Retrospective Panel: 50 Years of Gen Con Events in 90 Minutes
Summary:
Matt Shoemaker has digitized 50 years of Gen Con event history into one database. Come see his findings & ask questions like, “How many Settlers of Catan games have been run at Gen Con?"
Description:
Have you ever wondered about how Gen Con grew to the gaming phenomenon it is today? Puzzled over what Gen Con goers of the past have done at the convention? Join Matt Shoemaker in an exploration of 50 years of Gen Con history, in this overview of events of the past. Working with Temple University, Matt and his staff have digitized and analyzed 50 years worth of Gen Con programs. He will provide you with an overview of findings from the project as well as answer your questions delving into Gen Con's past.
Retrospective Panel: The First Gen Con - How it All Began!
Summary:
What were the first Gen Cons like? How did they get organized? Who was there? What did they play? Come hear from 5 people who were there: Mike Carr, Scott Duncan, Bill Speer, Mike Reese, & Tom Wham.
Description:
It's 1968, and 96 gamers come together in Lake Geneva for the first Gen Con. Roleplaying games and trading card games haven't even been conceived of yet; they are here to play historical miniatures games and Diplomacy. Did they have any idea they were taking the first bold step in a 50-year tradition, and that they were now part of history? Well, why not ask them yourself? Come hear the stories of the earliest Gen Cons, the IFW, and how it all came together, from five people who were actually there: Mike Carr, Scott Duncan, Bill Speer, Mike Reese, and Tom Wham.
Retrospective Panel: The Launch of Magic The Gathering
Summary:
In 1993, Magic: The Gathering launched at Gen Con. Come hear stories from WotC staff who were there, trying to explain starter decks & booster packs.
Description:
It's 1993, and the tabletop games industry is roleplaying games, Warhammer 40k, and a handful of board games. But a small company from Seattle with a 10' x 20' Gen Con booth releases a game that will change everything. Come listen to several of the Wizards of the Coast employees of that era tell the story of the launch of Magic: The Gathering at Gen Con in 1993 and the wild days that followed. With Lisa Stevens, Beverly Marshall Saling, Carol Monahan, Cathleen Adkison, and Skaff Elias.
Magic: The Gathering created a new category of games. Hear Skaff Elias, John Zinser, Mike Elliott, Justin Gary, & Eric Lang tell stories of designing TCGs that dared to duel against the master.
Description:
In 1993, Magic: The Gathering was launched around an entirely new concept: the notion of tradable cards used to build decks. It was inevitable that its dominance be challenged; within a year new TCGs began to compete for market share, some more successfully than others. Join panelists Skaff Elias, John Zinser, Mike Elliott, Justin Gary, and Eric Lang, as they tell tales of TCG's that dared to duel with Magic.
Hang out with the D&D 5th edition design team - including Mike Mearls & Jeremy Crawford - for a discussion of the state of the D&D union today, & their vision of an exciting future!
Description:
Join members of the core Dungeons & Dragons 5th edition design team - Mike Mearls and Jeremy Crawford - for a discussion of the state of the D&D union today. As the game opens up new dimensions in tabletop and online experience, pioneers like Matt Mercer of Critical Role are redefining the way we all experience D&D.
In 1974, Dungeons & Dragons was launched & Gen Con would never be the same. Hear stories from the earliest days of D&D at Gen Con from Tim Kask, Dave Megarry, Mike Carr, & Luke Gygax.
Description:
In its early years Gen, Con proclaimed itself the nation's "Premier Wargaming Convention." Then Dungeons & Dragons arrived on the scene. Perhaps the most influential game of our era, D&D quickly took over Gen Con, forcing TSR to reevaluate its emphasis. Hear stories of this era from those involved in the earliest days of D&D: Tim Kask, Dave Megarry, and Mike Carr. Also, Luke Gygax will share stories he heard of these days from his father, Gary.
Retrospective Panel: The Ancient Sisterhood of Gaming History
Summary:
Join Lisa Stevens, Adrian Swartout, Beverly Marshall Saling, Nicole Lindroos, & Jenny Bendel as they share stories about being a female games professional over the past decades.
Description:
The annals of tabletop gaming history speak mostly of the deeds of men. But if you delve more deeply you’ll find that women have also played important roles in developing this hobby we love, while also fighting the good fight to make room for women at the gaming table. Join Lisa Stevens, Adrian Swartout, Beverly Marshall Saling, Nicole Lindroos, and Jenny Bendel as they share stories about what it was like to be a female games professional back in the day and how they and their sisters-in-arms contributed to gaming history.
Boardgames have been at Gen Con since the earliest days. Come hear Christian Peterson, Larry Roznai, Eric Lang, Marc Miller, & Mike Gray tell stories of boardgames at Gen Con.
Description:
While it would take decades before they took center stage, boardgames have been with us from the first Gen Con, quietly plotting their ascendency. Come hear Christian Peterson, Larry Roznai, Eric Lang, Marc Miller, and Mike Gray tell stories of bringing boardgames the spotlight they deserve.
In 1999, WotC open-sourced D&D by launching the d20 System. Come hear d20 architect, Ryan Dancey, discuss d20 with d20 publishers, Eric Mona, Monte Cook, John Nephew, & John Zinser.
Description:
After TSR spent decades fighting off would-be imitators, WotC ushered in the new millennium by announcing the d20 System, enabling other publishers to use the Dungeons & Dragons game system as the basis for their own worlds, adventures, and bestiaries. Come hear d20 architect Ryan Dancey discuss the strategy with publishers who took advantage of it: -Eric Mona of Paizo, Monte Cook of Monte Cook Games, John Zinser of AEG, and John Nephew of Atlas Games.
In 1991 White Wolf launched Vampire: The Masquerade. Join White Wolf staff who were there at the time: Stewart Wieck, Steve Weick, Mark Rein-Hagen, Richard Thomas, & Lisa Stevens.
Description:
In 1991 White Wolf launched Vampire: The Masquerade and changed the Gen Con scene forever with the launch of the most famous gothic horror roleplaying game of all time. Join five of the most influential pioneers of this new era of gaming, Stewart Wieck, Steve Weick, Mark Rein-Hagen, Richard Thomas, and Lisa Stevens.