Editing Gen Con (section)

{{Short description|Tabletop game convention in North America}}
{{Infobox convention
| name = Gen Con Indy
| image = File:Gen Con Indy 2023 Stadium.jpg
| caption = Attendees in Lucas Oil Stadium in 2023
| status =
| genre = Gaming
| venue = [[Indiana Convention Center]]
| location = [[Indianapolis|Indianapolis, Indiana]]
| country = [[United States]]
| first = 1968
| last =
| organizer = Gen Con LLC
| filing =
| attendance = 71,000 in 2024<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gencon.com/press/gen-con-2024-breaks-attendance-records-press-release#:~:text=Gen%20Con%20%7C%20Gen%20Con%2C%20The,records%20for%20historic%202024%20event&text=Gen%20Con%202024%20drew%20a,more%20than%20540%20exhibiting%20companies.|title = Gen Con, The largest and longest running tabletop gaming convention, breaks all-time attendance records for historic 2024 event|website = [[GenCon]]}}</ref>
| website = {{url|https://gencon.com|GenCon.com}}
}}

'''Gen Con''' is the largest [[Gaming convention|tabletop game convention]] in North America by both attendance and number of events. It features traditional pen-and-paper, board, and card games, including [[role-playing game]]s, [[Miniature wargaming|miniatures wargames]], [[live action role-playing game]]s, [[collectible card game]]s, and [[strategy game]]s. Gen Con also features [[PC game|computer games]]. Attendees engage in a variety of tournament and interactive game sessions. In 2019, Gen Con had nearly 70,000 unique attendees.<ref>{{cite web |title=GEN CON LOOKS TO THE FUTURE AFTER RECORD-BREAKING 2019 CONVENTION |url=https://www.gencon.com/press/2019postshow |website=GenCon |access-date=16 September 2021}}</ref>

Established in 1968 as the '''Lake Geneva Wargames Convention''' by [[Gary Gygax]], who later co-created ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]'', Gen Con was first held in [[Lake Geneva, Wisconsin]]. The convention was moved to various locations in Wisconsin from 1972 to 1984 before becoming fixed in [[Milwaukee]], [[Wisconsin]], in 1985, where it remained until moving to [[Indianapolis]], [[Indiana]], in 2003. Other Gen Con conventions have been held sporadically in various locations around the United States, as well as internationally.

In 1976, Gen Con became the property of [[TSR (company)|TSR, Inc.]], the gaming company co-founded by Gary Gygax. TSR (and Gen Con) were then acquired by [[Wizards of the Coast]] in 1997, which was subsequently acquired by [[Hasbro]]. Hasbro then sold Gen Con to the former CEO of Wizards of the Coast, [[Peter Adkison]], in 2002. Gen Con spent a short time under [[Chapter 11, Title 11, United States Code|Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection]], due to a lawsuit brought against them by [[Lucasfilm]] in 2008.<ref name="bankruptcy" /><ref name="TheForce 2008" /> The organization emerged from bankruptcy protection a year later, while still holding its regularly scheduled events and became larger than ever.