Origins International Game Expo is one of North America's most prominent annual gaming conventions, second in size only to Gen Con. Origins takes place each year in Columbus, Ohio, in late June or early July. World map showing location of North America A satellite composite image of North America North America is a continent in the northern hemisphere, bounded on the north by the Arctic Ocean, on the east by the North Atlantic Ocean, on the south by the Caribbean Sea, and on the west... Gaming is an umbrella term that includes a number of special hobby game types: Board games Collectible card games Computer and video games Tabletop wargaming (i. ... Gen Con is the largest and most prominent gaming convention in North America. ... Skyline of downtown Columbus, Ohio, viewed across the Scioto River. ... June is the sixth month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of four with the length of 30 days. ... July is the seventh month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. ...

Origins is run by The Game Manufacturers Association (GAMA) as one of their two shows for the adventure gaming industry. (The second show, the GAMA Trade Show, is for game manufacturers and retailers only.) Origins is specifically chartered to serve adventure gaming in general, including wargames and miniatures gaming, which tend to be less well represented at Gen Con and Dragon*Con. Board games, trading card games, and role-playing games are also popular at Origins. The Game Manufacturers Association (GAMA) is a non-profit trade association based in Columbus, Ohio, dedicated to the advancement of the hobby games industry. ... Wargaming can be one of number of ways of exploring the effects of warfare without actual combat. ... Gen Con is the largest and most prominent gaming convention in North America. ... Dragon Con (also Dragon*Con) is North Americas largest science fiction convention, held annually in Atlanta, Georgia. ... A board game is any game played with a premarked surface, with counters or pieces that are moved across the board. ... Collectible card games (CCGs), also called customizable card games or trading card games, are played using specially designed sets of cards. ... A role-playing game (RPG) is a type of game where players assume the roles of fictional characters via role-playing. ...

Origins is the site of the annual Origins Awards ceremony. The Origins Awards, presented by the Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts and Design, are presented at the Origins International Game Expo for outstanding work in the game industry. ...

Origins started in 1975 with a gathering of game players in Baltimore, Maryland. The Interest Group Baltimore, a local war gaming club, worked with the Baltimore-based Avalon Hill game company to put on the first show that year at Johns Hopkins University. This article is about the city in the US state of Maryland. ... State nickname: Old Line State; Free State Other U.S. States Capital Annapolis Largest city Baltimore Governor Robert L. Ehrlich Official languages English Area 32,160 km² (42nd)  - Land 25,338 km²  - Water 6,968 km² (21%) Population (2000)  - Population 5,296,486 (19th)  - Density 165 /km² (5th) Admission into... Avalon Hill was a game company that specialized in war or strategic board games. ... The Johns Hopkins University is a private institution of higher learning located in Baltimore, Maryland. ...

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 war game hobby, Don Greenwood, a game designer with Avalon Hill and founder of the convention, suggested calling the show “Origins”.

Over the coming 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, and continues running Origins to this day. SPI may mean: SCSI Parallel Interface Security Parameter Index (networking) Serial Peripheral Interface (electronics) Service Provider Interface Simulations Publications Inc. ...

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 close proximity to many attendees and show volunteers, Columbus promised a fertile environment. The decision proved wise, as Origins continued growing ever since. 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/