GenCon SoCal Post Thoughts

[Merova]

GAMA Trade Show

I agree! Late January and early February are usually DEAD months post holidays.... Perfect for a Con!

Yeah, it's a slow time for convention-goers. However, the companies are gearing up for GAMA Trade Show at this time, and working on getting products ready for an Origins release. Scheduling a major con at this period would be disruptive to both production schedules and cash flow. Moreover,those industry folk who also work in the electronic game industry are also finishing up stuff for E3 in May.

November is nicely situationed three months after GenCon Indy and three months before GTS. The push for the big summer release schedule isn't a factor here either.

Regarding GCSC, I had a great time. I'll definitely attend next year.

---Merova

 

[BrooklynKnight]

I understand that unions are also why there isn't a major con in Chicago.



Hmmm. not according to his con report, where he puts the numbers at about 4700.

Well that was the estimate i heard floating around. I guess after the final count it was less. Still over his mark though.
Ah, the turnstyle was 13,000+. Thats what i musta been hearing.

 

[bubbalin]

I'm with Henry, and would love to hear what happend with Val Kilmer and why he will not be allowed back. BTW was he a scheduled guest or someone that just showed up?

Is he not allowed back, or doesn't he want to get back.
I suppose it could be interpreted either way, but I thought from the wording of it that he was freaked out by something Peter Adkinson did, and as such he left and won't come back as long as PA is in charge...
Guess it could use some clarification, but I wonder also...

 

[Michelle Lyons]

I'm with Henry, and would love to hear what happend with Val Kilmer and why he will not be allowed back. BTW was he a scheduled guest or someone that just showed up?

Val Kilmer was an invited and scheduled guest, who then apparently flaked entirely. I don't know if GenCon had to put up money up front for that, but that was entirely unprofessional. It may not have been what Mr. Kilmer was expecting, but I can't blame Adkison for being very angry.

 

[Henry]

...but I thought from the wording of it that he was freaked out by something Peter Adkinson did, and as such he left and won't come back as long as PA is in charge...

From my experience, when someone says, "THIS won't happen as long as I'm in charge," it usually means they are the one doing the deciding. I'm still sorry to see it happen, either way. Sic Transit Gloria Superstars.

 

[spyscribe]

He didn't mention my pet issue either, which was the constant announcements and their proximity to the gaming. When running games in the RPGA area, it got really annoying trying to shout over all the announcements.

Ah, were you playing the Saturday afternoon slot with the minute-by-minute updates on William Shatner's autograph signing status too?

 

[WizarDru]

Sort of OT but not quite...

I have always wondered, do they ever plan on having a REAL GenCon East? Indy isn't really east, it's more central. And many of us on the east coast would like to see a GenCon East, instead of getting left out all the time.

 

[Janos Antero]

All in all it was a decent convention, but there was far too much space as others pointed out. The place felt very tiny.

And the local turnout was really a disappointment, of the major game stores in the area, only one was in attendance, and a remarkably small number of the comic book stores big and small. With refinement the entire Con will hopefully get better, it did feel rough.

It felt roughly the same size as the other area Conventions I go to, but likely that's a perspective of the amount of space. I will go back again next year if it's in SoCal, but I probably wouldn't if it moved, unless it was going to be a bit bigger considering the overall cost.

 

[roytheodd]

Anyone else care to post their impressions of the event?

I was there for all four days and I think it was absolutely excellent. My sole purpose for being there was to hang with the AEG/Warlord crowd. AEG did not let me down either. Their gaming booth was heavily staffed, they had lots of events, and they had the biggest crowd in the CCG room all four days. I love AEG. They made the convention for me.

I got to game until I fell asleep, I met Shatner, I met Dr. Demento, I saw Warp 11 play again, I got to meet industry folks and see stuff I hain't never seen before. I got to meet the lead designers of my CCG and chat with them about the future of the game, and get their views too. The RPG games were great and so were the board games. I got to laugh at Decipher for sucking as hard as they do (come on, no LotR RPG five days before RotK opens?). I got to talk to Adkison as he walked by the AEG booth at 2am... he even stopped to ask our opinions.

I will say this, the crowd felt thin but I think the venue was merely too large this year. Also, AEG made the convention for me. If I played any other CCG I would have been dissappointed, but AEG had a great turn-out of fans and they had excellent presence there.

I will certainly be back again next year.

 

[Pyske]

Ah, were you playing the Saturday afternoon slot with the minute-by-minute updates on William Shatner's autograph signing status too?

I was running Living Spycraft from 10:30 - 6:00 on Saturday. By the end of the day, I was about ready to defenestrate somebody.

. . . . . . . -- Eric

PS -- Don't you have a story hour to write? Your fans await...