If there's enough of a fanbase, there's a convention for it out there. Comic book fans have Comic Cons. Coffee lovers have Coffee Fest and just about anything else you can think of. There's even a 'Hello Kitty Con' in LA. Video games are no exception as they're a multi-billion dollar industry. Over the weekend, I attended the Portland Retro Gaming Expo in Portland Oregon. It's a great way to showcase the roots of video gaming from where it began to where it's going.

I have a huge passion for video games. When I was growing up we had an Atari 2600. Growing up in a family of nine (both parents and 6 brothers and sisters) and in a time where we only had one television, my video gaming was very limited as I also had to share. I found out that I could beat the system by waking up early before everyone else to play the Atari before others woke up.

It wouldn't be until I was in middle school when the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) was already out that we got a second television to mostly dedicate to playing video games on. That's when my love became a passion.

Many others have fond memories on how they got into video games. For me, it was an escape as I had so many other people in the house, I could zone out and mentally be away for a while.

These video game conventions is like an interactive museum. They had plenty of free arcade and pinball machines to play. They featured panels of the guys who made some of the more popular games. There were plenty of vendors who sold classic games and game related merchandise. Best of all where the other people who shared the same passion.

This one in Portland, Oregon may be the biggest retro video game convention in the US, but more and more are popping up every year in various cities like Seattle, Philadelphia and more.

My wife grabbed several photos of the event. Here are just a few of what it's like at the Portland Retro Gaming Expo.

PRGE
PRGE / Michele Riggs
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PRGE / Michele Riggs
PRGE / Michele Riggs
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PRGE / Michele Riggs
PRGE / Michele Riggs
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PRGE / Michele Riggs
PRGE / Michele Riggs
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PRGE
PRGE / Michele Riggs
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PRGE / Michele Riggs
PRGE / Michele Riggs
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PRGE / Michele Riggs
PRGE / Michele Riggs
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PRGE / Michele Riggs
PRGE / Michele Riggs
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PRGE / Michele Riggs
PRGE / Michele Riggs
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PRGE / Michele Riggs
PRGE / Michele Riggs
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PRGE / Michele Riggs
PRGE / Michele Riggs
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