It’s that time again, time for the Question of the Month. This month’s question is
How do we grow gaming?
As avid gamers we want to share our passion. We want to see gaming get bigger and even more bring the fun and joy we experience to others.
So how do we do this?
Leave your ideas below.
Go Forth And Game 
I think the best way to grow gaming is to enjoy the hobby ourselves. If we’re always sour in talking about how Monopoly is a terrible game, that’s not very winsome (nor, if we focus on what we’re against, does it sound like we enjoy what we’re doing very much).
Beyond that, I think the best advice I have is to know your audience. Introducing Twilight Imperium into the family context (or perhaps just MY family context) will guarantee the fastest flight away from board games. My friends who love fantasy and sci-fi are probably less interested in a game about trading in the Mediterranean. A bad game choice–especially when someone else is not used to the idea of hobby board games–can severely hamstring any future efforts at trying to introduce new games. I think knowing the audience and choosing games well-suited to the audience are crucial.
I think growing the game industry depends on a few things, but it all comes down to improving our people skills. First of all, we have to get more children involved and be more welcoming to families with children (most cons are doing a great job of this). Secondly, we need to be more welcoming of new players. Thirdly, we need to simply talk about gaming outside of our “gamer” friends, so that perhaps our non-gamer friends become gamer friends. And then there’s creating games people want to play. That’s the real hard part. 🙂
Hmm, that’s a good one. I had a couple of things I was going to mention here, but I realized that most of them actually fell more under the aegis of gamers reaching out to other gamers, like trying to get cardgamers to try boardgames, or boardgamers to try minis gaming, etc – basically, the classic game-store passer-by. The issue, of course, is that when you reach out to the person walking by you in the game store, or offer to teach a spectator a new game, you’re already preaching to the converted – after all, they’re already in the game venue watching you, right?
Still, I think the basic concepts apply in a broader sense. Mainly: be approachable, or outgoing, but in a relaxed manner. Being too pushy or overzealous can be as bad as not engaging the prospective new player at all.
Orbital Mind-Control Lasers.
Or all that “be approachable” and “know your audience” stuff that everyone else mentioned. But the laser thing would be a lot easier.
In answer to your question I will use my most recent holiday gathering as an example. Promote, Promote, Promote! My wife’s family were invited over to our house for Thanksgiving, and as soon as they entered my house they asked if they could see this game or that game. This was do to the fact that my living and dining room walls are devoted to my love of all things Play. Four entire new families were given a chance to sit down and enjoy a good game together and even left asking where they could get some of the games that they played. You don’t need to do as I did but you can have a few select games sitting out so that whenever family or friends drop in, fun can be had by all. Thanks for listening and remember always that Play is what you Live and Life is one big Game!