Paizo Paizocon 2020 Is Cancelled

In a not-unsurprising announcement, Paizocon 2020 has joined the other conventions and events this year which have been cancelled due to the current pandemic. Paizo has sent out a full update regarding the conventions, and also its other operations, at the current time.

"I just wanted to update you with new information about how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting Paizo and what it means for you. As you know, the situation is changing rapidly and the team here at Paizo is having to take in new government rules, regulations, and health department guidance on almost a daily basis.

On Monday, March 23rd, Washington State Governor Jay Inslee issued a stay-at-home order for non-essential businesses. Most of Paizo has been working from home for a while now, but our warehouse team had been continuing to ship orders to distributors and paizo.com customers. Paizo will now be closing our warehouse for two weeks starting on the evening of Wednesday, March 25 and put those workers on a paid furlough during that time. The team is working hard to finish March subscription shipments before this shutdown. After two weeks, we plan to resume warehouse shipments unless the situation dictates that we do otherwise. Our customer service team will continue to work from home answering your questions. They have a thread on our forums to keep customers updated with their progress on customer requests: Paizo Customer Service Status Updates & What to Do.

We can still fulfill PDF sales, and we will be launching a PDF sale later this week. Buying PDFs is a great way to help Paizo get through these troubling times as well as getting great gaming products at great prices! Watch for an email announcing the sale in your inbox later this week.

I must also announce that we have made the decision to cancel PaizoCon 2020. Though we and our partners at the DoubleTree Hotel believe this is the best course of action for the safety of our staff and attendees, this is particularly sad for us because we at Paizo really enjoy having the chance to hang out with all of you and play games for a weekend. There will be a number of options for dealing with your badge and banquet ticket purchases, including rolling it forward to next year with a nice gift waiting for you at PaizoCon 2021 to thank you for sticking with us through these times. If you have purchased a badge, look for an email explaining your options soon. Our customer service team would greatly appreciate if you could wait to contact them about PaizoCon badge options until after we have sent out the email to badge holders.

The staff has been hard at work from home. The Pathfinder Advanced Player’s Guide and the Starfinder Starship Operations Manual have both been sent to the printer to be delivered in time for Gen Con, and other products are going to the printer each week. There is a light at the end of this tunnel, and we want to make sure that there are new roleplaying game products there for you to enjoy when we get through it.

Once again, thanks so much for your kind words of support and your continued patronage of our products. Together, we can get through these difficult times. We look forward to seeing many of you at the gaming table soon.

Lisa Stevens, CEO
Paizo Inc."

 

[Morrus]

I imagine (and hope) that a not-expensive Test Kit that can be used at home will be invented and mass-produced quickly. The first few Cons that open for tabletop play this year might require every attendee to take a test (from your room, before you leave it). If you are OK you can play in person. If you are not, a number of VTT gear is available - and attendees were warned / advised to bring their own, just in case.

It’s not that test kits can’t be made. It’s the sheer number of them we need. Every country in the world is desperate for them. 7 billion test kits is a hell of a demand!

In most countries companies are shifting production to make stuff to aid the effort (I know Rolls Royce and Dyson, for example, are over here). Eventually we’ll have enough; it’s a supply and demand issue.

 

[Eltab]

It’s not that test kits can’t be made. It’s the sheer number of them we need. Every country in the world is desperate for them. 7 billion test kits is a hell of a demand!

In most countries companies are shifting production to make stuff to aid the effort (I know Rolls Royce and Dyson, for example, are over here). Eventually we’ll have enough; it’s a supply and demand issue.

Local (but not national) US media are showcasing local companies that are converting production to meet the emergency. Near me, a maker of fashionable purses &c is now doing hospital gowns.

I've seen one article about coronavirus test kits that indicates they cost $181 each. (Probably a newly-designed prototype.) Not nearly in the $5 each ballpark I have in mind, for something that can be added into "convention expenses of the day".