Jump to content

Gen Con

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Genconhistorian (talk | contribs) at 14:48, 10 September 2010. The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Gen Con Indy
GenreGaming
VenueIndiana Convention Center
Location(s)Indianapolis, Indiana
CountryUnited States
Inaugurated1968
Attendance30,000 in 2010[1]
Organized byGen Con LLC
Websitehttp://www.gencon.com/
Gen Con LLC
Company typePrivately held company
FoundedMay 2002[2]
HeadquartersSeattle, Washington[3]
Key people
Peter Adkison: owner
Websitehttp://www.gencon.com

Gen Con is one of the largest[4] and most prominent annual gaming conventions in North America. It features role-playing games, miniatures wargames, board games, live action role-playing games, collectible card games, strategy games, computer games, and more, where attendees can engage in various levels of tournament and interactive play.

Gen Con 2010 brought in just over 30,000 attendees, which makes the convention similar in size to Dragon Con, larger than Origins (14,000+) and smaller than E3 (40,000+).

Gen Con originally began in 1968 as a wargames convention, held in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin by Gary Gygax, who would later go on to co-create Dungeons & Dragons and begin the modern role-playing phenomenon. The convention's main site was moved to various locations in Wisconsin from 1972 to 1984, until settling on Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1985. Other Gen Cons were held sporadically in other locations in the United States, and beginning in 1990, Gen Cons were held in European locations as well.

Gen Con became the property of TSR, Inc., the gaming company Gygax co-founded, in 1976. In 1997 TSR (and Gen Con) were acquired by Wizards of the Coast, which was then acquired by Hasbro, who in turn eventually sold Gen Con to the founder and former CEO of WotC, Peter Adkison, in 2002. One year later, the convention relocated to its current home in Indianapolis, Indiana (although this had been planned prior to Adkison's purchase).

Gen Con experienced a short stint in Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, due to a lawsuit from Lucasfilm on February 15, 2008,[5] but emerged from bankruptcy protection approximately one year later, without missing any of its annual occurrences.

History

Early years

Gen Con began in 1967 as an informal gathering of wargaming enthusiasts at the Lake Geneva, Wisconsin home of Gary Gygax, later termed "Gen Con 0"[6].[7] In 1968, Gygax rented Lake Geneva's vine-covered Horticultural Hall for $50 to hold the first formal Lake Geneva Convention, also known as the Gen Con gaming convention for short,[7][8] with roughly 100 attendees. The International Federation of Wargamers, which Gygax had also co-founded, sponsored the first Gen Con.[7] Gygax met Rob Kuntz[7] and Dave Arneson[9] in August 1969 at the second Gen Con.[8][10] The main events at this time were board games, and miniature wargames.[7]

Gen Con's name is a derivation of "Geneva Convention," given the convention's origins in Lake Geneva. The name is also a play on words, as the "Geneva Conventions" are the name of a set of important international treaties regarding war and the earliest Gen Cons had a focus on wargames.[7] For the first nine years, Gen Con was sponsored by the Lake Geneva Tactical Studies Association.[11]

TSR

Beginning in 1976, Gen Con was managed and hosted by TSR, Inc., original publisher of the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game.[12] Gen Con West was held in California for two years only, in 1976 and 1977.[13]

During the following decade the event grew and was hosted at a variety of southern Wisconsin locations, including an American Legion Hall, George Williams College, and the former Lake Geneva Playboy Resort. In 1978 the convention moved to the University of Wisconsin–Parkside campus in Kenosha.[14]

An annual Gen Con South was held from 1978–1984, in Jacksonville, Florida.[13] Gen Con East I was held in 1981 at Cherry Hill Inn, in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, and Gen Con East II was held in 1982 at Widener College, in Chester, Pennsylvania.[13]

MECCA

Gen Con moved again to the Milwaukee Exposition & Convention Center & Arena (commonly known as the MECCA) in Milwaukee in 1985,[14] due to the need for more space.[15] Attendance steadily rose from 5,000 paid admissions in 1985[16] to a peak of 30,000 in 1995[17], making Gen Con the premier event in the role-playing game industry. In 1992, Gen Con broke all previous attendance records for any U.S. gaming convention, with more than 18,000 people in attendance.[15] Gen Con briefly joined forces with its major competitor, Origins,[15] and were run as a single convention for 1988. Wizards of the Coast debuted Magic: The Gathering at Gen Con in August 1993; the game proved extremely popular selling out of its supply of 2.5 million cards, which had been scheduled to last until the end of the year.[18] The ensuing collectible card game craze has been cited as generating the extra attendance that produced the 1995 record.[19]

TSR-Funny Numbers A person note

As Gen Con Historian one the problems I have had is trying to find accurate attendance numbers for Gen Con over the course of its long run. While doing research on the “40 Years of Gen Con” it was important to try to document how what had started in Gary Gygax Basement had become this major event. Sometimes there were announcements in Dragon Magazine or some other newsletter but sometimes the information was either sketchy or downright bogus. TSR attendee accounting methods were related to me some time ago by Dave Arneson(co-creator of DnD) who was doing some consulting work for WotC during TSR purchase and then later confirmed by Gen Con owner Peter Adkison. Sometime in the early to middle 90’s TSR went from the simple unique attendee accounting method; a person is a person, to the Turnstile method. In that if you bought a four day ticket you were count as four people. An arcane method of counting attendee but prone to be misrepresented.

Peter said that as soon as WotC took over that they stopped that practice. This might explain why attendance drops in 1998 when WotC takes over the show on its own. It’s TSR in 30,000 in 95, 27,000 in 96 and 97 and WotC running Gen Con 1998 with 19,000. Looking back at those following shows I could not tell any difference in operations or attendance except steady growth.

The problem of the five pounds of sugar in a three pound sack. At present Gen Con in Indianapolis is a tight fit for 30,000. If Milwaukee could have handled 30,000 attendees in 1995 Gen Con would not have moved in 2003. Simple as that the following years lower attendee figures would have been a walk in the park for Mecca and MEC and surrounding hotels. The 1960’s era Mecca, Auditorium, and Arena could not in any physical way accommodate 30,000 attendee, without a shoehorn. It has been a quest of mine to find and document accurate attendance numbers for Gen Con, hopefully I will find some more before the 50th anniversary.

Randall Porter Gen Con Historian


Wizards of the Coast

Wizards of the Coast purchased TSR in 1997, and Wizards was in turn purchased by Hasbro in 1999. Gen Con moved to the Midwest Express Center (MEC, now the Midwest Airlines Center) in 1998 when the MEC replaced the MECCA. In November 1999, Wizards announced that Gen Con would leave Milwaukee after the 2002 convention.[14] Peter Adkison, the founder of Wizards of the Coast, then purchased Gen Con from Hasbro in May 2002.[20] Adkison formed Gen Con LLC in May 2002 to run the convention, and the first show under Adkison's leadership took place August 2002 in Milwaukee.[2]

Indianapolis

Cosplay at Gen Con Indy 2008

The Midwest U.S. convention moved to Indianapolis in 2003. Peter Adkison attributes the move to lack of hotel space, a less spread out convention center, 40% more floor space, and frequently broken escalators in Milwaukee's convention center.[20][21]

Gen Con in the United States was split into two different conventions in 2003: Gen Con Indy (in Indianapolis, Indiana) and Gen Con SoCal (in Anaheim, California). Gen Con Indy is the larger of the two, drawing approximately 25,000 attendees per year,[22][23] on par with the Gen Con conventions in Milwaukee during the 1990s and early 2000s. It takes place in the Indiana Convention Center. Wizards of the Coast helped to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Dungeons & Dragons game at Gen Con Indy 2004.[24] In 2005 it was reported that Gen Con Indy generated the most direct visitor spending of any annual convention in Indianapolis.[25]

Gen Con SoCal was smaller, with approximately 6,300 attendees in 2005.[26] Gen Con SoCal was the third-largest consumer hobby game convention in North America. It was held in the Anaheim Convention Center. One-day badge prices were $30 to $35, while 4-day badges were $55 to $65. On January 26, 2007 Gen Con So Cal was canceled.[27]

A game of The Settlers of Catan being played at Gen Con Indy 2003.

In mid 2006, Gen Con LLC announced plans to provide more show space for video games to allow video game businesses a place to show their products after the downsizing of E3.[28] Gen Con described their intentions as to "pick up where E3 [left] off."[29] Several years earlier in 2003 Gen Con's owner, Peter Adkison, said that he did not want Gen Con to become a "mini-E3".[20]

Gen Con LLC also ran Star Wars Celebration, the official Star Wars convention held in banner years of the franchise. This is unlikely to continue as on January 10, 2008, Lucasfilm filed a lawsuit against Gen Con LLC, claiming breach of contract, conversion and unjust enrichment over Celebration IV, held in 2006. The suit also claims Gen Con failed to give money from a charity auction held at the event to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.[30] Soon after, Gen Con filed a counter-suit claiming Lucasfilm had no basis for their claims and owed money to Gen Con.[31]

On February 15, 2008, Gen Con LLC announced that it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, citing "significant unforeseen expenses associated with ... externally licensed events".[5] As a result of the bankruptcy filing, the Lucasfilm lawsuit was delayed until November 19, 2008.[32] Gen Con Indy 2008 was held as planned.

On November 20, 2008, a letter of intent to purchase Gen Con LLC's assets was filed with the bankruptcy court. It announced that a to-be-formed company called Gen Con Acquisition Group would purchase Gen Con LLC., with the purchase price being set equal to Gen Con LLC's outstanding debt.[33][34] Gen Con LLC President Adrian Swartout described the letter as "suspiciously cryptic" and concluded that the offer "is not in the best interest of our creditors."[35] Gen Con rejected the hostile takeover bid, and the bankruptcy court allowed Gen Con to emerge from bankruptcy in January 2009, 11 months after it had entered Chapter 11.[35][36]

International

Gen Con spread to Europe in the 1990s, with the first annual European Gen Con held in Sussex, England in 1990, and Gen Con Barcelona in Spain in 1994; both of these Cons were also held in 1995 and 1996.[13] European Gen Con in England was the only 1997 European Gen Con, and the only 1998 European Gen Con was Benelux Gen Con, held in Holland.[13] In 1999, Gen Con UK was held in England, Gen Con Barcelona returned, and Gen Con Europe was held in Belgium.[13] The only Gen Con in Europe in the year 2000 was Gen Con UK, held at Manchester University.[13] In 2001, Gen Con UK was moved to London, where it was held every year up through 2003.[13]

After two unsuccessful years of running Gen Con Europe in the UK, Adkison decided to scale back and focus his efforts on the US shows. In 2004 licenses were issued to groups who would go about creating the franchises Gen Con Barcelona and Gen Con UK. In early 2006, Gen Con LLC announced that it was going to run a new official Gen Con Europe, to be held in Paris, France. The convention was held on the weekend of April 21–23, and reportedly received 4,000 attendees.[37] The convention was held again in Paris in 2007. A Gen Con was held in Brisbane, Australia in July 2008 and again in September 2009. A third Gen Con Australia was scheduled for 2010, but was canceled.[38]

Events

The Gen Con Indy 2003 exhibit hall

The convention features a large exhibit hall filled with game publishers, artists, and related businesses. It is a popular attraction and frequently very busy[citation needed]. The majority of attendees spend at least $100 in the exhibit hall.[4] Most Gen Con attendees are men between 20 and 39 years of age who earn more than $50,000 per year.[4]

The only game to be on the event schedule every year since Gen Con I is Fight in the Skies[39][40] (later renamed Dawn Patrol), first introduced by game designer Mike Carr in 1968 and a fixture on the schedule every year since.

The D&D Championship Series (formerly the D&D Open) is a long running series of Dungeons & Dragons games at Gen Con. Game sessions are scored based on the team's progress; those groups scoring the most advance to later rounds. This leads to an emphasis on quickly solving challenges and moving through the modules. The D&D Open is currently run by the RPGA (Role-Playing Game Association). The open began in 1977.[11]

Tom Lommel organizing players for a NASCRAG event at Gen Con Indy 2005.

The gaming group NASCRAG has run Dungeons & Dragons events at Gen Con since 1980. NASCRAG events sometimes donate their ticket fees to charity. The games run tend to be humorous.

The RPGA runs large numbers of events at Gen Con. They run so many events that they are given their own category (RPGA) instead of sharing the general RPG category. These days RPGA events are primarily "Living" games where players create characters who persist between events. The RPGA first ran events in 1981.[11]

The Game Base 7 games library from the 2003 Gen Con Indy

In 1987 a games library was added from which attendees could borrow games.[11] The library is currently run by Game Base 7.

MIDI Maze, an early networked first-person shooter video game run by the Milatari Atari computer user group, was a draw to the early video game room of Gen Con. It no longer runs at Gen Con; the original display now appears at the Midwest Gaming Classic.

The Klingon Jail and Bail are a group of people who dress as Klingons from Star Trek. For a donation to charity they will "arrest" and detain another convention attendee for a short period of time. The Jail and Bail originally appeared at Gen Con in 1993.[41]

Appearing in 1994 was the first Magic: The Gathering World Championship, won by Zak Dolan, who defeated France's Bertrand Lestrée in the finals.

Cardhalla at Gen Con 2005

Gen Con has also featured a number of events that raise money for a variety of charities. These include Cardhalla, in which donated cards are used to build a large city. Attendees are then invited to throw coins at the city to destroy it. The coins are collected for charity. Cardhalla was first run in 1999.

The Gen Con EN World RPG Awards (the ENnies) are an annual awards ceremony devoted to role-playing games. Established in 2001, the ENnies are hosted at Gen Con Indy (since 2002) and are organized and owned by EN World, a D&D/d20 System news website.

True Dungeon is an immersive life-sized dungeon crawl live action role-playing game (LARP), run at Gen Con since 2003. It features a challenging series of puzzles and scenarios designed to recreate a D&D environment and session. It emphasizes team work, creative thinking and problem solving, as well as employing a fighting and magic system; furthermore, unlike traditional LARPs, it does not require staying in-character throughout the experience.

The Gen Con Costume Contest runs Saturday evening at Gen Con Indy, and features a range of categories such as SciFi, Historical and Fantasy, Talent, Anime and Children's divisions. This event is preceded by a costume parade, in which all costumed attendees are invited to show off their costumes around the convention center. The contest itself generally fills quickly, both for participants and attendees, and features pre-show and intermission entertainment.

Over Gen Con history, a number of games have been announced or released at the convention. Plans to update the D&D game with a third edition were announced by Wizards of the Coast at Gen Con 1999 as the game celebrated its 25th anniversary; the third edition of the D&D game debuted the following year at Gen Con 2000, with the release of the new Player's Handbook[12], while the fourth edition was announced at Gen Con Indy 2007. White Wolf Game Studio's New World of Darkness game line debuted at a party held during Gen Con 2004. Gen Con 2007 added a Trade Day to the schedule for the first time ever. This is an additional day of programming for industry insiders and retailers, held the Wednesday before Gen Con opens to the public.

Timeline

Attendance at Gen Con conventions, based on the numbers given below:

1967–1977: Lake Geneva

Event Date Location Approximate
attendance 		Notes
"Gen Con 0" August 1967[6] Gary Gygax's Home
Lake Geneva, Wisconsin 		12[42]
Gen Con I August 24, 1968[6] Horticultural Hall
Lake Geneva, Wisconsin 		50[43]–100[11] First official year of Gen Con
Gen Con II August 23, 1969 Horticultural Hall
Lake Geneva, Wisconsin 		150[44]
Gen Con III August 22–23, 1970[6] Horticultural Hall/Guild Hall[6]
Lake Geneva, Wisconsin
Gen Con IV August 21–22, 1971 Horticultural Hall/Guild Hall[6]
Lake Geneva, Wisconsin
Gen Con V August 19–20, 1972 George Williams College[6]
Williams Bay, Wisconsin 		>650[45]
Gen Con VI August 18–19, 1973 Horticultural Hall/Guild Hall/Legion Hall[6]
Lake Geneva, Wisconsin 		>700[45] TSR, Inc. Founded[6]
Gen Con VII August 23–25, 1974 Horticultural Hall/Guild Hall/Legion Hall[6]
Lake Geneva, Wisconsin 		Dungeons & Dragons published[6]
Gen Con VIII August 22–24, 1975 Horticultural Hall/Guild Hall/Legion Hall[6]
Lake Geneva, Wisconsin[46] 		<1,600[47]
Gen Con IX August 20–22, 1976 Horticultural Hall/Guild Hall/Legion Hall[6]
Lake Geneva, Wisconsin[46] 		1,300[48] TSR takes ownership of con[6]
Gen Con West September 4–6, 1976 McCabe Hall
San Jose, California[46]
Gen Con X August 18–21, 1977[46] Playboy Resort/Horticultural Hall/Guild Hall[6]
Lake Geneva, Wisconsin[46] 		2,300[49]
Gen Con West 77 September 3–5, 1977 Villa Hotel
San Mateo, California[6]

1978–1984: Parkside

Event Date Location Approximate
attendance 		Notes
Gen Con South February 9–11, 1978 Robert Meyer Hotel, Jacksonville, Florida[46][50]
Gen Con XI August 17–20, 1978 University of Wisconsin–Parkside 2,000[51]
Gen Con XII August 16–19, 1979 University of Wisconsin–Parkside[46]
Gen Con South February 15–17, 1980[46] Ramada Inn, Jacksonville Beach, Florida
Gen Con XIII August 21–24, 1980[52] University of Wisconsin–Parkside[52] 4,500[53]
Gen Con South February 6–9, 1981[13] Ramada Inn, Jacksonville Beach, Florida
Gen Con East I July 23–26, 1981[46] Cherry Hill Inn, Cherry Hill, New Jersey[46]
Gen Con XIV August 13–16, 1981 University of Wisconsin–Parkside 5,000[54]
Gen Con East II June 17–20, 1982[46] Widener College, Chester, Pennsylvania[46]
Gen Con XV August 19–22, 1982[46] University of Wisconsin–Parkside[46]
Gen Con XVI August 18–21, 1983 University of Wisconsin–Parkside
Gen Con South 8 March 16–18, 1984[46] Royal d'Iberville Hotel, Biloxi, Mississippi[46]
Gen Con 17 Aug. 16–19, 1984[55] University of Wisconsin–Parkside 3,600[11]

1985–1997: MECCA

Event Date Location Approximate
attendance 		Notes
Gen Con 18 August 22–25, 1985 MECCA (Milwaukee Exposition & Convention Center & Arena), Milwaukee, Wisconsin 5,000[16]
Gen Con 19 August 14–17, 1986 MECCA, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 5,000[11]
Gen Con 20 August 20–23, 1987 MECCA, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Gen Con 21/Origins August 18–21, 1988 MECCA, Milwaukee, Wisconsin Gen Con and Origins were run as a single convention this year
Gen Con '89 August 10–13, 1989 MECCA, Milwaukee, Wisconsin >10,000[56]
Gen Con '90 August 9–12, 1990[57] MECCA, Milwaukee, Wisconsin[57] >12,000[58]
European Gen Con November 30–December 2, 1990 Pontin's Holiday Center, Camber Sands, East Sussex, England [13] First European Gen Con
Gen Con '91 August 8–11, 1991[59] MECCA, Milwaukee, Wisconsin[59] >15,000[60]
European Gen Con 1991 November 15–17, 1991 Pontin's Holiday Center, Camber Sands, East Sussex, England [13]
Gen Con/Origins '92 August 20–23, 1992[61] MECCA, Milwaukee, Wisconsin[61] >18,000[15] Gen Con's 25th year. Gen Con and Origins are run as a single convention this year
European Gen Con 1992 November 13–15, 1992 Pontin's Holiday Center, Camber Sands, East Sussex, England
Gen Con '93 August 19–22, 1993[62] MECCA, Milwaukee, Wisconsin[62] 20,000[63]
European Gen Con 1993 November 11–14, 1993 Pontin's Holiday Center, Camber Sands, East Sussex, England
European Gen Con 1994 May 12–15, 1994 Pontin's Holiday Center, Camber Sands, East Sussex, England
Gen Con '94 August 18–21, 1994[64] MECCA, Milwaukee, Wisconsin[64] >25,000[63]
Gen Con Barcelona 1994 November 11–14, 1994 Drassanes Reials, Barcelona, Spain[13] First Barcelona Gen Con
Gen Con UK 1995 April 27–30, 1995 Pontin's Holiday Center, Camber Sands, East Sussex, England
Gen Con '95 August 10–13, 1995[65] MECCA, Milwaukee, Wisconsin[65] 30,000[17]
Gen Con Barcelona 1995 November 3–5, 1995 Drassanes Reials, Barcelona, Spain[13]
Gen Con '96 August 8–11, 1996[66] MECCA, Milwaukee, Wisconsin[66] 27,000[67]
Gen Con UK 1996 September 5–8, 1996 Loughborough University, Leicestershire, England
Gen Con Barcelona 1996 November 15–17, 1996 Mercat del Born, Barcelona, Spain[13]
1997 Gen Con Game Fair August 7–10, 1997[68] MECCA, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 27,000[67] Wizards of the Coast purchases TSR, Inc., gaining control of Gen Con
European Gen Con 1997 August 28–31, 1997 Loughborough University, Leicestershire, England[69]

1998–2002: MEC

Event Date Location Approximate
attendance 		Notes
Benelux Gen Con 1998 July 31–August 2, 1998 Motel Tiel, Tiel, Netherlands[13]
1998 Gen Con Game Fair August 6–9, 1998[70] MEC (Midwest Express Center), Milwaukee, Wisconsin[70] >19,000[71]
Gen Con UK 1998 September 3–6, 1998 Loughborough University, Leicestershire, England
Gen Con Barcelona 1999 April 9–11, 1999 Cotxeres de Sants, Barcelona, Spain[13]
1999 Gen Con Game Fair August 5–8, 1999[72] MEC, Milwaukee, Wisconsin[72] >22,000[73] Wizards of the Coast is purchased by Hasbro after the convention. Hasbro now owns Gen Con.
Gen Con UK 1999 September 2–5, 1999 Loughborough University, Leicestershire, England
2000 Gen Con Game Fair August 10–13, 2000[74] MEC, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 21,000 (projected)[75]
Gen Con UK 2000 August 31–September 3, 2000[76] Manchester Conference Centre, Manchester, England [76]
Gen Con Benelux 2000 September 23–24, 2000[77] Den Bosch, The Netherlands [77] Last Gen Con in the Benelux.[77]
2001 Gen Con Game Fair August 2–5, 2001[78] MEC, Milwaukee, Wisconsin[78] >25,000[11]
Gen Con UK 2001 August 30–September 2, 2001 Olympia 2, London, England
2002 Gen Con Game Fair August 8–11, 2002[79] MEC, Milwaukee, Wisconsin[79] 23,000[22] Gen Con's last year in Wisconsin, 35th year of the convention. Peter Adkison purchases Gen Con from Hasbro.
Gen Con UK 2002 August 29–September 1, 2002[80] Olympia 2, London, England[80]

2003–present: Indianapolis

Event Date Location Approximate
attendance 		Notes
Gen Con Europe 2003 April 18–21, 2003 Olympia 2, London, England
Gen Con Indy 2003 July 24–27, 2003 ICC (Indiana Convention Center), Indianapolis, Indiana 25,000[22]
Gen Con SoCal 2003 December 11–14, 2003 ACC (Anaheim Convention Center), Anaheim, California 4,148[81]
Gen Con Barcelona July 1–4, 2004 Palau Sant Jordi, Barcelona, Spain (licensed event)
Gen Con Indy 2004 August 19–22, 2004 ICC, Indianapolis, Indiana 21,741[82]
Gen Con UK 2004 October 14–17, 2004 Minehead Butlins, Somerset, England (licensed event)
Gen Con SoCal 2004 December 2–5, 2004 ACC, Anaheim, California 5,559[81]
Gen Con Indy 2005 August 11–14, 2005 ICC, Indianapolis, Indiana 25,106[23]
Gen Con UK 2005 November 3–6, 2005 Bognor Regis, West Sussex, England 1,957[83] (licensed event)
Gen Con SoCal 2005 November 18–20, 2005 ACC, Anaheim, California 6,326[26][81]
Gen Con Paris April 21–23, 2006 Paris, France 4,000[37]
Gen Con Indy 2006 August 10–13, 2006 ICC, Indianapolis, Indiana >21,250[84]
Gen Con SoCal 2006 November 16–19, 2006 ACC, Anaheim, California 5,840[81]
Gen Con France 2007 May 25–27, 2007 Paris, France 4,200[85]
Gen Con Indy 2007 August 16–19, 2007 ICC, Indianapolis, Indiana[86] 27,000[87] 40th anniversary
Gen Con UK 2007 August 30–September 2, 2007 Reading, Berkshire, England 1,746[88] (licensed event) (2006 was cancelled due to siting issues)
Gen Con France 2008 April 25–27, 2008 Paris, France
Gen Con Australia July 3–6, 2008 BCEC (Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre), Brisbane, Queensland, Australia >10,000[89] First Gen Con in Australia
Gen Con Indy 2008 August 14–17, 2008[90] Indianapolis, Indiana 28,600+[91]
Gen Con UK 2008 August 28–31, 2008 Reading, Berkshire, England (licensed event)
Gen Con Indy 2009 August 13–16, 2009[92] Indianapolis, Indiana 27,900+[93]
Gen Con Indy 2010 August 5-8, 2010 Indianapolis, Indiana 30,046[1]

Scheduled future events

Event Scheduled date Location Notes
Gen Con Indy 2011 August 4–7, 2011[94] Indianapolis, Indiana
Gen Con Indy 2012 August 16–19, 2012[94] Indianapolis, Indiana
Gen Con Indy 2013 August 15–18, 2013[94] Indianapolis, Indiana
Gen Con Indy 2014 August 14–17, 2014[94] Indianapolis, Indiana
Gen Con Indy 2015 July 30 - August 2, 2015[94] Indianapolis, Indiana

Notes

  1. ^ a b "Gen Con attendance breaks 30,000". Gen Con. Gen Con, LLC. 2010-08-11. Archived from the original on 2010-08-11. Retrieved 2010-08-11.
  2. ^ a b "Company Information". Gen Con LLC. Archived from the original on 2007-10-15.
  3. ^ "Contact Us". Retrieved 2007-08-10.
  4. ^ a b c Kneale, Klaus. "Gen Con: The Party's Over". Digital Download. Forbes. Archived from the original on 2008-09-10. Retrieved 2008-09-10. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  5. ^ a b Gen Con, LLC. (2008-02-15). "Gen Con Files for Chapter 11 (Press release)". Gen Con, LLC. Archived from the original on 2008-02-16. Retrieved 2008-02-16.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Gen Con Indy 2007 Program Book. Gen Con LLC. pp. 42–43, 132–133, 142–143.
  7. ^ a b c d e f Laws, Robin D. (2007). "40 Years of Gen Con: Preview Edition". Atlas Games. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-08-25. Retrieved 2007-08-10.
  8. ^ a b Kushner, David. "Dungeon Master: The Life and Legacy of Gary Gygax". Wired.com. Retrieved 2008-10-16.
  9. ^ King, Brad; Borland, John (2003). Dungeons & Dreamers: The Rise of Computer Game Culture from Chic to Geek. McGraw-Hill. ISBN 0-07-222888-1.
  10. ^ La Farge, Paul (2006). "Destroy All Monsters". The Believer Magazine. Archived from the original on 2008-10-04. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  11. ^ a b c d e f g h Porter, Randy. "A little History". Keeper of Ancient GenCon Lore. Archived from the original on 2006-06-16. Retrieved 2006-08-17. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; 2006-06-17 suggested (help); External link in |publisher= (help)
  12. ^ a b "Dungeons & Dragons FAQ". Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2008-10-03. Retrieved 2008-10-03.
  13. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p "Gen Con Complete Timeline". Trident, Inc. Archived from the original on 2008-08-25. Retrieved 2008-06-20.
  14. ^ a b c Miller II, Stanley A. (August 3, 2002). "Gen gone: Next year, gamers will be draggin' their tales to Indiana prairie". Journal Sentinel. Retrieved 2008-12-17.
  15. ^ a b c d "The History of TSR". Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2008-10-04. Retrieved 2005-08-20.
  16. ^ a b Christian Wilson (2007-11-30). "The Road to GenCon 2008 #2: A Look Back". RPG.net. Retrieved 2008-11-19.
  17. ^ a b Haring, Scott (1996). "AADA News". Pyramid #17. Steve Jackson Games. {{cite journal}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  18. ^ Tinsman, Brian (2003). The Game Inventor's Guidebook. Krause Publications. pp. 11–12, 18, 63, 76. ISBN 0-87349-552-7.
  19. ^ Lydia Leong (1996-08-13). "GenCon Report". Retrieved 2009-02-20.
  20. ^ a b c Bub, Andrew S. (2003-07-26). "Interview with Peter Adkison". GameSpy.com. Retrieved 2007-06-21. Archive page 1 (2008-08-25) Archive page 2 (2008-08-25)
  21. ^ White, Damon (2002-03-24). "Interview with Peter Adkison". GamingReport.com. Archived from the original on 2008-08-25. Retrieved 2007-06-21.
  22. ^ a b c White, Damon (2003-08-02). "GenCon2003: Gen Con Indy Debuts In Indianapolis, Breaks 35-Year Attendance Record". GamingReport.com. Archived from the original on 2008-08-25. Retrieved 2006-08-17. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help)
  23. ^ a b White, Damon (2005-09-08). "GenCon 2005: GEN CON Indy 2005 Record Attendance for Event". GamingReport.com. Archived from the original on 2008-08-25. Retrieved 2006-08-17. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help)
  24. ^ "Celebrate At Gen Con Indy As Dungeons & Dragons Turns 30". May 24, 2004. Retrieved 2008-11-08.
  25. ^ Smith, Erika D. (2005-09-09). "Tourism: The last, but definitely not the least". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved 2007-08-09. Gen Con, Indianapolis' largest annual convention in terms of direct visitor spending, reported record attendance for its last trip to town for a while. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  26. ^ a b White, Damon (2005-11-23). "GenCon 2005: GenCon SoCal Official Attendance". GamingReport.com. Archived from the original on 2008-08-25. Retrieved 2006-08-17. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help)
  27. ^ "Gen Con Announces Changes For So Cal". 2007-01-26. Archived from the original on 2008-08-25. Retrieved 2007-01-27.
  28. ^ Dobson, Jason (2006-08-08). "Gen Con Expands Focus, Adds LACC Appearance". Gamasutra.com. Archived from the original on 2008-08-25. Retrieved 2006-08-17. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help)
  29. ^ "Gen Con Picks Up Where E3 Leaves Off". Gen Con press release. 2006-08-08. Archived from the original on 2008-08-25. Retrieved 2007-06-21.
  30. ^ Eriq Gardner (2008-01-14). "LucasFilm: Force Is Not With 'Star Wars' Auction". THR, Esq. Entertainment & Media Law Blog. Archived from the original on 2008-08-25. Retrieved 2008-07-29.
  31. ^ Dustin (2008-02-22). "Lucasfilm Sues Gen Con". TheForce.Net. Archived from the original on 2008-08-25. Retrieved 2008-07-29.
  32. ^ "Lucasfilm Ltd v. Gen Con LLC Update". livingdice.com. 2008-07-25. Archived from the original on 2008-08-25. Retrieved 2008-07-29.
  33. ^ "Trask" (2008-11-21). "Gen Con For Sale and A Purchase Offer is Pending!". LivingDice.com. LivingDice.com. Archived from the original on 2008-11-30. Retrieved 2008-11-30.
  34. ^ Bowles, C.R. (2008-11-21). "Re: Letter of Intent for the Purchase of the Assets of Gen Con LLC Chapter 11, Case No. 08-10844 (Bkrtcy W.D. Washington)". Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-11-30. Retrieved 2008-11-30.
  35. ^ a b Swartout, Adrian (2008-11-26). "Public Response to LOI (Press release)". Gen Con web site. Gen Con LLC. Archived from the original on 2008-11-30. Retrieved 2008-11-30.
  36. ^ "Gen Con Scheduled to Emerge from Chapter 11! (Press release)". GenCon.com. Gen Con, LLC. 2009-01-09. Archived from the original on 2009-09-11. Retrieved 2009-09-10.
  37. ^ a b "Gen Con Paris 2006: Debriefing". Gen Con France. 2006-05-30. Archived from the original on 2006-06-20. Retrieved 2006-10-11. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help)
  38. ^ "ANNOUNCEMENT: Cancellation of Gen Con™ OZ 2010". Eventions Creative Event Management Pty Ltd. July 16, 2010. Archived from the original on 2010-07-17. Retrieved July 17, 2010.
  39. ^ "Only one game has been played every year at Gen Con since 1968 -- the Dawn Patrol board game, originally entitled Fight in the Skies by Mike Carr." (Laws 2007, p5)
  40. ^ Henion, George (2006-08-24). "Re: Keeper's Project With Atlas". Gen Con Community Forums. Archived from the original on 2008-08-25. Retrieved 2006-10-06. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help)
  41. ^ Moore, Roger E. (1993). "Editorial". Dragon #198. XVIII (5). TSR, Inc.: 8, 14. {{cite journal}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  42. ^ "...a weekend gathering of about a dozen aficianados...at the home of future game designer E. Gary Gygax." (Laws 2007, p3)
  43. ^ Gary Gygax is quoted as saying, "I rented the Horticultural Hall for a full 50 dollars.... ...admission was one dollar. I had enough paid admissions to exactly cover the cost of the hall." "...there were only maybe 60 people..." (Laws 2007, p5)
  44. ^ Gary Gygax is quoted as saying, "...150 paid attendees." (Laws 2007, p8)
  45. ^ a b Gygax, Gary (September 1982). "Guest Editorial". Dragon. VII (4). Lake Geneva, Wisconsin: TSR, Inc.: 4. {{cite journal}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  46. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Grohe, Jr., Allan T. "Greyhawk Tournament History". The Dreaming City, Allan Grohe's web site. Archived from the original on 2008-08-25. Retrieved 2006-10-12. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help)
  47. ^ "GenCon VIII In Brief". The Strategic Review. I (4). Lake Geneva, Wisconsin: TSR, Inc.: 4 Winter 1975. {{cite journal}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  48. ^ Blake, Bob (October 1976). "GenCon IX's D&D Elimination Tournament". The Dragon. I (3). Lake Geneva, Wisconsin: TSR, Inc.: 30. {{cite journal}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  49. ^ "GenCon X, 18–21 August 1977 Final Report". The Dragon #10. 2 (4). TSR Hobbies, Inc.: 6 1977. {{cite journal}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  50. ^ "Convention Schedule 1978". The Dragon #11. II (5): 14. 1977. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-08-25. Retrieved 2006-10-12. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help) The listing for GenCon South states, "Endorsed by TSR."
  51. ^ Kask, Tim (1978). "Dragon Rumbles". The Dragon #19. III (5). TSR Hobbies, Inc.: 2. {{cite journal}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  52. ^ a b "Convention Schedule 1980". The Dragon #40. V (2): 58. 1980. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-08-25. Retrieved 2006-10-14. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  53. ^ Jacquet, Jake (November 1980). "Conventions 1980". Dragon. V (5). Lake Geneva, Wisconsin: TSR, Inc.: 10. {{cite journal}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  54. ^ Fine, Gary Alan (1983). Shared Fantasy: Role-playing Games as Social Worlds. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. p. 33. ISBN 0226249433. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  55. ^ Haring, Scott D. (Summer 1984). "The Driver's Seat". Autoduel Quarterly. 2 (2). Steve Jackson Games. Archived from the original on 2008-08-25. Retrieved 2006-10-14.
  56. ^ Dragon #155. XIV (10). TSR Hobbies, Inc.: 109 1990. {{cite journal}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Missing or empty |title= (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  57. ^ a b "Convention Calendar". Nightmessenger. 4 (2). 1990. Archived from the original on 2008-08-25. Retrieved 2006-10-14.
  58. ^ Moore, Roger (1990). "Number 23: The untold story". Dragon #162. XV (5). TSR Hobbies, Inc.: 6. {{cite journal}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  59. ^ a b "Convention Calendar". Nightmessenger. 5 (2). 1991. Archived from the original on 2008-08-25. Retrieved 2006-10-14.
  60. ^ "Z*Net International Atari Online Magazine, Issue #91-34". Rovac Industries, Inc. Retrieved 2009-02-20. {{cite web}}: Check |archiveurl= value (help)
  61. ^ a b "Convention Calendar". Nightmessenger. 6 (2). 1992. Archived from the original on 2008-08-25. Retrieved 2006-10-14.
  62. ^ a b "Convention Calendar". Nightmessenger. 7 (2). 1993. Archived from the original on 2008-08-25. Retrieved 2006-10-14.
  63. ^ a b Moore, Roger E. (1994). "D-Day in Milwaukee". Dragon #211. XIX (6). TSR, Inc.: 48–58. {{cite journal}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  64. ^ a b "Convention Calendar". Nightmessenger. 7 (5). 1993. Archived from the original on 2008-08-25. Retrieved 2006-10-14.
  65. ^ a b "Convention Calendar". Nightmessenger. 9 (1). 1995. Archived from the original on 2008-08-25. Retrieved 2006-10-14.
  66. ^ a b "Convention Calendar". Nightmessenger. 10 (2). 1996. Archived from the original on 2008-08-25. Retrieved 2006-10-14.
  67. ^ a b Varney, Allen (1997). "Current Clack". Dragon #240. XXII (3). TSR, Inc.: 120. {{cite journal}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  68. ^ "January 9, 1997: TSR Cancels Winter Fantasy Convention". Daily Illuminator. 1997. Archived from the original on 2008-08-25. Retrieved 2006-10-14. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  69. ^ "European Gen Con 1997". The Game Cabinet. Archived from the original on 2008-08-25. Retrieved 2006-10-14. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help)
  70. ^ a b "Convention Calendar". Nightmessenger. 11 (4). 1997. Archived from the original on 2008-08-25. Retrieved 2006-10-14.
  71. ^ Daniel Charles McDeavitt (1998). "GenCon '98". Whoosh!. Retrieved 2008-11-19.
  72. ^ a b "Gen Con 1999 information". Shao-lin Wooden Men web site. 1999-03-05. Archived from the original on 2008-08-25. Retrieved 2006-10-14. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help)
  73. ^ "Our Visit to GenCon2000". GreenTentacles. Retrieved 2009-05-12. {{cite web}}: Check |archiveurl= value (help)
  74. ^ "Convention Calendar". Nightmessenger. 13 (2). 1999. Archived from the original on 2008-08-25. Retrieved 2006-10-14.
  75. ^ "Wizards of the Coast". ESP. Retrieved 2009-05-12. {{cite web}}: Check |archiveurl= value (help)
  76. ^ a b "Full Thrust Tournament Rules". Tycho's Domain, Paul Radford's web site. Archived from the original on 2008-08-25. Retrieved 2006-10-14. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help)
  77. ^ a b c "Spelmagazijn - Evenement - The Benelux Gen Con". [1]. Retrieved 2008-12-10. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help)
  78. ^ a b "Convention Calendar". Nightmessenger. 14 (1). 2000. Archived from the original on 2008-08-25. Retrieved 2006-10-14.
  79. ^ a b "Convention Calendar". Nightmessenger. 14 (3). 2000. Archived from the original on 2008-08-25. Retrieved 2006-10-14.
  80. ^ a b White, Damon (2002-08-29). "Card Games: Foil Plague Marine Promo Returns and GenCon UK Schedule". GamingReport.com. Archived from the original on 2008-08-25. Retrieved 2006-10-14. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help)
  81. ^ a b c d Adkison, Peter (2007-01-25). "The End of Gen Con So Cal". Retrieved 2007-01-27.
  82. ^ Porter, Randy. "Gen Con 2005". Keeper of Ancient GenCon Lore. Archived from the original on 2006-12-21. Retrieved 2006-08-17. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help)
  83. ^ "Perhaps the thing to do is to spread the word so next year there are a lot more of us than this year's attendance figures of 1,957, ..." Szachnowski, Lucya (2005-11-01). "Gen Con UK 2005" (PDF). Flagship. No. 116. Birmingham, UK. p. 9. Retrieved 2008-03-27. original
  84. ^ "Gen Con 2006: A Hit in its 39th Year". Gen Con LLC. 2006-09-06. Archived from the original on 2008-08-25. Retrieved 2006-09-21. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help) This press release indicates "turnstile attendance was approximately 85,000". Turnstile attendance counts each attendee once for each day they return. So given a 4 day convention, approximately 21,250. Given that some attendees don't attend all four days, it seems likely that this estimate is low.
  85. ^ "Qu'avez-vous fait à la GENCON ?" (in French). Tric Trac Index du Forum. 2007-05-30. Archived from the original on 2008-03-27. Retrieved 2008-03-27. Pour infos, cette année entrées payantes + invités, la GenCon a eu un peu plus de 4200 visiteurs. [For your information, this year's paying and invited entries, GenCon had a little over 4200 visitors.]
  86. ^ Lillard, Kevin. "Gen Con Indy". Newtype USA 6 (11) 150–151. November 2007. ISSN 1541-4817.
  87. ^ "Gen Con Indy Wraps Up 2007 With Record Attendance". Gen Con, LLC. 2007-10-02. Archived from the original on 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2007-10-25.
  88. ^ "Gen Con UK 2007 - Information on attendance". Horsemen Events Ltd. 2007-09-11. Archived from the original on 2008-03-27. Retrieved 2008-03-27.
  89. ^ Houlihan, Ian (2008-07-28). "GenCon Australia - It's a Wrap!". Gen Con Australia. Archived from the original on 2008-08-25. Retrieved 2008-08-25.
  90. ^ "Future Gen Con Indy Dates". Retrieved 2007-08-09.
  91. ^ "Gen Con Indy Wraps Up 2008 with Record Attendance". Gen Con. Gen Con, LLC. 2008-08-25. Archived from the original on 2008-09-16. Retrieved 2008-09-16.
  92. ^ "GenCon 2009". UpcomingCons.com. Archived from the original on 2009-08-20. Retrieved 2009-07-04.
  93. ^ "Gen Con Indy Wrap-Up". Gen Con. Gen Con, LLC. 2009-09-26. Archived from the original on 2009-09-07. Retrieved 2009-09-26.
  94. ^ a b c d e "The Gamers are staying in [[Indianapolis]] through at least 2015". Archived from the original on 2009-08-20. Retrieved 2009-08-12. {{cite web}}: URL–wikilink conflict (help)
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Gen Con.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gen_Con&oldid=384029543"