Is Gen Con worth the money?

[Palaner]

Please help me out; I'm a little skeptical by now. Are four days of pure, unadulterated gaming worth $1000+ dollars to come down, find a hotel, find food, pay to get in, pay for certain events, pay for some merchandise, etc.?

Is Gen Con even accessible to people who don't exactly have money to burn?

 

[Thunderfoot]

I'll tell you in about a month or so. I am doing a a research project on it.

 

[Xath]

1. There's no need to spend that much money at Gencon. You can find roomates, pack a cooler of food, and try not to but too much at the dealer room.

2. Yes.

Gencon is great not only for the unadulterated geekiness of it all, but because it's a chance to meet and network with people who share your interests. That's not to say that it's not without its flaws, but I've never had a bad overall Gencon experience.

 

[Crothian]

Gen Con is what you make of it. If you sign up for games and actively make yourself have fun, you will. There is lots of fun to be had. But it doesn't find you, so if you can fill your time and enjoy it then it is well worth it.

But one thing that makes it great for me is having been a part of EN World. I meet up with a lot of posters who I wouldn't meet in person otherwise.

 

[francisca]

Well, my commute is only 1.5 hours, so I don't have to pay for a plane ticket.

My budget has been in the $550-$700 range, depending on how many people I split the room with, how well I want to eat, and how much stuff I buy in the dealer hall. I think it's certainly worth that amount.

 

[Thornir Alekeg]

I guess it all depends upon your view of what it takes to make something worth it. Is a 4-day trip to Disney World worth $1500+ - not including food? Some people think so, others would say no.

I haven't been to GenCon in almost 20 years (many great memories). I would love to go again, but I have not been able to find the time to go or the ability to coordinate a trip with some of my gaming friends.

I will get back there one day.

 

[Festivus]

I don't go to Indy, mainly because my wife won't let me. But I do get to do SoCal. My budget last year ran about $500 total including room, food and dealer room stuff I bought. Because my wife and kids came along I couldn't split a room which hampered my spending time. Tip #1... leave the wife and kids at home.

This year I am sharing a room, which will drop my expenses significantly. I also bring snacks / food / drinks and save a bundle. Tip #2, Trail mix is perfect for these affairs, as it provides a lot of energy in a small package and is cheap.

Tip #3 - invest in some of those individual iced tea/lemonaide/kool-aid packets, and bring a bottle of water. Just refil the bottle and pour in your tea... refreshing and cheap. The convention center usually puts out cold water for everyone to drink.

Stay out of the dealer rooms after you have bought what you intended to buy. I usually have a list of things I want to make sure I buy, and then a little extra for anything cool I see and want to get. I preset a budget and keep myself from exceeding it. Tip #4 - Take your players aluminum cans and bottles to be recycled, use the profits to purchase stuff for your game.

 

[sjmiller]

Well, if you are like me, going to GenCon is not really an option. To be frank, I am not a big fan of large crowds packed into small areas. I tend to avoid conventions in general, even for my profession. I would much rather save my money and use it for buying more game stuff.

 

[mcrow]

I'm not sure that I would be going if I didn't have free room and transportation.

 

[Vrecknidj]

No. It's not worth $1000, in my opinion.

I've gone to about 20 GenCons though, so I suppose I should clarify.

This year, my hotel is going to run me over $700. I am bringing my two sons, at least one of their friends, and probably at least one other friend. They'll be staying in my room. One of my sons is 12, he's not paying anything, obviously. My friend will chip in some cash. My 17-year-old and his same-aged friends, will be chipping in a little.

We buy food from the local grocery and take it with us in a cooler. I know that not everyone can drive to GenCon. Some years, I've bought food at an Indianapolis grocery and taken it to the hotel. There are ways around the high food costs.

I play in a few games--they're not that expensive. I buy a set or three of dice (they are a little pricey, but it's my annual indulgence). I don't tend to buy books or anything like that because I'd prefer to by them at my local game store and keep those guys in business.

Overall, it costs me around $1,000. But, this is for at least four people, not for just me. If it cost me $4,000 to take 4 people; I wouldn't go.

Dave