GameStorm is a fan-run not-for-profit annual gaming convention

Gaming convention

A gaming convention is a gathering that 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 days long, and often held at either a university or in a convention center hotel...

 held in the spring in the Portland, Oregon

Portland, Oregon

Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...

 metro area.

History

GameStorm started in 1998 as a fan-run event at the Clackamas, Oregon Denney's Convention Center. The GameStorm group often provides gaming programming at OryCon

OryCon

Orycon is Portland, Oregon's annual science fiction/fantasy convention, held in November since 1979.-History:*The Symposium Nov 11, 1978 ~125*OryCon Nov 9-11, 1979 John Varley , Steve Perry & Richard Geis 525...

 and other conventions in the Pacific Northwest as well, and has an extensive game library.

GameStorm provides a number of different activities for gaming fandom:

• Panel discussion topics, often with gaming industry professionals
• Role-playing game
  Role-playing game
  A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
  
  s (RPG)
• Live action role-playing game
  Live action role-playing game
  A live action role-playing game is a form of role-playing game where the participants physically act out their characters' actions. The players pursue goals within a fictional setting represented by the real world, while interacting with each other in character. The outcome of player actions may...
  
  s (LARP)
• Miniature figure (gaming)
• Collectible card game
  Collectible card game
  thumb|Players and their decksA collectible card game , also called a trading card game or customizable card game, is a game played using specially designed sets of playing cards...
  
  s (CGG)
• Board game
  Board game
  A board game is a game which involves counters or pieces being moved on a pre-marked surface or "board", according to a set of rules. Games may be based on pure strategy, chance or a mixture of the two, and usually have a goal which a player aims to achieve...
  
  s
• Video Console Gaming
  Video game console
  A video game console is an interactive entertainment computer or customized computer system that produces a video display signal which can be used with a display device to display a video game...
  
  

GameStorm, like OryCon

OryCon

Orycon is Portland, Oregon's annual science fiction/fantasy convention, held in November since 1979.-History:*The Symposium Nov 11, 1978 ~125*OryCon Nov 9-11, 1979 John Varley , Steve Perry & Richard Geis 525...

, is run entirely by fans, with no paid staff, and is sponsored by Oregon Science Fiction Conventions, Inc. (OSFCI), a 501(c)3 not-for-profit corporation.

Iteration	Dates	Location	Attendance	Notes
GameStorm 10	March 2008	Red Lion - Vancouver, WA	750	-
GameStorm 11	March 26-29, 2009	Hilton - Vancouver, WA	736	debut of Console game Console game A console game is a form of interactive multimedia used for entertainment. The game consists of manipulable images generated by a video game console, and displayed on a television or similar audio-video system. The game itself is usually controlled and manipulated using a handheld device connected... s, first-ever Artist Guest of Honor, Rob Alexander
GameStorm 12	March 25-28, 2010	Hilton - Vancouver, WA	802	Board games Guest of Honor: Tom Lehmann Thomas Lehmann Tom Lehmann has been an economist, programmer, boardgame publisher, game designer, and technical writer.-Published Games:*Fast Food Franchise *Time Agent *Suzerain...
GameStorm 13	March 24-27, 2011	Hilton - Vancouver, WA	984	Guests: Lisa Steenson, Michael A. Stackpole Michael A. Stackpole Michael A. Stackpole is a science fiction and fantasy author best known for his Star Wars and Battletech books. He was born in Wausau, Wisconsin, but raised in Vermont...
GameStorm 14	March 22-25, 2012	Hilton - Vancouver, WA	tba

Upcoming GameStorm Convention

GameStorm 14 will be March 22-25, 2011, at the Hilton Vancouver Washington.


Guests of Honor for GameStorm 14 will be:

• Boardgame:
• RPG: Jason Bulmahn
  Jason Bulmahn
  -Career:Jason Bulmahn became the managing editor of Dragon in 2004 and is now the lead designer of Paizo Publishing and the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game. The Beta version of the Pathfinder RPG received the gold ENnie award for "best free product or web enhancement" in 2008...
  
  

Upcoming GameStorm - GameDay

Free Game Days
October 23, 2011 at the Hilton Vancouver Washington.

Past Guests of Honor

• Tom Lehmann
  Thomas Lehmann
  Tom Lehmann has been an economist, programmer, boardgame publisher, game designer, and technical writer.-Published Games:*Fast Food Franchise *Time Agent *Suzerain...
  
  
• Vincent Baker
• Rob Heinsoo
  Rob Heinsoo
  Rob Heinsoo is an American tabletop game designer. He has been designing and contributing to professional roleplaying games, card games, and board games since 1994. He has also designed and contributed to miniatures games and a computer game.-Career:...
  
  
• Andy Collins
  Andy Collins (game designer)
  Andy Collins is a game designer whose writing credits include numerous books for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game.-Early life and education:Andy Collins grew up in Olympia, Washington...
  
  
• Andy and Kristen Looney
  Andrew Looney
  Andrew J. Looney , better known as Andy Looney, is an award-winning game designer and computer programmer.- Biography :...
  
  
• Robin Laws
  Robin Laws
  Robin D. Laws is a writer and game designer who lives in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He is the author of a number of role-playing games and related products.-Works:Robin D...
  
  
• Jay Tummelson
• Reiner Knizia
  Reiner Knizia
  Reiner Knizia is a prolific German-style board game designer. Born in Germany, he developed his first game at the age of eight. He has a PhD in mathematics, and has been a full-time game designer since 1997, when he quit his job from the board of a large international bank...
  
  
• Richard Garfield
  Richard Garfield
  Richard Channing Garfield is a mathematics professor and game designer who created the card games Magic: The Gathering, Netrunner, BattleTech CCG, Vampire: The Eternal Struggle , The Great Dalmuti, Star Wars Trading Card Game, and the board game RoboRally...
  
  
• Rick Loomis
• Monte Cook
  Monte Cook
  Monte Cook is a professional table-top role-playing game designer and writer. He is married to Sue Weinlein Cook.-Roleplaying:Cook has been a professional game designer since 1988, working primarily on role-playing games. Much of his early work was for Iron Crown Enterprises as an editor and writer...
  
  
• Michael Stackpole
• Peter Adkison
  Peter Adkison
  Peter D. Adkison is the founder and first CEO of Wizards of the Coast , as well as a hobby game professional.During Adkison's tenure, Wizards of the Coast rose to the status of a major publisher in the hobby game industry. Wizards achieved runaway success with its creation of "Magic: the...
  
  
• Steve Long (game designer)
• James Ernest
  James Ernest
  James Ernest is an American game designer and juggler. He is best known as the owner and lead designer of Cheapass Games. Prior to founding Cheapass, he worked as a juggler at various venues, including Camlann Medieval Village, and as a freelancer with Wizards of the Coast. He also worked for...
  
  
• Lisa Steenson

External links

• GameStorm.org website