Gen Con 50 Had Record-Breaking Attendance

Published: August 28, 2017 9:40 AM /

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Gen Con 50 Phoenix

Gen Con has broke turnstile attendance records on its 50th anniversary as reported by Dice Tower News.

For those not in the know, Gen Con is a gaming convention that features a mix of video games, tabletop games, and other sorts of entertainment. Tabletop game publishers & developers alike will fire off their big announcements in the time approaching the convention akin to the flurry of news centered around E3. It does have some competition in the space in America with events such as Dragon Con, but Gen Con is nonetheless a respectable contender in its own right that has been running for half a century.

Turnstile attendance for Gen Con 50 was up 4% as compared to last year for a total of 208,000 attendees. This wasn't the only milestone for the semicentennial celebration; for the first time in the convention's history, all 60,000 badges were sold out before the gates opened. Lucas Oil Stadium was a new addition to the convention space, hosting a 24-hour gaming space and a game library.

Aside from the flurry of gaming enthusiasts attending the event, a concert by They Might Be Giants attracted 5,000 attendees. Amongst all the money being spent on toys, con-goers chipped in for charity to boot: $26,000 was raised for the Child Advocates charity, an organization that mobilizes court-appointed volunteers to help kids suffering from neglect or abuse.

This was the ninth year in a row that Gen Con has had a consistent increase in its turnstile attendance. Be sure to keep an eye on TechRaptor for our coverage of all the wonderful things we saw at Gen Con 50! Swing by the convention's official website to learn more about it.

Were you able to attend Gen Con 50? What did you think of the show this year? Do you think the convention can continue to grow and stay in its current venue or will they have to eventually relocate elsewhere? Let us know in the comments below!

Have a tip, or want to point out something we missed? Leave a Comment or e-mail us at tips@techraptor.net


A photograph of TechRaptor Senior Writer Robert N. Adams.
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One of my earliest memories is playing Super Mario Bros. on the Nintendo Entertainment System. I've had a controller in my hand since I was 4 and I… More about Robert N