Good-Bye Gen Con So Cal

Posted on 12:31, January 28th, 2007 by Matt Forbeck

Gen Con So Cal has been cancelled. For details, see the official press release and my pal Peter Adkison’s open letter about the decision.

I’m sad to see the convention go away. I made it out to the first two and had a wonderful time, but Peter’s an astute businessman. If a part of your business is losing money and there’s no new plan to turn it around despite four years of trying to do just that, then it’s time to cull it.

Word had it that Peter and his team had hoped to turn Gen Con So Cal into a replacement (at least partially) for the radically altered E3. Apparently that didn’t work out.

Still, there’s a silver lining here. Now that the Gen Con staff isn’t spending time and money trying to prop up So Cal, it can concentrate on building Gen Con (the original, in Indianapolis) instead. Anything that makes my favorite four days of the year better, I’m all for, even if it means no other Gen Cons in the US again.

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4 Responses to “Good-Bye Gen Con So Cal”

Christian Johnson on January 28th, 2007 at 3:03 pm

Hmm…maybe the high costs of the Anaheim convention center, as well as it’s non-central location, contributed to its lack of success. That and the fact that it doesn’t take advantage of any natural vacation period.

Not to be snide, but with E3 folding as well this just leaves the local events which are good, but I was really jazzed about the ways the gaming industry could use the Los Angeles area. Especially with mid-season TV pickups (Dresden files and Sci Fi’s new Flash Gordon Series). Maybe partnering with G4. I don’t think that ideas to expand the con have been fully explored and I actually believe he is kind of copping out.

As for Indy, it it a great central US location and I wish the con well. I will probably attend next year, but I am still a little bitter that he couldn’t make SoCal work.

I also fully acknowledge that it isn’t completely, or even largely, Peter’s fault. We also have a dearth of good game stores, etc.

I am just rambling and looking for synergy that could have kept the con here. But Thursdays before winter break aren’t the best planning in my opinion.

Matt Forbeck on January 28th, 2007 at 4:00 pm

I’m confident that Peter explored many options to keep Gen Con So Cal going, and he said as much in his open letter. I agree that the dates were often a problem, especially in the first year, but they moved earlier—and got better—each year. A number of conventions were announced in the wake of E3’s downsizing, so you may have some hope, at least on the electronic front.

Marcy on January 30th, 2007 at 8:32 pm

That’s too bad. Anaheim’s not a bad drive from here and we had plenty of babysitters. Ah, well, guess I’ll just have to take the plunge and go to the original this year.