Gen Con
Gen Con is the largest tabletop gaming convention in North America, a major annual event for fans of role-playing games, board games, and collectible card games. Founded in 1968 by Dungeons & Dragons co-creator Gary Gygax, it has grown from a small wargames gathering into a cultural institution attracting tens of thousands of attendees.
| Founded | 1968 |
|---|---|
| First held | 1968 (as Lake Geneva Wargames Convention) |
| Founder | Gary Gygax |
| Primary location | Indianapolis, Indiana (since 2003) |
| Notable previous locations | Lake Geneva, Wisconsin; Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
| Attendance record | Nearly 70,000 unique attendees (2019) |
| Owner | Gen Con LLC (since 2002) |
| Original owner | TSR, Inc. (1976-1997) |
| Longest-running game | Fight in the Skies/Dawn Patrol |
Founding and the TSR Years
The convention originated from an informal gathering at Gary Gygax's home in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, in 1967, later called Gen Con 0. The first official Lake Geneva Wargames Convention was held in 1968 at Horticultural Hall, with the International Federation of Wargaming providing financial support. Almost 100 people attended this first event, which centered on board games and miniature wargames. The name Gen Con is a derivation of Geneva Convention, a play on words referencing both the location and the war games popular at the time.
In 1976, Gen Con became the property of TSR, Inc., the company Gygax co-founded and the original publisher of Dungeons & Dragons. Under TSR management, the convention moved to larger venues in Wisconsin, including an American Legion Hall, a college campus, and a former Playboy Resort. From 1978 to 1984, it was hosted at the University of Wisconsin, Parkside. During this period, TSR also operated auxiliary conventions: Gen Con West in California from 1976 to 1978, Gen Con South in Jacksonville, Florida from 1978 to 1984, and Gen Con East in New Jersey and Pennsylvania in 1981 and 1982.
Growth in Milwaukee and Corporate Changes
Needing more space, Gen Con moved to the Milwaukee Exposition and Convention Center and Arena in 1985. Attendance climbed steadily, from 5,000 to a peak of 30,000 in 1995. In 1992, it broke United States game convention attendance records with over 18,000 people. A significant moment occurred in August 1993 when Wizards of the Coast debuted Magic: The Gathering at the convention. The entire stock of 2.5 million cards, expected to last for months, sold out at the event. The collectible card game craze that followed is credited with helping drive attendance to its 1995 record.
Corporate ownership changed hands in the late 1990s. Wizards of the Coast purchased TSR and Gen Con in 1997. The convention moved to the Midwest Express Center in Milwaukee the following year. In 1999, Hasbro acquired Wizards of the Coast. Hasbro later sold Gen Con in 2002 to Peter Adkison, the founder of Wizards of the Coast, who formed Gen Con LLC to run the event.
Establishment in Indianapolis
Gen Con moved to Indianapolis, Indiana, in 2003, with Adkison citing insufficient hotel space, a poor convention center layout, and faulty escalators in Milwaukee as reasons. The event, now called Gen Con Indy, settled at the Indiana Convention Center, drawing between 20,000 and 30,000 visitors annually. Its economic impact was substantial, generating the most direct visitor spending of any annual convention in Indianapolis by 2005. To accommodate the convention's growth, the Indiana Convention Center completed a major expansion in 2011 at a cost of over 275 million dollars.
Under its new ownership, Gen Con LLC restarted a West Coast convention named Gen Con SoCal in Anaheim, which drew about 6,300 attendees in 2005. The company also expanded its scope, running the official Star Wars Celebration in 2006 and, following the downsizing of the Electronic Entertainment Expo that same year, announcing plans to provide more space for video game businesses.
Convention Events and Traditions
The convention features a large exhibit hall where attendees commonly spend over 100 dollars. The only game scheduled every year since the first convention is the aerial combat game Fight in the Skies, later renamed Dawn Patrol. The D&D Championship Series, beginning in 1977, is a long-running tournament. The Role-Playing Gamers Association has run events at Gen Con since 1981, often featuring persistent Living campaign games.
Charity events are a key part of the program. Cardhalla, started in 1999, involves building a city from donated cards which attendees then pay to destroy with coins, with the money collected for charity. The gaming group NASCRAG has run humorous Dungeons & Dragons events at Gen Con since 1980, sometimes donating ticket fees to charity. The EN World RPG Awards, known as the ENnies, have been hosted at Gen Con Indy since 2002. True Dungeon, an immersive live-action role-playing game designed to mimic a Dungeons & Dragons environment, has been offered since 2003.
Other notable events include a games library added in 1987 and the first Magic: The Gathering World Championship in 1994, won by Zak Dolan. The Gen Con Live Games Auction is another long-running feature, though most of it is not for charity.
International Ventures and the Online Pivot
Gen Con has held events outside North America with varying success. The first annual European Gen Con was in Camber Sands, England, in 1990. It ran in the UK for eight years, moving to Loughborough before ending in 1997. After a hiatus, it reappeared in Belgium in 1999 and then in Paris from 2006 to 2008. Gen Con Barcelona was held five times between 1994 and 2004. A Gen Con Benelux occurred in the Netherlands in 1998 and 2000. Gen Con UK ran from 1998 to 2005. Events were also held in Brisbane, Australia, in 2008 and 2009, though a third scheduled for 2010 was cancelled.
When the COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of the in-person convention in 2020, Gen Con launched an online version. This digital event continued to run alongside the returned physical convention in 2021 and 2022 before Gen Con ceased operations of Gen Con Online after the 2023 show.
Legal and Financial Challenges
The year 2008 presented severe legal difficulties. Lucasfilm filed a lawsuit against Gen Con LLC in January, claiming breach of contract and other issues related to the 2006 Star Wars Celebration, and alleging failure to pass on charity auction funds to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Gen Con filed a counter-suit. In February 2008, citing significant expenses from licensed events, Gen Con LLC filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, which delayed the Lucasfilm lawsuit. Gen Con Indy 2008 was held as scheduled.
Later in 2008, a cryptic letter of intent to purchase Gen Con LLC's assets was filed with the bankruptcy court by a proposed Gen Con Acquisition Group. Gen Con's president, Adrian Swartout, rejected this hostile takeover bid as not in the best interest of creditors. The bankruptcy court allowed Gen Con to emerge from Chapter 11 protection in January 2009.
Engagement with Social Issues
Gen Con has publicly addressed social legislation in Indiana. In 2015, President Adrian Swartout sent a letter to Governor Mike Pence opposing the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, arguing it would harm the state's economy and the convention's diverse attendee base from over 40 countries and all 50 states. Swartout noted Gen Con injected over 50 million dollars annually into the local economy. Governor Pence signed the bill into law.
In 2022, after Indiana passed a near-total abortion ban, Gen Con tweeted support for abortion rights. President David Hoppe stated the law would impact stakeholders and make it more difficult to remain committed to Indiana as a long-term home beyond the existing contract through 2026.
An earlier incident in 2008 involved the Christian Children's Fund declining a 17,398 dollar donation made in honor of Gary Gygax from a Gen Con auction. The decision caused disappointment within the gaming community, leading to public statements from both the charity and Gen Con, after which Gen Con chose to support a different charity.
FAQ
What is Gen Con?
Gen Con is the largest tabletop game convention in North America. It features a wide variety of games including role-playing games, board games, card games, and miniatures wargames, along with a large exhibit hall and numerous tournaments and interactive events.
Who founded Gen Con?
Gen Con was founded by Gary Gygax, who later co-created Dungeons & Dragons. He established it in 1968 as the Lake Geneva Wargames Convention in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin.
Where and when is Gen Con held?
The primary Gen Con event, known as Gen Con Indy, has been held annually in Indianapolis, Indiana, since 2003. It takes place at the Indiana Convention Center.
What was the attendance record for Gen Con?
In 2019, Gen Con had nearly 70,000 attendees, which is its highest reported attendance figure.
What major game was debuted at Gen Con?
Magic: The Gathering was first debuted to the public by Wizards of the Coast at Gen Con in August 1993. The initial supply of 2.5 million cards sold out at the event.
Source: English Wikipedia (CC BY-SA), rewritten by the Redington Cybersport desk.
