It seems like every time we think we've reached the upper limit of what a single back yard can contain, we manage to add a bit more. The Nov. 15, 2014 arcade party was another back-yard blowout, straining the capacity of the premises and, doubtlessly, the electrical grid. Over 200 attendees streamed into the yard this time, threading their way through over 30 full- and over-sized arcade machines, over one dozen vintage consoles, two pinball machines, and endless tall stacks of video game items up for trade. Read all about it in the Nov. 15, 2014 Event Recap.

The next SC3 arcade party has yet to be scheduled, but if our normal schedule holds, it'll be sometime around Spring 2015. We're also considering possible new venues for the next event. As always, keep an eye on our Future Meeting Page and our Facebook page for announcements. Until then, keep gaming!

Once again, Thanksgiving is coming to Southern California a couple of weeks early. SC3 will be serving up a cornucopia of classic videogaming vittles on Saturday, November 15, 2014, from 4 p.m. to midnight. The November holidays are traditionally a time to go back home, and so we are once again going "back to the back yard" and throwing a house-party at the same Claremont residence that has hosted so many of our past events. Once again we'll be cramming several dozen arcade machines and classic home consoles into a lucky home's back yard. Video game auction site GameGavel.com will once again be on hand, conducting another raffle of gaming merchandise. If you attended one of the old parties, you know that like any good Thanksgiving meal, it'll be overstuffed but extremely satisfying.

If you want to attend, you must fill out this RSVP form. If your registration is accepted, you will be informed via email. Simple! Remember, it's essential that you RSVP ahead of time – space is limited at this location and we need an accurate headcount!

Thanks as always for your support and remember to keep an eye here and on our Future Meeting Page for more announcements about the event!

A mini-SC3 event was hosted at The Frida Cinema to celebrate its showing of Video Games: The Movie on July 19, 2014. Several moviegoers and video game fans, including a large number of families with young children, were in attendance. SC3 provided seven home consoles and two arcade machines – Donkey Kong and Track & Field – briefly recreating the glory days when real arcade cabinets could be found in all theater lobbies. While not as large as a typical SC3 event, this was a unique opportunity for us to showcase classic games in front of a different audience. We lost count of the number of people who were wowed by their first-ever sight of a Vectrex, and seeing young kids willingly play E.T. for the 2600 is a rare treat. Plus, after witnessing N64 and Xbox 360 games played on a theater-sized screen, we absolutely NEED to see a ColecoVision game blown up to that size. Someday we'll make it happen.

Photos of the event can be seen on Frida's Facebook VIDEO GAME DAY post.

SC3 will be on hand during The Frida Cinema's Video Game Day, headlined by the new documentary Video Games: The Movie, in Santa Ana on July 19, 2014. Frida Cinema is a "community-based, mission-driven, non-profit Art House theatre dedicated to enriching, connecting, and educating communities through the art of cinema" located in downtown Santa Ana. Once they secured the rights to screen VGTM, they decided to make a larger event of it. They're holding a game character cosplay contest. They're bringing in a band (The Grinning Ghosts). But they thought: why only watch films about games when you can play them? That's where SC3 comes in. We'll be on hand Saturday only, with a miniaturized version of the goodies we normally bring to SC3 events. We plan to have about a half-dozen classic home consoles and 2-3 arcade cabinets available for free play from 1 - 6 p.m. on Saturday. Frida is also hosting big-screen (as in theater-sized-screen) gaming, featuring modern games. Come early, play some games, listen to some tunes, eat some popcorn, then watch VGTM!

SC3 will be on site Saturday only. Doors open at 1 p.m. The band and the big-screen gaming starts at 4. At 6 p.m. the gaming and band will wind down for the cosplay contest. Video Games: The Movie will screen at 7:30 p.m., after which time the band will play another set.

Admission: $10 General, $8 Students and Seniors, $7 Frida Members and Cosplay Characters

Please note that is a Frida Cinema event; SC3 is just helping out. Please don't expect the normal SC3 blowout party with tons of machines crammed everywhere; the cinema just doesn't have that kind of space. In particular there will be no space available for buying, selling or trading games. This time it's all about playing and celebrating games. Our normal festivities will return for the next SC3 arcade party, which will likely be sometime around November.

The Frida Cinema and SC3 hope to see you there! For more information, visit Frida's web site.

April 26, 2014 marked the fourteenth arcade party SC3 has put on since 2006, and the second at The Last Arcade on the Planet – a Santa Ana facility fully stocked with over fifty classic arcade cabinets. About 175 people showed up for SC3's trademark mix of retro arcade and console gaming and trading. Overall the event went off very well, with a lot of satisfied players all around. But thanks to a bizarre mishap with an equipment rental service, it nearly didn't. Find out all about it in our April 26 Event Recap.

The next SC3 arcade party has yet to be scheduled, but if things work out as we expect, it'll be sometime around November in Claremont. As always, keep an eye on this site and our Facebook page for announcements. Until then, keep gaming!