Starts next week - anyone else going?
Next year, the convention moves up to Memorial Day Weekend, because of an anticipated shift in GenCon’s schedule. For me, I think that might actually let me get to a few other conventions I’ve always wanted to try.
My girlfriend and I will be there. We actually have a fairly light schedule this time around since she’ll be streaming Barbri lectures and studying for the Illinois Bar.
I’ll be doing a couple more events than she will, including the event trying to set the world record for the most people simultaneously playing a board game. It’s the only non-LARP I’m signed up for.
Nope. Do a favor, check out the Pathfinder and Green Ronin stuff for me?
Green Ronin will, as usual, have a bunch of cool stuff coming up - which will be released six months late, if at all. I love those guys’ work, but they’ve never even heard of scheduling.
I’ll be going…as I’m an RPGer, I’ll be mostly playing Living Forgotten Realms, and Chronicles of the Shattered Empires.
Just to clarify: Origins is moving to the weekend after Memorial Day weekend.
I had a conversation with Mike Stackpole (RPG designer, SF author, and GAMA board member) at last year’s Origins, where he told me about the earlier dates (which at that point were being considered, but not yet finalized, as they are now). While GenCon going earlier in the summer (beginning in 2015, IIRC) is part of the reason for Origins’ move, another is that the fees they pay for the convention center (and hotel rooms for volunteers) are apparently going to also be significantly less.
Over on Facebook, the Origins group has had quite a bit of wailing and gnashing of teeth over the announced move, mostly from teachers and parents of school-aged kids (since relatively few grade schools or high schools are done with school for the year that early in the summer). It’s likely that Origins will lose a lot of those attendees due to the move (and I think they anticipate that). My suspicion is that they’re hoping that it’ll be a net gain for them, and losing those attendees will be at least offset by the lower cost for putting on the convention (and possibly gaining some people who didn’t attend before because the con was at the height of summer, and thus in conflict with other vacation plans).
I am on the Origins Facebook group and was amused by the outcry, more than anything. 
I’m going up on Wednesday so I can enjoy the full con - doing more miniatures-related (crafting, not playing) events this year than in previous years. And I never miss the Smithees…
Heading up tonight. I was supposed to work the Mayfair booth, but last minute change of plans nixed that. Might go for the “Iron Man” gamer this year, since a buddy of mine from work got it last year and he got some crazy spoils for doing nothing other than playing a lot of games!
Well, the show is over and I’m back at home. Had a successful year on the event front; less successful on the shopping front, since there were a number of things I hoped to track down and could not find.
Anyone else notice that attendence seemed rather down this year? Last year was less than two years ago, but this year seemed particularly lower. (According to my girlfriend, who spoke to one of the dealers, many booths were still trying to recover costs by Sunday, which is why very few had started striking Sunday morning.)
So, what’s the story? How’s the industry look? See anything neat?
Someone says that every year. Sometimes they’re right, sometimes they’re very wrong. Attendance seemed about right to me.
Seemed fine. Two things that stood out to me - no vendor booth for Dwarven Forge this year; and the number of costume-related vendors has increased. More superhero games this year, which I appreciated.