Who's going to GenCon

[MGibster]

One of my take-aways is that I might shop around for a smaller gaming convention. I love that GenCon is only an hour drive away from me, but normally I find it just unmanageably large.

I've wanted to go to Gen-Con since I was a teen, but once I could actually afford to go the sheer size of the event kept me away. Just buying a ticket and getting a room can be overwhelming as everyone seems to be purchasing tickets and booking rooms at the same time. And then there's no guarantee you'll be able to get tickets to the specific events you wish to attend within Gen-Con itself. For me, Gen-Con would likely be a once in a lifetime trip that would cost me a pretty penny which I'd be willing to pay. But over the years I've felt my time and money would be better spent pursuing other vacation destinations.

This kind of reminds of something Yogi Berra said. When asked about a very popular restaurant he replied, "Nobody goes there anymore. It's too crowded!"

 

[eyeheartawk]

I stopped going after 2015 I want to say. Too big, spread out over too large an area (stadium, train station etc) with too few near hotel options. But the main thing is the crowds, you can't even move in the dealer hall most days. I stick to Origins and other smaller cons during the normal times.

 

[Retreater]

@MGibster I totally understand. I've seen GenCon double in size since I first attended. The typical crowds definitely hamper my enjoyment. It's difficult to get into the games you want, the best rooms sell out quickly, and the prices are all inflated. But for a gamer, I totally understand wanting to see it at least once.
Like @eyeheartawk I like smaller cons nowadays. Origins is the sweet spot for me. It feels like how GenCon was 10 years ago. There are fewer vendors, but they're mostly everybody I want to see. There are fewer games, but it's largely the stuff I want to play and I can actually get tickets. I spend about a third of the cost, my wife is able to put it in her schedule as a teacher.

 

[eyeheartawk]

@MGibster I totally understand. I've seen GenCon double in size since I first attended. The typical crowds definitely hamper my enjoyment. It's difficult to get into the games you want, the best rooms sell out quickly, and the prices are all inflated. But for a gamer, I totally understand wanting to see it at least once.
Like @eyeheartawk I like smaller cons nowadays. Origins is the sweet spot for me. It feels like how GenCon was 10 years ago. There are fewer vendors, but they're mostly everybody I want to see. There are fewer games, but it's largely the stuff I want to play and I can actually get tickets. I spend about a third of the cost, my wife is able to put it in her schedule as a teacher.

I hear that bit about Origins being good for teachers alot. I honestly think that's a substantial share of their attendees. But also yeah, agreed on Origins. Big enough to have virtually everything being run but you can actually get into games.