A
gaming convention is any event gathering focused primarily around role-playing games, collectible card games,
miniatures wargamesMiniature wargaming is a form of wargaming that incorporates miniature figures and modeled terrain as the main components of play. Like other types of wargames, they can be generally considered to be a type of simulation game, generally about tactical combat, as opposed to computer and board...
,
board gameA board game is a game in which counters or pieces that are placed on, removed from, or moved across a "board"...
s, 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.
The largest gaming convention,
SpielInternationale Spieltage SPIEL, often called Essen after the city where it is held, is an annual four-day game trade fair held in October at the Messe Essen exhibition centre in Essen...
, is a
trade fairA trade fair is an exhibition organized so that companies in a specific industry can showcase and demonstrate their latest products, service, study activities of rivals and examine recent trends and opportunities...
held in Essen, Germany that focuses on German-style board games and RPGs.
A
gaming convention is any event gathering focused primarily around role-playing games, collectible card games,
miniatures wargamesMiniature wargaming is a form of wargaming that incorporates miniature figures and modeled terrain as the main components of play. Like other types of wargames, they can be generally considered to be a type of simulation game, generally about tactical combat, as opposed to computer and board...
,
board gameA board game is a game in which counters or pieces that are placed on, removed from, or moved across a "board"...
s, 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.
The largest gaming convention,
SpielInternationale Spieltage SPIEL, often called Essen after the city where it is held, is an annual four-day game trade fair held in October at the Messe Essen exhibition centre in Essen...
, is a
trade fairA trade fair is an exhibition organized so that companies in a specific industry can showcase and demonstrate their latest products, service, study activities of rivals and examine recent trends and opportunities...
held in Essen, Germany that focuses on German-style board games and RPGs. A similarly large event is
Festival Ludique International de ParthenayThe Festival Ludique International de Parthenay, otherwise known as the Festival de Jeux or FLIP, is a games festival held in the town of Parthenay in western France. The festival is held over a period of 12 days in early July...
(FLIP), a games festival held over twelve days in France.
Gen ConGen Con is one of the largest and most prominent annual gaming conventions in North America. The convention has featured role-playing games, miniatures wargames, board games, live action role-playing games, collectible card games, strategy games, computer games, and more, where attendees can engage...
is the largest gaming con in the US for RPGs, with 21,700 attendees over four days in 2005, while Origins is the largest gaming convention focused on miniatures wargames and live-action role playing games. Exact numbers, however, are debatable. DragonCon, for example, is a large convention also aimed at gaming, and has huge numbers of attendees. However, not all of them are there to play games; it might be one of the largest conventions where people can game but gaming is only a small part of the convention (and there are few (non-RPG) retailers). A smaller genre of gaming conventions are those devoted to the hobby of historical
miniature wargamingMiniature wargaming is a form of wargaming that incorporates miniature figures and modeled terrain as the main components of play. Like other types of wargames, they can be generally considered to be a type of simulation game, generally about tactical combat, as opposed to computer and board...
, many of which are sponsored by the
Historical Miniatures Gaming SocietyThe Historical Miniatures Gaming Society promotes the hobby of historical miniature wargaming as a registered non-profit charitable and educational foundation...
.
World Boardgaming ChampionshipsThe World Boardgaming Championships is a convention held yearly since 1999 by the Boardgame Players Association. It is typically held in in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. It was last held August 5 to August 10, 2008. It is next scheduled for August 4 to August 9, 2009...
,
PrezConPrezCon "The Winter Nationals" is a convention held yearly since 1994 by PrezCon, Inc. It is held in Charlottesville, Virginia. It was last held Feb 25th–Mar 1st, 2009. It is next scheduled for Feb 24th–Feb 28th, 2010....
and
Euro QuestEuro Quest is an annual gaming convention consisting of a unique blend of tournaments and a competitive forum for the play of popular "European" style board games in a focused, in-depth format not available elsewhere. Euro Quest has been held during November since 2001 in the Baltimore, Maryland...
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.
WBC http://www.boardgamers.org PrezCon http://www.prezcon.comare your largest pure board game events. WBC runs the first week in August each year and PrezCon runs the last week of February each year..
Gaming convention 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 GatheringMagic: The Gathering is a collectible card game created by mathematics professor Richard Garfield and introduced in 1993 by Wizards of the Coast. Magic is the first example of the modern collectible card game genre and still thrives today, with an estimated six million players in over seventy...
, 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
RPGAThe RPGA , is part of the organized play arm of Wizards of the Coast which organizes and sanctions role-playing games worldwide, principally under the d20 system...
runs competitive D&D and other RPGs at many conventions. Most scheduled RPGs, however, are not competitive.
The types of games often include many of the following:
- Collectible Card Game
A 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 aka CCGCCG is an acronym for:* Canadian Coast Guard* Castor Cracking Group* Centre for Computational Geography* Chemical Computing Group, a pharmaceutical software company based in Montreal, Quebec...
's, like Magic: The GatheringMagic: The Gathering is a collectible card game created by mathematics professor Richard Garfield and introduced in 1993 by Wizards of the Coast. Magic is the first example of the modern collectible card game genre and still thrives today, with an estimated six million players in over seventy...
& Pokémon
- Board games
- Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which the participants assume the roles of fictional characters. Participants determine the actions of their characters based on their characterization, and the actions succeed or fail according to a formal system of rules and guidelines...
s aka RPG's, like Dungeons and Dragons, ShadowrunShadowrun is a pen-and-paper role-playing game set in an imaginary future where huge corporations control the lives of their employees and the return of magic has altered people, politics and power. When conflicts arise the corporations, governments, wealthy individuals and even organized crime can...
& Traveller
- RPGA
The RPGA , is part of the organized play arm of Wizards of the Coast which organizes and sanctions role-playing games worldwide, principally under the d20 system...
games
- Table-top miniatures games like Battletech
BattleTech is a wargaming and science fiction franchise launched by FASA Corporation in 1984, acquired by WizKids in 2000, and owned since 2003 by Topps. The series began with FASA's debut of the board game BattleTech by Jordan Weisman and L...
, HeroClixHeroClix is a collectible miniatures game produced by WizKids, Inc. Players construct teams of heroes and villains and play out a battle between the teams turn-by-turn on a grid map.-History:...
, Car WarsCar Wars is a vehicle combat simulation game developed by Steve Jackson Games. It was first published in late 1980 .-Game play:In Car Wars, players assume control of one or more automobiles, which may include any powered vehicle, from motorcycles to semi trucks. Optional rules include piloting...
, Flames of WarFlames of War is a World War II tabletop miniatures wargame produced by the New Zealand company Battlefront Miniatures Ltd....
and Warhammer 40k
- LARPs
- Electronic games
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.
External links
Helpful Links for Preparing for Gaming Conventions
Examples of Gaming Conventions- links included
- Events For Gamers Collective repository and news source for game events, including conventions.
- Avalon Game Conventions Organizers of five gaming conventions on the West Coast, including the West Coast Boardgame Championships.
- Boardgame Players Association Sponsors of the annual World Boardgaming Championships.
- PrezCon "The Winter Nationals" Sponsors of the annual PrezCon Boardgaming Championships.
- consupport A service conventions can use to list events, manage payments, etc. and the conventions that use it.
- GameConventions.net Another comprehensive list of gaming conventions.
- HMGS East Has lists of associated conventions that feature historical miniature wargaming.
- TempleCon One of the largest multi-genre gaming conventions in New England, with a Retro-futurism
Retro-futurism, retrofuturism, retro-future or retrofuture, terms combining "retro" and "futurism" or "future", can refer to two distinct concepts: A style of design and art or an ideology....
Theme.
- Winter War Gaming Convention Winter War: The Midwest's Longest Consecutively Running Independent Gaming Convention!
- Dragonflight One of the longest running gaming conventions in the Pacific Northwest.
- Nuke-Con
Nuke-Con is a not-for-profit organization, formed in 1990 in Omaha, Nebraska, dedicated to promoting the positive social, educational, and entertainment aspects in all types of gaming hobbies through their game days and annual convention....
's Weekend of Games- A gamer-centric gaming convention of the Central Mid-West in the Omaha, Nebraska Metro Area.
- Strategicon A series of gaming conventions held in Southern California on President's Day, Memorial Day and Labor Day Weekends.