GENCON 2003: April update

[Ron Edwards]

Hi there,

The endcap booth space is reserved, under the combined aegis of Arc Dream Publishing (Godlike), Driftwood Publishing (The Riddle of Steel), and Adept Press (Sorcerer).

Here are the folks who have paid for badges; many of them have also paid to be considered fellow publishers at the booth and sell their games.

Luke Crane (selling Burning Wheel)
Matt Gwinn (selling Kayfabe) + Janet (last name?) too
Ralph Mazza (selling Universalis)
Dan Geyer, Cory Katzenmeyer, Justin Williams (selling Chain of Being)
Juergen Mayer
Greg Porter (selling EABA and sundry other stuff), possibly with other people along
Jeffrey Miller & Matt Wilson (*may* be selling a game, dunno yet)
Jared Sorensen (selling InSpectres, octaNe, with any luck Decay)
Tor Erickson
Paul Czege (selling My Life with Master, I hope) & Danielle (whose last name escapes me again)

If you have paid me and you're not named above, remind me. If you have not paid me and want to be an exhibitor, demo person, and general Forge GenCon person, then feel free to zip $55 to sorcerer@sorcerer-rpg.com. If you also want to sell your independent role-playing game at the booth, then add $100 to it.

However: if you are not committed to busting your ass for the benefit of all games present (even if it's just being supportive, but more is better), then consider simply getting a regular GenCon badge and being at the booth for fun with no obligations.

Now for the hotel thing. I have reserved two rooms at the Westin Hotel (and yes, Juergen, it's right next to the convention hall). People who have reserved space in the rooms include the following:

Juergen Mayer, Ralph Mazza, Greg Porter

I frankly have no idea about anyone else. If you asked me about hotel space previously, and you aren't Ralph or Greg, then I've plumb forgotten you. Get in touch to remind me. Everyone who's staying in these rooms is agreeing, hands down, to plain old spring-break style sleeping on the floors and not hogging the bathroom and all that kind of stuff. Basically, a bunch of guys, their socks, and so forth.

All hotel costs will be calculated and divided up per capita per night after the con.

Best,
Ron

[Jason L Blair]

Dammit.*


Dammit dammit dammit.**


Dammit.***



*Ron,

**Man, I really wish I was going to be there this year. I hope the new booth rocks as hard as the Key 20/Adept booth did last year.

***Dammit.

[Michael Hopcroft]

All these great people at the Forge booth and I just had Ron send back my money. I don't really have anything to sell, but now I'm beginning to think I'll really miss GenCon this year. I'd come to the decision of canceling my cummer travel, but now I'm feeling bad about making that decision and wonder if I should reconsider.

What is the deadline for me to send in money again should a.) I come into money and b.) I manage to find the time to travel?

Michael Hopcroft

[Bruce Baugh]

I'm curious if anyone else is thinking of GenCon So Cal this December. My summer trip will be to Trinoc*Con, but I'm gonna be in Anaheim in December as a lackey of the Wolf, and would be glad to see anyone else.

[Michael Hopcroft]

I'd love to go but I can't have a table. I'm open to any assistance anyone can offer to get me down there like room space, transportation asisstance, etc. And I'd gladly help at the Forge booth if there is one.

I suppose I should start a whole new topic on GenCon SoCal. In fact, I think I'll do just that.

[Jürgen Mayer]

and yes, Juergen, it's right next to the convention hall

I'm so grateful! Have you already decided on which days you're exactly arriving/leaving?

People who have reserved space in the rooms include the following:

Juergen Mayer, Ralph Mazza, Greg Porter

I frankly have no idea about anyone else. If you asked me about hotel space previously, and you aren't Ralph or Greg, then I've plumb forgotten you.

You're trying to confuse me, eh? I'm on the list, but I'm pretty positive that I'm neither Ralph nor Greg. So does that mean you have forgotten me in the time-frame of one sentence? You have to stop thinking about game  mechanics when posting on another topic. Geez. BTW, with Greg at the booth, I want to play in a Macho Sorceresses crossover game.

[Ron Edwards]

Correction:

... Ralph, Greg, or Juergen, then ...

There.

Best,
Ron

[rpghost]

Since I'm moving forwared on RPGMall.com being an Indie/small press sales site, I was thinking of getting a booth or sharing with RPGObjects as I've done in the past (he has a corner) or maybe it make sense that we work with you guys? Maybe we sponser the booth as a whole or maybe we just do cross promotions between the booths?

Thoughts?

James

[GMSkarka]

James beat me to it...I was just about to post the same thing (since I'll be working for him handling RPGMall stuff).

GMS

[Valamir]

That's great to hear.

We should definitely talk details, especially if you're going to be located near us.  There are always StorageSpace, DemoSpace, and Cover the Booth concerns as well as the more fun aspects of cross promotion.  If our booths are close by, we could really turn that section of the floor into the most happening spot in the dealer hall (especially if Wizards doesn't go full bore with their Wheel of Torture nonsense this year).

One thing that had occured to me is the possibility of finding someone to share credit card sales with.  Last year the booth did not have the capability to take CCs.  I'm thinking this year it would be a good idea to make some kind of arrangement where we could, if necessary.

[rpghost]

I think you might have glossed over one of my ideas/points... that being that we share the booth or kind of put everyone under the RPGMall banner... as a new distribution channel. Since Wizard's Attic isn't going to be there this year, we could fill that role.

I can take credit cards, but they can only be processed online. So till I get an internet connection I can't process them. Though if someone has a lap top and a hotel room that would work just fine. Or we wait till we get back and process them all and anyone who gets hit with fraud just deals with the loss (when in person it's rare as you have a copy of the card, usuaully it's filling of their balance that's the problem which case you just charge them next month).

Anyway, I have 3 options (well 4 if I don't go). That is to share a booth with you guys or share with RPGObjects or get one on my own. If you're already doing the majority of indie people, getting one on my own doesn't make a lot of sense.

James

[GMSkarka]

I think you might have glossed over one of my ideas/points... that being that we share the booth and maybe upgrade to a corner booth.

Actually, James, and endcap is bigger than a corner booth.  They've already got an endcap.

I can take credit cards, but they can only be processed online. So till I get an internet connection I can't process them.

It's a fairly simple matter to get a phone line at the booth...all that would be required then is someone with a laptop and some kind of nationwide dialup provider access (AOL or Earthlink, etc.).  

GMS

[rpghost]

Actually, James, and endcap is bigger than a corner booth.  They've already got an endcap.

It's a fairly simple matter to get a phone line at the booth...all that would be required then is someone with a laptop and some kind of nationwide dialup provider access (AOL or Earthlink, etc.).  

Yeah, I noticed that after I posted and edited my post :) But the offer still stands, maybe we can be a major contributor to the booth. It would probably be easier for people to say yeah or nay though once we get our site/service setup.

As for the dialup, yes that would work. The phone lines are not very cheap there (at least at the Midwest Center they were not), but it would work. So is it worth dropping $100+ to have a phone to make a few extra purchases? We'd have to take a share of the sales for that too of course as we're having to pay the fees for processing.

James

[Paul Czege]

Hey James,

I think you might have glossed over one of my ideas/points... that being that we share the booth or kind of put everyone under the RPGMall banner... as a new distribution channel. Since Wizard's Attic isn't going to be there this year, we could fill that role.

Y'know...I spend more than 40 hours a week carrying someone else's corporate banner. I'm pretty disinterested in seeing the booth go in this particular direction. I'm having a hard time finding the "indie" in it.

Paul

[GMSkarka]

Y'know...I spend more than 40 hours a week carrying someone else's corporate banner. I'm pretty disinterested in seeing the booth go in this particular direction. I'm having a hard time finding the "indie" in it.

Then look closer, and try not to come off as so hostile.

The whole point of RPGMall is that it's going to be a sales venue for Indie Games--a way for them to reach gamers and retailers.  It's all about the indie....if it wasn't, I wouldn't be getting involved.

What we're trying to do is create a one-stop shop for indie games...something which I've heard gamers say again and again is needed.  Instead of hoping that they'll hear of the newest indie products, and then having to order from X different websites (and pay X different shipping costs to order X different products), gamers (and retailers, since we will offer retail accounts) can go to a single place to order.

GMS