stiehle wrote: jm.spellslinger wrote: gharris wrote:
People want to be able to drive to Gen Con, stay within walking distance of the con, and not have to walk in 100 degree plus heat. Realistically Indy is the best location for Gen Con, and it isn't going anywhere anytime soon.
The real elephant in the room is attendance. If Gen Con wants to continue to give gamers the experience it wants it needs to curb attendance, and it needs to do so without cutting back on true gaming events. Unfortunately we now have a bloat of people who aren't actually coming for gaming, and Indy can't continue to support a generic "anything that a gamer or a family member of a gamer can possibly be interested in" convention.
there is a whole forum dedicated to this topic. It's surely a more interesting topic now that ticket sales have reached their cap. As someone who comes to gen con as a gamer I am extremely greatful for the relief non-gaming events bring to the con. With over a full work day worth of gaming events scheduled every day from Thursday-Sunday, being able to just enjoy geek culture each day really lightens the experience for me.
I like the idea of the gaming culture gaining a wider audience and appreciation by non-gamers because of this very situation. I can't see GenCon cutting off an entire aspect of their fanbase by making the convention geared only toward gaming (whether RPGs or board gaming). I've seen other cons that seem to gear themselves toward gaming specifically, so those options are always out there. GenCon, to me anyway, seems more like a celebration, bringing 'geek culture' together, whether they be gamers, anime and comic book enthusiasts or cosplay participants - as well as those that want to just soak it all in.
Sure, we can try to have Gen Con be a generic "geek culture" show. We can also have these same discussions again in 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021 in new "housing worst ever" threads because a bunch of angry gamers still can't get hotel rooms.
Gen Con cannot be a generic "geek culture" show, that is way too broad and no city can handle that. Luckily, Gen Con is, in fact, "The Best Four Days in Gaming". It is a GAMING convention, gaming comes first always and accommodating gamers should always be the first priority.
Cosplay isn't gaming. Anime isn't gaming. Arts and crafts, belly dancing, and kinky rope play events are not gaming (well, maybe rope play if you are lucky...). Puppets are not gaming. Comic books are not gaming. We may not need to cut all of them all at once but cuts do need to start being made somewhere.
Ten years ago, sure, we had a little bit of room where we could accommodate some fluff. Now? Indy cannot handle it and we have nowhere to move to.
Right now this is a housing issue. When the convention hits it will be a parking, restaurant, and getting through the exhibit hall issue. Severe housing problems are just a symptom of a bigger problem.