 Mail List
|
Now you can get the news in your email, join today!
|
|
Flashbacks
|
|
On This Day In Gaming History...
| 2002, EverQuest teams with Sword&Sorcery for a paper RPG version of game. |
| 2003, Gordon "Tyrant" Walton leaves EA expressing a desire to return to Austin, Texas. |
|
|
Donation Fund
|
Show your support for this site, donate to the cause! Learn more.
|
|
|
GenCon '04
GenCon is the traditional paper gaming grand exhibition which has been going on for over 30 years in the Midwest, where gamers and game companies meet for all things gaming. From across the country gamers descended upon the "Crossroads of America" at the Indianapolis Convention Center as the convention was held this year from August 19th to the 22nd, it's been dubbed as the best four days in gaming. We agree!
GenCon '04: Recap - Div Devlin (09-07-04)
|
|
The Welcome Sign!
You know you are in geekdom now!
|
This year marked the thirtieth anniversary for Dungeons and Dragons at the GenCon Game Fair, dubbed as the best four days of gaming, as gamers from all over gathered to see the games they love, speak to the developers direct, gawk at the wares, purchase those must have game additions, grab the new product releases before they hit stores, and participate in tournaments with huge prize payouts to winners. Yes, no matter what type of game; be it pen and paper, collectible card game, strategy board game, mini-fig tabletop battles, and even PC gaming, there was something for every one of all ages including Anime, Art, Costume Contests, LARP, Seminars, and Workshops.
The second year in it's new home of Indianapolis, otherwise known as the Crossroads of America, the city welcomed gamers with open arms. Normally, there is much hatred when it comes to GenCon as always there are either long lines, system glitches, or some unforeseen problem. But, with ten years of experience and a new home, none of the prevalent problems of years passed were noticeable.
This year, truly had to be one of the best shows to date.
|
| The Great Clay Dragon!
|
We can also see why the show moved from downtown Milwaukee to Indianapolis, with the first noticeable change being the main hall where exhibitors set up booths. Larger and more spacious than previous shows, if you were to stop at every booth to talk or demo games, you would never leave! Just getting a feel for the layout on where everything was, it took over an hour to make the first full walk through down the spacious aisles as vendors hawked their wares or demoed games. Larger aisles also mean less congestion. There were no major choke points even on Saturday when it was fully packed. Now, with gamers packed into a place specifically supporting gamers over the course of four days you would think a stench would begin to brew and circulate the air. No gamers took baths in the bathroom sinks and there was no foul odor's emanating from the bathrooms. The convention was clean, and cleaning crews were always busy.
Normally we try to cover the Con in it's entirety, but due to some changes this year by the event organizers restricting the number of members from your beloved crew who could attend and cover the floor and events and last minute cancellations on our part we could not devote ourselves to the largest event in the Midwest as we usually do. We'll make up for it though with the focus on some of the best of highlights and MMO coverage though!
Trouble on the Floor!
|
| The RCA Dome.
|
For those not in the know, the RCA Dome and the Indiana Convention Center are directly connected to one another, while gamers are at GenCon and moving through the convention Halls, sports fans are also using the hotel walkways or the convention halls to get to the RCA Dome. What happens when you have 15,000 gamers on a Saturday night, and mix them with 15,000 Colt's Fans who lose a home game? If you were thinking that drunk-jocks would go and pick on the gamer guys, you were correct. 'Jock' comes walking through the halls, and bumps into a gamer in trench coat, dark glasses and a backpack slung over his shoulder. Should he of sucked it up and moved on? No, he issues the unspeakable words that should never be uttered by a gamer to a jock, "Excuse You."
Now, you would assume at this point things got ugly, but this is where Peter Atkinson, The Gen Con Event Staff, The City of Indianapolis, and the Indiana Convention Center all shined through with their concerns to host a fun and safe event. Before you could blink your eyes twice, security was escorting out the jock with police standing by for Assault and Criminal Trespass. Gamers have no worries and are more welcome in Indie than the locals are! Now, in the years of attending GenCon, this is the first instance ever something like this to my aged eyes has seen. It's reassuring to know it will not be tolerated and action is taken care of quickly and efficiently, with the safety of the gamers in mind.
Next: City of Heroes and DAoC: Catacombs!
Discuss: Gamers and Jocks really don't mix.
|
|
Contests
|
Name The Game
Join us every Thursday night as we play, "Name The Game" on RadioGameRifts, where we play a music track from or for an MMO game.
|
Hosting Services
|
|
|
Advertise
Back
Top
;)
;)
;)