Even with my complaints, I'd say if you've never been and you love gaming, you should experience it at least once. My comments were made from my perspective. I've been many times, experiencing a lesser return on investment in recent years (not even including the pandemic). I also have other conventions and get to regularly play with friends I used to see only at conventions.
Is GenCon still worth it?
S
Don't take the wrong way but you may just be getting old. As we get old, we sort of drop off the gaming radar. Gaming Culture is a good term for it.
I don't have my age breakdown of attendees anymore but here is events to attendees, please note it is events, not seats.
Attachments
MGibster
Legend
A few years ago (2017?), I figured out I have enough time and money to be able to afford to go to Gen-Con so I started looking into it. I found the process to be a bit overwhelming and would likely find it stressful had I actually been planning to go that year. Just finding a room close to the convention center was going to prove difficult and then getting my convention pass and registering for events I wanted to attend was no picnic. I don't remember what I calculated my total price at, but it was a few thousand dollars to include accommodations, travel, and even a little to spend on new games. As I said, I'm at a point in my life where I can certainly afford the price but I think my priorities have changed since I was as wee gamer. Is it worth spending that money on Gen-Con? I'd probably have a good time at Gen-Con. But maybe I'd have a better time going to Scotland or something.
ART!
Deluxe Unhuman
I've attended many times, mostly since it's been in Indianapolis, including in 2019 and 2021. There was no GenCon in 2020.
It is VERY VERY VERY VERY LARGE.
GenCon 2021 was smaller, either due to lowered interest because of COVID concerns or admission restrictions because of COVID concerns, or both. So, it was only VERY VERY LARGE. They spaced things out much better, mask requirements were enforced, lots of vendors had hand sanitizer available, all the game and event rooms hand restrictions on crowding, the convention center had installed hospital-grade air cleaners, etc.
I found it more manageable in 2021 because of all that. Previous years have been a veritable sea of humanity, sometimes almost crushingly so. If you have issues with crowds, do not go.
There are events for every interest, from board games to card games to RPGs, cosplay to anime screenings, writing panels, live gaming podcasts, kid-friendly programming - you name it. It's four days of wall-to-wall - and there are a lot of walls! - gaming and vaguely-related nerdity. The convention center is sprawling,a nd the convention spills over into adjacent and nearby hotels and the stadium nextdoor. there's a lot of walking to be done. A LOT.
I mostly like to walk the exhibitor's hall and just see what people are making and selling. There's big areas there where big gaming companies have multiple demos you can jump into. There's vendors selling games old and new, well-known and obscure, and also costumes, props, dice, minis, t-shirts, etc. I can theoretically see everything in the exhibitors hall one day, but only if I'm alone and don't attend any events - that's how much there is to see just in the exhibitor's hall alone. The last couple of times I've done 3 days or the full 4 days of the con, because a good friend is a vendor and had a guest pass and bed at the hotel for me.
Beyond the Exhibitor's hall, there's also companies that have their own large rooms or event areas for playing just their games.
Like I said, it was more manageable last year because of the reduced size - I actually attended a couple events!!! But, this has made me want to find a smaller con nearby.
I have rarely if ever paid for a hotel to attend the con, because Indianapolis is close enough to drive to early in the morning and drive home after dinner. So, I can't say if it's worth it to attend if you have to pay to stay somewhere for one or more nights. Clearly, hotels full of people think it's worth it - I think it's the biggest convention Indianapolis has, and hotels are packed for blocks or miles around. You kind of have to book rooms - and reserve events, for that matter - as soon as humanly possible.
TheLibrarian
Explorer
If you've never been, I'd certainly say it’s something every gamer should experience at least one in their life. If you do go, go with a group. I’ve been solo on rare occasions and I always have a better time when I can hang w/ friends.
The rest of this post is just an old grognard b!tching, complaining, and back-in-my-daying. Take it with a block of salt lick. I debated on whether or not to even post it. But it’s another perspective… which may or may not be helpful.
I've been asking this question myself over the last couple of years and I'm slowly inching toward: No.
With the exception of the most recent Plague Years and a few years here and there, I've been going to Gen Con since the 90s. I'm increasingly finding it not as enjoyable as I used to and just plain stressful. From the Hotel Hunger Games to Games Registration Hunger Games to finding parking/transportation Hunger Games if I didn’t get a downtown hotel to navigating the hallways and exhibit hall... It feels like: Work.
The exhibit hall is more of a pain than a pleasure. Even if I want to talk to a manufacturer or designer or artist/author… It’s really hard. The crush of the crowd makes it difficult to stop and look at things, let alone get in close to talk w/ anyone or hear them.
It’s also really expensive. I've spent less for flights and a boutique hotel in Vegas, for longer periods of time, than I spend on three or four days of just lodging for Gen Con.
The last several years there also seems to be more socio-political drama around aspects of the show. The pronouns thing seems like it will be this year’s issue. (I truly don't care one way or the other.) Maybe this has always been present and I just haven’t noticed it. Whatever the case, I have less patience for it. There just seems to always be an “it” to contend.
(Which is not to say that the issues that are raised aren’t important or to be dismissive of them. They’re just not things I want to deal with around or on my vacation. I don’t involve myself with them, but for whatever reason I’m also not able to tune them out. I’ll fully admit that’s a Me Problem.)
Lastly, and I guess this is the big one for me… Someone above mentioned that it doesn’t feel very friendly anymore. Its not exactly unfriendly. It used to feel like I was part of a family. Now I just kinda feel like I’m part of crowd. And I’m glad the show and the hobby has grown. There’s so much going on at the show (and they’re all truly wonderful) that I’m having a bit of a hard time finding my tribe these days. (Again, that’s a Me Problem as I get older.)
I'll go back to my rocking chair on the porch now.
The rest of this post is just an old grognard b!tching, complaining, and back-in-my-daying. Take it with a block of salt lick. I debated on whether or not to even post it. But it’s another perspective… which may or may not be helpful.
I've been asking this question myself over the last couple of years and I'm slowly inching toward: No.
With the exception of the most recent Plague Years and a few years here and there, I've been going to Gen Con since the 90s. I'm increasingly finding it not as enjoyable as I used to and just plain stressful. From the Hotel Hunger Games to Games Registration Hunger Games to finding parking/transportation Hunger Games if I didn’t get a downtown hotel to navigating the hallways and exhibit hall... It feels like: Work.
The exhibit hall is more of a pain than a pleasure. Even if I want to talk to a manufacturer or designer or artist/author… It’s really hard. The crush of the crowd makes it difficult to stop and look at things, let alone get in close to talk w/ anyone or hear them.
It’s also really expensive. I've spent less for flights and a boutique hotel in Vegas, for longer periods of time, than I spend on three or four days of just lodging for Gen Con.
The last several years there also seems to be more socio-political drama around aspects of the show. The pronouns thing seems like it will be this year’s issue. (I truly don't care one way or the other.) Maybe this has always been present and I just haven’t noticed it. Whatever the case, I have less patience for it. There just seems to always be an “it” to contend.
(Which is not to say that the issues that are raised aren’t important or to be dismissive of them. They’re just not things I want to deal with around or on my vacation. I don’t involve myself with them, but for whatever reason I’m also not able to tune them out. I’ll fully admit that’s a Me Problem.)
Lastly, and I guess this is the big one for me… Someone above mentioned that it doesn’t feel very friendly anymore. Its not exactly unfriendly. It used to feel like I was part of a family. Now I just kinda feel like I’m part of crowd. And I’m glad the show and the hobby has grown. There’s so much going on at the show (and they’re all truly wonderful) that I’m having a bit of a hard time finding my tribe these days. (Again, that’s a Me Problem as I get older.)
I'll go back to my rocking chair on the porch now.
bedir than
Full Moon Storyteller
I hope they spin off some regional or microcons. That's the only way to deal with the crowding they have.
to be honest, the bigger cons (PAC, ECCC) overwhelm me. I've grown to love the smaller stuff.
to be honest, the bigger cons (PAC, ECCC) overwhelm me. I've grown to love the smaller stuff.
Doc_Klueless
Doors and Corners
Just to let everyone know that I'm still reading the thread I created. I just don't have anything to add! Ha!
Note, best go with friends and try and do stuff you do not play at home. I know people that have been going for years and do not know what The Stink is. Also, for 1st timers, play in NASCRAG they are a fun and welcoming bunch.
Ath-kethin
Elder Thing
I've put in to run two DCC games and to volunteer at the Goodman Games booth this year at Gen Con, so I'm planning to go. The last time I went was in 2018; my then-5yo was dressed as Gandalf and I was dressed as Bilbo Baggins. It was awesome.
The con is enormous, but that's part of why it moved to Indianapolis. Indy has a lot of space and is relatively easy to reach travel-wise. And especially for those of us who came up in the 80s and 90s when we had to hide our hobby from basically everyone, it's incredibly empowering to be among such an enormous mass of people who all love the same stuff we do.
Of course, I grew up not far from Indianapolis, so I have a bunch of family and old friends in the area. That makes the trip itself worth it for me.
The con is enormous, but that's part of why it moved to Indianapolis. Indy has a lot of space and is relatively easy to reach travel-wise. And especially for those of us who came up in the 80s and 90s when we had to hide our hobby from basically everyone, it's incredibly empowering to be among such an enormous mass of people who all love the same stuff we do.
Of course, I grew up not far from Indianapolis, so I have a bunch of family and old friends in the area. That makes the trip itself worth it for me.
