Tabletop gaming is huge in nerd culture, and its if even bigger today than it has ever been before. Critics and other people thought tabletop games would go out the door with the advent of video games, but that didn't happen. The industry is still riding high and growing, whereas other may predicted its decline. In addition, it was also thought video games tabletop games would be direct competition to one another's markets. If anything, the relation between the two is symbiotic with new tech allowing the industry rapid growth. This can be clearly viewed as tabletop developers utilize new advancements to create of prototypes cheaper and easily accessible. All of this was prevalent and on display when I got to visit PAX West earlier this month. Here I got to experience the enthusiasm for tabletop gaming firsthand.
Firstly, there was a whole floor dedicated to tabletop gaming and with vendors from all around the world displaying new games and products. I couldn't help but notice the huge amount of dice vendors. Growing up as a child, I was always drawn to the mixed colors and styles people would have while playing Dungeons and Dragons. One of the first dice exhibits I spoke to was Q-Workshop, a Polish based dice manufacturer with a huge online presence. They were excited to show me their Witcher themed dice but I couldn't help being drawn to the Lovecraft inspired collection. The Cthulhu dice set is definitely on my Christmas wish list! Their story and the journey of their growth is a great example of how technology is helping to expand this industry. Another huge leap in a positive direction is 3D printing.
