If you have been wondering which gaming conventions to attend this year here’s a list of the biggest gaming conventions in the US to help you out. They are the coolest and the craziest of the gaming conventions around and should absolutely be on your convention exploring itinerary.
For those who are not quite getting the geek talk, game conventions are gatherings centered on games, be it video games or role-playing games, and every crazy gaming nerd has dreamt of attending one of these at least once in their lives. They are typically held once in a year, however, there are a lot of them happening year-round throughout the world. Gamers know how to have a riot of a time and these conventions guarantee just that! Here, gaming enthusiast meet like-minded people, engage in different game-related activities, play miniature war games, cosplay as their favorite game characters and basically have a helluva time, generally spanning over 2-3 consecutive days.
If you are new to the gaming domain, but are enjoying your new-found adrenaline game rush and think you might be a dormant game junkie waiting only to find your favorite games to start pulling those all-night gaming sprees, we think one of 10 Best Selling Video Games of All Time might work for you. And, the next step of your fandom certification should be attending a convention. You get to meet thousands that share your passion in gaming and actually become a part of the community when you start doing so. And, that’s where our list of 6 biggest gaming conventions in the US comes in, to direct to you to the ones you should start out by attending!
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You have no idea how big the gaming community is until you actually participate in a convention. The sheer magnitude of these is massive and the footfalls run into tens of thousands sometimes. So what are we waiting for let’s put our consoles away and get out our planners to mark our dates for a real life experience with the gaming world. Here’s the list of conventions!
6. Origins Game Fair
Held at Columbus, Ohio, the Origins Game Fair is a one of a kind game convention, catering also to wargames and miniatures games. Origins has a lot lined of for avid gamers, from LARPs to Board games, everybody can find something they will definitely enjoy. The 2015 convention was held from June 3 – June 7 and experienced a massive footfall of more than 15,000 unique visitors.
5. Gen Con
Every year table-top game enthusiasts flock to the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, to attend GenCon. It has a host of events lined up for its attendees. While the more traditional geeks can enjoy the pen-and-paper games, there are also LARPs, strategy games and collectible games lined up for the pro-active ones. The recorded footfall reached 56,614 last year and the 2015 leg is coming up from July 30 – August 2, so make sure to book your passes fast!
4. Dragon Con
The high-energy 4-day event with a multi-genre theme is one that science-fiction lovers cannot miss. Held annually in Atlanta Georgia, the convention experiences an average footfall of over 57, 000. Programs include writing, alternate history, anime, podcasting and independent films, and the event has successfully integrated music as a part of the convention scene, with the like of Chick Corea, Jefferson Startships and Blue Oyster Cult having played here over the years. It certainly is a convention with a difference.
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3. E3
The Electronic Entertainment Expo or E3 is an exclusive event for gaming industry professionals. This only means that the quality of attendees is strictly monitored and potential entrants are required to certify their connections with the video game industry. Held in Los Angeles with around 50,000 attendees attending every year, E3 is a game manufacturer favorite for launching their new offerings and merchandise at.
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2. PAX East, 70,000
Part of the Penny Arcade Expo series of conventions, Pax East is held in the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center and opened its doors first in 2010. However, the relatively new convention has been quick to catch the gaming clan’s attention with concerts, console freeplays, testing out of unreleased games and more. And, it definitely gets bigger and better every year with more than 70,000 people attending on an average.
1. PAX Prime, 70,000
The Prime leg of the PAX series is a massive convention held at Washington State Convention and Trade Center. Such is the frenzy of the event that passes of the event have reportedly have sold out within six hours of opening. The convention promises to bring the goodness of all conventions rolled into one and the Omegathon, a game tournament, is the main attraction that gets attendees thronging the expo. Also experiencing more than 70,000 attendees every year, it definitely is the biggest of the biggest gaming conventions in the US.
