Write a commentVideo game culture is spreading locally with the help of Patrick Milligan, owner of River City Retro and a director for the gaming convention known as RetroGameCon coming in November.
After living in Oswego his whole life, Milligan attended Oswego State University and graduated with a bachelor's degree in business administration. Milligan is a native of Oswego, who has had a passion for gaming ever since he was small. "From the time I could walk and talk, I've been an enthusiastic gamer," Milligan said. "I have a deep, geeky love for the 1980's and 1990's, [and] I love talking about and playing video games as well as being involved in local gaming events."
In 2007, Milligan started selling these classics. After his family's restaurant closed down, Milligan needed money to pay for school expenses while he was enrolled at Oswego State. By going through his closet and selling old video games he no longer played, he found he "enjoyed the selling experience." After graduating in 2009, he decided to take a chance on a full-time internet retail business.
Originally, the company had been named MilliganGames, but in 2014, Milligan chose to change the name to River City Retro. "[It] is a play on the classic Nintendo NES game 'River City Ransom.'" said Milligan.
River City Retro sells more than classic video games. "I also sell high quality poster prints of video game artwork, and do some video game console repair." Said Milligan. He also sells and produces video game related art in different mediums, like other video game businesses.
However, what makes Milligan's business different is that he sells primarily over the internet. Milligan sells products through his Ebay store and on video game forums like NintendoAge.com, in addition to selling locally on Oswego Yard Sale forums on Facebook and in person to local collectors. Milligan handles every aspect of his business from answering emails, advertising, running the River City Retro social media, and listing, packing, and shipping his products. "Not only do I have to answer up to several dozen emails per day, I also travel all over Central New York to meet people and buy games," Milligan said.
Local competition and keeping inventory has provided a constant challenge for Milligan, for which he is always exploring alternative solutions, including the relationships he has forged with local vendors and businesses. "You may think that a business with sales over the internet doesn't require a lot of person-to -person interaction, but I actually spend a great deal of time on customer service," Milligan said. "Every day I go somewhere different to purchase old, awesome video game stuff."
Milligan is also one of the directors for RetroGameCon, which is Central New York's premier video game convention. RetroGameCon takes place annually in Syracuse. It features video games from every era, along with tabletop gaming, trading card game tournaments, video game tournaments, panels, special guests, music, and more. We are very excited to announce that this year, RetroGameCon will be held on Saturday, Nov. 14th at the New York State Fairgrounds."
Milligan is the merchandising director of the convention. "My job is to research and acquire physical merchandise related to the convention, such as T-Shirts, attendee badges, and 'convention swag' like tote bags, magnets, posters, and other items." Milligan said. The convention offers a VIP package, which is an upgraded ticket that includes "Geeky game goodies," according to Milligan and Retrogamecon.com. Milligan, along with his brother Sean, serve as a liaison to companies that support the convention.
For more information on River City Retro, visit their Facebook page at facebook.com/RiverCityRetro. For RetroGameCon, more information can be found at facebook.com/RetroGameCon and by following @RetroGameCon on Twitter.
