If ENWorld should ever do a Kickstarter it should be...

[Gilladian]

Sorry, I think the idea of a video of GenCon is silly and pointless. If ENWorld did a kickstarter, I think it should be something a lot more important to the community as a whole - something that could be used to draw in new members, teach the larger community WHAT roleplaying is, what DND is, and why it is something they should want to become involved in.

Not a self-referential "aren't we great" video about an event that not even 1% of gamers ever consider attending.

 

[Dice4Hire]

The more I think about this, the more enamoured I'm becoming with the idea. I think it would be a blast. And in addition, we could manage footage of EN World events (such as the ENnies) in-house. Get lots of interviews, cover important panels. It'd be real fun to do and really give those who can't make it there an insight into what it's like to be at the con.

We have plenty of time to think about it!

I think I could get behind this idea. I have never been to Gencon and would not mind seeing a good overview of everything. I see a lot of disjointed videos every year, but they do not give a very good overall picture.

 

[Jupp]

Not a self-referential "aren't we great" video about an event that not even 1% of gamers ever consider attending.

If you make a doc about GenCon then GenCon is used as a vessel to initally explain what the hobby is about. You see this in a lot of documentaries that use an event to explain the concept of something and then go deep by expanding the focus left and right by going further with interviews, portraits and historical backgrounds.

 

[Morrus]

Sorry, I think the idea of a video of GenCon is silly and pointless. If ENWorld did a kickstarter, I think it should be something a lot more important to the community as a whole - something that could be used to draw in new members, teach the larger community WHAT roleplaying is, what DND is, and why it is something they should want to become involved in.

It's not a zero-sum game; one isn't limited to doing only one thing ever (after all, we've already done two successful Kickstarters). (Well, it's nothing more than half a germ of a idea right now).

That said - like what? Not that I'm doing any more than idly discussing cool ideas right now.

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

I'm pretty sure Kickstarter is intended to fund real world objectives.

A fantasy game deserves a fantasy Kickstarter.

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A GenCon documentary may be a great way to introduce the mainstream to the concept and game -- particularly if it's a way to subtly deflate preconceived notions of the hobby. ComicCon has gone mainstream; why not GenCon?

It's that, or do a *real* D&D movie. If we're looking for realistic, the GenCon project is more achievable.

 

[Uzzy]

How would recording some of the seminars at the convention, for streaming purposes or later uploading to YouTube go down?

 

[Gilladian]

I'm not sure I have any flash of genius to suggest - just a good "What is DnD" type video/experience. Tied to something that other fantasy-oriented people enjoy.

LOTS more people read fantasy novels than ever try DnD - why not an "if you love X, wouldn't you love to try Y", with X being whatever popular series is out there, and Y being a DnD version. Whichever one fits best with that series, of course.

I'm sure there may be other, even better ways to tie things together, but I'm a librarian, so I naturally think of books.

 

[Jupp]

A GenCon documentary may be a great way to introduce the mainstream to the concept and game -- particularly if it's a way to subtly deflate preconceived notions of the hobby. ComicCon has gone mainstream; why not GenCon?

I can't speak for the US but over here it is not preconceived notions that are the issue but the fact that D&D is just not that well know outside of a more or less small caste of board gamers. Heck, even folks that play stuff like Warhammer are often not aware that something like D&D even exists, lest that there is a big ass con going on about it each year. This steam tunnel stuff never was an issue here so that's not the problem.

In general I think that nowadays the issue of D&D is just that it is so very niche compared to all the electronic entertainment that many just don't take notice. And if indy computer game developers get their own movie why shouldn't the RPG crowd get their own cinematic business card as well

 

[Umbran]

Or, of course, there's my brother. He does video work, and animation too.

Oh? Well, then, competency is a lot closer than I figured.

If you make a doc about GenCon then GenCon is used as a vessel to initally explain what the hobby is about.

While a documentary about GenCon would be cool, it would not, IMHO, be a good vessel to explain what the game is really about. GenCon isn't about the typical gaming experience. Using GenCon to teach about gaming would be like... dumping someone into a busy restaurant kitchen to teach them about home cooking. There's so much *extra* going on that will distract and mislead the neophyte.

 

[Dice4Hire]

Oh? Well, then, competency is a lot closer than I figured.



While a documentary about GenCon would be cool, it would not, IMHO, be a good vessel to explain what the game is really about. GenCon isn't about the typical gaming experience. Using GenCon to teach about gaming would be like... dumping someone into a busy restaurant kitchen to teach them about home cooking. There's so much *extra* going on that will distract and mislead the neophyte.

Well, the video should not focus on one game, as there are so many man y many of them out there, but the idea of gamers, and try to cover some of the major subsections, like RPGS, wargamers, etc.