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Information About

Origins International Game Expo




  Genre Gaming Convention
  Venue Greater Columbus Convention Center
  Location Columbus, Ohio
  Country USA
  Years 1975-Present
  Organizer Game Manufacturers Association
  Filing non-profit
  Attendance 14,000+ {Link without Title}
  Website http://wwworiginsgamescom/



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 .


HISTORY


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. The Historical Miniature Wargaming section of Origins is administered (under GAMA's overall direction) by the Great Lakes Chapter of the Historical Miniatures Gaming Society .


Venues



Columbus, Ohio

" (the man in the Gaudy jacket) consulting with his helpers at the 2007 Smithee Awards at the Origins International Game Expo]]
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).


EXTERNAL LINKS

  • http://www.originsgames.com/

  • http://www.gama.org/