SGDQ 2015 dates and venue: July 26 - Aug 1 in Minneapolis MN

TaylorTotFTW

2015-01-28 01:08:23 am

TeamTopSpeed

video games

JTBeezy

2015-01-28 01:34:40 am

words on words on words

Sucks that it isn't in denver, would've been nice to only pay $100 for a flight from phoenix :p still, $300 to MN isn't that bad

Looking forward to game submissions opening up!

Cronikeys

2015-01-28 01:52:32 am

Quote from West Coast:

I guess this means I'm out of the book club.

It's better for me cause I can drive now (I'm probably going), but it's unfortunate that "the west coast agdq" is no longer on the western side of the US.

Quote from Romscout:

After considering that anywhere else in the western U.S. that could possibly house us well was far too expensive to choose

I find it a little hard to believe there was no other city with an affordable venue (Seattle, Portland, LA, Sacramento, San Diego, Las Vegas, Lake Tahoe, Reno, etc.). How exhaustive was your search before falling back on, "well most runners are Midwest/East coast anyway"?

zeronoin

2015-01-28 01:54:56 am

Quote from romscout:

Do you plan to move anywhere else?

We feel that for the time being, Minneapolis will fit the needs of SGDQ attendees better than Denver ever did, and we look to stay put as long as possible. Other benefits of Minneapolis, aside from the much improved food situation, are much better public transportation options and the fact that World 9 Gaming (who provided essentially the entire practice room at AGDQ) is based in the area. The equipment brought to AGDQ was apparently backup equipment that the guys were able to scramble together at the last second to bring to the event for us; for a Minneapolis event, they are able to provide essentially everything they have to us and accommodate our needs even if we keep on growing for several years. We hope to be able to support these guys and all that they do for us satisfactorily, just as they seem to want to support us as much as possible.

Quote from romscout:

I'm sorry if this was unclear, but I was trying to explain that while the original intention of SGDQ was to cater to people in the west when it was created in 2011, we were unable to fulfill that because of the situation we were left in after having to pick up extra responsibilities with Uyama being out of AGDQ planning. I explained this a little further in the post:

I'll start by saying that I am fine with SGDQ being held in Minneapolis for one year. Minneapolis from what I understand is a nice city.

What I find questionable is looking to keep SGDQ in Minneapolis for the extended future. It is my understanding from what is stated that those currently running GDQ are planning to try to keep it there for many years to come.

SGDQ as I understood it and as you described it is supposed to be a Western event. To many of us in the West, Minnesota seems more Eastern than Western. The eastern side of the center of the country is probably an accurate description.

It seems unwise to decide to attempt to keep this growing and changing event in such a location for the indefinite future. Especially consider opportunities that can arise in places such as California and Washington State, and even Vancouver, among other places. Not to mention such a longterm decision being made in the current absense of GDQ's leader.

[quote=romscout]Do you plan to move anywhere else?

We feel that for the time being, Minneapolis will fit the needs of SGDQ attendees better than Denver ever did, and we look to stay put as long as possible. Other benefits of Minneapolis, aside from the much improved food situation, are much better public transportation options and the fact that World 9 Gaming (who provided essentially the entire practice room at AGDQ) is based in the area. The equipment brought to AGDQ was apparently backup equipment that the guys were able to scramble together at the last second to bring to the event for us; for a Minneapolis event, they are able to provide essentially everything they have to us and accommodate our needs even if we keep on growing for several years. We hope to be able to support these guys and all that they do for us satisfactorily, just as they seem to want to support us as much as possible.
[/quote]
[quote=romscout]I'm sorry if this was unclear, but I was trying to explain that while the original intention of SGDQ was to cater to people in the west when it was created in 2011, we were unable to fulfill that because of the situation we were left in after having to pick up extra responsibilities with Uyama being out of AGDQ planning. I explained this a little further in the post:
[/quote]
I'll start by saying that I am fine with SGDQ being held in Minneapolis for one year.  Minneapolis from what I understand is a nice city.

What I find questionable is looking to keep SGDQ in Minneapolis for the extended future.  It is my understanding from what is stated that those currently running GDQ are planning to try to keep it there for many years to come.

SGDQ as I understood it and as you described it is supposed to be a Western event.  To many of us in the West, Minnesota seems more Eastern than Western.  The eastern side of the center of the country is probably an accurate description.

It seems unwise to decide to attempt to keep this growing and changing event in such a location for the indefinite future.  Especially consider opportunities that can arise in places such as California and Washington State, and even Vancouver, among other places.  Not to mention such a longterm decision being made in the current absense of GDQ's leader.

maddog162

2015-01-28 02:06:36 am

some people call me sharif

I'm in California so normally I would be upset that SGDQ is moving so far away when I was finally ready to attend a GDQ, but I happen to be in Wisconsin the Saturday right before SGDQ starts, so driving is a possibility. The dream is not dead.

Reiska

2015-01-28 02:13:34 am

Cronikeys: It sounded to me like the problem was less "no affordable venue" and more "those were already fully booked up two months ago"

Cronikeys

2015-01-28 02:19:57 am

Quote from Reiska:

Cronikeys: It sounded to me like the problem was less "no affordable venue" and more "those were already fully booked up two months ago"

the quote of romscout's i included literally said 'too expensive'

and after a quick check there are several venues in those cities i listed with openings july 26 - aug 1 that have event areas/guest rooms for 600 - 1000. most prices are case-by-case, so that's why i'm asking if more western venues were actually looked into or if the "most speedrunners aren't from the west coast" side of the decision carried more weight

Darkwing Duck

Edit history:

Darkwing Duck: 2015-01-28 02:26:42 am

Darkwing Duck: 2015-01-28 02:26:28 am

2015-01-28 02:25:14 am

Highly Evolved

Quote from Cronikeys:

Quote from Reiska:

Cronikeys: It sounded to me like the problem was less "no affordable venue" and more "those were already fully booked up two months ago"

the quote of romscout's i included literally said 'too expensive'

and after a quick check there are several venues in those cities i listed with openings july 26 - aug 1 that have event areas/guest rooms for 600 - 1000. most prices are case-by-case, so that's why i'm asking if more western venues were actually looked into or if the "most speedrunners aren't from the west coast" side of the decision carried more weight

I also wonder if that determination was made solely with exclusive attendees to SGDQ or included those that already go to AGDQ where it's already more convenient.

Ooh, good avatar choice! A drop of light in a sea of darkness.

AlteisenRiese

2015-01-28 02:33:07 am

Old Iron Giant

Quote from Cronikeys:

Quote from Reiska:

Cronikeys: It sounded to me like the problem was less "no affordable venue" and more "those were already fully booked up two months ago"

the quote of romscout's i included literally said 'too expensive'

and after a quick check there are several venues in those cities i listed with openings july 26 - aug 1 that have event areas/guest rooms for 600 - 1000. most prices are case-by-case, so that's why i'm asking if more western venues were actually looked into or if the "most speedrunners aren't from the west coast" side of the decision carried more weight

Def wondering this to, doesn't seem a lot thought went into this in regards to location for a number of people.

Raen

2015-01-28 02:41:40 am

I admit I'm pretty bummed, since I was planning on going to SGDQ this year but now that I can't drive I most likely cannot attend. I hope that the West isn't completely out of the picture going forward; with AGDQ on the East Coast, and now SGDQ in the Midwest, it really does make it much tougher for those in the Mountain West/West Coast to attend a GDQ.

That said, I understand the reasoning for holding it in the Midwest this year. I just hope cities like Salt Lake are considered next year!

ValiantNorth

2015-01-28 03:21:23 am

matrixspeedruns.com

This is amazing news, you guys just cut my GDQ flight time and costs completely in half. This is just great, I'm already planning to get my flights and hotel booked in the coming month or 2. Seriously great choice picking a centralized location. Denver is quite far for me compared to MN. (Coming from Canada) So seeing this news has officially made my day better! I'm so excited.

chuckles825

2015-01-28 03:49:22 am

It would have been nice to see SGDQ come to Texas, but I understand about certain hotel accommodations being a priority. It's disappointing to hear that the hotels in Austin dropped the ball on having good food options. If there's one thing I know Texas is good at, it's having an overabundance of restaurants.

That being said, I'm looking forward to hearing more about the new venue in Minneapolis, I'm sure it's a great city for a summer location.

Newtmanking

2015-01-28 04:32:13 am

Sweet Potato Fan Club

Sgdq 1 hour away from my home? Sign me up!
But seriously, this will give me a chance to actually help out at one of these marathons. I already can't wait for July!

kariohki

2015-01-28 04:41:20 am

waifus are laifu

Haha, another situation where you can't please everyone.
It's not like it was said this was permanent, that's something I'd assume would be decided AFTER the event

Doesn't change much for me personally, it's between this or RPGLB that I'm going to.

Rotorstorm331

2015-01-28 05:27:26 am

Never been to Minneapolis before, so I'm excited about it. Also if the higher uppers decide to choose the hotel near the mall of america, it'll be the frist time going their as well. Smiley

If not, then I'm cool with the decision.

CosmykTheDolfyn

2015-01-28 05:48:02 am

NowOwnsAFreaking Plane

Awesome! Thanks for moving it to a spot that I now can't decide whether to drive that distance or fly from Ohio... I'm leaning towards drive so I can have a car at the event though.
Both the hotels look amazing to me, I'll be excited with either choice. But considering I've stayed in hotels with holes in the walls and people staying in 12 separate rooms had to share a single restroom, I may have lower standards than everyone else here.

LeonPowPow

2015-01-28 06:03:02 am

As a Canadian this cuts my travel costs in half compared to Denver, SLC, or Austin, but I feel this does throw a wrench in a lot of others' plans. Is the large chunk of attendees in SGDQ and AGDQ being from Central/Eastern America just the demographic breakup or simply confirmation bias you get from a low amount of west coasters attending an event that is more expensive and inconvenient for west coasters to go to?

As for the Hotels, it sounds like the first option (not the MoA one) implies that the nearby food areas run extended hours (e.g don't shut down at 8 or 9pm)? That's the one thing that sounds like it might make it a more attractive option over #2, and is a fairly considerable thing. Other than that, it doesn't seem to hold much more over hotel option #2.

Radman

2015-01-28 06:17:38 am

For Fun! For GLORY!!

I'm ok with the move! Anything closer to me is a plus! I could make this trip without flying. Tongue

philosoraptor42

Edit history:

philosoraptor42: 2015-01-28 07:04:34 am

philosoraptor42: 2015-01-28 06:49:46 am

2015-01-28 06:25:40 am

Dapper as fuck.

Wow. I'm moving to Minneapolis for work in about a week. This is amazing news.

Also, if you need help I can provide some once I get settled in. Feel free to PM me, Romscout.

Cutefluffybunny

2015-01-28 06:28:17 am

Does this mean agdq is can move to the south so we don't freeze our collective asses off if we want to walk anywhere?

(Note: 'we' refers to the attendees, staff members, and general populace)

tripmind

2015-01-28 06:28:42 am

This is pretty unwelcome news for me personally. I live about as far southwest as you can in the continental united states, and after going to AGDQ i was looking forward to road tripping to Denver this summer.

Flying anywhere for any period of time for me is 99% of the time extremely unpleasant and exhausting, because my knees usually hit the seat in front of me I can't lean back in my chair, it is impossible for me to relax on a flight and sleep, and after the horrible flights I took to DC for AGDQ I don't think I can ever fly again unless its on Virgin or first class.

It really does not make sense to put a GDQ in the midwest considering there are 3 (Three) speedrunning events going on this year on the east coast and the midwest including midwest speedfest, AGDQ, and the Jersey Speed Jam. If people in the speedrunning community want to go to an event like this then there are plenty of options this year. Colorado is not perfectly centered in the USA, but it is a more centralized place than Minnesota, and the hotel we used at last SGDQ, while it had its own quirks had plenty of food options, it was not that bad.

I think that this is probably a rash decision and if followed through is going to make a negative difference for the amount of people that can show up. For me personally the only way I can come is by car and this change in venue might kill that for me.

I'm not trying to be negative, just realistic.

This is pretty unwelcome news for me personally. I live about as far southwest as you can in the continental united states, and after going to AGDQ i was looking forward to road tripping to Denver this summer.

Flying anywhere for any period of time for me is 99% of the time extremely unpleasant and exhausting, because my knees usually hit the seat in front of me I can't lean back in my chair, it is impossible for me to relax on a flight and sleep, and after the horrible flights I took to DC for AGDQ I don't think I can ever fly again unless its on Virgin or first class.

It really does not make sense to put a GDQ in the midwest considering there are 3 (Three) speedrunning events going on this year on the east coast and the midwest including midwest speedfest, AGDQ, and the Jersey Speed Jam. If people in the speedrunning community want to go to an event like this then there are plenty of options this year. Colorado is not perfectly centered in the USA, but it is a more centralized place than Minnesota, and the hotel we used at last SGDQ, while it had its own quirks had plenty of food options, it was not that bad.

I think that this is probably a rash decision and if followed through is going to make a negative difference for the amount of people that can show up. For me personally the only way I can come is by car and this change in venue might kill that for me.

I'm not trying to be negative, just realistic.

kirbymastah

Edit history:

kirbymastah: 2015-01-28 06:54:46 am

kirbymastah: 2015-01-28 06:53:43 am

2015-01-28 06:53:23 am

<(^_^)>

For all the people complaining that this was supposed to be a "west coast SGDQ"...

Quote:

After considering that anywhere else in the western U.S. that could possibly house us well was far too expensive to choose, we began to think about who actually attended the last few SGDQs. While there was a decent amount of attendees from the west, people from the midwest, east coast, and southern states still had a much greater representation overall. Therefore, we felt it made sense to have a more centralized location for the entire country.

Romscout literally quoted this twice <_< It sucks but that's how the attendee distribution goes. Can't please everyone.

saintmillion

Edit history:

saintmillion: 2015-01-28 06:55:18 am

2015-01-28 06:54:56 am

station

1. Based on the growth of attendance in the last couple SGDQs, about how many are expected to attend this year?

2. Will SDA have it's own fiesta in honor of last years events?

tripmind

2015-01-28 06:55:59 am

Quote from saintmillion:

2. Will SDA have it's own fiesta in honor of last years events?

please god no

WarnUs

2015-01-28 06:59:34 am

I live in the suburbs of Minneapolis, and this makes me extremely excited that SGDQ is coming to me. For those of you saying "Minneapolis is in the eastern part of the USA" you are simply wrong there, per the 2010 census, Texas county, Missouri, is the center of population of the USA, and that is ever so slightly more east than Minneapolis. http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lo0qwlD0d81qdcyd2.png