When you mention Gen Con to people here in Indy, normally the first response is asking what costumes you’ve seen this year. So, without further adieu, here are some of the ones we saw this year at Gen Con.
Greater Indianapolis
Gen Con Indy 2014: The Games
On Friday I stumbled across the Rock, Paper, Scissors (, Lizard, Spock) Guinness Book of World Records attempt. By Sunday they hit 2,950, setting the new record.
Settlers of Catan is wildly popular at Gen Con, and you can hardly find an area where someone isn’t playing it, or one of the variations.
For those that prefer the floor, or have very bad eyesight, there are MAMMOTH versions of Settlers available to play. Very cool, and hey, it does get you moving a bit during the game.
I’ve not had a chance to play Catan Histories: Settlers of America yet, but it looks like fun.
The “Family Fun Pavilion” was hopping on Sunday.
Ticket to Ride is another popular game at Gen Con. I’ve yet to play it, but I picked up a copy at Gen Con to rectify that.
The Battle of Five Armies (2014) looks like it should be fun for Hobbit and Lord of the Rings fans. Not to be confused with the 2005 release of the same title.
It wasn’t clear if this was a custom board for The Battle of Five Armies, or something else. Nonetheless, it looks pretty neat.
Old school custom gaming, I’m assuming a role playing war/battle game of some sort due to the notes and die. Talk about dedication to a game.
Axis & Allies (1981) is another game I saw numerous copies of floating around, but not one I’ve played since I don’t normally have three hours to kill. Someday.
I saw this game in passing, which is Star Wars themed, and includes a few GIANT AT-AT’s.
Custom game that obviously had a lot of time invested in its making.
This game involved aliens invading a city. Enough said. Roll the dice!
Gen Con Indy 2014: The Atmosphere
Gen Con, “The Best Four Days In Gaming!”, did not disappoint this year. From the vendors, to the games, to the auctions, and everything in between, it was a blast.
This neat guy was located in the Exhibit Hall. I wouldn’t having one of these in the backyard at home.
For those into miniatures, they had it setup to where you could paint one and take it home.
In one area they had a game with robots setup. Awesome!
In the Exhibit Hall, the “Family Fun Pavilion” is an area with vendors of games for the kids, AND an area where they can pick up board games to play there. Great idea, and it was packed on Sunday.
These balloon creations were made during the convention, and popped at noon on Sunday. It’s always interesting to see what they come up with.
In one of the lobby areas there’s always a place setup where you can take old cards and create anything you wish with them. Then of course, they are all torn down towards the end of the convention.
The city of Indianapolis rolls out the welcome mat for Gen Cen.
Out on Georgia Street, just about every food truck in the city shows up at some point during the convention. If you’re looking for something tasty to eat (which many folks seem to forget to do during Gen Con), there’s just about anything you could want available.
Nacho Mama’s is starting to form a line, even before they open for the Thursday evening shift.
This year I would have to say I probably had the most fun sitting in on some of the board game auctions. It’s a real history lesson of what’s out there, and you can score some rare, out of print and obscure titles, at reasonable prices.
If you like getting whacked with foam swords, no problem, they have you covered. Since I have a house full of kids, I didn’t find the need to partake in something that happens on a normal day.
A lot of people don’t realize that there’s more to Gen Con than just games. The Film Festival and Writer’s Symposium are two great examples of that.
Outside of the Indiana Convention Center the sidewalk pattern is hex shaped. I was a little surprised that I didn’t witness anyone turning them into a game board, though I’m sure someone probably did so at some point.
One State Fairgoer Could Win a MILLION Dollars!
One lucky visitor could leave the Indiana State Fair $1 million richer! That’s the potential payout to the winner of the Hoosier Lottery’s 25th Anniversary “Hoosier Millionaire” Championship Show that will take place in the Hoosier Lottery Grandstand Saturday, Aug. 16.
The Hoosier Millionaire was the first scratch-off ticket sold by the Hoosier Lottery 25 years ago. The corresponding Saturday night TV game show, which became very popular, turned 191 Hoosiers into millionaires. The originals hosts of the show – Mark Patrick, Barbara Hobbs and Tony Lamont – have reunited for a series of live shows throughout Indiana that began in March and will culminate with two live shows at the fair.
“I just honestly get a kick out of seeing people win,” Patrick told the Indianapolis Star. “If they do it right, it’s really enough money to change their life for the better.”
During the final regional show at the State Fair at 3 p.m., one member of the audience will be selected at random to play against five other pre-selected contestants. The winner of this show will advance to compete in the championship show at 6 p.m. versus the five other regional winners, and a new Hoosier millionaire could be made.
“I watched the television show when it was on years ago and wanted to be a contestant,” said Rick Rhodes, winner of the April regional show held in Ft. Wayne. “Now that I’ll be on the live show in August, I’m fulfilling something on my bucket list. I don’t want the summer to be over with, but I can’t wait for it to be August 16th.”
In addition to the excitement of seeing people compete for $1 million, members of the audience will be able to enjoy other live entertainment. During the show, they can also help the contestants by calling out which numbers to choose on the “Hoosier Millionaire” game board. Contestants must be 18 years of age or older to play. If nobody wins the $1 million grand prize in the final show, a drawing from myLottery members will determine the winner.
SOURCE: Indiana State Fair
2014 Indiana State Fair Day #15 Schedule
2014 Indiana State Fair Day #15: $5 Foodie Day
Friday, August 15, 2014
Today’s Highlights
- $5 Foodie Friday — Discounted items at all vendors and $5 admission
- All Day Ride Survival Midway Special with unlimited rides for $30 — Midway Noon to 11 p.m.
- Hoosier Hospitality Awards & Will Koch Award Program—Farm Bureau Bldg. at 2 p.m.
- Draft Horse Show including performances by the Percheron Thunder — Coliseum at 5 p.m.
- Kansas — Free Stage at 7:30 p.m.
NBA Nation Tour
The NBA’s largest mobile basketball experience bounces into the fairgrounds for three days, Aug. 15-17. The NBA Nation Tour pre-sented by Sprint features 20,000 square feet of basketball activi-ties, contests and clinics. The tour also gives fairgoers a chance to meet NBA legend Darryl Dawkins, Indiana Fever All-Star Tami-ka Catchings and other NBA and WNBA players. The NBA Nation Tour is located in the Hoosier Lottery Grandstand Side Lot. Find out more @NBAnation and facebook.com/nbanation.
Everyday Entertainment
- Great American Duck Race: Family Fun Park at 10:30 a.m., 1, 4 & 5:30 p.m.
- MHS pres. Flippenout Extreme Trampoline Show: Dow AgroSciences Celebration Park at 11:30 a.m., 2, 4:30 & 6:30 p.m.
- Shenanigans! Comedy Wild West Show: Family Fun Park at Noon, 3 & 6:30 p.m.
- Indiana Farming Experience: Glass Barn 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
- Livestock Nursery: North of the Farm Bureau Bldg 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Gen Con 2014: Five Things to See & Do
Gen Con, “The Best Four Days in Gaming”, returns to Indianapolis this weekend, and Naptown Buzz will be there snapping photos and checking out what’s going on!
If you’ve not been to Gen Con before, I recommend giving it a whirl. The first time I covered Gen Con, I went in under the impression that it was a TON of people who liked to play Dungeons & Dragons, or Magic the Gathering, while dressed up like Star Wars characters. While those games are popular, as are the Star Wars costumes, Gen Con is so much more than that, and you can play just about any game out there (and some truly are “out there”).
Here are five things I’m interested in seeing this year:
The Froth of Khaaan: Sun King Brewing brings us the official convention beer, The Froth of Khan. This will be available at a variety of establishments across Indianapolis, including Bru Burger Bar, California Pizza Kitchen, Champs, Claddagh Irish Pub, Coaches Tavern, Harry and Izzy’s, Hyatt Downtown, Indianapolis Colts Grille, JW Marriott Indianapolis, MavNiven’s, Mass Ave Pub, Palomino, Pearl Street Pizzeria, Tavern on South, Tilted Kilt, Tomlinson Taproom (City Market), Weber Grill, Winner’s Circle, Embassy Suites, Crown Plaza, and more!
The Dungeon: Last year I stumbled into some sort of dungeon area that reminded me more of a haunted house than anything, but no one was jumping out at anyone. In this area, which is as dark as night, apparently some sort of game was going on and people were collecting coins of some sort. If this is taking place again this year, someone, please clue me in as to what is going on.
Food Trucks: Returning to Gen Con are more than 40 of Indianapolis’ best food trucks, offering attendees a huge variety of cuisines throughout the show. Stationed along Georgia Street and Capitol Avenue, great eats await just outside the convention center doors! Click here for a full schedule and listing.
Costumes: If you’re anywhere downtown Thursday through Sunday, I’m sure that you’ll see plenty of costumes. Grab your camera, take some photos, and try to figure out what/who they’re supposed to be. For added fun, bring along some candy to hand out, as this is like Halloween in August!
Games (Duh!): Settlers of Catan & Ticket to Ride are standby favorites to watch, and to play. But going through the Gen Con Catalog, games such as Bedpans and Broomsticks (Will you evade capture, use your tools and decoy to confuse and stall the retirement home staff, and find your way out the front door first?), Flapjacks & Sasquatches (Grab your trusty axe, and have some bacon, but avoid forest fires and the dreaded Sasquatch in this fast & furious stick it to your neighbor card game about lumberjacks in the Great White North!) & Flea Marketeers (You have finally landed the job of your dreams! Building up your own flea market area, swindling other Marketeers, & dealing in “Americana Treasure” – what could be more fun?) are sure to be something you’ll remember for years to come.
Stay tuned for more Gen Con coverage, and if you’re headed out to Gen Con, try to find me!
Indianapolis Star to Cut More Jobs
Via the Indianapolis Newspaper Guild:
The Indianapolis Star announced its “newsroom of the future.” It involves 15% fewer journalists than the newsroom of the present. The copy desk, those folks who make sure stories are readable, who catch a tremendous amount of mistakes and who generally make everything of higher quality, is being “dissolved.” We’re going to lose 5 of 11 photographers and other support staff. Some good middle managers who guide journalists young and old will be out of a job soon, too. What the paper is telling the public is that there will be 6 more reporters. And there will be. With beats like beverages, party crasher and holidays and observances. No, we are not making this up. Welcome to the future.
I can’t say that this is shocking in any way, but really?! They’re ditching the staff who PROOF READ, and are adding NUVO type of content? If that’s what they’re after, then why in the world did they ditch Metromix Indy (and the previous iterations)? I personally enjoyed Metromix, but that sort of content is not really in line with what most older people are looking for in a daily newspaper.
For the past several years, the Star seems to be trying to see what works in the “digital age”. But having proof readers, fact checkers & editors are big things that differentiate them from “bloggers” and “online media”. (Go ahead, use the comments below to point out any mistakes I’ve made in this post.)
I don’t know. It’s a hard situation all around, but I don’t think the solution is in college kids and booze. Personally I’d love to see more LOCAL, non-wire, content. More human interest pieces. More small business features, especially for those who don’t have the means to purchase expensive advertising, but could really use a boost. There are plenty of places to find news of what’s happening elsewhere, but to find local stories, not just politics, crime and sports, is hard to come by. Those of us who try to fill that void by producing content, often do so in our spare time, for little or no money, solely because it drives us and we feel that the stories should be told.
The situation the Star, and most other local media (see: recent WISH-TV news), is in is tough. Trust me, I know. I am friends with a lot of these folks, in all media formats, and have heard their side of things. While there’s no silver bullet, maybe the solution lies in going back to their roots and mixing in new sources of income. I can think of a few off the top of my head, but they’ll need to do more than take me out to crash parties to hear them.
IHS to exhibit “Hoosiers Win the Pennant”
Guests of the Indiana Historical Society (IHS) can get caught up in the fever of the Major League Baseball playoffs with Hoosiers Win the Pennant: Indiana Roots of American Baseball. The exhibition will be on display Sept. 9 through Nov. 15, 2014, in the Rose McKee Lanham Gallery at the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center. The History Center, home of the IHS, is located at 450 W. Ohio St. in downtown Indianapolis.
Showcasing true baseball treasures from the private collection of Scott Tarter, a partner with Bose McKinney & Evans LLP, this exhibition explores Indiana’s incredible, but little-known, baseball history and the state’s contributions to America’s national pastime. Indiana is not only the site of the first-ever major league baseball game, but has also boasted five major league baseball teams throughout history, including the 1914 Federal League pennant-winning Hoosiers.
Items include an 1829 English book containing one of the earliest known descriptions of the English game that helped create American baseball and an 1832 pamphlet containing one of the earliest-known printed references to baseball. Also on display are a limited edition reproduction of the first recorded baseball card dating back to 1869, and original 19th-century and early 20th-century baseball cards, photographs, and illustrations.
Guests can also enjoy a look at material connected to the 1871 Fort Wayne Kekiongas, 1878 Indianapolis Blues, the Indianapolis Hoosiers who played in the National League between 1887 and 1889, and the 1914 Indianapolis Hoosiers in their pennant-winning year. Materials illustrating the origins and history of today’s Indianapolis Indians also celebrate the roots of the game.
This exhibition is included with each guest’s Indiana Experience admission.
2014 Indiana State Fair Day #14 Schedule
2014 Indiana State Fair Day #14: AAA Day
Thursday, August 14, 2014
Today’s Highlights
- Harness Racing — Hoosier Lottery Grandstand 11 a.m. & 6 p.m.
- Family Day Midway Special with unlimited rides for $30 — Midway Noon to 10 p.m.
- Kachunga & the Alligator — Dow AgroSciences Celebration Park at 12:30, 3 & 5:30 p.m.
- Red Gold Salsa Recipe Contest — Home & Family Arts Culinary Stage at 2:30 p.m.
- The Temptations Review featuring Dennis Edwards — Free Stage at 7:30 p.m.
National Belgian Draft Horse Show
Folk and country rock come together when America and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band hit the Free Stage beginning at 7:30 p.m. Fans will enjoy old favorites like America’s “Horse with No Name,” “Sister Golden Hair,” Ventura Highway” and Gritty’s “Mr. Bojangles.”
Everyday Entertainment
- Great American Duck Race: Family Fun Park at 10:30 a.m., 1, 4 & 5:30 p.m.
- MHS pres. Flippenout Extreme Trampoline Show: Dow AgroSciences Celebration Park at 11:30 a.m., 2, 4:30 & 6:30 p.m.
- Shenanigans! Comedy Wild West Show: Family Fun Park at Noon, 3 & 6:30 p.m.
- Indiana Farming Experience: Glass Barn 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
- FFA Mini Golf: Tractor Supply Co. FFA Pavilion from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
2014 Statehouse Market Week 13
The forecast calls for sun at Thursday’s Statehouse Market. This week Wildflower Ridge Honey debuts its’ first honeycomb chunk honey of the season and Tulip Tree Creamery returns to the market with two new cheeses. If you missed it last week, Van Antwerp Farm Market debuted their juicy cantaloupes, Wilson Farms brought Asian pears and Blitz Greenhouses premiered two more varieties of apples.
Produce Vendors
- Wildflower Ridge Honey – New this week: honeycomb chunk honey.
- Posey & Pumpkins – Produce and plants.
- Van Antwerp Farm Market – Watermelon, tomatoes, green beans and other produce.
- Bryant Farm – Tomatoes, beans, potatoes, banana peppers, and both Italian and Oriental eggplants.
- Wilson Farm – Free range eggs, sweet corn, greens, tomatoes, bedding plants and herbs.
- Oberweis Dairy – Milk samples and raspberry lemonade samples.
- Red Barn Meats – Grass fed beef, grain fed beef, pork, goat and lamb, soup bones, knuckle bones, and beef variety meats. They also have a variety of pork as well as various lamb & goat items.
- Tulip Tree Creamery – Their new baked baguettes and Nettle cheese which is a mild Chevre which goes great with baguettes and fruit! Also they will have their Cultured Butter, Fromage Frais, Fresh Mozzarella and their popular cheese curds.
- Simple Taste Specialty Bakery – State Fair Cupcakes along with the walking taco mentioned above.
- Biltz Greenhouses – Fresh picked apples, sweet corn, tomatoes, blueberries, peppers, potatoes, green beans and onions.
The Pork Shoppe returns to the market on Aug. 21.
Food Trucks
- Duos Indy – Try the bold flavors of the Eggplant Sandwich.
- Little Eataly – Enjoy the Chick Pea Salad.
- Nacho Mama – Stay fit with the Itty Bitty Mini 200 calorie Taco Salad. Watch Nacho Mama’s video profile
- Brozinni Pizza – Pizza and salads
- Heavenly Sweets – Cupcakes and other sweets
- Some of This Some of That – Cajun
- Serendipity – Enjoy the tasty Midwest.
- Der Pretzel Wagen – Pretzels and sandwiches
- Slider Station – Check truck for daily menu
- Hoosier Fat Daddys – Try a Salmon or Turkey Burger.
- Dhaba Indy – Indian cuisine
- Nicey Treat– Frozen pops
SOURCE: State of Indiana