Archive for the Gen Con 2011 Category

Gen Con Attendees Raised Nearly 20k for Charity

Posted in Gen Con 2011 on August 19, 2011 by boccobsblog

This year Gen Con chose School on Wheels as its charity and gamers raised just under twenty thousand dollars.

Their (SoW’s) thank you video can be seen here.

 

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The Numbers Are In!

Posted in Gen Con 2011 with tags on August 11, 2011 by boccobsblog

The numbers are in! This was the largest Gen Con turnout to date! From the Con’s official site:

INDIANAPOLIS (August 11, 2011) – Gen Con Indy, the nation’s largest annual consumer fantasy, sci-fi and adventure gaming convention experienced stunning growth this year. Turnstile attendance was over 119,707 with 36,733 unique attendees present for 96 hours of gaming, cosplay, music, shopping and more. This positive spike in turnout represents a greater than 20% increase in a single year. Game event participation grew even more steeply, with over 250,000 event tickets yielding an over 26% expansion throughout the Best Four Days In Gaming!

“Gen Con Indy 2011 was simply the best Gen Con ever for us,” said Adrian Swartout, CEO of Gen Con LLC. “We had such incredible support from our exhibitors, sponsors, event organizers and volunteers, and of course, the amazing businesses and people of Indianapolis. We are so thankful to have their partnership in crafting the world’s finest experience in gaming. Next year, Gen Con has its 45th anniversary. We are too excited for words at the amount of fun we are already planning for next August.”

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Gen Con 2011 Highlights

Posted in Gen Con 2011 with tags , , , , , , on August 9, 2011 by boccobsblog

Well another amazing Gen Con has come and gone. Here are some of the highlights that I witnessed:

Costumes

There is always an endless sea of costumed gamers at the con, and this year was no different.

Wizard’s of the Coast

The Neverwinter display was amazing. Wizard’s really stepped up their game this year with a large castle-ruin motif complete with orcs. I was however disappointed with the mass adventure that consisted of scanning QR codes at various spot around the con to gain points for your faction (my Thayans got stomped).

Also, the statues this year were the best I’ve ever seen. Outside the SagamoreBallroom stood an awesome sculpture of  Do’Urden and Guenhwyvar.

 

Geek Chic

The display of Geek Chic tables was unbelievable. I truly believe that Gary Gygax is gaming on this setup in heaven.

Fantasy Flight Games

Fantasy Flight makes the best board games on the market, hands down. Their games look amazing and are made of the highest quality materials. This year they debuted the beta test of an X-Wing miniature game that will be huge.

Magic the Gathering Online

Wizard’s had a very nice play-testing area set up to demo their latest Duel of the Planeswalker game. Weary gamers could crash out in bean bags and try the game for free.

Tilt Studios

While technically not part of the Con, Tilt Studios is located above the food court at the Circle Centre Mall where most people eat at Gen Con. Tilt Studios is a massive video arcade where you can find all of your old favorites.

Lego

The Lego play area was huge this year. Players could demo (for free) the new line of adventure board games like, Heroica, Ninjago, and Minotaurus. There were also some excellent Lego sculptures; one of a dungeon and one of a minotaur.

Steve Jackson Games

Mr. Jackson, the creator of GURPS and Munchin (just to name a few), was present at the STG booth signing autographs for fans. He seemed very kind and friendly, posing for pictures and signing games for hours.

Who North America

WHONA had one of the best booths complete with a life-sized TARDIS, and K-9 air fresheners.

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Wizards Transforms Indy into Neverwinter

Posted in Dungeons and Dragons, Gaming Culture, Gaming News, Gen Con 2011 with tags , , on July 8, 2011 by boccobsblog

At this year’s Gen Con Wizards of the Coast will be transporting fans to the fabled city of Neverwinter. According to Wizards.com:

This year, Wizards of the Coast is taking Dungeons & Dragons fans back to the iconic, fan-favorite city of Neverwinter with a robust offering of Neverwinter-related products and programs. Gen Con attendees will find themselves fully immersed in the city with hundreds of gaming sessions in the Sagamore Ballroom, a life-sized encounter in the Wizards booth, and the largest Dungeons and Dragons event of the year, D&D Neverwinter Game Day, taking place on Saturday. Fans will also get the chance to experience Neverwinter by participating in the first-ever “mass adventure” happening throughout the show with a chance to earn fun prizes and swag items. A full schedule of seminars and special guests is also planned, including New York Times Best-Selling author R.A. Salvatore.

I’m not sure what a “life-sized encounter” is, but I will be sure to find out and report back live from the con.

We are less than a month away from the 42nd Gen Con!

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Gen Con Badge Prices Increase on June 19th

Posted in Dungeons and Dragons, Gaming News, Gen Con 2011 with tags on June 4, 2011 by boccobsblog

Gen Con in only sixty days away! If you haven’t already bought your badge you may want to do so quickly. The pre-registration prices end on June 18th. Badge prices will increase by ten dollars on the 19th, with four-day badges going up to 78 and one-day badges going to 48. Save yourself a few bucks and use that money to buy a new set of dice (or buy me a drink…).

Andy

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Gen Con Event Registration Opens Sunday

Posted in Gaming News, Gen Con 2011 with tags , on April 29, 2011 by boccobsblog

This Sunday event registration will open. Popular events like, True Dungeon, tend to fill almost instantly so be sure to log on this Sunday and lock in your favorite events. Good luck!

-B3 Team

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True Dungeon 2011

Posted in D&D 3.5, Dungeons and Dragons, Gaming News, Gen Con 2011, Pathfinder with tags , , on April 22, 2011 by boccobsblog

One of the coolest events at Gen Con Indy is True Dungeon, and the TD gang have just released information for this year’s events. TD will offer two new adventures, two new character options (dwarf fighter and elf wizard), and three levels of difficulty (non-lethal, normal, and nightmare). This year’s True Dungeon will be the most amazing yet.

From the TD newsletter:

True Adventures, Ltd. is proud to offer the following two completely new two-hour adventures.

“The Lair of the Sea-Lich” : This completely new underwater adventure takes place after the party has fled the lair of Smoak the newly-created draco-lich. The party must now venture into the underwater lair of the dreaded Sea-Lich who terrorizes the coast with her icy-touch and shape-changing powers. Only inside her watery tomb can the party find the origin of the evil artifact that created Smoak the draco-lich – and perhaps a method to defeat Smoak’s evil for good.

NOTE: Two slightly different versions of this adventure will be offered. One is more puzzle-oriented, while the other is more combat-focused. They count as the same adventure for earning Experience Points (XP).

“Dragon’s Redoubt” : This completely new dragon-hunt adventure takes place at the same time as last year’s battle with Smoak the red dragon. It tells the story of how the party from last year’s True Grind adventure battles their way into Smoak’s lair on their own important mission. First, to locate and open a secret door through which all other parties can flee; and second, to defeat the weakened red dragon.

We also will be offering this one-hour combat hack-fest:

“True Grind: Bloodbeard’s Bounty” : This combat gauntlet tells the story of how the party finds the location of the Lair of the Sea-Lich. Players must set sail for the waters of Brinewater Bay to learn the location of the Lair of the Sea-Lich from the dreaded orc-pirate Bloodbeard. The battle will rage above and below the Bay’s black waters. No XP, Treasure Coins or participation tokens awarded for TG. Nightmare available if whole party agrees. You must arrive 15 minutes early.

Sounds cool, but what is True Dungeon?

If you haven’t already seen the video preview of this year’s adventure, I have provided the link here.

True Dungeon Website

True Dungeon sign up starts on May 1st.

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