July 22, 2004

By: Lorenz Wing
Website: http://www.1st-in-games.com

Origins Game Expo at the Greater Columbus Convention Center

Every kind of tabletop game imaginable - from traditional games like chess and cribbage, to trading card games like Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh!, to role-playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons, to board games and card games and miniatures games of every variety - will be featured this weekend at the Origins Game Expo at the Greater Columbus Convention Center.

To celebrate the 30th Anniversary of Origins, every living member of the Adventure Game Hall of Fame will attend to discuss the history of both Origins and the hobby game industry. Friday night features the 30th Annual Origins Awards, where the best game products of the last year are honored. Saturday, Sean Astin, star of Lord of the Rings, Sean will discuss the films and sign autographs. The show also features several national championship tournaments throughout the weekend.

The Origins Game Expo began in Baltimore in 1975 and featured war games, which were the principal type of product published in the industry at the time. Since then the show has expanded to include card games of every type, non-war board games, role-playing games, and much more.

In 1996, after traveling from city to city for its first 21 years, Origins moved to its permanent home in Columbus, where it has been ever since. In 2002, the Game Manufacturers Association (GAMA), the hobby game industry's trade association, took over management of the show.

Since then, attendance has grown 36%, making Origins the fastest-growing national game convention. Last year's attendance was 12,600. This year, GAMA expects more than 14,000.

About The Author:

Lorenz Wing is a successful author and regular contributor to http://www.1st-in-games.com.  Great games for the entire family for hours of fun or competition. We feature all your favorites.