I love conventions, I always have. \u00a0The sheer number of people I get to meet and interact with, the networking that I do, the friends I see and new friends I make drive me to be a better person. Then, there is the gaming. I love playing games. \u00a0I love thinking. I love strategy and I love the emotional up and down as a well laid plan goes to hell in a hand cart and then comes together like a masterpiece for an epic come-from-behind win. Hands down, the last four days have been the most fun I have had in a long time, and my happiness and joy is tempered only by the realization that I can no longer support this convention.<\/p>\n
This is not a rant about RFRA. That ship has sailed and I applaud GENCON for taking a stance against discrimination in any shape, form or fashion. Instead this is how I realized that this convention, like everything else in America, has fallen to the chase for the almighty dollar.<\/p>\n
In 2011, GM Chris and I took a chance on a little thing called Gamer Nation Studios, a brand name for the hours we spend thinking about games and a chance for us to make the games we love to play. \u00a0We shared a booth with a friend and made enough money to book for the next year, and so on. \u00a0Fast forward to 2015. \u00a0The exhibit hall is packed with new vendors, all living their version of the dream that Chris and I were fortunate enough to get a piece of in 2012.<\/p>\n
Their dream ends today, at least as far as GENCON is concerned.<\/p>\n
Beginning this year, a vendor has to accumulate 30 priority points to be able to rebook their spot in the exhibit hall. \u00a0A single priority point is earned by paying $1200-$1800 for a single 10 foot by 10 foot booth. \u00a0So, my company has 3. \u00a0Others I know have less, a few have more. This represents a thinly veiled attempt to allow the largest vendors of the convention to book all the space they need or want, and leaves the indie publishers and small shops out until the cattle call that happens on-line, when hundreds of would be vendors will be seated at their computers furiously refreshing their computer screens to take the scraps that are left at the end or back of the exhibit hall in a mad rush that resembles the housing and event registration mayhem that also happens on-line and leaves hundreds of people screaming bloody murder each year. \u00a0They get the last spaces if they are lucky enough to get in before the spots are sold out, of course.<\/p>\n
A friend and game designer who will remain nameless told me that this convention is starting to feel like it did back in the days when it was in Milwaukee, when the only way to get a room near the convention center was to know someone with one of the big publishing houses or game vendors. The little guys are gradually getting squeezed out as they make way for the superbooths that can take all the prime endcap space and aisle space in the front of the hall with the most foot traffic.<\/p>\n
Then there is “Family Fun Day” and the lines, and lines….and lines.<\/p>\n
There is no valid reason why a person, in this day and age, has to wait in a line for hours to buy generic event tickets, pick up their badge packets (their attendee badge and event tickets they purchased) and perform other menial tasks with a human. I am a professional, I attend professional conferences where I have a scanner in my booth and I can scan the attendee badges to know whether they registered for my seminar or event. There are automated solutions everywhere that allow for automated kiosks to simply scan a QR code, your badge bar code or other personally identifiable information, pay for generic tickets or pick up the tickets I previously purchased. Think AMC Movies, American Airlines or any of a host of retailers that have taken the human out of the equation and allow for self-service directed by the end user.<\/p>\n
The Family Fun Day is a good value at $35 for a 4 pack of one day tickets, but the line to pick up the badges on Sunday was long! I mean there were still 50-100 people with kids and strollers in line at 12:30! The convention is over for all intents and purposes at 4pm! I know, blame the users for being late, right? WRONG! This should be a place where people can have fun, and get value for their hard earned dollars; find a way to get the families through the door faster and re-purpose some of the event sign up booths that stand empty on Sunday.<\/p>\n
Then we have the exhibit hall, or, as I call it – Candy Land. In years past, it was crowded, but passable. Thursday mornings had the initial onslaught and the rush to get great games first, in fact this year the nice lady in the Magic:The Gathering area opened the door right at 10, instead of 10:15 and I was number three in line at Plaid Hat, but I digress. This year, we could not navigate in any reasonable length of time in the front end of the hall, especially in the 2200-3200 aisles. It is clear the convention organizers are adopting the American Airlines strategy of passenger relations. \u00a0In other words, cram more booths in the same space and hope we don’t notice. \u00a0Well, we noticed.\u00a0The conditions in the exhibit hall are more cramped than I ever remember them being, with no time to conduct a transaction before the next guys are muscling up trying to get into the space, or you are taken off balance by a giant backpack wielding human or other attendees that have their Cool Mini or Not bags that are 3 feet long and made to hit people’s knees and Achilles’ tendons as they walk too close to you, all in a fight to get the newest stuff that will be on Amazon within 30 days at a little less than what you just paid for it, along with the free shipping that Prime offers.<\/p>\n
That said, I loved the experience of the convention. \u00a0I love the people that I game with. \u00a0I love the friendships and the relationships I make here. I love the cooler temperatures and all the games and all the role playing I get to do. I love to spend my money on new hotness.<\/p>\n
I hate that I will never do it again.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"