BIGGER IS BETTER AT COMIC CON 2010

When it comes to the world famous San Diego Comic-Con, "size does matter."

In anticipation of this year's convention and its sold out crowd, promoters for the movie Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (starring Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Anna Kendrick), have draped an "epic" banner over the San Diego Bayfront Hilton Hotel 30 stories in the air.

Another banner for the movie Skyline adorns the Marriott Hotel downtown.

This size of promotion is a first in the 40 year history of the San Diego Comic Con and is usually seen in cities like Las Vegas or Los Angeles. And it's sure to get attention. The banners can be seen from all over the city as over 130,000 people are expected to attend this year's convention.

Other signage can be seen around the streets of San Diego such as banners hanging from lamp posts promoting the new Disney film Tron: Legacy and warnings in Klingon and other alien languages with instructions on how to ride the trolley.

"Man in the Iron Mask": Robert Downey, Jr's Career Continues to Climb with Iron Man 2

I've been a fan of Robert Downey, Jr. ever since Tough Turf and his "Life imitating Art" role in Less Than Zero. Certainly he has had a career filled with highs and lows exacerbated by his own personal demons. But now with the successful release of Iron Man 2, Downey, Jr. definitely seems to be at the top of his game and enjoying his success.

Downey, Jr. is a great talent and adds depth and substance to the role of Tony Stark/Iron Man that few could. Is he drawing from his own personal experiences to flesh out billionaire industrialist/superhero Tony Stark? Probably. Is he going to make Iron Man 2 the summer blockbuster to beat? Definitely.

But if there are parallels to be drawn once again about "Life imitating Art" - Let's look passed the shiny armor and recognize the man inside for his talents and accomplishments.

Where everybody knows your "name"

The Studio Diner is a favorite spot serving good eats 24/7. It was featured on Guy Fieri's Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives and is popular among locals. I stopped in for a late night bite and had a seat at the counter. The service is great and I was greated by Anneke who quickly identified the logo on my t-shirt.

Impressive.
I guess it's not too surprising. The Comic Con has been growing in popularity and the Studio Diner is aptly named since it is just outside Stu Segall Studios-home of such poplar shows as Veronica Mars and Hunter back in the day.

Thanks for the geek cred, Anneke .

If you're ever in the mood for a chocolate egg cream @ 3am or a great stack of pancakes, definitely give Studio Diner a try.

On with the show,
RedJester

Gotta Catch 'Em All! Pokemon Tournament @ Comic Con 2009 Kids' Day

As the fun and excitement of Comic Con comes to an end, Sunday is dedicated Kids' Day with programming for younger fans.

Kids' Day includes panels with creators of favorite movies like Pixar's Cars, Nickelodeon showing new episodes of The Penguins of Madagascar, Fairly OddParents, and SpongeBob SquarePants, with special events like the Star Wars Trivia Game hosted by the San Diego Star Wars Society.


(Young bounty hunters and Jedi Padawan)

One of the most popular events at the Comic Con each year is the Pokémon Tournament. Hundreds of kids compete during the week for prizes and the last chance to “catch ‘em all” is the Kids’ Day Tournament which draws quite a crowd.

(Pokemon Tournament Hall)

Note to parents: If you’re looking for an oasis of calm in the chaos that is the Comic Con, check out the Pokémon Hall. It’s quiet by comparison, air-conditioned, supervised by judges, with seating available in the “parents’ area” and patio to rest your feet. Shhh, keep it a secret!

On this last tournament it was a sealed deck competition. Each player is given 6 free booster packs (10 cards each) to build a 40 card deck. One “Pokémon Trainer” had been going to 3 tournaments a day for 3 days resulting in 540 free cards plus the cards he won as prizes.

(Pokemon Trainers prepare to battle)

Each player is given 30min to create a deck before the battles begin. Each battle is 20min. and players are broken up into 3 age groups: Junior, Senior, and Master levels. 1st prize is 36 booster packs, 2nd prize 24 booster packs, and 3rd place gets 12 booster packs.

Just before the tournament starts, it becomes strangely quiet considering it’s a room full of young people, and all you hear is the shuffling of cards. Once the action gets going there’s quite a bit of banter about “Snorlax, Exercise!” “Gardenia, Overgrow!” “Shiftry, Unlucky Wind!”

(Sohan, Pokemon Trainer)

As the tournament goes on and trainers drop out of the competition, the action continues on the sidelines. Trainers have fun and challenge each other regardless of age using their own specialty decks. Also, some Trainers become “Traders.” After all, Pokémon is a trading card game. One highly sought after card is the “Flygon level EX” and trading is furious for this card. It’s impressive to see these young kids negotiate deals that would make Wall Street take notice as they trade for the best cards.

It’s amazing to see a new generation of young people so enthusiastic about Pokémon. Pokémon (“Pocket” + “Monster”) has continued to grow in popularity since it was first released as a Nintendo video game in 1995. It is recognized worldwide and has generated several new video game titles, comic books, cartoons, 12 movies, toys, and the wildly popular trading card game.

In addition to the Pokémon Tournament, the Pokémon Pavilion was a favorite stop showcasing the latest game – Pokémon Platinum – on the Nintendo DSi. Pikachu and friends continue to be a major attraction at Comic Con to the delight of the young and the young at heart.

(#1 Pokemon Pikachu and Comic Con fan Jenna Woo)

See you next year!

On with the show,
RedJester

Comic-Con 2009 Wrap-Up: Man on the Floor

"How many halls must a fan walk down, before they call him a fan?"

I'm still buzzing from the excitement of the 2009 San Diego International Comic Convention. I've been going for years and this has been a good one. "The Con" has grown from a simple gathering of dedicated comic book fans trading comics to become one of the biggest media and entertainment events of the year. Now in addition to comics, The Con includes TV, movies, celebrities, and video games. One of the most eagerly anticipated video games is DC Universe Online. This is one of the latest MMOs (Massively Multiplayer Online game) using cutting edge technology.

MMOs have increased in popularity over the years. About 1/3 of the multi-billion dollar video game industry comes from MMOs and that segment is growing. It is becoming an increasing challenge competing in the very competitive video game market to make a game that is going to capture the discerning tastes of the avid gamer and keep them entertained. Even the video game market isn't "recession-proof" as many had thought. Budget-minded players are making some serious choices on how they're spending their entertainment dollar.

I had a chance to listen to both creators and players at the exclusive demo of DCU Online at The Con. Similar to other popular MMOs like WarCraft, and EverQuest, DCU Online sets itself apart by players being able to create their own hero (or villain!) and have adventures in the DC Comics Universe. Anyone can play alongside iconic heroes like Batman and Superman or fiendish villains like Joker and Lex Luthor. Each character is completely customizeable to suit each player. I was told that the costume you choose and what it's made of will affect your abilities. Very cool. While DC characters have appeared in several other video games, this will be the first time DC Comics will be the center of an MMO.

What's really amazing is the depth going into this game. The graphics and gameplay are amazing.

See FIRE and ICE

Reknown game publisher San Diego-based Sony Online Entertainment (EverQuest2, Star Wars: Galaxies) has been collaborating with premiere comic book artist Jim Lee (of X-Men, Batman fame), lead writer Geoff Johns (Green Lantern), and comic book writing legend Marv Wolfman (Teen Titans, Crisis of Infinite Earths) to create a virtual world with the look and feel of Gotham City, Metropolis, Star Labs and other favorite hero haunts. Having these comic book greats as part of the development team gives DCU Online creative talent to draw upon that other games lack.

Another feature DCU Online has that others don't is greater interaction with the environment. In some games you're very limited in what you can do with the environment. You walk through it a virtual ghost with no effect on the world around you. In DCU Online players have more freedom. You can lift and inspect objects that may be important to your mission. Or in the heat of battle you can pick up rubble and hurl it at a foe. A lot of the fans playing demos of the game agreed this was a fun effect. One example of this is being able to freeze an opponent in a block of ice and then hurl that block of ice at another enemy!

DCU Online will also be the first to offer the ability to play the same game on either your Playstation3 or PC. Before, console games were limited to playing with players with the same console. Now PS3 players can play with PC players at the same time. This should make the game much more accessible to a wider gamer audience. There are also plans to use an online social networking application like MySpace or Facebook so players can maintain a “secret identity” and be a part of the game even when they’re not playing. DCU Online already has a myspace place for fans to register and get updates.

Several of the fans who demo'd DCU Online were excited about the game and eager to know when they could get their heroic hands on it. The game is still in development, but is expected to release in 2010.

On with the show,
RedJester

Get Lucky!

1:32am

It's been a loooong day. I've had the pleasure of attending the San Diego Comic Con 2009...for the last 17hrs straight. Had to have my "game face" on all day. Met some really great people and walked the hall literally dozens of times amidst THOUSANDS of fans.

But there were two bright spots:
I had the pleasure of showing a friend of mine around the Con. This was her first time attending which I think is a big deal since she's not the typical fan, but curious enough to check it out.

Brave soul, indeed.

We got off to a rough start with an issue with security, but recovered and took in the sights @ the Con. I always enjoy that first step onto the Con floor with someone who hasn't seen "The Show." Even for me, walking through those doors and seeing how colorful, diverse, and immense the Con is, is pretty cool. It's an exciting moment. I hope she enjoyed the Con as much as I enjoyed showing her around.

The 2nd joy occured @ the end of a very long evening attending lines, mtgs., receptions, and parties. I collected enough business cards to play poker. But @ the end of it all, I had a chance to relax with some good friends over drinks @ Lucky D's. Not only is it a great local bar, but hostel as well appealing to backpackers and world travelers. You couldn't have picked a better spot than San Diego!

D's is on Market & 8th in San Diego. It may be a bit of a stretch from the Gaslamp crowd, but well worth the jaunt. D's has a great relaxed atmosphere and friendly service. They pour a good cocktail too. I recommend you try D's and you'll get Lucky.

A good end to a long night.

On with the show,
RedJester

PlayStation Frustration

An article on the the short sales of the PlayStation3 being beaten out by Playstation2 was posted
recently. This is interesting to me since I predicted a similar circumstance months ago in a marketing research assignment.

There are a couple drivers I see for this:

• Product
• Pricing
• Marketing

The Playstation3 is a worthy product with incredible graphics and games. One of the reasons I want one is the Blu-Ray player it comes equipped with, which Wii and Xbox don't have. It's a complete entertainment system with online capability and a host of features. Unfortunately, the PS2 is still on the market and still a very viable system. @ $100 it's tough to beat, especially since there are many games that are backward compatible. Also, recently PS2 coding was made available so now there is a host of "indie" games coming out you can play on your PS2. Some really good stuff out there too.

PS3 has some premium pricing setting it a couple hundred $ above XBox and Wii. Sony has usually had premium priced products. That's their image and they've cultivated it with their style and offering. In the past they have been the ones to beat, but lately they've suffered from their competitors offering quality products @ cheaper prices. The downturn in the economy hasn't helped either. As sales dropped, budgets were reduced and cost cutting ensued. PS3 is expensive to make. Sony produces it at a loss intending to make up the revenue on games, but with sales down, that breakeven point moves further and further down the road.

I feel that if Sony is going to save the PS3, its reputation, and its other products as well, Sony MUST get some invigorating marketing/advertising out there to build brand presence, restore value, and customer confidence. This is the best time to do it. While others have cut back on their advertising budgets, Sony can fill tthe space and gain greater exposure. You can do it cheaper too. Advertising companies are hungry for work and want to deal. TV/internet too have suffered with a downturn in sales and Sony could use this to their advantage.

There has been some discussion that Sony is more interested in promoting its entertainment division and can't compete in electronics any more. I think this tactic would be akin to "putting all your eggs in one basket." Sony's core competency has been electronics and it should protect and nurture those strengths. Sony should back its premium products like PS3 and be mindful of the market so they don't have another BETA vcr fiasco or watch it disappear into obscurity like the Walkman.

On with the show!
RedJester