Wizards not going to Origins???

[Crothian]

A friend e-mailed me about Wizards new Convention schedule for 2006 and notiable Origins is not on the list. Now this past year Wizards booth was tiny about one tenth or smaller then what they had at Gen Con. So, its no big suprise after seeing that that they drop the Origins Convention, but I'm treatiung this as an unconfirmed rumor and was hoping that someone from Wizards might see this and comment on it. Origins is a great convnetion and even though the booth of Wiszards has shrunk it is also nice to see them and get to experience them as part of the convention.

 

[Ranger REG]

One can't help but to speculate the reason for not participating Origins event. Budget reason? Hasbro assigned a stingier accountant?

 

[Mouseferatu]

One can't help but to speculate the reason for not participating Origins event. Budget reason? Hasbro assigned a stingier accountant?

I'd say, if anything, the answer's the other way around: Specifically, that Origins isn't worth the investment for WotC.

*waits for the uproar to die down*

I enjoyed Origins, when I went. But it's not remotely as large, or as popular, a convention as GenCon. It's possible that WotC's analysis simply revealed that they weren't earning enough attention/sales/whatever to make the expense worthwhile.

This is all just guesswork, of course. For all I know, it's just a mistake in the listings.

 

[Mark CMG]

Speculation?


w00t!!!11!!!


Considering how much closer GenCon is to the East Coast now, they might have felt that the return from Origins didn't warrant a large presence by them, hence the small presence last time. They might now feel no presence is better than a small presence lest they appear less competitive in comparison to some other vendors who go all out for Origins.

 

[Crothian]

I'd say, if anything, the answer's the other way around: Specifically, that Origins isn't worth the investment for WotC.

*waits for the uproar to die down*

I enjoyed Origins, when I went. But it's not remotely as large, or as popular, a convention as GenCon. It's possible that WotC's analysis simply revealed that they weren't earning enough attention/sales/whatever to make the expense worthwhile.

This is all just guesswork, of course. For all I know, it's just a mistake in the listings.

I don't think anyone will make the claim Origins is like Gen Con and its not like they only have to goto one. But looking at what I have as the conventions they are going to:

.Winter Fantasy Feb 22 - 26
.NY ComicCon Feb 24 - 26
.GAMA March 13 - 16
.E3 May 10 - 12
.BEA May 19 - 21
.Wizard World East June 2 - 4
.ALA June 24 - 27
.San Diego ComicCon July 20 - 23
.Wizard World Chicago Aug 4 - 6
.GenCon Indy August 10 - 13
.GenCon SoCal Nov 16 - 19

I have no idea what ALA is but it ends as Origins begins. So, are they choosing that over Origins?

 

[Meloncov]

I suspect its a typo. Given how much Origins has grown, I can't see them skiping it.

 

[Cam Banks]

.ALA June 24 - 27

I have no idea what ALA is but it ends as Origins begins. So, are they choosing that over Origins?

That's the American Library Association conference held in New Orleans in 2006. I'm a library supervisor at Penn State, so I know all about these big conventions. Didn't think WOTC would ever head in that direction, though!

Cheers,
Cam

 

[IronWolf]

I hope it doesn't prove true... I know their booth was *much* smaller last year than the previous year, but I still think their presence it warranted. And agreed, while Origins is a smaller convention than Gen Con it is still a good sized convention as you mentioned.

 

[Brother Shatterstone]

Seems weird to skip it considering the other Cons they are going to…

Electronics
.E3 May 10 - 12

Comics
.NY ComicCon Feb 24 - 26
.Wizard World East June 2 - 4
.San Diego ComicCon July 20 - 23
.Wizard World Chicago Aug 4 - 6


… but maybe they seem them as drawing new people into the hobby.

 

[Cthulhu's Librarian]

That's the American Library Association conference held in New Orleans in 2006. I'm a library supervisor at Penn State, so I know all about these big conventions. Didn't think WOTC would ever head in that direction, though!

I thought that was odd as well. Guess I might need to see if UVA will pay for me to go this year! Probably not, though, I'm too far down the totem pole for them to send a staff member when there are librarians who don't even get enough of a travel allowance to go. Guess I'll need to pull in favors from some people to have them pick stuff up for me.