Milwaukee Journal Sentinel GenCon article

[CaptainCalico]

After looking at the Indy Convention Center website I'm actually really happy about the move, even though it means 5 hours in the car instead of 1 1/2. Looks like lots more hotel rooms close by, lost more space and a well-managed facillity.

(I wonder if Peter has planes for the Dome........... )

 

[JeffB]

I've been to Indy a few times for some Archery/Hunting Industry Retailer Conventions(which is a much bigger business than RPG's)...It works quite well and the lodging is reasonably priced considering. I'm sure GenCon will be just fine there..as long as it's in summer...I got stuck in Indy for 3 extra days in the Blizzard of 1996....though admittedly my home airport was less equipped for the storm, than Indy was.

On an interesting note...the Convention I spoke of above has tried Loiusville, which couldn't handle them (size-wise) and Nashville was unbelievably expensive...as bad and mostly worse than any of the major US cities...friends of mine went to Nashville last year, and said food alone was ridiculously high priced...15 per person for breakfasts...40 or so for dinner at a mediocre restaraunt...even the fast food/pizza places were 50% higher than in most parts of the country. Cheap Hotel rooms were in the $200-300 range per night.


Bad thing for me is that my in-laws live about 30 minutes from Lake Geneva/Millwaukee....If had things timed right the family would go out, we'd stay with them, and I could go to GenCon without worry or expense or place to stay...I just never could

 

[Mark]

Well, we'll see what folks have to say about the matter in September 2003. It might turn out that the move to Indy was a good thing overall.

From my standpoint, GenCon should remain a Wisconsin convention, 37 years of history and all that. The purpose of the event is to serve the gamers, of course, so if they are served better in Indy, so be it.

Now, what con will move into Milwaukee to replace GenCon?

Gary

It would be nice to see some of the luminaries of role-play gaming, like yourself, put together a strictly RPG Con. Maybe have it in middle/late June, after Grads and prior to Origins. If you chopped off the other gaming beyond RPGs, the size might be perfect for Milwaukee to handle. d20 publishers would surely want to obtain exhibitor space, given the tightly targetted audience.

Certainly Ryan Dancey would love to see that with Organized Play now running the RPGA's Living City arm. Wisconsin must still be far and away the most populace area for the RPGA and the region, even without that must have more gamers per square mile than most just due to having been the cradle of the hobby (Thanks, again, for that, btw, as if you don't hear that enough from the likes of me ).

As you've said, we'll see what comes up in Sept 2003, but I just can't imagine GenCon getting smaller and that'd be the only way it could ever go back without massive amounts of hotel space becoming available in Milwaukee. Being in Chicago, your old haunt, Indy isn't too much of a difference for me. I need to be able to get a room, or share one, no matter which direction the convention resides. It's just outgrown its roots, I'm afraid.

 

[Mistwell]

Wisconsin must still be far and away the most populace area for the RPGA and the region, even without that must have more gamers per square mile than most just due to having been the cradle of the hobby

I've heard this claim before, and I think it is a myth. RPG gamers are a percentage of any given population, farily consistently spread out, like all hobbies. On a square mile basis, you will have more gamers in a large city square mile than in any square mile in Wisconsin. I think it's been a very, very long time since RPG gamers were clumped near the location of the invention of the hobby.

 

[Mark]

I've heard this claim before, and I think it is a myth. RPG gamers are a percentage of any given population, farily consistently spread out, like all hobbies. On a square mile basis, you will have more gamers in a large city square mile than in any square mile in Wisconsin. I think it's been a very, very long time since RPG gamers were clumped near the location of the invention of the hobby.

It has more to do with how long it's been going on in the area. Let's face it, RPGing spreads more by word of mouth and getting into with your friends. Not sure if you are in the RPGA, but if that's any kind of a guage, the Highfolk/Wisconsin region is huge compared to any other region regardless of the standard population figures. If it weren't for the rather curious way in which our hobby is shared, I'd be right with you, but I doubt your doubt is redoubtable, doughty, dour doubter of Doubtington.




doubt, doubt, doubt

 

[Mistwell]

It has more to do with how long it's been going on in the area. Let's face it, RPGing spreads more by word of mouth and getting into with your friends. Not sure if you are in the RPGA, but if that's any kind of a guage, the Highfolk/Wisconsin region is huge compared to any other region regardless of the standard population figures. If it weren't for the rather curious way in which our hobby is shared, I'd be right with you, but I doubt your doubt is redoubtable, doughty, dour doubter of Doubtington.

doubt, doubt, doubt

I used to be a member of RPGA, but not for a long time. That is a different discussion, but my POV is that RPGA membership bears no relationship to the number of players of the game itself, and recent moves by WOTC seem to indicate that they agree.

I have never met anyone of my generation who has not heard of Dungeons and Dragons. Again, I think it is a myth that the geographic origin of D&D has a significant impact on the number of people playing, at least in this decade. D&D is shared through game stores, not by people waiving others down on the side of the road in Wisconsin. Game stores are spread out evenly among the US population, and that is where the word of mouth is spread. Many people were probably playing Magic:The Gathering when they heard about d20, and started to look into it. I think the raw numbers of 3e players compared to the old raw numbers of 2e players bear this out - the bulk of the people playing this game have not been playing straight through from 1e. They are new players.

This myth about Wisconsin has become so pervasive that I think it is time for Wizards to speak on the matter directly, and let us know some vague geographically-based sales numbers. I'm betting you have a lot more sales in New York City or Los Angeles than you do in all of the state of Wisconsin.

 

[alsih2o]

. I'm betting you have a lot more sales in New York City or Los Angeles than you do in all of the state of Wisconsin.

speaking as a former resident yankee, i think in my travels i have seen that gaming is much more popular in the north...as are almost all indoor activities, not saying wisconsin in particular, just places with snow...i have waited out many a blizzard with friends over the dice

 

[William Ronald]

Originally posted by Mark:

It would be nice to see some of the luminaries of role-play gaming, like yourself, put together a strictly RPG Con. Maybe have it in middle/late June, after Grads and prior to Origins. If you chopped off the other gaming beyond RPGs, the size might be perfect for Milwaukee to handle. d20 publishers would surely want to obtain exhibitor space, given the tightly targetted audience.

Certainly Ryan Dancey would love to see that with Organized Play now running the RPGA's Living City arm. Wisconsin must still be far and away the most populace area for the RPGA and the region, even without that must have more gamers per square mile than most just due to having been the cradle of the hobby (Thanks, again, for that, btw, as if you don't hear that enough from the likes of me ).

Mark, possibly a strictly RPG convention for Milwaukee could use Summer Revel (which is in early June) as a foundation. I know gamers from the Chicago area who have been to Summer Revel.

 

[Mark]

I used to be a member of RPGA, but not for a long time. That is a different discussion, but my POV is that RPGA membership bears no relationship to the number of players of the game itself, and recent moves by WOTC seem to indicate that they agree.

I have never met anyone of my generation who has not heard of Dungeons and Dragons. Again, I think it is a myth that the geographic origin of D&D has a significant impact on the number of people playing, at least in this decade. D&D is shared through game stores, not by people waiving others down on the side of the road in Wisconsin. Game stores are spread out evenly among the US population, and that is where the word of mouth is spread. Many people were probably playing Magic:The Gathering when they heard about d20, and started to look into it. I think the raw numbers of 3e players compared to the old raw numbers of 2e players bear this out - the bulk of the people playing this game have not been playing straight through from 1e. They are new players.

This myth about Wisconsin has become so pervasive that I think it is time for Wizards to speak on the matter directly, and let us know some vague geographically-based sales numbers. I'm betting you have a lot more sales in New York City or Los Angeles than you do in all of the state of Wisconsin.

If you say so...

Let's call on the folks who might know after the GenCon dust settles. I doubt we'll get anyone with that knowledge stopping in for the next week.

WRonald - Can't help with the pics. Sorry. Find a Barendd Nobeard post and follow his profile to his site. I believe he has some.

 

[Black Omega]

I don't think there will be any problems in Indianapolis. If Gencon ever draws as many people as the 500 I'll be impressed. I have no idea what articles might pop up in the local paper but when it was announced Gencon was moving they didn't exactly put up headlines saying "Devil worshippers to start coming to Indy for con!" or any other such foolishness.