http://www.wishtv.com/Global/story.asp?s=8852885

Not a bad view in my opinion. I'll search for more. 

Thanks for finding that.  I agree, a nice view of gamers.

I do wonder where they got the demographic information from, though, especially the income level.

Still, I do like how that article stresses the benefits Indianapolis receives from hosting GenCon.

Indy.Com has some nice pics from the Con at http://www.indy.com/crasher

Great article, thanks for posting...however the demographics were clearly made up. Walking around the con, you can see people well under 24 and well over 40. So while that my be the average, it certainly isnt the range. I also wonder how they came up with the income level. But still, thanks for linking, I always wondered what press GenCon recieved...you can just see what some of the locals are thinking on their faces! :)

Actually the demographics are not "made up", they are probably based off the surveys that many GenCon attendees get every year and fill out. There have been a number of demographic surverys that GenCon has performed while in Indy, and while they may seem unlikely at a glance....well you can only analyze the data you are given.

Income level? Well you be surprised how many of us gamers may have started in the old traditional stereotypes, but its fun to watch the trend that shows that as the older generation of gamers grows, so does the average income. Gamers tend now to be in growth markets of incomes and help provide stable homes, education and support for their children...leading to higher starting salaries. It's a nice trend.

Hawkwinter:

Actually the demographics are not "made up", they are probably based off the surveys that many GenCon attendees get every year and fill out. There have been a number of demographic surverys that GenCon has performed while in Indy, and while they may seem unlikely at a glance....well you can only analyze the data you are given.

Income level? Well you be surprised how many of us gamers may have started in the old traditional stereotypes, but its fun to watch the trend that shows that as the older generation of gamers grows, so does the average income. Gamers tend now to be in growth markets of incomes and help provide stable homes, education and support for their children...leading to higher starting salaries. It's a nice trend.

Surveys?  I'm glad I haven't been asked to fill any of those out, as I would have dragged down the average income level considerably!

I'm glad they at least put gamers in a somewhat favorable light in the story. It is a big event. With the hotel, food, games and other stuff I purchased, I'd say I easily spent $1,000 during GenCon. Considering hotel, food and sales tax, and also considering the number of attendees, that's a fair amount of money GenCon folks put into the local economy.

I would have been happier if the story had included the charity stuff, especially the auction proceeds going to Gary Gygax's favorite charity and Gamers for Humanity stuff. But, as a short, to-the-point thing, the story worked.

Hawkwinter:

Well you be surprised how many of us gamers may have started in the old traditional stereotypes

You are very right here. I am a corporate attorney at one of the largest firms in the country. When I told my managing partner why I was going to be out of the office for 4 days, he about flipped. The words "freak" and "no way will you EVER be partner" flashed quite clearly across his face. However, since being at GenCon (and Origins and other Cons) I have met dozens of other attorneys. I would be intrested to see how many people who moonlight as gamers are in very non-game-friendly careers during the day.

Knuteski:

Indy.Com has some nice pics from the Con at http://www.indy.com/crasher

 

Saw Blackrider in there (around pic 8) and the article was pretty base.  At least it wasn't condescending.

I also am an attorney. Good to know so many of us are out there. I am also, somewhat ironically, the last person people would call a rules lawyer.

Braelun:

Saw Blackrider in there (around pic 8) and the article was pretty base.  At least it wasn't condescending.

That's actually the reason why I was happy with it.  The fact is that through the years, gamers have been the easy joke (Maxim, ESPN, Triumph (though I do love Triumph).  So, to have Gen Con be another event happening in Indy is a good sign to me.

Well I spent about a weeks pay with my car rental, gas, parking, food, drink, hotel, stuff from vendors, and the few events I did attend. This was all just two days.

Comparing what I have read here some people do not make a lot and make it here on a small budget and I think that is awsome to see. Then there are people who grew up with gaming and it made them the people that they are today. It has enabled them to make the big bucks. Before long gamers/geeks/nerds will rule the world.

Demographics can be found here on the site: http://www.gencon.com/files/2008/indy/07Demographics.pdf

Be interesting to see how it has been changing over the years, if it has been.

Interesting Article.  I am glad it acknowledged the very positive economic impact of the convention spending of the Gen Con attendees on the city.   

 As to the demographics statisitics given in the article in relation to income, I know that they are drawn from the info that Gen Con has, and I think that they are probably very accurate.  I think that many gamers have income level at or in excess of the indicated income.  The gaming hobby in general is not a cheap hobby.  The games we all play are far from inexpensive whether it is RPGs, Miniatures, CCGs, Board games, etc. Moreover, the act of taking your participation in this not inexpensive hobby to the next level by attending the largest game convention in the world is pretty much going to raise your costs that much more. 

I think that for every gamer of "lesser means" at the the Convention, there are several attendees who make the indicated average income, or much more, and are simply willing to spend the money on the hobby that they enjoy. 

Terminaxe:

Well I spent about a weeks pay with my car rental, gas, parking, food, drink, hotel, stuff from vendors, and the few events I did attend. This was all just two days.

 

Comparing what I have read here some people do not make a lot and make it here on a small budget and I think that is awsome to see. Then there are people who grew up with gaming and it made them the people that they are today. It has enabled them to make the big bucks. Before long gamers/geeks/nerds will rule the world.

What do you mean before long?  Doesn't Bill Gates already rule the world?

Aklevah:

 As to the demographics statisitics given in the article in relation to income, I know that they are drawn from the info that Gen Con has, and I think that they are probably very accurate.  I think that many gamers have income level at or in excess of the indicated income.  The gaming hobby in general is not a cheap hobby.  The games we all play are far from inexpensive whether it is RPGs, Miniatures, CCGs, Board games, etc. Moreover, the act of taking your participation in this not inexpensive hobby to the next level by attending the largest game convention in the world is pretty much going to raise your costs that much more. 

Got to agree there...We are getting back into the RPG arena now with our own RPG, and even doing that has extensive costs for us.  I don't even want to talk about materials and the like for running miniature events at the Con...those mini players know of what I speak, and we don't even have to deal with terrain as much since one of our games is 'Space Combat', but I'd say easily we spend over a thousand dollars each year on miniatures for each of our games.  Add to that the money spent on making up new maps for the Endless Terrors mini game, and printing up everything for the rest, we've already invested somewhere in the neighborhood of 3 to 4k every year before we even submit games to the Con and register for badges and hotels.  I'm not complaining about it at all, I love doing it and I love having my 'little toys' around to play with at home too, it just can really be an expensive thing to get into.  Add to that the fact we want to deal with printing costs and hopefully booth rental...that's some scary numbers to have to think about putting your neck out there just hoping it might catch with gamers.  The risk though is well worth it just for our own personal satisfaction.

1  What is an Origin?

2.  If you were an engineer, computers, or in technolgy being in gaming I think mught be a prerequisite.

BLONDIE95:

1  What is an Origin?

An origin is: something from which anything arises or is derived; source; fountainhead , rise or derivation from a particular source, the first stage of existence; beginning , ancestry; parentage; extraction  

ORIGINS is  a game convention