I'd still say go if you ever plan to go back out west and have free time. The show is still a blast to see and it's been wonderful seeing some of my favorite games in person. My friend that I go with all the time lives in San Diego and has gone often enough that Stan recognizes him and basically recognizes me as well whenever I'm out there with him. I figure that he'll eventually reward persistence, which he has in the past.
At the time, I had no reason to go out west, so I wasn't too worried about it. Nowadays, my mother lives not too far from there, but I haven't been able to make it out there for a few years for reasons.
