Gen Con brings tens of thousands to Indy - 13 WTHR Indianapolis

What some call the four greatest days in gaming kicks off in downtown Indianapolis Thursday morning. For the 10th year in a row, the Gen Con convention will bring tens of thousands of people to the city.

Expect to see wizards, warlords and other costumed characters taking over the Convention Center. Last year 36,000 people attended the convention. In addition to marketing new board and fantasy games, many people stay up late sometimes all night long playing various game.

Unlike a lot of conventions in Indianapolis, this one is open to the public. Thirty dollars gets you in for the day.

"Everyone comes together and they have a chance to do all kinds of games, whether it's role playing, board games, miniatures games...there's something for everyone here so it's a great weekend for gamers", said Liz Schuh of Wizards of the Coast, maker of Dungeons and Dragons.

They may be enjoying a fantasy land of their own, but they are spending very real money. The economic impact is estimated at $36 million, and convention officials are very pleased that this group has signed a new contract that will keep them in Indy at least until 2020.

"We're estimating more than $150 million generated from this weekend alone when you look at Gen Con, MotoGP and all the visitors coming, in addition to Central Indiana residents so from a tourism perspective, this is an epic weekend and one we've been looking forward to for months," explained Chris Gahl of the Indianapolis Convention and Visitors Association.