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Gen Con 50 caters to any and all aspects of gaming

Posted at 1:37 PM, Aug 19, 2017
and last updated 2017-08-20 15:51:00-04

INDIANAPOLIS -- It’s the longest-running gaming convention in the country.

“I’m a geek and a nerd from way back, so for the 50th anniversary, had to come out for the con” said Pittsburgh native, Ken Barish.

And, it's right here in the Circle City: GenCon50, a gamer’s paradise.

This year's sold out event has drawn in people from all over the country, to enjoy not only gaming, but any and all aspects related.

“All types of gaming, but they also have a film festival, a dance every year,” said Geoffrey Flood.

There are those that really dedicate themselves to character.

“I’m Roxy Lalonde from Homestuck,” said Aeris Meadows.

Meadows said it took her one year to make her costume and a lot of trips to Goodwill.

Arcade gaming is a major part of this annual event.

 “It’s just really easy and fun to play and I think people enjoy that. It’s something you can continue to practice, get better, be with your friends, said Rick Barretto.

Cardhalla, which is the card structure knock-down game for charity, more specifically Child Advocates, is a huge hit each year.

 “We raffle off the first toss of a coin, so once that goes through and we’ve raised the money for that, which gets to be about a thousand or a thousand five hundred dollars, we allow everyone to bring their pocket change and just destroy everything, said Jonathan Gorski, a volunteer.

Gen Con caters to even the fitness buffs.

 “Love yoga, been doing it for a number of years. As part of staying healthy and fit, and being able to sit for hours and all sorts of things, it’s a great way to start first thing in the morning, warm up, get the body moving, and have that good energy for the rest of the day,” said Barish.

We caught up with Barish at Jedi Yoga, yes, you heard that correctly!

 “I talk about the three pillars of Jedi belief, I talk about their mantras, and I talk about some of their masters,” said Michael Dotson, a Fitness Instructor who leads Jedi Yoga.

But no matter what attracts you to this 4-day gamers’ spectacular, you’re bound to find yourself mesmerized by all it has to offer.