Spiel in Essen?

Are any other listeners (or even our brave podcasters) going to be at Spiel 2007 in Essen this year? I went two years ago and had a great time, and so I'm looking forward to it again this year, but it'd be fun to hang out with a few english-speakers and/or play some games with folks.

Comments

I'm so jealous!

Oh, how I wish we were going to be at Essen! Alas, the Spiel budget is not quite large enough to pay for a trip abroad...

Within the next year or two, we are hoping to make the trip.I 'm almost sure once we go, we will want to make it an annual journey. Hopefully good fortune and hard work will allow that to happen!

I'd love to hear your impressions of Essen, jsciv. What should we expect if we have never been before?

Stephen

 

Easier to give you a summary and show off the pictures I took than to try and retype all that!

It was a lot of fun. This year I speak a little more german and I know what to expect, so I'm feeling a lot more ready.

-- Joe

That's a great report from Essen, Joe. Makes me want to go all the more! And who knows, perhaps our German pronunciations would improve. But don't get your hopes up...

And how cool would it be to meet up and play games with our European Meeps? My passport renewal app is in the mail, so I'll be prepared when the opportunity arises.

Stephen

Hey, BTW, if there are any games that you guys want me to snap some pictures of or ask the creators about while I'm off in Essen, I'd love to help you out and give back in my own little way to the Spiel. I've really come to love getting your podcast. The fact that one's due out on my outbound trip means I'll have a couple of GREAT hours of listening while I'm on the plane!! :)

-- Joe

Here are my comments on Essen 2007 and my pictures from Essen. Sorry it took so long to get the pictures up, but my internet has been out at home, so it's been catch-as-can at getting this done.

You guys should definitely hop on Container. That's been a huge winner in my play groups. But don't use the beginner variant. :) Other games for musts from me are Cuba, Gipsy King and Hamburgum. Still waiting for English Agricola like the rest of the world....

And will The Spiel be present thus year?

I haven't heard you all talk about Essen much over the past few podcasts, and since it's in just over a month I will assume that you're not going to make it this year either. We'll have to get you guys over the pond at SOME point!

This year work has virtually no chance of stopping me and I've made my plans so I'll be hitting the floor all four days. If there are other Spiel listeners who are going, let's try and say hello!

-- Joe

Most likely, no, I won't make it this year. There is one last-ditch scheme that has yet to play itself out completely, so I won't say absolutely 100% I won't be there. Thus my relative silence in recent weeks and months.

The main stumbling block is there were a couple freelance gigs I was expecting to land late Summer / early Fall and they have yet to come through (corporate cutbacks, etc.), so the money I was planning to use to fund the trip just isn't there.

Sigh.

I hear Dallas is the Essen of North America, though...

I figured something like that: the economy definitely is hitting people in lots of weird ways. If it does come through then yay, but if not you'll just have to make do with the press coverage and whatever report I put together (like I did last time I went).

Dallas isn't the Essen of North America (and I'm very glad that's so). The closest con in North America is probably GenCon, just because Essen is all about SELLING the games, with play on the side, whereas BGG.CON is all about playing the games, and while I loves me some Essen, the whole point is to play! So I'll definitely see you in Dallas and we can try out some new shiny that I picked up in Essen!

-- Joe

Yeah, I was trying to be snarky with the Dallas comment. :)

I know I would love Essen for the same reason I enjoy GenCon. The trade show floor assembles such a wide cross-section of the gaming world, it would be great to meet and interview so many publishers and see such a ridiculous number of games, many that never make it across to the US.

I am very fortunate that this freelande situation is the first direct impact I have felt from the economy. In many respects, other ventures are going quite well. So no real complaints from me. Just makes me pine away for the convention halls of Europe for another year...

It's a good fallback position to know I can play lots of cool Essen things only a month later from your stash and others, if Essen doesn't work out this year.

Here's my brief summary of Essen 09 from my point of view. I'll have pictures up at some point in the next week or two.

Sorry to hear cash flow was such a hassle. You just saved me some grief, though, so thanks. I'll know to keep plenty of bucks in reserve for emergencies and, well, games, of course!

Here's my rundown of the games I bought and played at Essen. Enjoy! -- Joe