Origins International Game Expo
Encyclopedia
Origins Game Fair is one of North America
's most prominent annual gaming conventions, second in size only to Gen Con
. Origins takes place each year in Columbus, Ohio
at the Greater Columbus Convention Center
, in late June or early July.
Origins is run by The Game Manufacturers Association
(GAMA) as one of their two shows for the gaming industry. (The second show, the GAMA Trade Show, is for game manufacturers and retailers only.) Origins is specifically chartered to serve gaming in general, including wargames
and miniatures gaming
, which tend to be less well represented at Gen Con
and Dragon*Con. Board game
s, trading card games, LARPs and role-playing game
s are also popular at Origins.
Origins is the site of the annual Origins Award
s ceremony. For many years, the Charles S. Roberts Award
s for historical boardgames were presented at Origins, but these are now presented at the World Boardgaming Championships
.
Origins Game Fair was formerly known as the Origins International Game Expo. The name was changed in the summer of 2007.
Origins started in 1975 with a gathering of game players in Baltimore, Maryland. The Interest Group Baltimore, a local wargaming club, worked with the Baltimore-based Avalon Hill
game company to put on the first show that year at Johns Hopkins University
.
Avalon Hill produced the first commercial war games back in 1958. In a nod to Baltimore's position as the home of Avalon Hill and the birthplace of the commercial wargame hobby, Don Greenwood
, a game designer with Avalon Hill and founder of the convention, suggested calling the show "Origins".
Over the next few years, both Avalon Hill and SPI
(another wargame company) ran the show. As the show continued expanding, the Game Manufacturers Association assumed management in 1978.
In 1988, Origins and Gen Con
joined forces to hold a single convention in Milwaukee.
Throughout most of its life, Origins migrated from city to city, but this limited the show's growth. In 1996, GAMA decided to anchor Origins in a single location. After considering a number of possibilities, GAMA chose Columbus, Ohio
. With its proximity to many attendees and show volunteers, Columbus promised a fertile environment. The decision proved wise, as Origins continued to grow in subsequent years. In 2005, the show set another attendance record with just over 15,000 attendees (as announced on the Origins website). Attendance in 2009 was approximately 10,200 people, with 10,669 in 2010. In 2012 for two years it is moving to late May/early June.
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
's most prominent annual gaming conventions, second in size only to Gen Con
Gen Con
Gen Con is one of the largest and most prominent annual gaming conventions in North America. It features traditional pen-and-paper, board, and card-style games, including role-playing games, miniatures wargames, board games, live action role-playing games, collectible card games, non-collectible...
. Origins takes place each year in Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
at the Greater Columbus Convention Center
Greater Columbus Convention Center
thumb|right|300px|Front entrance to the Greater Columbus Convention Center in [[Downtown Columbus|Downtown]] [[Columbus, Ohio]].The Greater Columbus Convention Center is a convention center located in downtown Columbus, Ohio, United States, along the east side of High Street.The convention center...
, in late June or early July.
Origins is run by The Game Manufacturers Association
Game Manufacturers Association
The Game Manufacturers Association is a non-profit trade association based in Columbus, Ohio, dedicated to the advancement of the non-electronic social games industry - Board/Tabletop Games, Miniatures Games, Card Games, Collectable/Tradeable Card Games, Role-Playing Games, and Live-Action Role...
(GAMA) as one of their two shows for the gaming industry. (The second show, the GAMA Trade Show, is for game manufacturers and retailers only.) Origins is specifically chartered to serve gaming in general, including wargames
Wargaming
A wargame is a strategy game that deals with military operations of various types, real or fictional. Wargaming is the hobby dedicated to the play of such games, which can also be called conflict simulations, or consims for short. When used professionally to study warfare, it is generally known as...
and miniatures gaming
Miniature wargaming
Miniature wargaming is a form of wargaming that incorporates miniature figures, miniature armor and modeled terrain as the main components of play...
, which tend to be less well represented at Gen Con
Gen Con
Gen Con is one of the largest and most prominent annual gaming conventions in North America. It features traditional pen-and-paper, board, and card-style games, including role-playing games, miniatures wargames, board games, live action role-playing games, collectible card games, non-collectible...
and Dragon*Con. Board game
Board game
A board game is a game which involves counters or pieces being moved on a pre-marked surface or "board", according to a set of rules. Games may be based on pure strategy, chance or a mixture of the two, and usually have a goal which a player aims to achieve...
s, trading card games, LARPs and role-playing game
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
s are also popular at Origins.
Origins Award
The Origins Awards are American awards for outstanding work in the game industry. They are presented by the Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts and Design at the Origins Game Fair on an annual basis for the previous year, so the 1979 awards were given at the 1980 Origins.The Origins Award is commonly...
s ceremony. For many years, the Charles S. Roberts Award
Charles S. Roberts Award
The Charles S. Roberts Awards are given annually for excellence in the historical wargaming hobby. It is named after Charles S. Roberts the "Father of Wargaming" who founded Avalon Hill. The award is informally called a "Charlie" and officially called a "Charles S...
s for historical boardgames were presented at Origins, but these are now presented at the World Boardgaming Championships
World Boardgaming Championships
The World Boardgaming Championships is a convention held yearly since 1999 by the Boardgame Players Association. It is typically held in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. It was last held August 2 to August 8, 2010. It is next scheduled for August 1 to August 7, 2011...
.
Origins Game Fair was formerly known as the Origins International Game Expo. The name was changed in the summer of 2007.
History
Avalon Hill
Avalon Hill was a game company that specialized in wargames and strategic board games. Its logo contained its initials "AH", and it was often referred to by this abbreviation. It also published the occasional miniature wargaming rules, role-playing game, and had a popular line of sports simulations...
game company to put on the first show that year at Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University
The Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States...
.
Avalon Hill produced the first commercial war games back in 1958. In a nod to Baltimore's position as the home of Avalon Hill and the birthplace of the commercial wargame hobby, Don Greenwood
Don Greenwood
Don Greenwood is a board game designer. He worked for Avalon Hill from 1972 to 1998 and has done work for GMT Games. He was editor of Panzerfaust Magazine from 1967 until 1972 and of The General Magazine from 1972 until 1982. He is the founder of the Origins, Avaloncon, and WBC gaming conventions...
, a game designer with Avalon Hill and founder of the convention, suggested calling the show "Origins".
Over the next few years, both Avalon Hill and SPI
Simulations Publications
Simulations Publications, Inc. was an influential American publisher of board wargames and related magazines, particularly its flagship Strategy & Tactics, in the 1970s and early 1980s...
(another wargame company) ran the show. As the show continued expanding, the Game Manufacturers Association assumed management in 1978.
In 1988, Origins and Gen Con
Gen Con
Gen Con is one of the largest and most prominent annual gaming conventions in North America. It features traditional pen-and-paper, board, and card-style games, including role-playing games, miniatures wargames, board games, live action role-playing games, collectible card games, non-collectible...
joined forces to hold a single convention in Milwaukee.
Venues
| Year | Dates | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | July 25-27 | Baltimore, Maryland |
| 1976 | July 23-25 | Baltimore, Maryland |
| 1977 | July 22-24 | New York, New York |
| 1978 | July 13-16 | Ann Arbor, Michigan Ann Arbor, Michigan Ann Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County. The 2010 census places the population at 113,934, making it the sixth largest city in Michigan. The Ann Arbor Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 344,791 as of 2010... |
| 1979 | June 22-24 | Chester, Pennsylvania Chester, Pennsylvania Chester is a city in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States, with a population of 33,972 at the 2010 census. Chester is situated on the Delaware River, between the cities of Philadelphia and Wilmington, Delaware.- History :... |
| 1980 | June 27-29 | Chester, Pennsylvania |
| 1981 | July 3-5 | San Mateo, California San Mateo, California San Mateo is a city in San Mateo County, California, United States, in the San Francisco Bay Area. With a population of approximately 100,000 , it is one of the larger suburbs on the San Francisco Peninsula, located between Burlingame to the north, Foster City to the east, Belmont to the south,... |
| 1982 | July 23-25 | Baltimore, Maryland |
| 1983 | July 14-17 | Detroit, Michigan Detroit, Michigan Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River... |
| 1984 | July 5-8 | Dallas, Texas Dallas, Texas Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States... |
| 1985 | June 27-30 | Baltimore, Maryland |
| 1986 | July 3-6 | Los Angeles, California Los Angeles, California Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California... |
| 1987 | Baltimore, Maryland | |
| 1988 | August 18–21 | Milwaukee, Wisconsin Milwaukee, Wisconsin Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the... (with Gen Con Gen Con Gen Con is one of the largest and most prominent annual gaming conventions in North America. It features traditional pen-and-paper, board, and card-style games, including role-playing games, miniatures wargames, board games, live action role-playing games, collectible card games, non-collectible... ) |
| 1989 | June 29 - July 2 | Los Angeles, California |
| 1990 | Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in... (with DragonCon) |
|
| 1991 | July 4-7 | Baltimore, Maryland |
| 1992 | August 20-23 | Milwaukee, Wisconsin (with Gen Con) |
| 1993 | July 13-16 | Fort Worth, Texas |
| 1994 | July 7-10 | San Jose, California San Jose, California San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay... |
| 1995 | July 13-16 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,... |
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
. With its proximity to many attendees and show volunteers, Columbus promised a fertile environment. The decision proved wise, as Origins continued to grow in subsequent years. In 2005, the show set another attendance record with just over 15,000 attendees (as announced on the Origins website). Attendance in 2009 was approximately 10,200 people, with 10,669 in 2010. In 2012 for two years it is moving to late May/early June.
| Year | Dates |
|---|---|
| 1996 | July 4-7 |
| 1997 | July 17-20 |
| 1998 | July 2-5 |
| 1999 | July 1-4 |
| 2000 | July 13-16 |
| 2001 | July 5-8 |
| 2002 | July 4-7 |
| 2003 | June 26-29 |
| 2004 | June 24-27 |
| 2005 | June 30 - July 3 |
| 2006 | June 29 - July 2 |
| 2007 | July 5-8 |
| 2008 | June 26-29 |
| 2009 | June 25-28 |
| 2010 | June 24-27 |
| 2011 | June 22-26 |
| 2012 | May 30 - June 3 |
| 2013 | May 29 - June 2 |