Anime has had a strong impact on gaming.  CCG's from Japan have penetrated the American market as well as all things manga.

Anime/manga people love costumes...particularly the women.  My wife and daughter go to a local convention called Sakuracon every year in costume.

More women participating at GenCon cannot be a bad thing.

It's natural that the news media would focus on the costumes.  It's visual and it gives them a hook to explain the convention.

Not liking the costumes is OK.  But you guys who played the CCG's need to kick yourselves in the head several times as punishment.  It's your fault.  

Prufrock wrote:The folks walking around the convention in costume add a nice element to the convention.  I like it and I think it could lead to more kids getting exposed to role playing games.

Martin

I am not sure I agree with this Martin. I have gamed since I was 13 and been going to conventions since then. Back then, nobody wore anything resembling costumes - with exception of some moron who wanted to pretend he was actually in the army or marines and wore BDUs he purchased from the local surplus store.

If my kids walked into a game convention and saw all these people running around as pirates and pokemon, I am pretty sure they would turn around and head the other way. Now my kids are not into gaming at all, other than the occassional game of Dungeon or Wizard's Quest so there is a disclaimer.

I just know that when I was 13 and if I saw grown men wearing utilikilts I would not want to be in the same room.

Don't get me wrong. If they want to wear their stuff for the costume contest or party - Awesome! But for four freaking days in a row? Nah, I don't think so.

GenCon is a business venture.  
More people.  More money.  Easy decision.

Prufrock wrote:Last year when they had the parade of costumes walk through the convention it really got the kids attention.  
Martin

Like I said earlier. I am all good with the costume show contest or even costume Saturday - call it what you will.

However, I do not for a minute believe that adults dressed up as pokemon draw nongamers to the gamer table.
Gamer's kids are almost gamers by default - mine excluded. They have become climatized, or numb to the geekness.

Also, I have to admit I do enjoy - in a bizarre way - seeing the various costumes. Call it the rubber neck syndrome - everyone slows down to stare at the carnage of a car crash; we can't help ourselves.

I am not ready to make the leap that guys wearing a utilikilt draws more gamers to the table. I cannot believe people drop loads of cash to come to Gen Con to see some bearded fat guy dressed as a yugi-oh.

That is completely different from the GC ownership group that encourages all sorts of involvment from anybody remotely related to gaming. Like FC says, any paying customer is a good customer.

The problem I have is public image. Joe Normal drives by the convention site he sees all the Gen Con banners and wonders what is this all about. Then he sees some guy dressed up in tights, wings, maybe a tail and carrying around a plastic sword. And next to him is another guy who needs to loose 10 or 90 pounds in a yellow spandex suit and a purple cape trimmed with fur...sure, that is the gamer image I want to portray. That will bring loads of people to the table!  

bbarsh wrote:The problem I have is public image. Joe Normal drives by the convention site he sees all the Gen Con banners and wonders what is this all about. Then he sees some guy dressed up in tights, wings, maybe a tail and carrying around a plastic sword. And next to him is another guy who needs to loose 10 or 90 pounds in a yellow spandex suit and a purple cape trimmed with fur...sure, that is the gamer image I want to portray. That will bring loads of people to the table!  

I can see where you're coming from, but I don't think the guy to worry about is Joe Normal. He can go to his Colts game or what have you and feel like he fits in with tens of thousands of people just fine. I think the real benefit of the all the folks in costume is that it's a very visual sign to all the kids/adults out there who feel like they don't fit in at the "normal" places that GenCon is a place where they will be accepted.

I, like many here I would imagine, took a lot of crap in grade school/high school for being a gamer and a nerd. If a cute girl dressed as an ice fairy or even [shudder] a fat, bearded yu-gi-oh can help somebody find a place where no one there cares what they're in to or how nerdy they are I'm all for it.

He can go to his Colts game or what have you and feel like he fits in with tens of thousands of people just fine.

Interesting, ever see what some folks at football games dress like? Is there anything more "normal" and "Joe average American" than football? It makes the Gencon costume crowd seem normal in comparison.

Plenty of overweight fat guys, plenty of tacky clothes, plenty of capes and wigs and scary masks, plenty of creepy guys dressed up like fools. In fact it doesn't seem much different than Gencon in that regards at all.

Ever seen a Raiders fan dress up?

SimperingToad wrote:Speaking as one who unfortunately has never made it to any GenCon, the costumes would definately be a turn off for me. I would be going there to game. Period. Save the costumes for anime festivals or RenFaires or theme parks, etc.

I've seen the pics over the years of special contests for such a thing. Fine as far as that goes. I just don't want to see Bob the Pixie sitting at the table playing D&D any more than I want to see a firefighter using the Jaws-o-life to pry me from a wreck in a tutu. There's a time and place.

All true, except for good looking women. Men in costumes need an ass-kicking, doesn't matter what they look like, fit, unfit, pilsbury doughboy... leave the costumes at home.

Women, appropriate costumes are fine. Moo-Moo size, a nice concealing robe can be a plus. Fit and nubile, anything they want to wear is fine, though less is better. Great looking women in skimpy costumes offend no hetero man, joenormal or gaminggeek.

jcp wrote:
Interesting, ever see what some folks at football games dress like? Is there anything more "normal" and "Joe average American" than football? It makes the Gencon costume crowd seem normal in comparison.

Plenty of overweight fat guys, plenty of tacky clothes, plenty of capes and wigs and scary masks, plenty of creepy guys dressed up like fools. In fact it doesn't seem much different than Gencon in that regards at all.

Ever seen a Raiders fan dress up?

Sadly for the Raiders, their fans look more intimidating than their joke of a football team these days......

Mike B.

bbarsh wrote:
Nobody is going to drive by an NFL game and judge all of its attendees because one guy dresses up as Spider-Man (an american icon, by the way). However, when the same guy drives by Gen Con and people are dressed up as ...well...hell, I don't even know what some of those people are trying to imitate...it is a statement on the gaming community as a whole. It may not be fair, but it is certainly the truth.

Saskia's (Killjoy's daughter) favorite things about Gencon 2009 were the costume people (particularly the Pirate guy who she insisted on getting photographs with), the R2D2 robot (also photographs), and cardhalla.  None of that is mainstream D & D but it is mainstream GenCon.  GenCon must evolve and if that means having some folks who dress up as their favorite characters that's fine.  It gives the Con a bit of spice, some character, just like those folks that dress up to go to NFL games.  But here's the really cool thing:  Saskia wants to come back to the Gencon.  She's not coming back for the latest 1e conversion by Goodman Games or Black Blade publishing, she's coming back (hopefully) because she enjoyed her first experience at Gencon.  We 1e D & D guys have to learn to share - it's a good thing.

(edited for grammer)

Martin