Gaming convention

A gaming convention is a gathering centered on role-playing games, collectible card games, miniatures wargames, board games, video games, or other types of games. These conventions are typically two or three business days long, and often held at either a university or in a convention center hotel.[citation needed]

The largest gaming convention, Spiel, is a trade fair held in Essen, Germany that focuses on German-style board games and RPGs. A similarly large event is Festival Ludique International de Parthenay (FLIP), a games festival held over twelve days in France. The annual Gamescom in Cologne is the world's leading expo for video games.[1]

While games are often a large part of science fiction conventions and other hobby conventions, gaming conventions are distinguished by focusing on games and game-industry guests. The Penny Arcade Expo is the largest gaming convention in the US, with over 70,000 attendees at both its East (Boston) and Prime (Seattle) events. Gen Con has an emphasis on RPGs and features events for RPGs, CCGs, miniatures and boardgames with 60,000+ unique attendees over four days in 2017.[2] Origins focuses on miniatures wargames and boardgames with 12,902 unique attendees in 2014,[3] but also has a large component of RPG and CCG players. DragonCon is an example of a large convention with a focus on popular culture and comics that includes a large gaming contingent and 35,000-40,000 attendees, but isn't dedicated solely as a gaming convention. A smaller genre of gaming conventions are those devoted to the hobby of historical miniature wargaming.

World Boardgaming Championships, PrezCon and Euro Quest are game conventions representing the hobby of Tournament Board Gaming Open Gaming, Demos, Jr. Events and more dedicated to the face to face board game hobby. The World Boardgaming Championships and PrezCon are considered two of the largest events dedicated solely to board games. WBC runs the first week in August each year and PrezCon runs the last week of February each year.

History

Pre-history

A Cincinnati, Ohio duo debuts the first known modern cosplay in 1908.[4][5] Near the end of the century, cosplay would become a staple at a number of events, including gaming conventions.

Early video game conventions

Events

Gaming conventions typically have games scheduled for various time slots. Most gaming cons use some system of pre-registration to ensure that games are neither over-full nor under-full.

Competitive games, such as Magic: The Gathering, typically have tournaments set out where players meet in matches. Prizes can be quite large for the winners. There are also competitive role-playing games, where the best roleplayers, most successful parties, etc. get rewarded. The RPGA runs competitive Dungeons & Dragons and other RPGs at many conventions. Most scheduled RPGs, however, are not competitive.

The types of games often include many of the following:

Open gaming goes on throughout any such convention, and it is common that all seating in common areas will be taken by people playing pick-up games. Pick-up gaming is not generally discouraged by the convention management; in fact, pick-up games are a large part of the appeal of gaming conventions.

There is almost always a dealers' room where various game manufacturers and related companies sell their products. Many game companies choose game cons to reveal new products. Creating consumer excitement is greatly facilitated at gaming cons, but word can spread fast, and games may equally well become instant failures at conventions.

Often there are other activities at a gaming convention as well. Costume balls, art auctions, and screenings of movies may all take place. Lectures, workshops, or panel discussions on gaming might be part of the programming, or for some cons, even the focus.

Notable conventions

PAX

PAX (originally known as Penny Arcade Expo) is a series of gaming culture festivals featuring tabletop, arcade and video games. PAX is held annually in Seattle, Boston and Philadelphia in the United States; and Melbourne in Australia.[6][7] PAX was previously held annually in San Antonio in the United States.

PAX was created in 2004 by Jerry Holkins and Mike Krahulik, creators of the webcomic Penny Arcade" because they wanted to attend a show exclusively for games.[8][9]

QuakeCon

While this gaming convention began as a way for id Software developers and fans to socialize and still carry the name of that company's flagship series of games, its popularity now extends far beyond both areas. QuakeCon dates back to 1996, the same time the titular game was developed, making it one of the oldest gaming conferences.[10][11][12] Other major video game companies, such as Bethesda, are also helping to organize the event. The 2021 and 2022 events were held entirely online.[13][14]

SPIEL

The Internationale Spieltage SPIEL often referred to as the Essen Game Fair after the city where it is held, is an annual four-day exhibition , also open to the public, held in October[15] (Thursday through the following Sunday) at the Messe Essen Exhibition Center in Essen, Germany. It started in 1983.With 1,021 exhibitors from 50 countries, SPIEL 2016 is the largest board game exhibition in the world. Many new games are released at the fair each year, especially (but not exclusively) European-style board games.

See also

References

External links