Convention Tips, Part 1
Jun 21Ah, summertime! School is out, the weather is warmer, and a man’s heart turns to…game conventions! Yes, it’s convention season for me and Cody, a time for gamers from around the country and the world to pack their bags and head off to locations with exotic names like Columbus and Indianapolis. This is one of my favorite things about living in the Midwest – it’s really a great place to live if you’re a gamer. I daresay that I would not be as involved in the gaming hobby as I am had I not moved to Indianapolis 8 years ago and discovered Gen Con.
So, I thought I’d do a series of posts on convention tips. I’m not necessarily an expert, but neither are most of the other people who write internet blogs, so you’re free to take my advice with as much of a grain of salt as you please.
Tip #1 – Choose wisely. Much like choosing any other sort of vacation destination, it’s important to choose a game convention that matches your interests. What kind of games do you like to play? Are you interests purely gaming, or do you like other geek stuff like sci-fi and anime? Are you interested in a big exhibit hall with vendors, or do you just want and opportunity to get together with other people and play games? Here are a few of the major conventions and what they have to offer:
1. Gen Con – first held in 1967 in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, Gen Con has become the largest consumer game convention in the United States, with more than 28,000 attendees in 2008. It is held in the middle of August at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, Indiana. In addition to an expansive exhibit hall with hundreds of vendors, the convention also offers a selection of over 6000 game events. Everything from roleplaying games to CCGs, board games, and miniatures games can be found. Fans of anime and cosplay are also well-represented. When it comes to American game conventions, Gen Con is definitely the “Big Show”. Every gamer should make a pilgrimage to this convention at least once!
2. Origins – The Origins Game Fair is put on by the Game Manufacturer’s Association (GAMA) and is held in Columbus, Ohio during the last weekend of June. While not as well attended as Gen Con, it’s still a large convention, with more than 14,000 attendees in 2008. This convention seems to have less of a focus on the dealer hall and ancillary events, and more of a focus on pure gaming. There also seems to be a much greater representation of miniatures games and wargames at Origins than at other cons. But, it’s still a great all-around gaming con. Of particular interest to boardgamers is the Board Room, run by the Columbus Area Boardgaming Society, and offering lots of gaming space and an extensive library of board games that you can check out. If you’re looking for a “big con” feel, but can’t make it to Gen Con, Origins is a great time.
3. BGG.Con – BGG.Con is a newer convention, put on by the creators of BoardGameGeek.com, and focuses almost exclusively on board and card games. It is held in the middle of November in Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas. It was first held in 2005, with an attendance of 250. Since then, it has shown steady growth, and boardgamers on BGG have commented that it’s a very friendly convention with a heavy emphasis on open gaming. I haven’t had the opportunity to attend this one yet, but I hope to go next year, since it’s only ~15 minutes from the house where I grew up.
In addition to these 3 major players in the realm of board, card, and roleplaying game conventions, there are also many other smaller conventions such as TempleCon, RinCon, Adepticon, and many others. There are also multi-genre cons like Dragon*Con and Penny Arcade Expo (PAX). So, whatever your gaming tastes are, there’s a convention that will fit your interests. But, choose wisely!
Episode 22 – Battle Royale
Jun 21
In this episode, we take a look at games for large groups. What is the best game to bring out when you have 5 or more players? And, we jump into hyperspace to review Space Alert from Rio Grande Games. Will this cooperative space adventure be a buy, try, or deny?
Episode 21 – Renovations
Jun 08
It’s time for an upgrade! In this episode, we take a look at various ways to enhance your games. Whether it’s card sleeves, animeeples, or complete game overhauls, there are lots of ways to ‘renovate’ your gaming experience!
