PCW Show 1988
Party Report
Submitted by Jeff Smart (Jeff Smart) on October 28 2006
Written by Jeff Smart in ILLEGAL #30
This weekend will stay in my mind forever
The PCS 1988.
Here we are, London 1988. We arrived late in the night, stand on the Westminister Bridge and listened to the bells of BIG BEN at 12.
Saturday, September 17th. I didn't know it would be one of the best days in my life. After MR.CURSOR, T`KAY and I went through the streets of London and I bought several records and T-shirts in a record store on Oxford Street we took a taxi cab and drove back to to Earl's Court.
THOUSANDS (and this time it is no damn exaggeration ) of people wanted to get in, we bought our tickets and went up the stairs.
We walked past the OCEAN stand at the entrance and I thought that it could be hard to find someone among all those people. The first guy I met was CHARLES DEENEN from MANIACS OF NOISE, who was about to eat something at the
snack bar.
Then, I've been here for some hours and I still didn't know where the different stands were... Then, at the THALAMUS stand I met old JESTER from PUBLIC ENEMY NO.1 and my old lad LAZER from the NEW BENCOR BROTHERS who at once pulled me
down into a bar and bought some beer for us (thanx, Andy!).
Walking over the show again I finally met the SCOUSERS (Weetibix, Chunk and Lee), IKARI (Nik, Just Ice, Tridos, Fletch, Excell), DCS (Mr.Sulu), JCS (the whole bunch), ZENITH (Steve + Hendy), BOD of HOTLINE, THE GRONK, GENE from BROS coming from NORWAY... and later on, on the THALAMUS stand (it became our meeting point) my old friends from COMMANDOFRONTIER (Mad All, Ram, Leto 2.....)
and FAIRLIGHT (Strider, Gollum, Excalibur...) and even some guys from TRANSCOM (naturally not saying a single word).
We all went down into the bar and drank some beers, talking for some hours... then back again on the show. As the show closed around 8, I finally met all I wanted to meet, well almost (IAN?).
Back on Sunday morning, this time we were able to have a look at all those arcade machines, preview shows, promotion gags, company's stands, posters, bag, t-shirts, people, equipment and what the hell...
Again we all met on the THALAMUS stand, though I personally think that OCEAN's one was the very best. Lots of playable games (ROBOCOP, TYPHOON, OPERATION WOLF...) and arcade machines, promotion gags (a guy disguised as ROBOCOP
itself...). We walked around making jokes, sitting down in the bar. We also went to the COMMODORE USER stand, made some photos.
But there was really no use to test a game, because on very single arcade machine you could count 50 small English kids (Oh my God, they're all talking English!) kicking in their balls... and playing...
I was able to play 'ARMALYTE' from THALAMUS (Delta 2), 'ROCKET RANGER', 'LORDS OF THE RISING SUN' and 'TV GAMES' all from CINEMAWARE, 'DALEY TH.O.C.' from
OCEAN on AMIGA, a very bad looking 'AFTERBURNER' from ACTIVISION on 64 and what the dickens I don't remember exactly everything else, but it was damn cool. Cooler than anything else before. It really was the show!
Mr.Just Ice just grabbed some games and previews just out of the hands of the software companies (well done!) or took several equipment with him (yol!).
Well... as the time came to say goodbye (FAIRLIGHT and CFR left already on Saturday...) we all decided to meet again as fast as possible and this could be at Venlo in December, but... Sitting in the car right now I swear to myself
I'll be back next year when the PCS 1989 will take place.
This weekend will stay in my mind forever and ever as it was really one of the best a computer freak could imagine, and when do you have the time to meet all British hackers, the guys from Compunet, all the software companies (really
all!!!) and many interesting guys? Only one time a year when it's PC SHOW time.
See you around next year!
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