I agree with the idea of holding it in a location that can support the obvious demand in numbers. Breaking out individual games or genres would lead to a fracture in generating interest in multiple platforms, which as a business is understandably FFG's goal. IMHO there is a win-win solution of moving it to a location that can physically support the sheer numbers. If you get more people physically to the location, you're going to generate interest in other games and gain brand loyalty regardless of hosting site.

My suggestion: Las Vegas.

Huge convention halls

Central location within the U.S. Cheap, frequent airfare from around the world.

Weather is more palatable during that time of year

... And we can bet on the outcomes! (That last one is a bit of a stretch).

I would have to disagree on Las Vegas being centrally located within the US.

Also, while improvements for next year are a must improvements for this year are entirely possible and something I think we need to push for. There is plenty of time to set up an alternate play space and a parallel 256 person qualifying event. In all seriousness, this is an absolute train wreck on the part of Organized Play, up to and including moving the premier event for their #1 revenue generating game (by a landslide) to a Wednesday rather than the weekend. Events like Worlds are supposed to drive interest in the game, not infuriate large numbers of customers, including the most visible and vocal of them.

I sent an email to organized play, will continue to voice my concern here, and would encourage others to do so as well. Whether or not they fix this, I want them to understand the scope of the disaster they have authored.

Edit: The rationale of "the best experience possible" only holds water if they follow through. Moving their #1 game to a Wednesday, filling the schedule with lots of 2nd and 3rd tier games rather than accommodate the actual interest level in that game, all of this smacks of poor marketing. The kind of marketing that tries to use a popular game to force interest in other games, rather than supporting the popular game properly in the first place. This reminds me of those (soon failed) stores that would put their worst selling merchandise in their first tier locations (by the register, etc.) to improve their sales, then wonder why store wide sales dropped year on year. Hint, market what sells.

More Edit: I wasn't too worried about GenCon, because I believed that the space constraints forced upon FFG by the venue were the primary driver for the scarcity. But that doesn't apply at an event run entirely by FFG. Any problems here are entirely of their own making.

I will also be writing to FFG about this, and I hope that enough emails will bring about a change.

I am not sure that the X-Wing Miniatures Word Championship will ever grow to match what players expect.

This is a table top game with a limited life span. FFG probably doesn't think that it makes sense to bother creating a large-scale tournament to accomodate 1000 of its most dedicated players. They just want to focus on mass appeal while the game is in the strongest phase of its life cycle.

With the next (first of three) Star Wars movie coming out in December, I sincerely doubt your hypothesis.

How many new ships do you think that the new movies will have? One of the easiest ways to produce celebrated Star Wars content is to keep things close to the original trilogy. I don't know that the movies will provide the explosion of new ships that people seem to be expecting.

maybe its just me but until they move gencon and other events to an actual destination worth going to i don't plan on ever attending..lol i mean Indy?? whats in Indy? i mean even if they moved it over to Dayton at least they have the USAF museum!! or New York/ DC/ ORLANDO or as was mentioned Vegas.. Some of us have families that don't game.. and some of us like to do stuff besides game.. just saying its much easier to spend the cash for a vacation destination!! I can personally vouch for Vegas/DC/New York and Orlando as being able to accommodate EVERYBODY!!!

Is it possible that the game is simply becoming too big to hold a "singular" annual most-important event? I understand the chain that leads to it: stores->regionals->nationals->Worlds. That pipeline clearly shows that it'll become more and more inadequate to satisfy the demand if the popularity increase holds up.

What if some people from the player base took charge and diluted that demand and made prestigious alternate events themselves?

maybe its just me but until they move gencon and other events to an actual destination worth going to i don't plan on ever attending..lol i mean Indy?? whats in Indy? i mean even if they moved it over to Dayton at least they have the USAF museum!! or New York/ DC/ ORLANDO or as was mentioned Vegas.. Some of us have families that don't game.. and some of us like to do stuff besides game.. just saying its much easier to spend the cash for a vacation destination!! I can personally vouch for Vegas/DC/New York and Orlando as being able to accommodate EVERYBODY!!!

Indy is centrally located and can handle a large event. Dayton, not so much.

Also DC, NY, LA, ect... Are going to be a LOT more expensive than Indy is.

Someone mentioned that last year players that didn't make the cut in the first flight could up for the second flight. If that was a concern I'm certain that could be eliminated by allowing a player only one flight spot for the event. That being said, The popularity of the game demands more spots/flights. It is unfortunate that so many people who wanted to participate are being denied that opportunity.

I will add this here and send emails as well. I agree they should respond to the massive outcry for more space at one of their largest games.

I am not sure that the X-Wing Miniatures Word Championship will ever grow to match what players expect.

This is a table top game with a limited life span. FFG probably doesn't think that it makes sense to bother creating a large-scale tournament to accomodate 1000 of its most dedicated players. They just want to focus on mass appeal while the game is in the strongest phase of its life cycle.

With the next (first of three) Star Wars movie coming out in December, I sincerely doubt your hypothesis.

Maybe, but I think that you are underestimating the potential for only of limited amount of content that is relevant to the X-Wing miniatures game.

How many new ships do you think that the new movies will have? One of the easiest ways to produce celebrated Star Wars content is to keep things close to the original trilogy. I don't know that the movies will provide the explosion of new ships that people seem to be expecting.

To be clear I was only taking issue with the idea that this will be the strongest phase of the game's life cycle.

But to address your counter point...

Star Wars was, and always will be, more about the merchandising and licencing than the box office profits.

The aim will be about selling toys rather than this game, but over the course of three movies (and spin offs) I expect them to not miss an opportunity to create as many marketable products as they think the market will bear.

To be clear I have no expectations that we will see double what is available now anytime soon. Once the new trilogy and spin off series and films are done? I have little doubt that there will be an equal amount of, or more than the original trilogies provided us.

Note: I am not including the EU in this.

I haven't registered myself, and won't be going, but I have something I would like to mention, because it is the Worlds! Well, in Denmark the tickets wasn't released at noon, it was at 6 or 7 pm, which I think is nice, considering it is a worlds championships, and this time of release is good for all of us europeans . Had it been at night, it would have been awfully late here, and all of the US players would have snatched all of the tickets

Also DC, NY, LA, ect... Are going to be a LOT more expensive than Indy is.

yeah but you do get what you pay for.. Indy is a one trick poney.. and yes i have been to indy.. its not a bad place its just not a destination i would choose to travel to for fun...

maybe its just me but until they move gencon and other events to an actual destination worth going to i don't plan on ever attending..lol i mean Indy?? whats in Indy? i mean even if they moved it over to Dayton at least they have the USAF museum!! or New York/ DC/ ORLANDO or as was mentioned Vegas.. Some of us have families that don't game.. and some of us like to do stuff besides game.. just saying its much easier to spend the cash for a vacation destination!! I can personally vouch for Vegas/DC/New York and Orlando as being able to accommodate EVERYBODY!!!

Indy is centrally located and can handle a large event. Dayton, not so much.

Dayton can certainly handle the amount of folks gen con would generate. but i was using it as an example of a destination that has something that folks may be interested in rather than the CON itself. but the other locations like Orlando/Vegas/DC/New York would all be better choices IMHO.. and Indy is NOT centrally located. and with the price of airfares flying in is NOT a problem with the bigger cities. its actually cheaper as more hubs service those places.. just my 3 cents.. i mean i would fess up the money to take the family to Orlando/DC etc... Indy no not so much lol...

For the world championships, I'd prefer an invitational. Maybe only the top 4s from regionals and top 8s from nationals should be invited. I don't know if that would actually be more players than the current player limit, but you get the idea. What I definitely don't want is to see attendance skewed by walk-ins from the vicinity of St. Paul.

Also, while improvements for next year are a must improvements for this year are entirely possible and something I think we need to push for. There is plenty of time to set up an alternate play space and a parallel 256 person qualifying event. In all seriousness, this is an absolute train wreck on the part of Organized Play, up to and including moving the premier event for their #1 revenue generating game (by a landslide) to a Wednesday rather than the weekend. Events like Worlds are supposed to drive interest in the game, not infuriate large numbers of customers, including the most visible and vocal of them.

I sent an email to organized play, will continue to voice my concern here, and would encourage others to do so as well. Whether or not they fix this, I want them to understand the scope of the disaster they have authored.

Edit: The rationale of "the best experience possible" only holds water if they follow through. Moving their #1 game to a Wednesday, filling the schedule with lots of 2nd and 3rd tier games rather than accommodate the actual interest level in that game, all of this smacks of poor marketing. The kind of marketing that tries to use a popular game to force interest in other games, rather than supporting the popular game properly in the first place. This reminds me of those (soon failed) stores that would put their worst selling merchandise in their first tier locations (by the register, etc.) to improve their sales, then wonder why store wide sales dropped year on year. Hint, market what sells.

More Edit: I wasn't too worried about GenCon, because I believed that the space constraints forced upon FFG by the venue were the primary driver for the scarcity. But that doesn't apply at an event run entirely by FFG. Any problems here are entirely of their own making.

Thank you for posting this Kinetic. You pretty much stated how I felt about the Worlds (and GenCon) fiasco. I sent a lengthy letter about GenCon already (I got in, but many of my goupt didn't). When I posted about this in the past, I was surprised how many people jumped on me for complaining about it. In some sordid way, I'm glad that the Worlds registration fiasco confirmed what I've felt about GenCon and the community is more united now. I'll send another letter to them about Worlds, and hope that a lot of the good friends I met at last year's Worlds can make it if they open more space up. As of now, close to half of the people I know can't make it.

I'm reminded of the Louis C.K. bit about entitlement and "how quickly the world owes [us] something we didn't even know existed before"

"Everything is amazing right now and nobody's happy"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEY58fiSK8E&t=136

I agree with all of this. Honestly, I continue to be baffled by FFG's inability to handle basic logistics.

I'm still sorely tempted to reply with a "Stop complaining, it's all fine, they've only had sales issues with like 55% of the major events so stop whining" though

I'm reminded of the Louis C.K. bit about entitlement and "how quickly the world owes [us] something we didn't even know existed before"

"Everything is amazing right now and nobody's happy"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEY58fiSK8E&t=136

It's a good bit, and I love Louie C.K., but it's hardly shocking or a bad thing that people have adapted to expect things as they are. Should we still celebrate wildly when we have the ability to have fire or marvel at the wheel when those things have become commonplace and outdated? Amazement should be taken as a relative thing, and while our current technology is incredible, when you compare things in context FFG messed up this event pretty well. Yes it's a pure luxury, yes not everyone can even buy 1 plastic spaceship much less enough such that they don't use 10 of their spaceships because they're arbitrarily worse, but that doesn't make being frustrated because of a lack of quality invalid. In the context of 'I can afford xwing the game and also to attend worlds and the associated costs' there is legitimate complaint. Context is king in empathy and social interaction. Otherwise every thread discussing ordnance, turrets, or mov could be reasonably responded to with 'well at least you have food and water, unlike some other people in the world'. While true, it's completely out of context and arbitrarily contrary.

I don't understand why they need to constrain the 'worlds' to 1 week. I've suggested this before, but I think that x-wing is large enough to be a whole week on it's own.

What would be the constraints of running world for a whole week just dedicated to X-wing (and armada now)? Do 3 flights of 256 for X-wing and it would still sell out in no time. Do they not own the space? Is there any reason why this needs to be restricted to the same week as 50 other (not as popular) games?

Underestimate the power of the x-wing, FFG did.

I'm reminded of the Louis C.K. bit about entitlement and "how quickly the world owes [us] something we didn't even know existed before"

"Everything is amazing right now and nobody's happy"

It's a good bit, and I love Louie C.K., but it's hardly shocking or a bad thing that people have adapted to expect things as they are. Should we still celebrate wildly when we have the ability to have fire or marvel at the wheel when those things have become commonplace and outdated? Amazement should be taken as a relative thing, and while our current technology is incredible, when you compare things in context FFG messed up this event pretty well. Yes it's a pure luxury, yes not everyone can even buy 1 plastic spaceship much less enough such that they don't use 10 of their spaceships because they're arbitrarily worse, but that doesn't make being frustrated because of a lack of quality invalid. In the context of 'I can afford xwing the game and also to attend worlds and the associated costs' there is legitimate complaint. Context is king in empathy and social interaction. Otherwise every thread discussing ordnance, turrets, or mov could be reasonably responded to with 'well at least you have food and water, unlike some other people in the world'. While true, it's completely out of context and arbitrarily contrary.

The post wasn't trying to make a one to one comparison - I said I was reminded of the bit. FFG has sales data, they have regional, if not store, attendance numbers and could easily plan for extra capacity or weeks or whatever and they chose not to for whatever reason. Probably staffing, space, or perhaps the disruption to every day business that running a multi-week or off-site event would cause. This is their capacity for holding this event. Every event has limited capacity and sells out on some level or another (generally speaking - even if just for fire code sake)

I can understand and empathize with sadness and even frustration that you might not be able to attend an event you wanted to attend because the company had a wonky registration system or has limited capacity or capability of supporting more people - I was commenting more on the level of actual rage and entitled-ness that some people are displaying over what is really a chance to go to a company's headquarters and play a game.

When my kid was little he would yell and get really angry when he died in Super Mario Bros. I empathized with him, but also asked him - 'is winning this level or game going to change your life in any way? Will you get a lot of money? If not, do you think your reaction is consistent with that?' - Emotions and disappointment aren't bad things - but there does need to be a measured response to the ultimate reality of situations and I was just thinking that I've seen some - (admittedly from my point of view - out of proportion reactions to a granted, crummy situation.

Underestimate the power of the x-wing, FFG did.

Always have. Since day one.

I was planning on going, but now that choice has been taken out of my hands. I don't go to a lot of events outside my area, so I usually just pick one thing that I can make. For the last couple of years that's been worlds and was going to be this year, but now that's not going to happen. I've very disappointed. I've made a lot of friends at these events and it's one of my only chances to hang out and see them. I guess I should have my browser ready for next year.

Well crap! It isn't going to be the same without you, pal.

This hurts. **** man. Sometimes Froggie I think you do more for the game than FFG's marketing team and you don't get a seat. That's garbage.

No, low expectations is not an excuse. That venues with truly limited capacity routinely sell out is not excuse for dismal underestimations of demand for X-Wing. Neither does it excuse pushing the World Championship for a game that probably accounts for at least a third (and I'm guessing half or more) of the companies gross revenue into a single Wednesday (Wednesday, really?) slot. There are enough days and enough room to do this right.

This is the TL:DR from a post in the other World's thread. Basically, think about the product and customer service you generally receive from FFG. Are they poor? Are they lacking? Are you treated like cattle with wallets?

The answer (I'd hope so, anyway) is no. FFG gives you a very finely crafted product and backs it up with top notch customer service.

Sure, it sucks people can't go. It doesn't seem fair to be left out. But given their track record...do you think FFG is office'd by a bunch of bumbling idiots, or do you think there might be something deliberate going on, or perhaps some sort of unavoidable restriction?

I say: I'm sorry you guys that can't go are upset, but cut FFG some slack.

EDIT: above statement sounds like I'm one of the lucky few, which I am most certainly not.