No love for Dragoncon-why?

King_George · 08-30-2005, 08:44 AM

I just checked the gaming schedule for Dragoncon this weekend, NO Axis & Allies or Star Wars Minis tournaments! I also checked the list for the exhibition hall and no Wizards of the Coast! What is up with this?
WizKids is there. Games Workshop is there. But no WotC?

How can WotC miss the largest show in the Southeast? You have just released SW Universe and are about to release AAM, it seems like the right time to be out promoting these games.

Stojakovic · 08-30-2005, 08:57 AM

I was wondering the same thing I notice a bunch of copanies that I never heard of but but no WotC. Any idea why?

Engineer · 08-30-2005, 10:09 AM

WK should not attend DragonCon either (mistake on their part).

If WOTC thought they could make money, they would attend.

Vulturedoodle · 08-30-2005, 11:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Engineer

WK should not attend DragonCon either (mistake on their part).

If WOTC thought they could make money, they would attend.

Is there something about Dragoncon we should know?

Regards,
Steve F., who's thinking about going down on Saturday

Engineer · 08-30-2005, 01:53 PM

It is a great local convention. With in driving distance of lots of folks who don't get to Origins or Gencon. It is not a Origins or Gencon (but they try really hard).

If I lived 2 or 3 hours away, I would drive down for a day.

King_George · 08-30-2005, 03:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Engineer

It is a great local convention. With in driving distance of lots of folks who don't get to Origins or Gencon. It is not a Origins or Gencon (but they try really hard).

If I lived 2 or 3 hours away, I would drive down for a day.

He has obviously never been.

50,000 people over 4 days = the combined totals of Origins or Gencon. I would say that is more than a local convention.

Moderator Sinister · 08-30-2005, 04:30 PM

Well I do have to say that Wizards went ALL out for A&A minis at gencon. I'll post some pics later. This may have something to do with it. The numbers I have for dragon con aren't anywhere near 50,000. 20,000 is what is reported on their site. 20,000 with far far more less gaming events than gen con. hundreds less gaming events.

That's not to put down dragoncon at all but since wizards used to own gencon I'm guessing they stress that more.

Anarch · 08-30-2005, 09:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by King_George

He has obviously never been.

50,000 people over 4 days = the combined totals of Origins or Gencon. I would say that is more than a local convention.

I agree... it is in the top 5 largest Game/Sci fi/comic conventions in the US. Wiz kids pushed their games year before last and had a HUGE turnout. Dont guess wotc thinks that they need any new customers.

King_George · 08-31-2005, 08:42 AM

I have been to Gen-Con & Origins and both are fine shows. My point was why pass up an opportunity to reach more players? It would have to be far less money to have a booth than the full page color ads that WotC have purchased in the various WWII history magazines that are predominantly read by people who are not likely to be gamers.

I’m not wanting to start a mines better than yours,
but just for clarity, from the Dragoncon website (http://www.dragoncon.org/history.htm) next line to the bottom: “Dragon*Con 2001's total is approximately 43,000” that was 4 years ago. The 20,000+ you see on the chart is so both the host hotels and the city don’t flip out about having 50,000 people in 2 hotels downtown. Gen-Con has told the city of Indianapolis the attendance was 15,000 to 18,000.

Nuff' said.

Sinister · 08-31-2005, 08:53 AM

That's fine. Like I said I'm not trying to bash dragon con, I would go if I could. The 43,000 is if they count the 4 day pass 4 times.

Gen Con:

82,121 if they count the 4 day pass 4 times

Unique Attendance: 25,106

What does this tell us? Well that during the convention the amount of people in the convention per day was roughly though not quite double dragon con. Dragon Con has a very close number of total attendees but a low % stay the whole con. My guess is, as someone mentioned it, it's a local con. Gen Con on the other hand has many more people making the investment to stay all 4 days. Gen Con has a VERY HIGH % of people staying all four days. Something I never realized. Of course that's still double the amount of transactions going on in the exhibit hall in terms of buisness. Also the sheer amount of events keep people around at gen con.

Gen Con also had:
1,132 Boardgame Events
468 CG Events
82 historical Miniature Events
92 Larps
695 Miniature Events (not counting historical)
2,213 RPG Events
516 Collectible Card Events

DragonCon has less than 400 events listed on their catalog.
That's 13 times less events than gen con.

My thoughts on this is that gen con was just two weeks ago. They had a massive display with a half a bombed out catherdral and demos being done on jeeps with mock up soldiers. Many of the staff from wizards was in attendence. Gen Con was once owned by wizards.

The release of A&AM is this month. Between Gen Con and Dragon Con that would have pulled alot of people out of the office for almost a month when you consider travel time and the time it takes to set things up. Also the whole volunteer core is Huge. Just in the online community we had about 12 vounteers and that was just to sign people up to wonderful boards like this one. The prizes given out were fanatastic, many people walked away with several books.

So my personal opinion is maybe it wasn't so much ignoring of dragoncon as it is it's just simply to close to gen con when you figure the massive amounts of people, time, effort, prizes, and cost that goes into a con.

Finally dragon con caters to a large portion of non gamers. It's a sci fi/ fantasy convention. In fact they bill it as that. This means not everyone attending is a gamer. Where as gen con is billed as "the best 4 days in gaming" which means most people going are going to game.

What's really werid is games workshop who haven't made an appearence at gen con for the last 3 years, at least in the exhibt hall are going to dragon con.

08-30-2005, 08:44 AM	#1
King_George Senile Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Fort Negley Posts: 28	No love for Dragoncon-why? I just checked the gaming schedule for Dragoncon this weekend, NO Axis & Allies or Star Wars Minis tournaments! I also checked the list for the exhibition hall and no Wizards of the Coast! What is up with this? WizKids is there. Games Workshop is there. But no WotC? How can WotC miss the largest show in the Southeast? You have just released SW Universe and are about to release AAM, it seems like the right time to be out promoting these games. __________________ "If you can read this, thank your teachers. If you can read this in English, thank a veteran!"

08-30-2005, 08:57 AM	#2
Stojakovic Yohoho Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: 42°6′11″N, 76°3′17″W Posts: 5,941	I was wondering the same thing I notice a bunch of copanies that I never heard of but but no WotC. Any idea why? __________________ Solve the Riddle [b]5pts. solve the math riddle: 50, 432, 6402.6, 131072, 3401222.4, what is the next number? [b] If you know pm me and get a point. 20 points and get a prize. Contest for US and Canadians only. Cruizin2000-1 TheCygnysGuardian- 4 Testicleez-6 Michael Hayden-1 RBloom0566-1 Redgar-1 RaidingParty-1 Grenzewolf-1 fifleche-2

08-30-2005, 04:30 PM	#7
Moderator Sinister Uber Mod Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Indianapolis, Indiana Posts: 2,382	Well I do have to say that Wizards went ALL out for A&A minis at gencon. I'll post some pics later. This may have something to do with it. The numbers I have for dragon con aren't anywhere near 50,000. 20,000 is what is reported on their site. 20,000 with far far more less gaming events than gen con. hundreds less gaming events. That's not to put down dragoncon at all but since wizards used to own gencon I'm guessing they stress that more. __________________ General McGarnickle's war quotes... "In war, everyone's a winner"

08-31-2005, 08:42 AM	#9
King_George Senile Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Fort Negley Posts: 28	I have been to Gen-Con & Origins and both are fine shows. My point was why pass up an opportunity to reach more players? It would have to be far less money to have a booth than the full page color ads that WotC have purchased in the various WWII history magazines that are predominantly read by people who are not likely to be gamers. I’m not wanting to start a mines better than yours, but just for clarity, from the Dragoncon website (http://www.dragoncon.org/history.htm) next line to the bottom: “Dragon*Con 2001's total is approximately 43,000” that was 4 years ago. The 20,000+ you see on the chart is so both the host hotels and the city don’t flip out about having 50,000 people in 2 hotels downtown. Gen-Con has told the city of Indianapolis the attendance was 15,000 to 18,000. Nuff' said. __________________ "If you can read this, thank your teachers. If you can read this in English, thank a veteran!"

08-31-2005, 08:53 AM	#10
Sinister Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Indiana Posts: 801	That's fine. Like I said I'm not trying to bash dragon con, I would go if I could. The 43,000 is if they count the 4 day pass 4 times. Gen Con: 82,121 if they count the 4 day pass 4 times Unique Attendance: 25,106 What does this tell us? Well that during the convention the amount of people in the convention per day was roughly though not quite double dragon con. Dragon Con has a very close number of total attendees but a low % stay the whole con. My guess is, as someone mentioned it, it's a local con. Gen Con on the other hand has many more people making the investment to stay all 4 days. Gen Con has a VERY HIGH % of people staying all four days. Something I never realized. Of course that's still double the amount of transactions going on in the exhibit hall in terms of buisness. Also the sheer amount of events keep people around at gen con. Gen Con also had: 1,132 Boardgame Events 468 CG Events 82 historical Miniature Events 92 Larps 695 Miniature Events (not counting historical) 2,213 RPG Events 516 Collectible Card Events DragonCon has less than 400 events listed on their catalog. That's 13 times less events than gen con. My thoughts on this is that gen con was just two weeks ago. They had a massive display with a half a bombed out catherdral and demos being done on jeeps with mock up soldiers. Many of the staff from wizards was in attendence. Gen Con was once owned by wizards. The release of A&AM is this month. Between Gen Con and Dragon Con that would have pulled alot of people out of the office for almost a month when you consider travel time and the time it takes to set things up. Also the whole volunteer core is Huge. Just in the online community we had about 12 vounteers and that was just to sign people up to wonderful boards like this one. The prizes given out were fanatastic, many people walked away with several books. So my personal opinion is maybe it wasn't so much ignoring of dragoncon as it is it's just simply to close to gen con when you figure the massive amounts of people, time, effort, prizes, and cost that goes into a con. Finally dragon con caters to a large portion of non gamers. It's a sci fi/ fantasy convention. In fact they bill it as that. This means not everyone attending is a gamer. Where as gen con is billed as "the best 4 days in gaming" which means most people going are going to game. What's really werid is games workshop who haven't made an appearence at gen con for the last 3 years, at least in the exhibt hall are going to dragon con. Last edited by Sinister : 08-31-2005 at 09:33 AM.

08-30-2005, 10:09 AM	#3
Engineer Kriegspieler Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Kalamazoo, MI Posts: 311	WK should not attend DragonCon either (mistake on their part). If WOTC thought they could make money, they would attend.

08-30-2005, 01:53 PM	#5
Engineer Kriegspieler Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Kalamazoo, MI Posts: 311	It is a great local convention. With in driving distance of lots of folks who don't get to Origins or Gencon. It is not a Origins or Gencon (but they try really hard). If I lived 2 or 3 hours away, I would drive down for a day.

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