Who attends GenCon?

[Dextra]

The first year I attended was the last year in Milwaukee. We'd been nominated for an ENnie Award for Portable Hole Full of Beer, and decided to make the pilgrimmange. We were making sufficient money off d20 sales that we could afford the trip, and thought it was the best time for our inaugural GenCon pilgrimmage. Also, the youngest was old enough to travel well and appreciate gaming, so it was a fun family excursion.

Not it's at Indy, it's that much closer for us (we drive from Eastern Ontario), and we appreciate the larger hotel block (in Milwaukee we arrived and our reservation was denied). Oh yeah, and since I've started running the ENnies, my costs are considerably more manageable.

I go to Origins and Gen Con now every year if I can- Origins so I can play games and hang out with industry peeps (without the kids) and locals, Gen Con for the ENnies and ENWorld stuff, the costume contest, and bringing the kids to an awesome event.

It's interesting to me how many of the respondents of this thread started going right around the same time I stopped (late 90s through move to Indy). What was it made you decide to start attending at that particular time? The change in management (from TSR to WotC and eventually GenCon LLC)? The release of 3E? Did the move to Indianapolis itself make any of you decide to start attending? I'd think the rise of the internet would've made people less likely to attend conventions (since a lot of what were, for me, the big appeals of the con -- finding rare stuff in the dealer room and auction, interacting with the designers and 'industry celebs' -- is now much easier to do online than it was in the pre-'net era) but if anything the opposite seems to be true -- is it because you've met people from distant locations online and the con provides a central location to all meet up in person?

 

[Dextra]

If WotC would be so kind as to move GenCon to Toronto, Montreal or even Vancouver, I'd by dying to go, but as things are, I have no more interest in crossing our southern border. Sucks, 'cause I really wanted to meet the EN World crew some day.

Sounds like we need to hold a HoundCon again. Usually occurs at the end of October... Until then, ENW-ers are welcome to attend the Freak Family Picnic and camp out at our farm. Chuck some dice, hang around the bonfire, etc. (usually end of June)

 

[HalWhitewyrm]

NERDS!

Do you hang out at the Fear the Boot forums by a stealth name?
(explanation: that pic of Ogre is almost a basic smilie over there)

I'll be going to Gen Con this year after a 5 year hiatus. My first was in 2001 and I loved it. This year I'll be there representing my company and my podcast, and mostly being part of the huge Gaming Podcasters contigent, so look us up!

 

[Kaladhan]

Would people like to chip in to put Denise in the Klingon Jail Bail?

 

[Dextra]

Would people like to chip in to put Denise in the Klingon Jail Bail?

Again?

 

[Kaladhan]

This year, it's a special request.

Denise's daughter came to see me sometime during the Ennies. She said to me "where you the one who put my mother in the jail bail? Why did you do that? You should have waited until I was around!".

 

[HellHound]

I'll be there, acting as a kilted thug for Dextra.

 

[grodog]

It'll be great to see you again!

Thanks, you too, Kevin

As we get closer, I'll create a Gen Con forum. That's where people will post games and handle game signups. A master thread will list everything going on, and when it's happening.

Sounds good. Will the forum be announced in the General section?