Reflections on Gen Con 2022
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 17 ต.ค. 2024
- I took lots of notes on new games at Gen Con 2022, only a few of which I managed to play - but that doesn't keep me from reflecting on the industry at large as viewed through the happenings of this massive U.S. convention.
You answered your question many times over. When you have thousands of games come out every year, only a small few will rise to the level of getting spotlighted while all the others get maybe a blip or dissappear. That seems to be the pace the hobby is going now.
1. I was in a group that played Green Team wins at Gen Con. I liked it more than I thought I would.
2. I picked up Turing Machine and I love it. It has an online app to solve puzzles like Wordle, so I can see myself playing it everyday for a while.
3. I got the 2nd to last copy of Brew from Pandasaurus, planning on playing it tonight.
4. I had no interest in Star Wars Villainous.
5. I tried to get Twilight Inscription, but I couldn't get in line soon enough. Going straight to the booth as soon as vendors open and I was 70th in line when they only had 50/day.
6. Marvel Remix was on my radar, but after playing it, I just thought it was okay. I found I'd rather playing Fantasy Realms.
7. I played Creature Comforts for an event. I really liked it, unfortunately, it was sold out, but I'll probably get it sometime down the road.
8. Lastly, I played It's a Wonderful World (despite it coming out 3 years ago) at the Lucky Duck booth and loved it. I think I got one of the last copies of that too!
My overall thoughts of the con was it was cool to see the crowd. This was my first Gen Con and there wasn't as much playing games as I'd like, especially having to pay to be in events, and there was limited space for open gaming. If I go again, it will probably only be if I can work demoing games at company that will cover my ticket and hotel.
This is an excellent video essay of the state and apparent trajectory of the industry, and I think you did a wonderful job of analyzing and communicating these trends! I don't believe it will be like this for more than a decade, and I expect that things will cycle through and then there will be a renaissance of sorts! Thank you so much for providing these insights!
I always appreciate your analysis, Eric. Thanks for recording this and sharing your thoughts.
From what I heard from a few people is that they were focused on buying, not so much on playing at the show. I wonder if that was more prevalent this year due to trying to catch up on the previous two years. There's always time to play when you get home.
Nostalgia cash-grabs are everywhere right now, not just board games. A lot of companies don't want to take risks with something completely brand new, so nostalgia is a better bet. I think a lot of companies are walking a razor thin wire and could easily topple into bankruptcy. Of course, this is also means that anyone who can successfully come up with something new are going to make it big because people still want new things.
Do you think this year specifically has so many games because of the backlog from pandemic issues?
Very interesting. I was curious as to how the con was "flowing". I agree about games coming out and disappearing at a remarkable rate.
Thank you for mentioning Green Team Wins and Oh My Brain! -chad
This was a year I had a lot going on, but also had a feeling following the industry, that I felt… maybe next year?
I really miss seeing BoardGameGeek on the show floor and being able to vote on the hot games at Gen Con. I miss being able to track what people are buzzing about and trying to get a demo in or sitting down with it in the Hot Games Room.
Thanks Eric!
I was not as tuned in as I normally am but what I will say is Kites absolutely was the breakout buzz game that no one talked about pre show and everyone bought by the end of the show. To a lesser extent, Green Team wins, but that got the buzz starting from Origins. While I do think there are perhaps too many games coming out, I think it’s also important to remember that a lot of people aren’t ready to socialize with a larger group. Gen Con is always a con that people come to buy games to bring back to their gaming groups. While there’s also a lot of socializing normally, I think there was somewhat less of that this year due to conditions, and that resulted in what you’re describing, hearing less on-site buzz and maybe seeing less onsite play of newly acquired games.
Ha, funny that you mention Kites, Marian, as I covered that game in mid-July 2022 - boardgamegeek.com/blogpost/134283 - so maybe I overlooked what anyone else was saying at the show (although I don't recall hearing anything). Great that folks found it as the design is a neat little package. -WEM
Excited about Wicked and Wise!
good thoughts...
Thakns for the insights. Some sound issues with this video.
Very interesting reflections.
Doesn't sound like fast fashion at all does it? More sounds like a lot of individual niches. Everyone having a different game for themselves and their groups and not a lot of crossover between the different tastes.
Due to financial climate movies, video games, and board games are releasing nostalgic rereleases because they know they will sell. In time, I believe we will see companies take chances again.