historian, www.themade.org]
Steven Horowitz [Professor of Music, Composer for Nick Studios, https://www.stevehorowitzmusic.com/]

(Can be the same as panel description but would prefer to write something up once ive finished the presentation)

Panelists: Andrew Sipotz [Producer - Video Games, www.gamekatsu.com]

Waluigi doesn't have his own game, but he has his own panel where he pays other people to talk about games he should have been in and how great he is.

Panelists:
Foundation for the Eradication of Generation 5 Pokemon [https://linktr.ee/fifthgenisntpokemon]

Bring your writing! Charles Barouch is a writer and developmental editor, he's had decades working with experienced and new writers. You read, he'll offer specific feedback and guide the audience to do the same. Sign-ups will be handled in the room. We'll get to as many of you as possible.

Panelists:
Charles Barouch, Horrorwords.com [Writer/Editor/Developmental Editor/Publisher, hdwp.com]
Dani Barouch [hdwp.com]

Come try your hand at voice acting with Preston Yeung local voice actor. It's a safe room to come out and just have some fun reading lines from some of your favorite anime and games.

Panelists: CINEPRESTO [Voice Actor]

Team CWF returns to ALA. Who will triumph tonight? Help us decide!

Neopets is a shambling late-stage capitalism simulator cloaked in the guise of a “virtual pet website”, and it has been running for the past 26 years with absolutely zero economic regulation. Is there any way to fix this mess without inciting open class warfare between the Neopian bourgeoisie and the commoners who rely on their free daily omelette slice?

Please join us for an atrociously stupid presentation on the current state of the Neopian economy.

Are you dying (repeatedly) to get into Dark Souls and other Souls-likes? Take it from me, someone who can’t play games past easy mode. This panel is here for you with tips beyond “getting good.”

Panelists: Rangoon

If the creators didn't intend for <redacted> to be trans, why did they put all those trans scenes in?? Experience the absurdity of Hackers (1995) and decide what flavor of queer each of the main characters are, and why we should never deadname The Plague (no matter how much of a weenie he is). Plus learn about this movie's VERY impressive soundtrack given it's from 1995!! Missed it last year? Now's your chance! CW content containing light transphobia and racism. 

Delorean Overdrive is a high-octane synthwave band that transports listeners straight to the neon-soaked streets of the 1980s. With pulsating beats, shimmering synths, robotic vocals and a nostalgic nod to retro-futurism, Delorean Overdrive delivers an electrifying experience that blends the past and future in perfect harmony. Their music captures the essence of a time when VHS tapes and arcade games ruled, driving through soundscapes inspired by classic sci-fi, horror films, and video games. Whether you’re cruising down memory lane or revving up for the future, Delorean Overdrive will take you on a sonic ride you won’t forget.