<span class="SFPTagline"> From SCIFIPEDIA </span>

Gen Con is the largest gathering of hobby gaming enthusiasts and is held yearly in the United States. Games from every walk of life are represented, including: roleplaying games (RPGs), live action role playing games (LARPs), collectable card games (CCGs, with Magic: The Gathering being the most well known), board games, war gaming, massively multiplayer online roleplaying games (MMORPGs), anime, miniatures games and painting, and computer games.

The convention is named for its origins in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, where gaming enthusiasts gathered for the first time in the late sixties, including Dungeons and Dragons co-creator Gary Gygax. Attendance has grown since its humble origins, and in recent years it has had well over 25,000 attendees during its self-proclaimed “best four days of gaming.”

Over the years, the convention has changed hands. It was first managed by Dungeons and Dragon’s TSR but was eventually taken over by Wizards of the Coast. Wizards was then purchased by the Hasbro toy company. In 2002, Peter Adkison (who had once been head of Wizards) took over the management of Gen Con and has branched the convention out to include conventions in Southern California and Europe. He also moved the Wisconsin-based convention to Indianapolis. In 2006, Gen Con LLC became a co-sponsor of the first edition of the New York Comic-Con.

There’s something for everyone at Gen Con. Attendees can look forward to a variety of events, all focused on gaming and game design. Among these events are seminars, lectures, workshops, demonstrations, tournaments, and hundreds of live gaming opportunities. Industry guests and celebrities from all things scifi/fantasy are invited to attend.

Also, many vendors release new products at Gen Con, such as the ill fated Unicorn Games' Dune RPG which was only sold at Gen Con before the product line was shut down. In fact, it is not uncommon for companies to release Gen Con versions of their games with special packaging or bonus offers. Many gamers know that the price of going to Gen Con lies not in travel or room and board, but in stocking up their game shelves with the latest and greatest games.

Gen Con Conventions

Gen Con is now composed of no less than six different conventions:

1. Gen Con Indy- The original GenCon in Indianapolis, Indiana.
2. Gen Con So Cal-Held in November in Anaheim, California
3. Star Wars Celebration-A Tribute to George Lucas's vision held in Los Angeles, California
4. Gen Con France- A 5,000 square meter event held in Montreuil, France
5. Gen Con UK- Held at the University of Reading in Berkshire, England
6. Gen Con Australia- This event will be at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, Brisbane, Queensland. The first ever Gen Con Australia will be held on July 3rd, 2008.

Computer Gaming at Gen Con

With the success of computer-based Role-playing games and MMORPs, computer game publishers have begun to look at Gen Con as a place exhibit their wares to their target demographics. Due to the downsizing of the Electronic Entertainment Expo, or E3, computer game publishers need new ways to show off their product. Gen Con Indy 2006 saw a substantial number of computer game vendors manning booths and talk around the computer game industry is that 2007 should feature even more.

External Links

Gen Con Official Site