Tag Archives: gaming

Gen Con 2012 is Right Around the Corner

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We’re gearing up for this year’s Gen Con and judging by what’s going on, the convention will continue to be one of my favorite of the year. The “best four days in gaming returns to the Indiana Convention Center for its 45th Anniversary, taking place August 16-19, 2012. The hours for the convention are Thursday through Saturday the Exhibit Hall is open 10 am to 6 pm and Sunday from 10 am to 4 pm. 24-hour gaming takes place at the convention center and at area hotels during the four-day event.

To celebrate 45 years, Gen Con will award 45 complimentary badges for Gen Con Indy 2013 at this summer’s show. The show has is also seeing it’s 10th year in Indianapolis and generates roughly $36 million in annual business for the city according to the Indianapolis Convention and Visitors Association. The convention draws around 120,000 each year and badge sales have seen a record pace this year.

For the first time ever, Wizards of the Coast will present a keynote address named appropriately “Future of Dungeons & Dragons Keynote.” They’ll be unveiling information about their exciting D&D Next project. This keynote not only will feature comments by members of Wizards of the Coast’s R&D team, but also a presentation by company CEO Greg Leeds and we’ll be there reporting.

Gen Con also sees the debut of numerous games like this year’s Star Trek: Catan™ by Mayfair Games who will preview their all-new release, a Star-Trek-themed version of their best-selling game, Settlers of Catan.  Also, the first-ever World Magic Cup will take place. Magic: The Gathering players from more than 50 countries will attend Gen Con to compete for this first-ever World Magic Cup. All total, more than 45 all-new games will debut at the show.

Part of my enjoyment of conventions is the partying and drinking. Sun King Brewing and Gen Con LLC have partnered to release an official Gen Con beer, the Ale of Destiny. An open-to-the-public, 21-and-over tapping party will serve as the unofficial kick-off to Gen Con Indy 2012, beginning on Wednesday, August 15 at 6 p.m. at the High Velocity Sports Bar near the all-new JW Marriott.

There’s tons going on at the show including the 10th Anniversary of True Dungeon. Gen Con’s largest event, True Dungeon is an immersive life-size dungeon adventure through 45,000 square feet of convention space. The 27th Annual Costume Contest- Numerous awards will be bestowed across a wide swath of categories!

This year’s Author Guest of Honor Brandon Sanderson, creator of the Mistborn series and author of the upcoming Wheel of Time novel, Memory of Light, leads a group of prolific and high-profile authors in the convention’s annual Writer’s Symposium. Those interested in autographs, informative writing seminars, and exposure to literary luminaries should attend. Acclaimed fantasy illustrator Todd Lockwood has been selected as Gen Con Indy 2012 Artist Guest of Honor. More than 80 artists will take part in the annual Art Show, and prints and original artwork will be available for purchase from many participating artists in the Exhibit Hall.

It’s not all physical games at Gen Con. This year sees the return of the video game centric E-Games Arena. Digital gaming fans will find a host of games to play at Gen Con Indy 2012, including numerous competitive events and dance-game events. And while taking a break from all that gaming folks can head to the Anime and Film Festival. More than sixty films and digital projects will compete across three categories at Gen Con Indy’s Annual Film Festival.

Family Day is Sunday, August 19. There will be events specifically designed for family involvement, including face-painting and learn-to-play events, along with discounted badges. The Family Fun Pavilion is an area dedicated to family gaming for all ages. It includes exhibits, demonstrations, activities and much more. The Training Grounds is the place to introduce kids to the gaming world and all its possibilities. Training Grounds is most appropriate for kid’s ages 4-12 years old and is located in the Family Fun Pavilion.

Did I show off how awesome the convention will be? Badges are available now at www.gencon.com with Will Call pick-up on-site. A 4-Day Badge Price is $80 and a 1-Day Badge Price: $50 and Sunday, August 19, is Family Fun Day with entrance being $30 for a family of four. Family Fun Day Badges may be purchased on-site only.

Gen Con Keynote Talks the Future of Dungeons & Dragons

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Appropriately the first ever keynote address at Gen Con will be a look into the future of Dungeons & Dragons, including the evolution of the game, the re-birth of a fantasy setting and the next generation of art.  Wizards of the Coast is hosting this first-ever keynote address on Thursday, August 16th  to share with D&D fans what is in store for the game. Speakers include President and CEO of Wizards Greg Leeds, Senior Manager for D&D Research and Design Mike Mearls, and some of the greatest creative minds in the industry.

The keynote begins at 7:00 PM in the 500 Ballroom of the Indianapolis Convention Center and will be live-streamed at DungeonsandDragons.com/events.

Gen Con Announces Wil Wheaton as a Guest of Honor

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English: Wil Wheaton at a San Diego Comic-Con ...Gen Con has announced Wil Wheaton as its first of three Media Guests of Honor. Wheaton will sign autographs Thursday through Saturday, August 16-18 at the Autograph Area of the Exhibit Hall at Gen Con Indy 2012. Gen Con will announce its two remaining Gen Con Indy 2012 Media Guests of Honor in the next two weeks.

Wheaton first entered the entertainment spotlight with his prominent roles in the films Stand by Me and Toy S

oldiers. However, he endeared himself to the geek community as Wesley Crusher on the popular Star Trek: The Next Generation, and following his run on Star Trek, has championed many important initiatives for the geek community. Active in blogging and social media, in 2009, Wheaton was named by Forbes as the 14th most influential web celebrity.

Splitting his time between acting and writing, Wheaton currently recurs as Doctor Isaac Parrish on SyFy’s hit series Eureka, as computer hacker Chaos on TNT’s Leverage, and as a “delightfully evil version” of himself on CBS’s The Big Bang Theory. He has recently appeared as serial killer ‘Floyd Hansen’ on Criminal Minds, comic book publisher ‘Miles Sklar’ on NUMB3RS, as the voice of ‘Ted Kord, the Silver Age Blue Beetle’, on Batman: The Brave and the Bold, and as Axis of Anarchy leader Fawkes in Felicia Day’s smash hit web series The Guild.

Gen Con Launches Educational Partners Program

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Gen Con Launches Educational Partners Program
Partners with Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis

INDIANAPOLIS (June 6, 2012) – Gen Con LLC has entered into a partnership with the Indiana University School of Informatics at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis that will make the IU campus the first institution in the nation to participate in Gen Con’s Educational Partners Program.

“Given the academic reputation, enrollment size and proximity of the campus to Gen Con, partnering with the IUPUI seemed like a natural fit for Gen Con Indy 2012,” said Adrian Swartout, CEO of Gen Con LLC. “The IU School of Informatics at IUPUI offers some innovative specializations such as Storytelling Fundamentals and Gaming, and their students and faculty will add a unique voice to discussions on current topics in the industry.”

With its new Educational Partners Program, Gen Con hopes to give programmatic access to selected academic institutions, allowing students and faculty to interact with key members of the game industry and participate in educational, informative seminars.

“We are proud to collaborate with Gen Con on its Educational Partners program,” said Mathew Powers, assistant professor at the IU School of Informatics at IUPUI. “The School of Informatics uniquely integrates computing, social science and information systems design to explore how people use computing and technology to live, work, play and communicate, so it only made sense for us to collaborate with Gen Con, which is known world-wide as the best place for the creation and development of truly original gaming fare.”

Gen Con will celebrate its 45th anniversary this fall, as well as its 10th anniversary at its show in Indianapolis, August 16-19. According to the Indianapolis Convention & Visitors Association, Gen Con Indy 2011 provided more than $36 million in economic impact to Indianapolis, largely attributable to its record turnstile attendance of 120,000.

For questions regarding the Education Partners Program, including how to get involved, please contact Jake Theis, Gen Con Senior Marketing Communications Manager, at jake.theis@gencon.com

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About Gen Con
Gen Con, LLC produces the largest consumer hobby, fantasy, science-fiction, and adventure game convention in North America. It was acquired in 2002 by former CEO and Founder of Wizards of the Coast Peter Adkison. Gen Con is a consumer and trade experience dedicated to gaming culture and community. For more information on Gen Con, visit www.gencon.com.

As one of seven Indiana University campuses, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis is known as Indiana’s premier urban research and health sciences campus and is dedicated to advancing the intellectual growth of the state of Indiana and its citizens through research and creative activity, teaching, learning and civic engagement. Nationally ranked by U.S. News & World Report, Forbes and other notable publications, IUPUI has more than 30,000 students enrolled in 21 schools, which offer more than 250 degrees. IUPUI awards degrees from both Indiana and Purdue Universities. For more information, visit iupui.edu.

As the first school of its kind in the United States, the Indiana University School of Informatics is an innovator in a fast-paced and dynamic field. Our school uniquelyintegrates computing, social science and information systems design to explore how people use computing and technology to live, work, play and communicate. We then apply that insight to develop innovative IT solutions impacting fields like healthcare, biology, business, law, entertainment and media. With nearly 2,000 students currently studying informatics on IU campuses, top-notch programs and highly regarded faculty, the School of Informatics is dedicated to preparing students for the power and possibility of computing and information technology. For more information, visit informatics.iupui.edu.

Gen Con Partners With Stars Youth Foundation, Inc.

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Gen Con Partners With STARS Youth Foundation, Inc.
Gen Con Indy 2012 Charity Fundraising to Support Local Youth Organization

SEATTLE (March 30, 2012) – Gen Con LLC announced today that STARS Youth Foundation, Inc. (SYF) has been selected as this year’s charity fundraising recipient. Gen Con operates several charity events annually to raise money in support of community, children, education, and families.

“Each year, Gen Con carefully searches for a meaningful way to make a positive contribution to the local Indianapolis region, through partnership with existing charitable organizations,” said Jeannette LeGault, Senior Director of Event Programming for Gen Con LLC. “We are delighted to be able to work with STARS Youth Foundation, Inc., in 2012. Their objective reflects Gen Con’s values of supporting youth and local communities.”

Christina Sparks, founder of SYF said, “When I received the news that Gen Con had selected STARS Youth Foundation to receive funding support, I was ecstatic! What an amazing opportunity! We are thankful for this opportunity and welcome it with open arms.”

Gen Con provided more than $36 million in economic impact to Indianapolis businesses in 2011, following significant growth over the last several years. 2012 marks Gen Con’s 45th anniversary, and the event is on-track to be the largest Gen Con in history. The event follows the record-breaking 2011 show, in which there were more than 36,000 badges sold and a turnstile attendance of 120,000.

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Gen Con, LLC produces the largest consumer hobby, fantasy, sci-fi and adventure game convention in North America. It was acquired in 2002 by former CEO and Founder of Wizards of the Coast Peter Adkison, who owns the company headquartered in Seattle, Washington. Gen Con is a consumer and trade experience dedicated to gaming culture and community. For more information visit the website at http://www.gencon.com . For up-to-the minute details, browse facebook.com/genconindy and twitter.com/gen_con.

STARS Youth Foundation, Inc. was founded on May 1, 2009. SYF is committed to making a positive impact on the lives of every youth they encounter by empowering them to succeed academically, socially, and morally. SYF affirms that every youth, irrespective of their social-economic status, deserves a chance to succeed. SYF is dedicated to transforming the Indianapolis community one youth at a time. More information is available at their website: www.syfindy.org .

RSVP for the Dungeons & Dragons NYC ComiXology Event

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Official Press Release

ComiXology and IDW Publishing Host Dungeons & Dragons Gaming at Jim Hanley’s Universe

November 23rd in NYC to Celebrate the Latest Release of Dungeons & Dragons on Comics by comiXology

November 21st, 2011 – New York, New York – Harken to the call of adventure as comiXology, IDW Publishing, and legendary comic shop Jim Hanley’s Universe team up for an unprecedented Dungeons & Dragon’s gaming event!

In honor of the latest release of IDW’s massive collection of fantastic Dungeon & Dragons comics on Comics by comiXology, comiXology and IDW Publishing will be hosting an evening of classic Dungeons & Dragons gaming at Jim Hanley’s Universe in New York City! Gaming oversight provided by Tavis Allison of http://www.adventuringparties.com/

When: November 23rd, 2011 6:00pm

Where: Jim Hanley’s Universe on 33rd Street, right next to The Empire State Building in New York City.

What: Come prepared with a Dungeons & Dragons Digital Comic already downloaded on your device and receive a free comiXology t-shirt that adds + 5 to your base Awesome factor!

Didn’t understand that last joke? Worry not as players need not be experienced in the grand tradition of D&D to play. Adventurers of all levels are invited to take part in an evening filled with magic, adventure and a whole lot of geeky fun. So gather up thy lucky dice, digital devices, and whatever else one might need to slay Orcs or hunt for treasure and come join us on November 23rd at Jim Hanley’s Universe.

Download the latest Dungeons & Dragons Digital Comics from comiXology Today!
https://comics.comixology.com/series/4638

Space is limited so RSVP on Facebook Now!

About comiXology
Since 2007 comiXology has been developing the technological infrastructure to bring comics into the digital mainstream and expose new audiences to the rich history and culture of the industry. Through partnerships with top comic book publishers including Archaia Entertainment, BOOM! Studios, DC Comics, Dynamite Entertainment, IDW Publishing, Image Comics and Marvel Comics as well as their own mobile and web apps which host over 14,000 digital titles, comiXology has become a leader in digital comic book proliferation. Also focused on creating strong ties with retail stores through its technology solutions, comiXology continues to transform the previously fragmented comic ecosystem into a vibrant and cohesive marketplace.

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