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 The Grand Daddy of all CCG and Pen and Paper RPG Conventions is entering into the digital age.
This interesting merger of disparate interest should also help
expand Gen Con's already sizeable base. And for the Electronic Gaming
giants there is no question that the allure of adding hardcore RPG
gamers to their digital game rosters would be a financial boon.
The question is: Can Pen and Paper RP Gamers and Digital Age RP MMO players live together in harmony?
EA, Sony, NCSoft, Blizzard, CCP Games, Fallen Earth, Eidos To Exhibit
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – JULY 24, 2007 – Since Gen Con Indy quietly
announced last November it would expand its 40-year reign in the
non-electronic collectible card and hobby market to include developers
and publishers of electronic games, major exhibitors including EA, CCP
Games, Sony, NCSoft, Blizzard, Eidos, Atari, and Fallen Earth were
quick to sign up.
Organizers of Gen Con Indy, set for August 16-19, 2007 in Indianapolis,
Indiana are careful to point out the show is for consumers – last year
more than 26,000 attended – and their move into the electronic games
market is not an effort to replicate or capture business from other
industry-only trade shows.
“Game developers and publishers clearly recognize the value in
presenting their titles directly to a large group of consumers to help
drive sales, and to obtain feedback from those consumers regarding
upcoming titles, which may influence their development and licensing
strategies,” says Bill Creonte, Sr. Vice President of Business
Development at Gen Con Indy. “Exhibitors are pleased that participating
in our show isn’t a budget-breaking investment, and that we can deliver
an event that’s highly attuned to the culture and experience of
gaming.”
Upcoming MMOG (Massively Multiplayer Online Game) Fallen Earth is
making its consumer show debut at Gen Con Indy. Fallen Earth’s Lead
Game Designer, Lee Hammock, says, “We had options to demo our game at
several shows during the next few months, and Gen Con Indy was the best
venue for us to reach a large audience of gamers.”
Magnus Bergsson, Chief Marketing Officer at CCP Games, creator of hit
MMOG EVE Online, says, “We decided to exhibit at Gen Con Indy again
this year because of the success we had last year introducing our
collectible card game EVE: The Second Genesis. Showing both products
side-by-side, the CCG as well as EVE Online, to a big audience of avid
game enthusiasts is a perfect fit for us.” “Ever since its inception
Gen Con has been synonymous with role-playing games,” says Mark Jacobs,
VP and GM of EA Mythic. “As someone who has attended Gen Con quite a
number of times, I couldn’t be more thrilled to see the show evolve to
embrace computer gaming, especially the MMORPG genre. I look forward to
seeing Warhammer proudly displayed at Gen Con now and in the future.”
“We consider Gen Con to be an important event in our marketing
calendar,” says Matt Gorman, Marketing Director, Eidos Inc. “In
particular, we are keen to showcase Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures
to our consumer fan base at Gen Con this year because of the event
spotlight on the works of Robert E. Howard.”
For more information about attending Gen Con Indy, visit www.gencon.com. Electronic games companies interested in exhibiting at Gen Con should contact Bill Creonte at
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and 508.321.0200. Non-electronic game companies can exhibit by contacting Megan Culver at
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and 206.957.3809.
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