San Diego Gam3rCon Opening with 'Geek Theatre' Double-Bill

There's often some gaming content on show at Comic-Con in San Diego, but, as the name suggests, that's not its primary focus. It was this that drove Brian Bielawski and Walter G. Meyer to set up Gam3rCon last year to coincide with Comic-Con.

"With over 40,000 gamers a day roaming the streets of downtown San Diego, it's a great opportunity to highlight the gaming aspects that are often overlooked at the Con," said Bielawski. "And as an all-ages event, Gam3rCon provides a safe place for kids to hang out after Comic-Con," added Meyer.

The event will open with a double-bill of "geek theatre" productions, including a live-action fan adaptation of Joss Whedon's "Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog" and a one-man show named "GAM3RS: The Play." Tickets to the show are $40 and include entry to a rooftop after party overlooking the San Diego skyline.

The event runs from July 19 to July 24 and includes video game tournaments on Tekken 6, Mortal Kombat, Super Street Fighter IV, FIFA 11, Marvel vs. Capcom 3, Rock Band and Call of Duty: Black Ops. There's also a table-top gaming lounge featuring play sessions and tournament play for Magic: The Gathering, Dungeons and Dragons, Outbreak: Undead and numerous others. The event also plays host to nightly parties with live entertainment from Jimmy Wong and Samurais & Schoolgirls as well as a "geek folk music" concert in aid of Get Well Gamers on the closing night.

Attendees will also be able to sit in on a variety of industry panels, including discussions of women in gaming; the never-ending question of games as art; homosexuality and homophobia in gaming; developing and marketing table-top games; and video game development. The most recently confirmed speaker is Raychul Moore, whose work you may have seen here on GamePro in the past. She'll be sitting on the games as art and women in gaming panels.

Single-day passes for the con are $5 on the door, and week-long passes are available for $10. Prospective attendees are encouraged to pre-register by July 15 -- that's tomorrow -- for a free one-day pass. You can do that -- and find out more about the event itself -- right here.