GenCon Is Coming!

Every year, I worry that this will be The Year in which Asmodee can't afford (or doesn't want) my services at GenCon. And then, every year, I get an e-mail with housing information from Christophe so that we can book our hotel at the vendor rate.

Our hotel has been booked.  GenCon is real all of a sudden. And I love that feeling.

When I was in High School, I made a pact with some of my friends. We were going to save our money and the Road Trip to GenCon in the mid-nineties. However none of us were able to save enough, because we were teenagers. Even had I saved every nickel I made for several years running, I wouldn't have been able to go.

In March of 2005, I was invited to attend GAMA to help Asmodee out.  A few hours later, I received a phone call. "I'm sorry, Eric," he said, "It's not GAMA we need help with. It's Origins and GenCon. Are you still interested?  We can pay you."

It sounded like he was worried that I might not want to go to conventions I've dreamed about attending since I was a child.

So I went to both Origins and GenCon in 2005.  I went to Origins again in 2006, and that was my last Origins. I have not missed GenCon since. This will be my seventh GenCon, which is completely surreal for me.

I don't know what games I'll be demoing, but I have a few hunches.  The Claustrophobia expansion is scheduled for GenCon. Dixit Odyssey (a standalone Dixit expansion) is due at about that time. 7 Wonders: Leaders (and expansion for 7 Wonders) is due at about the same time. So those are givens. But every year, there is at least one game which is new to me.

And I can't wait to see what it is.