With Pasttimes not having put in events for Gencon yet (interestingly, Wizard's event listing shows no events for Magic at Gencon either - they even show a conflicting Grand Prix exactly the same time as Gencon in a different location), we should present suggestions of what to do with that massive space Magic normally takes up (about the size of an Arena league stadium). I think I have the best answer...

BloodBowl Larp!
The area gets roped off with lines laid down for various markers on the field. Equipment is provided to allow the players to dress as goblins and orcs complete with foam weapons. We use normal larp rules for combat but, otherwise, use Bloodbowl rules for the game. Tickets are sold for 1-2 hour quarters with everyone guaranteed to play some specific number of plays. Over the course of the con, you could run 12 or more complete games. The first 8 games determines who makes the playoffs. This could be epic!
(works even better if True Dungeon just takes over that space and the Bloodbowl Larp takes True Dungeon's space at Lucas Oil Stadium).

Anyone have even better ideas or support Bloodbowl Larp Championship Series?

Fred

in before locked.  :)

Just in case someone else reads this and thinks Magic really won't be there:

http://www.gencon.com/forums/16-events-2016/topics/861-few-magic-the-gathering-choices-this-year#7978
http://www.gencon.com/forums/16-events-2016/topics/864-magic-the-gathering-events
http://www.gencon.com/forums/16-events-2016/topics/1020-magic-the-gathering

Quote from first thread:

=inheritI Facebook messaged Pasttimes and they responded thusly:
=inherit"Unfortunately our GenCon schedule hasn't been set yet. We'll post information as soon as it's final. Thanks for checking!
=inheritSo ... forthcoming, but not here yet.

.. and yeah, in before threadlocked myself. :D

How did my attempt to edit out some hanging-on markup turn into a completely new duplicate post?? :-S

My post is mainly meant in humor but there is a valid point to consider.

I suspect Pasttimes will get their events in before pre-registration ends but it was very strange that Wizards listed every other significant Magic event this year except Gencon and had scheduled a conflicting Grand Prix the exact same days. I do wonder if there is second-guessing on whether to do Gencon or not for them. Hasbro just bought the URLs for conventions tied to the Hasbro name (and has said they are considering running their own gaming con) and publicly distanced itself from Gencon with D&D (they made it a point to put out a press release that they weren't going to GenCon because Origins and PAX presented better options for them to promote D&D than GenCon did). WOTC is under new leadership and doesn't seem to have attachments to the convention their predecessors created.

If Pastimes doesn't get everything hammered out with events set for sign-up for several days with Gencon by the 19th of June (when pre-registration ends), Gencon should give exhibitors tied to MtG a chance to cancel their contracts if they wish as players who planned to focus on MtG will be at their last day to get refunds for badges. 

The biggest concern is in GenCon is just continuing as it has in the past. Within a few years, you likely won't see much D&D at Gencon at all, MtG likely won't be there, Paizo is starting their own convention (Paizocon) so they will likely be downgrading their sponsorships and activity, Steve Jackson Games is virtually invisible beyond a booth (no tournaments, no Munchkin tavern, etc.), it sounds like Mayfair is starting to invest elsewhere... it would be great to hear from GenCon what their long term plan is to keep the convention interesting and healthy. Seeing the substantial number of sponsorships not sold out, no solutions for transportation for players to get to the convention from the more distant hotels (after the block sold out all downtown rooms within an hour), etc.

Having the Magic area be empty would be the first sign of Gencon starting to fade in a big way. Attendance was up last year - but the problems at the convention (Baldman, etc.) increased at the same time. The technology supporting the con is years behind similar events (compare to SD ComicCon or DragonCon or PAX East). I have really enjoyed going to Gencon but since I can only take time off to do 1 convention or similar event per year, Origins and DragonCon are looking more and more appealing.

OR <time to go back to humor...> it could be the ushering in of a new day - Bloodbowl the LARP!!! I call dibs on Orc QB for the first quarter!

Fred
 

If you read those other threads, most notably the recent locked one, you will learn that Pastimes has submitted their events to GenCon.  The only thing waiting is for GenCon to edit and format 2k+ events.  GenCon mtg events represents a significant amount of revenue for Pastimes, trust me, they'll be there.

Wizards hasn't done any magic related events at Gencon in years. They leave hosting to others.

Actually Pastimes is still going back and forth with Gencon on the events. It isn't as simple as just submitting the request and poof it's done. With the size and scope of what normally happens, there are adjustments that have to be made based on all the other events. If they were the only event at the con - no problem. Now, they have to fit their events into the schedule everyone else submitted. The space may be reserved but things like hall capacity, etc have to be observed. Pastimes has a poor reputation just running events so don't push this on Gencon that it isn't done. Pastimes could have submitted their events on schedule and avoided all of this.

Yes, Wizards hasn't done any events at Gencon since 2014 (the 5e release) but they also keep cutting budgets for travel for people like Mearls who was at Gencon in the recent years. There aren't even RC's going to the con this year. The Wizard's site regarding Magic lists all the other events Pastimes is doing, but, strangely, not Gencon.

The reason GenCon isn't listed on Wizards site is because the events hosted aren't Grand Prix level.  The reason for this is most likely the admission to the Con required in order to participate in the events.  The last significant Pro MtG Event at GenCon that I can recall was the World Cup in 2012.

So if Gencon begins to 'fade', does that mean we'll come back down to a manageable thirty thousand people? 

I'm all for that kind of fading. 

More likely fade in that it will take them five years to hit 100,000 instead of four!

im fine with the "Big Boys" not being there, it means less people there jsut to play one game and more space to try out and see new stuff.

I never understood the point of traveling to a con jsut to play something you already play at home.

Where do you live?

The application for judging Magic events at Gen Con went up this weekend on the judge portal so I think that we can safely assume that Pastimes will be doing Magic there.

I just can't belive all you people, being all concerned about the quality of the events you like to play. Good grief. 

I mainly posted it as humor. I'm sure both sides will get it hammered out. If they didn't, that would be prime space to do something really interesting.