Zack's Gen Con Awards, Picks, And Recap

So another Gen Con is past, and what a good time it was! I really hope everyone enjoyed the coverage this year. If I didn't get to your request, I'm sorry, and I will try to do better next year.

It's always nice to see folks from different blogs, especially the generalist gaming blogs! It seems sometimes that those of us who like an eclectic mix in our gaming are dwindling, and those that are in-pocket of a single system are more common. I guess you can't fault what's popular, but there are so many amazing small and mid-size RPG companies doing amazing things, I can't see how anyone could like just one flavor of ice cream, so to speak.

OK, well, let's look at my picks and awards for the show!

It's The Way Things Are: OK, so WotC didn't release any big blockbusters at Gen Con (not much heard on Dark Sun, honestly; in terms of fans, Forgotten Realms it ain't), the days of having the cool castle and booth setup are long-gone, and they didn't drop any huge product announcement bombs. But they are still a huge presence at Gen Con with their displays, organized play, and sponsorship of the convention. It's pretty clear, though, that doing big Gen Con releases for their flagship products may not be the priority it was.

Product of the Year?: There were many great products at this year's show--Geeky Clean Soaps, Shadow, Sword, & Spell, Deathwatch, new markers from Alea Tools, Paizo's Advanced Player's Guide, and many others, but unlike Gaming Paper or Pathfinder last year, there was no surprise or expected product that totally blew the doors off of the convention hall. I guess you could say Fantasy Flight Games certainly made it's statement as a member of at least the Top 3 of the hobby, but that was in general, and not for one product. It's ok, though; better a convention with 30 amazing, wonderful products that all do well than just 1 that dominates.

Cool Products/Good Buzz: Yeah, I think it's pretty clear I fell head-over-heels in love with the Sword-and-Sorcery RPG Shadow, Sword, & Spell from Rogue Games, and they sold out of it on the last day of the show. But Colonial Gothic Revised is also pretty great, and seemed to be doing quite well. Deathwatch sold out quickly, and they couldn't keep the intro boxed set for Savage Worlds in stock. The DC Heroes book almost sold out, and Paizo's Advanced Player's Guide only had a few in stock towards the end of the show. Geeky Clean Soaps sold out of several products. Burning Wheel's Adventure Burner sold out, and I heard multiple people singing the praises of Jason Morningstar's Fiasco. As I said, no one product ruled this show, but there were many companies that seemed to have good attendance.

Silliest Booth: Dismiss for a moment booths pertaining to laser cosmetic surgery and the usual anime booths chock full o' hentai. White Wolf decided to make a booth look like a New Orleans lounge, served booze, and gave us a good idea of what a French Quarter salon would look like if it was full of nerds drinking Budweiser. What they didn't do is sell any product, or offer any indication they were an actual gaming company. They probably wanted edgy and urban. They got silly and stereotypical.

Need To See In 2011: Kobold Quarterly returning, More On-Floor Demos, More Geeky Clean Soaps, More Old-School Product & Organization (really, the biggest con of the year, and that's the best that can be done?), more bloggers actually interacting with exhibitors and earning their press badges, better working on-site wi-fi, more space for the umpteen companies kicking butt at the Studio 2 and Pinnacle booths, more clearly-marked open gaming space, and better booth rates to bring in more companies.

Need To See Less Of In 2011: Road construction (not that they can help it), anime cosplayers (seriously, segregate them away from the good parts of the show or something; create an anime ghetto--they're loud, in the way, and are all annoying 12 year-olds who seem to exist purely to irritate the crap out of us. Signed, the Rest of the Convention, and Grumpy Gamers of the World), MUCH LESS of the guy in the Westin lobby playing a keyboard and singing off-key in Japanese, and perhaps a little less T&A. I didn't notice it until I took my kids through the hall Sunday, but there was some pretty inappropriate stuff for younger kids. I'm not saying we need to be Puritans, just perhaps a little more mindful of it. Because I know how popular advocating anything close to censorship is online...

The Kids Are Alright: Not counting the anime cosplay kids, who don't seem to have major crossover with the tabletop gamers, I still thought there were quite a few families and kids at this year's con than last year's. Seeing kids at the IPR booth or checking out Kenzer, that's just awesome. Look, the hobby hasn't died, nor is it dying. It's just shifting to new philosophies, with a small press that was very much an exciting factor in this year's show. How can you not be excited about that?

Attendance?: I'll be curious to see what the attendance numbers were for this Gen Con. It seemed a bit busier than last year, and with many vendors seeming to have really good years, that would seem to back up a pretty good show for most concerned.

Coolest Setting: I hate to give a tie, but looking through Triple Ace's All For One and IPG's Pathfinder setting Kingdoms of Legend, I don't think I could decide between the two. All For One looks a little more polished, but Kingdoms of Legend seems like some amazing alt-history/fantasy. IPG might be a small company, but I walked away from that booth seriously impressed.

Coolest RPG: This will surprise no one, but I have to vote for Shadow, Sword, & Spell. I had 55 minutes to step up and run a game for 6 people, and I was able to do so. Not only that, but the damage system and 12 system had us hugely entertained. Outside of my clear love for that candidate, that Savage Worlds boxed set was hot, and in fact, I think the steady traffic increase I've seen for Pinnacle every year shows that SavWo is still growing. Will Deathwatch and Dresden Files still kick the crap out of everyone next year? Sure, but it'll be a tighter contest than you thought.