US Nationals Moved...

[zerophenx_chaos]

This is an issue for St. Louis as well. Plenty of New England, Mid-Atlantic and Midwestern state players could easily drive to Ohio as it is a pretty central location. You're meaning to say that this isn't gimping Ohioans, Pennsylvanians, Michigan players, MD Players, and so on?

Not all of us are rich people who can afford plane tickets, either.

exactly the point. This may only be my second year playing, but with Nats moving from place to place, more people get to enjoy the event. Maybe not every single year but still get to play. I'm sure there are plenty of people in Cali that couldn't go to orlando for the last Worlds due to distance, but this year the floridians who can't afford the trip have the same issue. It doesn't really seem fair for the largest events like nats and worlds to be concentrated in a single area, restricting much of the audience to locals and ppl with traveling money.

 

[Shellshock929]

It's nice to see that Nationals is finally moving, and now we don't have to pay $60 or $70 for an Origins badge (don't get me wrong, I like Origins, and I will miss it). There were so many exciting things like the Karaoke bar, and the vendor hall, but there are always room for new experiences. Now for the 2009 Nats, I'm going to check this out, and make my opinions afterward. I've never been to St. Louis (or the state of MO for that matter), so I can't judge anything. What I will say about it is that sort of balances the travels from both sides of the country (I may be wrong). I'm not trying to attack anyone, but that's just my opinion. I can't really say I like or dislike this idea.

I was somewhat annoyed about this last night, but I've realized that not everyone will be satisfied with anything,

 

[Ohiohawk32]

I have seen plenty of arguments based on a fact that is mis-leading.

St. Louis is a more central location, thus equa-distant for everyone. Which is 100% true BUT, based on this Population Density Map (http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=7052) is not the most logical area to place an event in which the most attendance possible is the goal. Simply by looking at this map you can see the only people benefiting are population along the Mississippi River, which is a decent population. The large gap in the Midwest displays that a EXTREMELY small amount of people are slightly benefited because their distance is lowered, but not enough that a plane ticket would not be the most affordable transportation. The West Coast is benefited in a similar way in which the distance has decreased but again not close enough that would induce driving distance. In the negative side, the East Coast has 13 of the 25 LARGEST cities in the United States inside of 6 hour radius of Columbus. So they now have increased distance to flying status and that is the only variable that affects East Coast people.

 

[The Gorn]

What on earth do you have against Baltimore? :/

Ryan must have had a bad experience at the aquarium.

Or on Baltimore Street.

 

[DarthPika]

I like Baltimore... but I think the idea is to put it in a family vacation spot. Sure, I dig the National Aquarium and (is it old ironsides?) ship in the Harbor, but I'd be totally shocked if anyone in TPC/PUI chose it for worlds.

As to the Origins > PKMN Nats members... sorry I won't see you there (if it works out that we can go). Upload some Origins pics to the Gallery and send me an e-Card.

I was more thinking it would be a good location for nats. Worlds would be nice, but its not something I would really expect. As for a vacation spot, there are actually quite a few things to do with in a few hours drive. So, for a worlds location, maybe. For a nats location, it would be awesome!

Me living in Annapolis has nothing to do with thinking that Baltimore would be a great place for nats. I'm saying this because of its central, easy to get to location, and that theres a TON of stuff to do after/during the event.

 

[Prof Clay]

I have seen plenty of arguments based on a fact that is mis-leading.

St. Louis is a more central location, thus equa-distant for everyone. Which is 100% true BUT, based on this Population Density Map (http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=7052) is not the most logical area to place an event in which the most attendance possible is the goal. Simply by looking at this map you can see the only people benefiting are population along the Mississippi River, which is a decent population. The large gap in the Midwest displays that a EXTREMELY small amount of people are slightly benefited because their distance is lowered, but not enough that a plane ticket would not be the most affordable transportation. The West Coast is benefited in a similar way in which the distance has decreased but again not close enough that would induce driving distance. In the negative side, the East Coast has 13 of the 25 LARGEST cities in the United States inside of 6 hour radius of Columbus. So they now have increased distance to flying status and that is the only variable that affects East Coast people.

What is the average attendance at an East Coast Regional....I believe Mike Cook in Texas, BDS and gang in Washington and Vince in St Louis top out the numbers for Regionals....

If those area are so jam packed full of Pokemon players, they should be setting attendance records for regionals to rival Nats numbers

 

[bullados]

Guys? St. Louis had the 3rd largest Regional last year (226), being eclipsed by only Oregon (236) and Texas (300+). No offense to Oregon, but it's not exactly a central location with a large airport. And I don't want to be anywhere NEAR Houston during the months of May, June, July, or August. That weather is NASTY. And I fully expect to see 250+ at the St. Louis Regionals this year, and that's probably a conservative estimate based on the increase overall last year. Also, there are no fewer than 12 Leagues in St. Louis, most within 50 miles of the city, plus another 4 on the Illinois side of the river. The city is also 5 hours or less drive from Chicago (Jimmy, 60+ BR), Rockford (Camille, 177 States), Kansas City (77 States), Indianapolis (Gill), and Nashville (Clay, 89 States).

Anybody who calls the St. Louis area a Pokemon dead zone is deluding themselves.

 

[ryanvergel]

I was more thinking it would be a good location for nats. Worlds would be nice, but its not something I would really expect. As for a vacation spot, there are actually quite a few things to do with in a few hours drive. So, for a worlds location, maybe. For a nats location, it would be awesome!

Me living in Annapolis has nothing to do with thinking that Baltimore would be a great place for nats. I'm saying this because of its central, easy to get to location, and that theres a TON of stuff to do after/during the event.

It's way too far away for half of the nation, and this IS nationals.

 

[Rainbowgym]

I don't know. Attendance was higher last year than they wanted!

And that's another issue to look at.
PUI has to pay for player space at Origins.
Part of the reason for the cap is because they had only paid for that much space.
They would have had to pay for another section to allow more players.
Of course, since Origins staff messed up, I imagine they got more space to compensate.
Note, all of the above is speculation on my part. POP doesn't talk with ANYONE about internal financials.

But my point is, having their own event, they get to control the space better. They get to expand where needed.
Think that might have something to do with it?
We were certainly the biggest card presense there. That hall was looking pretty sad outside of our area!

Going through all those post, you are the only one adressing what came up in my mind.
There was a players cap set last year and normally master 513 showing up should not have been able to play. (lucky for those after 512 Origins messed up).

If POP wants everybody who shows up, having a seat to play, it's better to have a place were you can "move around seats". Or in other words not bound to a location were you have to plan in advance XXX seats and no way to expand. And I really think they had no way to expand "ad hoc" at something as Origins.

I am not from the USA, but I never got it why your Nationals was at a place you had to pay an entrancefee. It's totally not in line with how all USA events are done.
Everything is free beside your Nationals.
And traveling, well your country is so large/big/wide the majority of people simply has to travel far to get there.

 

[ShadowCard]

Ryan must have had a bad experience at the aquarium.

splash zone ftw! :lol:

How do you define failure? Is it fewer attendees than last year? I think that would be accurate.

PUI will do whatever it takes to make sure that attendance is kept high. So it SHOULD be a great event.

Good point. Pokemon has outgrown Origins. Hopefully the move means lifting the attendance limits which were supposed to be in place last year.

With that being said, I just booked my flight to Columbus. LOL

Unless you're charged to cancel , that's funny :biggrin:

Come on, The_Gorn, I'll see you at Nats, right? I thought we were going to play our deck together (barring something doesn't spring up in the metagame and make it autoloss to everything).

 

[Bellawesome]

yessss out of the nerd and goth center of the world and into somewhere my mom might actually want to be!

 

[Kenshin's Garde]

I myself am indifferent about where Origins is. As long as I get to play, I'll be happy. Oh and the fact that I trust PUI's decision completely helps too.

I am a little happy about the move tho, since i won't need to wait in 20 min lines just to get a sandwich. =/ also, the cost to get in the convention was kinda lame, although having to actually wait in line to pick up your badge was more annoying than the cost was.

overall, this seems better timewise since Pokemon won't need to worry about the time to get food/travel from hotel room to convention center/etc. I wish it was a different date, but oh well.

I'll miss the Krema Nut Company tho.

P.S. I'm sure MATTICUS CHINNETH will be sad he can't go to the halls for some anime stuff tho. ;P

 

[mcoville]

Looks like I am going to have to miss Nats this year. As a family we could justify the trip to Columbus because of Origins, but no way we can spend the money to go to a Pokémon only event in St Louis. I really wish Pokémon would have thought about the big picture and saw that many people already made plans to go to Origins this year and to move it now means they will loose some players. Of course they may not care because the "top" players will still go, but growth of the game will definitely be stalled by this decision.

I have been an avid supporter of PUI and the decisions they made, check my past posts, but this one is a mistake. Looks like I can cut back my support of Pokémon this year until Worlds comes back to Orlando, if it ever happens.

 

[Kiss_n_Fire]

I think this is wonderful, and not only because I live 2 hrs from St. Louis...it's more cost effective. $60 for a dang badge was retarded considering our family has 4 people that play. I am excited....WooooT!!

Back to back posts merged. The following information has been added:

And all the people that can't "justify" going all the way to St. Louis for an "only Pokemon event"....St. Louis has MANY things to do!!!! It's a great city!

 

[zerophenx_chaos]

some people travel from japan and europe for "just a pokemon event" and don't even have invites. It just depends on how much your heart is into this game.

 

[Water Pokemon Master]

Some of you guys are really whiny. :/ You got Nats by you for the past several years, and now that it's moving away by only a couple of states, you're being selfish because it's further from you. How about everyone else who could never go to Nationals because it was absolutely no where near them?

Sometimes change is good... new opportunities for people who have never had the opportunity. Travel the extra miles like everyone else who had to deal with the distance over the past few years.

 

[garchompx12]

Change Is On The Way-Barack Obama

 

[Burninating_Torchic]

Some of you guys are really whiny. :/ You got Nats by you for the past several years, and now that it's moving away by only a couple of states, you're being selfish because it's further from you. How about everyone else who could never go to Nationals because it was absolutely no where near them?

Sometimes change is good... new opportunities for people who have never had the opportunity. Travel the extra miles like everyone else who had to deal with the distance over the past few years.

Distance is the LEAST of the reasons why this move sucks. =(

 

[JandPDS]

Put the event on Mars- I'll be there.

I have faith in those who make the decisions for Pokemon- they have done us right so far.
I'm sure there are reasons for this change and I'm also sure we will never know them.And
that is just fine w/me.

For all of you whining like a bunch of 2 year old, looks like you have 2 options- skip
the event or deal with PUI's decision. Simple as that.

And to Jason, this has NO bearing on you at all, so do us ALL a favor and keep your
opinions to yourself . I wouldn't comment on Australian Nats. , give the US players the
same courtesy .

And for the record, I will miss the party in Columbus. Nationals is my favorite tournament of
the year and I have had NOTHING but good times in Columbus the last 5 years .

R.I.P. Origins.

Jason I aplogize for everyone telling you to not comment on this topic. You play this game just like the rest of us. You have your own opinion and you have every right to share it. I mean look at it this way. If we can allow foreign citizens to vote in our presidential elections, then why should anyone have any problem with them voiceing thier opinions of where we hold our Pokemon National Championships?

 

[DarthPika]

Jason I aplogize for everyone telling you to not comment on this topic. You play this game just like the rest of us. You have your own opinion and you have every right to share it. I mean look at it this way. If we can allow foreign citizens to vote in our presidential elections, then why should anyone have any problem with them voiceing thier opinions of where we hold our Pokemon National Championships?

Because it doesn't matter where our nats is to them, it doesn't effect them. If you don't live here its really not fair for them to say what we should and shouldnt do and such.