I Miss GenCon SoCal
It’s been a couple years now since GenCon SoCal has closed it’s doors and I can’t help but shake the feeling that the venue should have just relocated instead of canceling. It seems like the latest trend of most companies, from any size and demographic, aren’t really looking for ways to expand, but to downsize. Perhaps it’s just wishful thinking on my part, but I would have liked to see GenCon SoCal moved to the Bay Area, perhaps in SF or at the SJ Convention Center where the Game Developers Conference is held. Of course, now that I am in Vegas, maybe they should think about having GenCon Vegas 🙂
That aside, it’s obvious from attendance and product releases that this market is shrinking. I’m not sure if it’s just due to the economy, or simply a lack of interest, or some other outside source. Large former-rpg companies seem to just be pumping out card games and licensing them for poorly written and constructed TV Shows and Video Games that tend to just be long advertisements for the card game.
Something needs to be done to grow the market, to get people interested in the social aspect of gaming again. For a long time now this culture has had the stigmata of nerds and geeks in their basement telling stories to each other. While this may still be the case in some instances, we desperately need a makeover, a new marketing campaign, one that shows people who go out on a Friday and Saturday night to the club, they can relax on Sunday afternoon with a few friends, several drinks, pizza and get their game on.