U-Con

Infobox Convention
name = U-Con


caption =
status = Active
genre = Gaming
venue = The Michigan Union
location = Ann Arbor, Michigan
country = United States
first = 1988
last =
organizer = UCon Gaming Club
filing =
attendance =
website = http://www.ucon-gaming.org

U-Con is a gaming convention held annually in November in Ann Arbor, Michigan, on the campus of the University of Michigan [http://www.gameconventions.net/listing/details.php?conid=11075] . It has been sponsored by several different University of Michigan student organizations since its inception, the current one being the UCon Gaming Club. UCon developed out of a small gaming event held in 1988 called Mission Minicon [http://media.www.themichiganjournal.com/media/storage/paper255/news/2005/11/08/StudentLife/Michigan.Union.Attracts.Gamers-1049522.shtml] . In 1989, it changed its name to UCon and adopted a format offering games from Friday evening through Sunday evening [http://www.pub.umich.edu/daily/1998/nov/11-23-98/arts/arts6.html] . Friday morning and afternoon slots were added in 2005.

U-Con is a mid-size regional gaming convention; an array of games, an exhibit hall and an auction are supplemented by seminars on game design and other gaming-related topics (often put on by UCon's guests of honor, who have included well-known designers such as Richard Garfield [http://www.pub.umich.edu/daily/1996/oct/10-28-96/news/news8.html] ). Events are provided for children as well. U-Con offers some unusual gaming opportunities as well; it was an early site for playtesting of Erick Wujcik's Amber Diceless Roleplaying game, and it hosts a weekend-long track of Tekumel events. People come from as far away as England and Germany to attend. Guests of Honor have included game creators, writers, editors, publishers, and artists.

The next U-Con will be held November 21 - November 23, 2008. The Guest of Honor will be Andy Looney of Looney Labs.

Previous Guests of Honor

2007
* Loren Wiseman

2006
* Ed Greenwood
* Jim Deitz of [http://www.jollyrogergames.com Jolly Roger Games]

2005
* Larry Elmore
* Steven S. Long, President of Hero Games

2003
* Eric Boyd
* Kevin Siembieda, founder of Palladium Books

2002
* Will Niebling, President of Mayfair Games

1999
* James Ernest, founder of Cheapass Games

1998
* Jolly Blackburn, author of the Knights of the Dinner Table comic

1997
* Matt Forbeck, of Pinnacle Games
* Mark C. MacKinnon, President of Guardians of Order

1996
* Richard Garfield, creator of
* Steve Miller, of TSR Hobbies

1993
* Keith Herber, editor of Call of Cthulhu

1992
* David Pulver, freelancer who worked on GURPS

1991
* Erick Wujcik, of Palladium Books and Phage Press

1990
* Robert Lynn Aspirin, science fiction author
* Lynn Abbey, science fiction author
* Darwin Bromley, founder of Mayfair Games

1989
* Rob Bell, of Hero Games
* Darwin Bromley, founder of Mayfair Games
* Gideon, author of Justifiers

References

# University of Michigan [http://uuis.umich.edu/maizepgs/view.cfm?orgID=10004122 UCon Student organization page]
# Carmen Tugulan, [http://media.www.themichiganjournal.com/media/storage/paper255/news/2005/11/08/StudentLife/Michigan.Union.Attracts.Gamers-1049522.shtml Michigan Union Attracts Gamers] "The Michigan Journal", November 8, 2005
# [http://www.pub.umich.edu/daily/1998/nov/11-23-98/arts/arts6.html Gamers skip football, head to Union convention instead] , "The Michigan Daily", November 23, 1998
# Jenni Yachnin, [http://www.pub.umich.edu/daily/1996/oct/10-28-96/news/news8.html Meeting builds gamers' abilities] , "The Michigan Daily", October 28, 1996
# [http://www.gameconventions.net/listing/details.php?conid=11075 UCon listing on gameconventions.net]

External links

* [http://www.ucon-gaming.org U-Con's Official Website]
* [http://community.livejournal.com/ucon/ U-Con LiveJournal Community]