I've attended GenCon from the last year in Milwaukee to present. In prior years each gaming company would lay everything out and make the convention the gaming event to go to.
While I don't blame GenCon as the cause that Wizards pulled out of the convention I do blame GenCon for so many other companies decreasing their overall presence at the convention.
Compared to prior years there just simply aren't the quality events as there were.
The Dungeons and Dragons events are lacking for lack of a better word. Privateer Press doesn't run the same type of events as they have decreased their presence.
The Magic events aren't much different than what I can find in my local area on most weekends.
Now whether this is due to a change in philosophy of the convention from putting on the best event in gaming to we are in it for pure profit I can't say for certain, but the convention has changed over the years and not for the better.
I could care less about cosplay and the video game element, but people seem to enjoy them and I leave that to each their own.
I just want to see this convention get back to what it used to be compared to where it is going. If GenCon is the premiere gaming convention then why are so many gaming companies doing their own thing instead of going all out at GenCon as they used to?
I realize that nobody except the gaming companies can answer this question.
Magic: The Gathering is still huge; a two years ago I think they had the tourney filmed on a real set.
Paizo's Pathfinder has so many fans and players they host a huge coop game every evening in the Sagamore- the entire room! D&D never did that with 1500+ players at the same time.
I still think flavor items should be added throughout the center. Make the entire place feel like a market, or a city, or something, or even break it down into different eras/genres. The atmosphere has really gone down, I'd agree.