Origins Game Fair Postponed

Origins Game Fair has been postponed from June until October due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The new date is October 7-11, 2020. Originally it would have taken place June 17-21. Origins is the fourth-largest tabletop-specific gaming convention in the world, after Essen Spiel, Gen Con, and UK Games Expo.

However, they have also announced Origins Online, an online convention, to take place the original weekend in June. "Origins Online 2020 will be a fully virtual convention for tabletop gaming fans to enjoy from their devices and will feature an Exhibit Hall where attendees can demo and buy games and merchandise. In addition, the virtual convention will offer streaming workshops and educational seminars with guest authors, artists and game designers, plus hundreds of games online that attendees can sign up to participate in."

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

I'm glad to hear that they're making the call now. Last I had heard, they had May 1st as the go/no-go date. I don't know if it'll be advisable come October, but we can certainly hope for the best.

Going to Origins in the fall would be weird...it's supposed to be hot as heck outside the convention center!

I'll be curious about the online con - I did the seminars for virtual Gary Con, but am somewhat chary of playing online with an entire table of people I've never met before.

 

[Aaron L]

It's the only sensible thing to do.

Meanwhile, certain members of the United States Supreme Court made a ruling that forces people to physically go to the polls in Wisconsin instead of extending the absentee voting time period... which they hypocritically did through teleconferencing. That kind of idiotic decision-making is only going to prolong the pandemic and get many more people killed.

It was such an abominably poor decision that whoever wrote it even refused to sigh it so that they couldn't be singled out for blame for all the potential resulting deaths. Ruth Bader Ginsburg, of course, did write a scathing dissenting opinion.

It's a sad, sad day when the organizers of the Origins game fair show exponentially greater wisdom than certain justices who make up the majority of the Supreme Court of the United Sates of America.

 

[Vampyr3]

Gen Con it's your move......

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

I can't imagine the headache that the logistics of postponing or cancelling an event that size (sure, Origins is big, but Gen Con is BIG) must bring. But at this point, that's the right call.

If they postpone, when will they choose, with Origins having staked out October already?

Gen Con it's your move......

 

[Jimmy Dick]

I don't see Gen Con being able to move the date very well. A lot would depend on the Indianapolis Colts schedule and what is already booked in the Convention Center on the weekends the Colts are not playing. The NFL season ends at the end of the year, so that would be a make up Gen Con in January where weather would definitely impact attendance. That would mean two Gen Cons within six months of each other and that would play havoc with game companies and their attendance which in turn drives public attendance.

I would think that if they can't hold Gen Con starting July 30th, and then cannot reschedule it before Thanksgiving, that they would cancel it outright. I'm pretty sure they're already looking at the calendar and have a deadline date circled in red for making their decision. Hopefully, they're able to hold it on the scheduled weekend.

 

[Morrus]

I can't imagine the headache that the logistics of postponing or cancelling an event that size (sure, Origins is big, but Gen Con is BIG) must bring. But at this point, that's the right call.

If they postpone, when will they choose, with Origins having staked out October already?

UK Games Expo postponed until August, which is when Gen Con is. So I guess the hope is that it’s over by then.

And I think I heard the Indy 500 postponed until August too?

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

Here's hoping! Not that I'm going this year. I had planned on possibly going to Gen Con if Origins had completely cancelled, but they did not.

UK Games Expo postponed until August, which is when Gen Con is. So I guess the hope is that it’s over by then.

And I think I heard the Indy 500 postponed until August too?

 

[Jimmy Dick]

The Indianapolis 500 will be August 23rd.

 

[Retreater]

We're so disappointed. This means we won't be able to attend at all due to our schedules. Origins was going to be the last stop on our cross country honeymoon, which has now been cancelled. To celebrate a wedding, which has now been cancelled.
Luckily our friends and family have their health, and most still have their jobs. But we're grieving the loss of our wedding we've been planning for over a year, and because of other factors will probably have to delay at least another year.