Archive for Gen Con

Gen Con 2019 Badge Registration Open

Posted in Conventions, Gen Con 2019 with tags , on January 13, 2019 by boccobsblog

Registration for Gen Con 2019 is now open!

(Just in case you live in the Underdark:)

Gen Con is the original, longest-running gaming convention in the world!

Founded in 1968, Gen Con hosts the largest consumer hobby, fantasy, science fiction, and adventure game convention in North America. With 500 exhibiting game companies, award-winning authors and artists, vibrant costumes, thousands of events, family entertainment, food trucks, a beer garden, and the debut of hundreds of exciting new games, Gen Con truly is The Best Four Days in Gaming™.

Here are some pictures from last year’s trip:

Nathan Rice
Dice made from a Panzer tank
Extra Life
Kids on Bikes
Lucas Oil Stadium
Katy Gray
Dragons and Things
Dragons and Things
Katy Gray
Lucas Oil Stadium
Kids on Bikes
Extra Life
Dice made from a Panzer tank
Nathan Rice

 

Buy me an 1/18 of a cup of coffee
D&D 5E Core Rulebook Gift Set
Dungeon Mayhem – D&D Card Game
Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica
Waterdeep: Dragon Heist

 

 

Leave a comment »

Gen Con to Stay in Indy Through 2023

Posted in Conventions, Gen Con 2019 with tags , , on November 2, 2018 by boccobsblog

ICC

On October 19 Gen Con stated in their newsletter that they have extended their contract with Indianapolis through 2023. The con’s future was a source of debate as several surveys went out asking con goers if they be amenable to a move. Gen Con has worried that Indy lacked sufficient size and hotel capacity.

According to GenCon.com:

INDIANAPOLIS (October 19, 2018) Gen Con, the largest and longest-running game convention in North America, has agreed to extend its commitment to Indianapolis through 2023. Prompted by the announcement of construction of two new hotels connected to the convention center, Gen Con added an additional year to its deal.
“New hotel developments, along with Indy’s desire for technological upgrades, have made our decision to extend with Indianapolis an easy choice,” said David Hoppe, Gen Con President. “We’re enthusiastic to extend our contract with Indy until 2023, as this new hotel development is a game-changer for Gen Con and will allow us to continue our record-breaking expansion. We’d like to thank the Indy CIB, Mayor Hogsett and his team, the hard-working folks at Visit Indy, and the business leaders of Indianapolis for their continued foresight and commitment to making Indy the top destination for conventions in North America.”

Setting a new attendance record in 2018, the convention surpassed 60,000 unique attendees over its four days. Gen Con 2018 featured more than 520 game companies, more than 600 new games, 17,000 ticketed events, and a significant increase in programming in Lucas Oil Stadium. The convention plans to continue its development of Lucas Oil Stadium as a new hub of convention growth.

“When the JW Marriott Indianapolis opened in 2011, our convention was able to expand and support a record number of guests, which at the time was about 37,000 attendees,” said David Hoppe, Gen Con President. “Now, seven years later, Gen Con has nearly doubled in attendance, and we’re confident that the newly announced lodging additions in Indy will let us expand again, netting millions of dollars per year in new economic development for Indianapolis.”

Gen Con will return to Indianapolis August 1-4, 2019.

 

Leave a comment »

Gen Con and True Dungeon Sign Four-Year Contract

Posted in Conventions, Dungeons and Dragons, Gaming News with tags , on October 13, 2011 by boccobsblog

Gen con announced yesterday that they will be signing a four-year contract with True Dungeon Ltd. According to their press release:

After a record-setting show in Indianapolis this August with almost 120,000 turnstile attendance, Gen Con LLC is building huge plans for the next four years of Gen Con along with True Adventures, Ltd. Gen Con Indy 2012 is not only the 45th anniversary of North America’s largest game convention, it will also be the 10th year of True Dungeon. Long-term planning together between the two companies has yielded an unprecedented four-year agreement. True Dungeon is slated to run at Gen Con Indy through 2015! In a strategic move, True Dungeon will, for the first time, be hosted entirely within the Indiana Convention Center, directly in the heart of Gen Con.

TD claims that the move out of the hotel will allow for larger, and “more immersive” sets. Is it August yet”?

 

Leave a comment »

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.

2 Comments »

3 Reasons Why Summer Can’t Come Fast Enough!

Posted in Gaming News with tags , , , , , , , on April 1, 2011 by boccobsblog

The only thing getting me through this Midwestern weather is idea that summer is just around the corner. The three events I can’t wait for are:

1.) Gen Con

Slated for August 4-7, the world’s longest running gaming convention will hold its 42nd con. Early registration for the “best four days in gaming” is open and event registration open on May first. One thing I can say from my past Gen Con experiences is, don’t wait until the day of the con to get your badge or register for events. Popular games and events like True Dungeon sell out almost instantly.

2.) Bristol Renaissance Faire

July 9th – September 5th of this year one of the world’s largest Ren faires will transport people to the year 1574 to spend a day in the court of Queen Elizabeth I. As if great food, music, games, acting, jousting, and drinks weren’t enough, the Bristol Ren faire also has Ren Quest. Ren Quest is an interactive rpg that uses the entire 30-acre village and over a 1,000 inhabitants to create a one of a kind gaming experience. Imagine playing D&D in a renaissance era village with thousands of npcs in full period costumes.

3.) Free RPG Day

June 18th flock to your local game store and get your swag! These are some of the free gaming products being offered this year:

  • Wizards of the Coast- Free 4e adventure
  • White Wolf Publishing- World of Darkness Quickstart
  • Mayfair- Settlers of Catan: Catanimal Variant Rules
  • Q-Workshop- Unique FUDGE Dice

And that is just four of the twenty-one companies sponsoring the event

Find a participating store near you

This will prove to be an amazing summer!

5 Comments »

Letters from Whitechapel

Posted in board game, Product Review with tags , , , , , , , on August 13, 2010 by boccobsblog

At Gen Con, we got a chance to demo several new and exciting games. One of them was a thrilling detective game, Letters from Whitechapel. The game is set in London in 1888 during the killing spree of Jack the Ripper. One character controls Jack while the others play constables trying to arrest him.

How does it work? The game board (a period map of Whitechapel) is covered in more than one hundred numbered circles, and each of these circles is a possible hiding place for Jack. The players go in turn moving about the board investigating the numbered scenes, while Jack moves about the board unseen (the players have visible game pieces, but Jack denotes his movements on a notepad and has no game piece).  The detectives must use strategy and a fair bit of luck as they work together to catch Jack before the fifteenth night, after which he escapes and wins the game.

What I really liked about the game is the amount of detail the designer put into it. The game board looks like an actual period map, and the five murders happen at the historically accurate place on the map. Each of the detective cards (used to determine who leads the investigation each turn) denotes an actual picture of a Scotland Yard detective that worked the case.

The detail that truly impressed me was that on the third “night” of the game, Jack kills two of his five victims. This detail closely follows the actual events of September 30, 1888, when The Ripper killed Liz Stride (but was interrupted), and then killed Catherine Eddowes in the same night. When I saw that detail, it was clear to me that the designers had done their homework on the Ripper murders.

My only complaint, and it is a small one, was that the game pieces that represent the detectives were a bit lame. I would give the game a four out of five.

The game requires 2-6 players, and takes about 90 minutes to complete. It is available from the Nexus Games website.

-Andy

1 Comment »

Highlights of Gen Con Indy 2010

Posted in D&D 3.5 e Content, D&D 4e Content, Gaming News, Uncategorized with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on August 11, 2010 by boccobsblog

Well, Gen Con Indy is over. As always, it was an amazing experience. Where else in the world can you see 28,000 gamers in one place? Where else can you have a deep conversation about kobold battle tactics with a 45-year-old man in a homemade Pikachu costume and have no one judge you? The rest of the world could learn a lot about diversity and tolerance at Gen Con.

Here are some of the highlights:

 

 

Costumes 

The attendants of this year’s Gen Con did not disappoint. There were some amazing costumes and everyone I saw was very patient, allowing themselves to be photographed again and again.

Free Demos 

There were more games at GC than you could ever hope to try in four days. We tried some great new games and we will be sure to give each of them a full review in the weeks to come.

The Vendors 

You have to admire people who are willing to spend four days dressed as a luchador, or a pirate, or wear a chicken on their head in hopes of moving their product.

Felicia Day and Wil Wheaton

This was the only part of the con that was a bit sour for me. I had hoped to meet the cast of The Guild, but the line was very long, so I walked up to the rope and took a few pictures. Shortly after I started snapping shots, security approached me and asked that I, “please put my pants back on and step away from the crew”. Well as you can imagine I was outraged, so I pulled my boffer sword and started to kick ass all the while screaming that Wil Wheaton had stolen my prized Degu. Any who…things got a bit intense and I was tazed several times and asked to leave. I didn’t let it ruin my day.

 Wizards of the Coast Displays

WotC had some amazing displays outside the Sagamon Ballroom, where they unveiled both the 4th edition incarnation of Darksun and the Castle Ravenloft Board game. There was a huge 3D red dragon representation of the Essential D&D Starter set that drop on September 7th. Also, there was a life-sized (can there be a life-sized version of a make-believe creature?) Beholder. It stood well over 12 feet tall. It was awesome.

 The World of Darkness Lounge 

White Wolf had an excellent longue set up in the center of the con. The lounge, fully staffed by vampires, offered a bar, live music and an opulent seating area decorated with gothic-style furniture.

All in all it was a great con. There is much more to say and I could go on forever posting pictures, but then I’d wouldn’t get any gaming done. If you attended the con I hope you had as good a time as I did, and if you didn’t get a chance to go, I hope to see you there next year. Enjoy these pictures.

-Andy 

 

 

 

 

 

Felicia Day.

Buy my game or I’ll body slam you!

5 Comments »

Two web shows every gamer should watch

Posted in D&D 3.5 e Content, D&D 4e Content, Gaming News with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on August 2, 2010 by boccobsblog

The Guild

The Guild, follows the exploits of a group of online gamers deeply entrenched in WoW-parody MMO. The show’s spot-on depictions of online gamers and hilarious scripts have made the Knights of Good an overnight web sensation. Fans of Dr. Horrible’s Sing Along Blog, will recognize the show’s star and head writer, Felicia Day, along with Effinfunny.com creator, Sandeep Parikh. The Guild has just started its fourth season (and can be seen here).

The Knights of Good

Legends of Neil

If you’re like me, then you have often wondered what would happen if you got drunk, and auto-erotically asphyxiated yourself with a Nintendo controller all while playing the original Legend of Zelda. Well, my hung over, sticky palmed friends wait no more, because Legends of Neil takes on such deep philosophical issues in the funniest, adult-themed Zelda parody show about an alcoholic gas station attendant on the web. The Legends of Neil can be found (for free) in its entirety on Effinfunny.com, or by pressing this link.

Both The Guild, and Legends of Neil are completely hilarious, completely free and a great way to spend an hour of your boring workday.

2 Comments »

Felicia Day to attend Gen Con Indy

Posted in Gaming News with tags , , , on June 22, 2010 by boccobsblog

As if you needed any more reasons to go to Gen Con Indy, Felicia Day, from The Guild, and Dr. Horrible’s Sing along Blog, will be in attendance on Friday and Saturday of the con. Other cast members joining Felicia will be Jeff Lewis (Vork), Sandeep Parikh (Zaboo), Robin Thorsen (Clara), and Wil Wheaton (Axis of Anarchy guildmaster). The Knights of Good will be signing autographs in the exhibit hall on August 6th and 7th.

image source here

3 Comments »