STEVENS POINT ROBOCUP 2021

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It is with tremendous excitement that I present to you the Wisconsin Computer Club's first major event of the 2021 season! The Stevens Point ROBOCUP!

What's a RoboCup?

The Stevens Point RoboCup is (to the best of my knowledge) the first ever retro video games tournament focused on the 1980's icon, RoboCop! The event will feature vintage computers running (as of this writing) RoboCop 2 by Ocean Software for the Commodore 64!

Why are you doing this?

The city of Stevens Point, led by Mayor Mike Wiza, have expressed a collective interest in putting up a statue to the titular RoboCop character. The character of RoboCop was portrayed by actor Peter Weller, who once lived in Stevens Point. While unusual, it's safe to say this effort has captured the public's attention both locally and afar. As our organization is located in Stevens Point, and all the members I've spoken with are just as interested in seeing this statue come to be as I do, we've elected to help out in some material way. TL;DR- how many chances in your life do you get to help build an enormous statue to a robot cyborg from the 1980's?

A few illustrative news articles on this matter can be found HERE, and HERE.

When? Where?

We are holding the event at the Stevens Point Holiday Inn Convention Center (located at 1001 Amber Avenue, Stevens Point, WI 54482) on May 22nd, 2021. The doors will open at 10:00 AM, with the RoboCup taking place from noon until 5PM. Winners will be announced, and we'll be wrapped up around 6PM or so.

What does it cost to attend/enter?

Admission to the event space is free. Many vintage computers from the Wisconsin Computer Club's permanent collection will be set up and freely available for use by the public. Those wishing to participate in the RoboCup for prizes and bragging rights will pay five dollars ($5) per attempt. The top three high scores will be awarded prizes. All proceeds of the event will benefit the design, fabrication, and construction of the RoboCop statue. We are grateful for any donations as well.

How does the RoboCup work?

With entry fee, the player will be given five (5) minutes to play. At the end of your playtime, or when all lives are spent, the total score will be taken. Whoever has the highest scores will win incredible prizes. There is no limit to entry, though only the highest score of all attempts will be considered for placement. The game may be played on either original vintage hardware or modern emulated hardware- you are welcome to bring your own controller if you feel it'll give you an edge!

What are the prizes!?!

FIRST PRIZE!
The coveted Stevens Point RoboCup trophy, a glorious and resplendent icon fit only for the greatest RoboCop gamer. Photos coming soon!
$100 Gaming Generations Gift Card



SECOND PRIZE!
$50 gaming Generations Gift Card

THIRD PRIZE!
$25 Gaming Generations Gift Card

What else is there to see?

The bulk of the Wisconsin Computer Club's permanent collection will be on working display, and open for public use. We'll be featuring many iconic computer systems of the 80's and 90's, including:

Macintosh Plus
Macintosh Performa 425
Apple IIC
Apple IIGS
Apple eMate 300
iMac (various, pre-2005)
Commodore 64
Commodore 128
Commodore Colt
Amiga 1000
Amiga 2000
Atari 400
TRS-80 CoCo
Mattel Aquarius
Compudyne 486
Zenith EaZy PC

...and more! (List subject to change)

Come on down, see a ton of retro gear in action, and try your hand at some classic games! See you there!
 
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Administrator

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Barring technical issues, the game we've chosen is RoboCop 2 for the Commodore 64, built by Ocean Software. A longplay of the entire game can be found below. Enjoy!

 

Administrator

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How much will the statue cost, and where is it going to be?
Cost is presently unknown. The Detroit statue, which is a hand-sculpted bronze, cost right around $60,000. The Stevens Point statue, while bigger, will be largely 3D printed with a lot of recycled materials involved, so our cost should be substantially less while still getting us something that looks stunning.

As for the location, rumors have circulated that it might have been going in the north side roundabout or set up in the downtown square, but Mayor Mike Wiza has denounced those citing traffic safety concerns. Instead, it's likely the statue would be give a place of prominence in an existing or new park- the city does have plenty of empty land that could become "Robo Park" but that'll really only be known once we have the statue.
 

Administrator

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Big news! We've got the final word from our friends at the Holiday Inn, we can set up the day before which will be wonderful! That means we are adjusting the event times on May 22nd thusly:

DOORS OPEN- 10:00AM
ROBOCUP BEGINS- 12:00PM
ROBOCUP ENDS- 5:00PM
WINNERS ANNOUNCED- 5:15PM
DOORS CLOSE- 6:00-ish


We look forward to seeing you there!
 

Jasper

Well-known member
Cost is presently unknown. The Detroit statue, which is a hand-sculpted bronze, cost right around $60,000. The Stevens Point statue, while bigger, will be largely 3D printed with a lot of recycled materials involved, so our cost should be substantially less while still getting us something that looks stunning.

As for the location, rumors have circulated that it might have been going in the north side roundabout or set up in the downtown square, but Mayor Mike Wiza has denounced those citing traffic safety concerns. Instead, it's likely the statue would be give a place of prominence in an existing or new park- the city does have plenty of empty land that could become "Robo Park" but that'll really only be known once we have the statue.
Is it going to talk?
 

Administrator

Administrator
Staff member
Attention, if you want a great room rate from the Holiday Inn (the host of our event) reserve a room mentioning the "Stevens Point RoboCup" or the group code "ROB" which is good through MAY 20th!

If you can, please do support the Holiday Inn, they've done us a huge solid on this one, and we owe them a huge thank you for making this whole thing possible!
 

Administrator

Administrator
Staff member
I'm pleased to announce that Gaming Generations is our latest sponsor for the Stevens Point RoboCup! A prize package including a $100 gift certificate awaits whoever gets the highest score in the Robocop 2 game on May 22nd at the Stevens Point Holiday Inn!

If you're looking for retro games and gaming equipment, look no farther than Gaming Generations- these guys have it all from the Atari 2600 on up! Check them out, and give them a big "thank you!" for helping us #BringRoboHome!
 
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