Since its the 50th GenCon will they have anything special going on?
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Posted by nascragman
#76

I see they're going to have a full size recreation of Horticultural hall from Lake Geneva inside Lucas Oil.  HH was the site of the first GenCon

Posted by quarex
#77

That really is pretty much the best idea.  Particularly since my holy pilgrimage to Lake Geneva, while including many selfies in front of relevant landmarks, did not actually include a trip inside the Horticultural Hall!  I am stoked for sure.  I also suspect the replica just might be full of period-appropriate gaming relics.  Well, maybe not particularly valuable relics if you can actually go inside the recreation, but still.

Posted by laufersweiler xanathon
#78

xanathon wrote:
I've attended GenCon from the last year in Milwaukee to present.  In prior years each gaming company would lay everything out and make the convention the gaming event to go to.
...
I just want to see this convention get back to what it used to be compared to where it is going.  If GenCon is the premiere gaming convention then why are so many gaming companies doing their own thing instead of going all out at GenCon as they used to?
I realize that nobody except the gaming companies can answer this question.  
 

I can speculate - In the heyday of the big game company events, Gen Con was still functioning as an industry trade show to a much greater degree. Distributors and FLGS operators would come to Gen Con (and write it off as a business expense ;) ) with an eye towards checking out the new hotness and deciding what to stock for sale. While there is still some of that going on, the thinning of stores, consolidation of distrubutors, rise of direct sales from publishers to stores and customers - the internet marketing trends in general, really - means that big trade show demo events are both less necessary and less impactful than they used to be. It's still worthwhile to many, but the economics that made the high-profile stuff you remember worth what it costs have changed. 

For all that, (New-New-)ICE is coming for the first time in many years and Chaosium has their own room with continuous Call of Cthulhu & Runequest Glorantha happening to hype the new editions.

Posted by adcjones xanathon
#79

xanathon wrote:
I've attended GenCon from the last year in Milwaukee to present.  In prior years each gaming company would lay everything out and make the convention the gaming event to go to.
While I don't blame GenCon as the cause that Wizards pulled out of the convention I do blame GenCon for so many other companies decreasing their overall presence at the convention.
Compared to prior years there just simply aren't the quality events as there were.
The Dungeons and Dragons events are lacking for lack of a better word.  Privateer Press doesn't run the same type of events as they have decreased their presence.  
The Magic events aren't much different than what I can find in my local area on most weekends.
Now whether this is due to a change in philosophy of the convention from putting on the best event in gaming to we are in it for pure profit I can't say for certain, but the convention has changed over the years and not for the better.
I could care less about cosplay and the video game element, but people seem to enjoy them and I leave that to each their own.
I just want to see this convention get back to what it used to be compared to where it is going.  If GenCon is the premiere gaming convention then why are so many gaming companies doing their own thing instead of going all out at GenCon as they used to?
I realize that nobody except the gaming companies can answer this question.  
 
I beg to differ.

Magic: The Gathering is still huge; a two years ago I think they had the tourney filmed on a real set.

Paizo's Pathfinder has so many fans and players they host a huge coop game every evening in the Sagamore- the entire room!  D&D never did that with 1500+ players at the same time.

I still think flavor items should be added throughout the center.  Make the entire place feel like a market, or a city, or something, or even break it down into different eras/genres.  The atmosphere has really gone down, I'd agree.

Posted by aaronr adcjones
#80

adcjones wroteI beg to differ.Magic: The Gathering is still huge; a two years ago I think they had the tourney filmed on a real set.
That was 5 years ago, before Wizards abandoned Gen Con. Magic is still a big part of the con but has been on a steady decline for the past few years since Wizards stopped attending.

Posted by nascragman nesbit37
#81

nesbit37 wrote:
This isn't happening specifically at Gen Con but we are working on this project:
http://sites.temple.edu/tudsc/2017/02/03/gen-con-50th-anniversary-programs-project/

Nesbit37, this says it goes live in July.  Does that mean July 1st?   Or just some time next month?

Posted by nesbit37
#82

It will be sometime next month, probably mid-late July.  I don't have an exact date though.

Posted by nesbit37
#83

By the way, my event talking about this project and Gen Con history is below.  I highly recommend coming if you are interested in this, and even though its pretty much sold out I would still stop by if you don't have a ticket since its a free seminar.

https://www.gencon.com/events/116874

Posted by nascragman
#84

I can't wait.  I'll finally have definitive proof that Nascrag is the Oldest Tournament still running at Gen Con.  :-)

Posted by sjhotz
#85

Wow! Reading through this post, OG poster seems to have a legit question. One I'd like answered as a multi year attendee and new VIG, The responses were derisive and cutting, anyone could have simply said that this is a much more nuanced question than you might realize and lay it out, instead you all took the opportunity to display the side of your personality that gives all role players a stigma, that superior "how could you be so stupid" stance. And "austicke" wow! You went way beyond the call of duty to be rude, who pissed in your cornflakes jeez!

Posted by austicke
#86

Someone pissed in my corn flakes? Apparently I wasn't rude enough!

Sorry you found the responses so disconcerting, sjhotz, but many of us disagreed with OP's supposition that Gen Con is "not being the convention it once was" as well as his other complaints.

____________________________________________________
Alec Usticke, Unofficial Gen Con Indy Facebook Discussion Group

Posted by roderick
#87

Simmer down, sjhotz and austicke. 

Roderick Robertson
Forum Coordinator; Gen Con, LLC. 

Posted by quarex
#88

I think the important point to get to for anyone skipping to the last page is...yes.  There are dozens of special events going on, and more being added next week (and quite possibly more after that!).  A shame I cannot attend all of them...but I am doing my best ;)

Posted by stiehle quarex
#89

quarex wrote:
I think the important point to get to for anyone skipping to the last page is...yes.  There are dozens of special events going on, and more being added next week (and quite possibly more after that!).  A shame I cannot attend all of them...but I am doing my best ;)

Indeed, case in point right here!!  I'm trying to find a spot in my schedule for one of these events...

Posted by bith
#90

Screw all that... I want them to recreate Nascrag I, so I can play in it :D

Posted by stiehle bith
#91

bithlord wrote:
Screw all that... I want them to recreate Nascrag I, so I can play in it :D

There's still a good number of tickets left for Nascrag games.  So you're in luck!  Though if you're looking to travel back in time to visit the very first game, I'm afraid I can't help you there...  :)

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