Otakon 2004 Game-Room

[JHendrix]

Just an FYI, I'm going to mirror this post on fierceslash.com

This is not just for who's going to be at Otakon 2004, but since most of us who go donate stuff to be used (especially when it comes to Neo stuff), so I figure it'd be a good time to try and find out what games would be set up in the game room for us to compete at.

I'm just trying to gauge what games will be there so people know what to expect going in to enjoy. Also it may be nice for us to see what games people want that one of us may be able to donate. If we find there's a need we can fill we can head over to the Otakon boards and let them know what we'd like to bring.

[kafuin_gaira]

i'll consider bringing 2k3 or sam5 or ms5 if it's needed. AES is usually a lot better for travel, though, so if anyone else wants to bring those it'd be fine with me as mine is all MVS.

[Moon Jump]

I already made a post for Otakon, but since sombody else posted in here, I'll let mine die.

I've got a few new MVS games to pick from, so let me know what's going on. Hopefully the two guys who ran it last year and are on the boards will see this post and let us know what to do.

[Phoenix Down]

I'm planning on donating my Neo Geo and some games again for the convention this year but I'm not sure who's running the game room this year. I have a bunch of the more obscure games on MVS (Twinkle Star Sprites, Ninja Masters, Money Puzzle Exchanger, etc.) as well as all the KoFs, Matrimelee and SvC on homecart. I can also bring other systems if need be.

Hopefully whoever's running the game room this year will see this and let us know details on what to do.

[TheGreenMachine]

Actually for the moment donations are up in the air for Otakon 2004. Otakon made a change to its policy which basically doesn't allow for re-imbursement for personal equipment. Rental items only.

This doesn't sit well with us video gaming staff since this mean that even our own personal equipment which we use would not be covered. So for the moment donations are on hold until we can work something out.

Unless of course people are willing to donate stuff at their own risk. Which most sane people will not be, even if kept under lock and key.

Otherwise we should have plenty of stuff at Otakon. We will have MS5, SS5, and KOF2K3 on MVS. Maybe SS5 Special.

We've got about 12-13 arcade cabinets for this year.

We should have at least a dedicated 4 and 6 slot Neo Geo. We should have all sorts of new titles and old favorites available.

We will have 4 NAOMI setups(including one running in a Midway Showtime cabinet with a 39" monitor). Currently we've got: MvC2, Power Stone, DOA2 Millenium Edition, and Project justice. Sorry, kind of a "whoopee" type deal since we've been playing those games on the Dreamcast for years already. :rolleyes:

Possibly we will have an Atomiswave or two. Not too much really going on in that realm just yet so we've been a bit hesitant to throw down for the hardware.

We'll have some machines running CPS2 hardware. Likely DS, VS, VS2, AVP, MSH, and MSHvC. Possibly one will be running D&D Shadow of Mystara.

We'll also have a Taito F3 cabinet possibly running: Puchi Carat, Elevator Action Returns, Bubble Symphony, Puzzle Bobble 2(or 3), or Pop 'n' Pop.

We've got some other stuff but I'm not sure what will get brought or put out just yet. We should have some old favorites like a 4 player TMNT cab. We should also have some fruity stuff like a SailorMoon sidescrolling beat 'em up.

I'll post more info a later when I get the chance and as it becomes available.

We'll try and put on a good time for you guys despite the powers that be running interference on us.

- Jason G.
Head of Otakon Videogaming 2002-2004

[taitai]

What

no bemani cabinets?

Doesn't someone up there have a IIDX and a DDR Extreme?

Anyway, nice spread. Sucks about Otakon's reimbursement policy though.

[kafuin_gaira]

looks like everything is already in good hands.

thanks jason!

[Moon Jump]

Thanks for the update Jason, can't wait to see what you guys will have this year.

[JHendrix]

I'm sure that more than a few of us would be willing to donate some MVS carts to populate those cabinets, especially if you're putting multi-slot MVS boards in there.

Is there any way we can get confirmation on what games will be in there, that way we can know if you need a MOTW or KOF98 cart or two. ;)

Also, if some people have AES machines w/ Phantom converters and some one else has a MVS cart to donate we might want to pony some stuff together to lend it out (assuming this insurance thing comes through OK).

[Pink Spider]

I emailed Otakon at their video gaming email address and offered my concelized 2 slot Neo Geo MVS motherboard. Havent heard back from them yet.

[TheGreenMachine]

Sorry guys no bemani machines. All the arcade games are personally owned by us staffers and none of us are really into the bemani type games enough to buy them.

We just don't seem them all that often at the auctions we frequent and the ones we do see go for more than we're willing to pay for that sort of game.

For DDR at least we will have 6 Cobalt Flux hard dance pads for use. Depending on how they look and time, we might even build platforms to put them in to make them seem a little more "arcade" like.

In the realm of CPS2 we presently have:
DarkStalkers
Vampire Savior(2)
Vampire Savior 2 (2)
Marvel Super Heroes
Marvel Super Heroes vs Street Fighter
X-men vs Street Fighter
D&D Shadow Over Mystara
Alien vs Predator (2)
Gem Fighters

Please note this list details the actual number of b boards and not necessarily the number of cabinets available to run everything.


in the realm of Neo Geo MVS we presently have:
King of Fighters 97
King of Fighters 2000 (2)
King of Fighters 2002
King of Fighters 2003 (2)
Last Blade 1 (2)
Last Blade 2 (2)
Magical Drop 3
Mark of the Wolves (2)
Metal Slug X
Metal Slug 3
Metal Slug 5 (2)
Samurai Shodown 4 (2)
Samurai Shodown 5

This is not necessarily a comprehensive list. Many lower sequel number games omitted. Some not as popular games ommited. Some unconfirmed propsects not yet announced.

- Jason G.

[Moon Jump]

Sound's really good Jason, hopefully I can help with some MVS games, I have Nightmare in the Dark and since it's a rare game I'd like to share it with everybody. I also want to get KOF 98' but I bet sombody else will donate that.

Cobalt Flux makes some awesome DDR pads, very close to the arcade, so hopefully that will please my DDR friends

[IMTheWalrus]

When you guys get the whole insurance thing straightened out, let me know about the deal with loaning otakon neo games. I have a pretty decent collection and I don't live far from the convention center.

[Moon Jump]

Just a bump to keep this post from dying. If anybody else is going to Otakon this year that hasn't posted already please do so.

[bubu_X]

I'm pretty sure I will be there, I just need to get a bus ticket and pre register, I still have a week or so...I'd like to play some Kof '01-'03, and I'm sure someone will bring a Kof '98, but I didn't see any mention of The Real Bout series :(

Quick question, do we have to put quarters in the machines or will they be on freeplay? Thanks

[Zombie_nation]

All arcade cabinets will be set to free play. The only thing that could stop you from playing a particular game will be the lines.

-James

[taitai]

sweet. :)

Too bad on the bemani thing. I hope that someone has iidx consolized. i want to see what the skill level is like out east.

[Moon Jump]

sweet. :)

Too bad on the bemani thing. I hope that someone has iidx consolized. i want to see what the skill level is like out east.

If you mean IIDX on PS2 they'll have it. This one guy even had the Arcade Style Controller as well as the Arcade Style Pop N' Music controller, which broke and I saw the guy off in a corner with it trying to fix it with a screwdriver.

We got a few good IIDX players, one arcade out by me has 9th Style and it's a got a cult following.

If your a Bemani fan you should check out the Desktop Arcade pannel. This guy runs a website and he makes Pop N' Music controllers, and I think he makes other type of arcade joysticks.

Hey Jason, if you have any more info on donations please let me know. I'd like to bring Nightmare in the Dark or KOF 98' on MVS with me.

[TheGreenMachine]

Well.... we might actually not have it.

None of the staff actually owns any of the Bemani games. We have a group who comes every year and brings stuff to setup. They don't care about checking anything in and are pretty happy if we just let them setup in a lockbox and use one of the tvs.

I believe the desktop arcade guy's name is Steve Handelman
http://www.desktoparcade.com/

Tsuki the Otakon panels lady said I should drop him a line because he is interested in putting some of his controllers out on the floor. I haven't gotten a chance to do it just yet, but I hope to do so this evening. He might have some copies of the bemani game's we could put out as well.

No good news on the re-imbursement front. People can feel free to bring stuff at convention time and we'll be happy to lock it away in one of our boxes for use, but we can't make any replacement guarantees.

In general we always treat stuff like its our own.

If you want to bring some MVS games we could put them into one of the Neo cabs where they will be locked away. So they should be pretty safe there. And I can guarantee trying to break into one of the cabinets will be a good way to get your ass kicked and thrown out.

In general if people want to bring equipment and set it up at an empty television we will allow it. Again this would be totally at their own risk. The best we could offer is to lock the equipment up in one of our boxes.

We should have like 15 arcade cabinets total. For an update on some titles:

On Naomi we presently have:
Marvel vs Capcom 2 (2)
Dead or Alive 2 Millennium
Power Stone
Power Stone 2

I know Jeff got 2 new shmups from Chimpmeister but I don't recall their names. I've got the original Banpresto Macross shooter and Games Paradise for the Jaleco Mega System 32.

I picked up Street Fighter 3: 2nd Impact on CPS3 but I don't know if it will get put out. I've got an empty dynamo cab I would love to throw it in, but since it is sans monitor/power supply/general wiring, that would be even more dough I would need to throw down before Otakon. Not likely since I'll probably pony up for SSV(0) Special on AES so we'll have it to put out.

It doesn't look like we'll have any Atomiswave systems. Prices have come down but still the titles just aren't good enough to warrant spending our rapidly diminishing funding. Next year.

We will have trophies this year as prizes. We thought this would be a better choice since prizes are pretty much up to whatever our prize wrangler can get from dealers. Generally this is crap that they are giving away or can't sell.

The trophy bases will be a little generic but they will have a definite video gaming theme overall. Over time hopefully we will be able to build on the idea and develop our own sort of definitive Otakon video gaming trophies and people will look forward to competing and trying to win them.

Team and network play will see a BIG push at Otakon this year. We will have cubes linked for play with Super Mario Kart Double Dash in addition to the linked HALO play we featured last year. We will also be including a team HALO tournament in addition to the singles tournament.

We should have a little area setup for people to play Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow in versus mode.

In general we are doing our best to try and make things as cool as we can considering we are likely to be forced to work with fewer resources than we had last year.

- Jason

[jeffkun34]

The shooters that are guaranteed to be there are Raiden Fighters Jet and Viper Phase 1 NV. I was hoping to bring Radiant Silvergun but I might not be able to throw down the cash before the con for it. We will see....

Jeff

[bubu_X]

Anyone have advice on home much money to bring? I've never been to Otakon before or any anime convention for that matter. I will be staying at my sister's place so I don't have to worry about lodging, but will there be healthy food at the con?

[TheGreenMachine]

How much money to bring really depends on what you plan on doing at convention. Also depends on how long you plan on attending and if you've already bought your membership.

If you haven't bought a membership and plan on going the whole weekend I believe that alone is $55 right there.

If you plan on buying heaps of stuff in the dealers room depending on your tastes you could need money for trinkets, books, DVDs, CDs, posters, video games (NOT a good place to buy import games), garage kits, assembled figures, etc...

Depending upon just how much you want that could be hundreds. Of course that should really be tempered by what you can afford to spend. My advice is to look for the harder to find anime/gaming related trinkets or perhaps art books. Though good deals can be had on DVDs and CDs as well.

No good food at the BCC. The BCC sells overpriced crap. Unless you are absolutely desperate do not buy the BCC food. My only vice is buying from the Starbucks they have. But that is overpriced Starbucks, not the overpriced generic carnival food crap they otherwise sell ;)

Luckily enough the inner harbor has three malls within easy walking distance as well as other more expensive restuarants. The one mall is essentially just a large indoor food court. Far better prices to be had and a lot more choice.

So in short, bring enough cash to buy whatever level of membership and decent food. For spending bring enough to get some items you really want, but don't go into debt or anything crazy.

- Jason

[bubu_X]

Cool thanks, I already pre registered online, and I was afraid the food would be carnival junk so I guess I'll just eat before or after or I'll figure something out. I want to find good deals on anime, I can't stand having to pay out the ass prices at suncoast :(

[TheGreenMachine]

Eating breakfast is a good idea before the convention. Then you can get a late lunch early dinner/whatever to carry you through the rest of the day.

The food in the inner harbor is REALLY close. So you shouldn't have to iron man it and run on just whatever you had for breakfast.

There are definitely good deals to be had on DVDs at convention time. Though you should also investigate buying them online from places like Amazon or Best Prices(where I buy like 90% of my anime). Good prices year round.

Only buy stuff from Suncoast if they are the only ones that carry it. Though they actually have a booth in the dealers room.

- Jason

[Moon Jump]

Only get water at the convention center...IF you need it. The prices are insane. I remember they sold Pocky last year and they wanted near five bucks a box compaied to the normal 3 at many japanese supermarkets.

On Saturday night I'm going to the Hard Rock in the Inner Harbor. If you want to come, your all welcome to it. I had a shitty sandwitch at the mall across the street and now I'd like to do somthing I myself want insted of my group who wanted to eat Chinese food.

[TheGreenMachine]

There should be water available for free in several locations throughout the convention center. We actually pay for a service that delivers and puts out water. We just need to keep riding them and make sure they keep up with demand.

The Cheesecake Factory has to be my favorite place to eat in the inner harbor. Only trouble is there are generally wicked lines.

[Zombie_nation]

http://home.earthlink.net/~daedlus/ovg2k4/tourney.html

FYI: Here is the most up to date tournament list for the consoles. LAN and arcade tournaments are still undecided. The rules links are dead links because we haven't quite finished revising the tournament rules.

As far as water is concerned at the BCC. I bought a large bottle of water thursday morning prior to getting to the BCC. I just kept refilling it out of the water fountains at the BCC. Now don't get me wrong it tasted like something you get out of the back of your toilet tank but it was cold (ish) and did quench your thirst. I then lugged my bottle around for the next 3 days.

[RushedDown]

i will be at otakon again lets see if my demitri got any better from playing svc from last year

[Zombie_nation]

Here is a temporary link to the Video Gaming Web Page.
http://home.earthlink.net/~daedlus/ovg2k4/index.html

The rules for the Halo and DDR tournaments are available for viewing. The video arcade, BYOPC LAN, and general game rules are up also.

The Game Room hours for 2004 are...
Friday 3 PM - 1 AM
Saturday 9 AM - 1 AM
Sunday 9 AM - 12 Noon
Game room hours may be extended or reduced as necessity dictates.

We should at least have two copies of the MVS versions of Samurai Shodown 5 and will have at least one of SvC Chaos.

__________________________________________________ _______________
If pro is the opposite of con, then wouldn't progress be the opposite of congress?

[Moon Jump]

How about we start a Who's going type post now? I haven't seen many of you that say your going, last year had alot more people saying they were going.

So if you are be sure to post.

Hey Zombie, I might bring Nightmare in the Dark with me, I'll let you know.

[Tron]

I've herd about the ng.com get together at Otakon for,a long time now. I do try to go,too the convention every year but this year i can't. Due to health problems i'll have to skip this year. Other then that i didn't have time to, save up for it sorry. :crying: :(

[Zombie_nation]

The was some talk about setting aside some cash to be used for reimbursement in case of broken or damaged systems but it hasn't been confirmed yet. I am still going to bring Samurai Shodown V and SvC Chaos for the MVS (my dedicated 4-slot cab is staying home though). I am not too worried about damaged/missing carts myself because the carts will be locked inside an arcade cabinet for the duration of the convention, that and the fact that I will be in the gameroom 16 hours a day for the length of the convention. Nightmare in the Dark isn't very common so if you bring it along I am sure we could accomodate you with some cabinet space.

We should have 16 arcade cabinets at the convention this year (we only had 5 last year). Among them will be a Neo-Geo 6-slot cab, Neo-Geo 2-slot cab(converted to 4-slot), and another Neo-Geo 2-slot (I think it's a stock 2-slot). Hopefully there will be something there for everyone.


How about we start a Who's going type post now? I haven't seen many of you that say your going, last year had alot more people saying they were going.

So if you are be sure to post.

Hey Zombie, I might bring Nightmare in the Dark with me, I'll let you know.

[bubu_X]

I'm definitely going, pre-registered online...see you there. :buttrock:

[slerch666]

I want to find good deals on anime, I can't stand having to pay out the ass prices at suncoast :(
Then don't buy from Otakon. I went with the same thought in mind my first year out. Turns out everything I picked up (not much considering) I found on-line for less, even after shipping. These days you get free shipping from a ton of places on-line AND the best prices you'll find anywhere. You have access to the Internet, and if you have access to a credit card you have access to the cheapest Anime DVD stores.

If you want links to good places to buy on-line, let me know. Youc an also check out Anime on DVD.com for places to check prices. If you know what you are looking for, write it all down and check prices on-line. Find shipping quotes. Take the list with you to Otakon and check prices at every booth and if they are cheaper than on-line with shipping, pick 'em up, otherwise order them on-line.

Otakon is really only good for buying obscure items you can't find on-line or locally, like statues, CDs (and even Japanese CDs can be obtained easily on-line, check my sig!) and other odd trinkets or what have you.

Anyway, I'll be at Otakon this year, rooming with PhoenixDown and a couple of others from the board. I took too much shit last year for us to play in the room (mostly because I had to take it to my car on my own :D), that won't happen this year. :D

[Kirk Foiden]

Typical rules for Otakon. Yep, the prices are usually worse than what you can get online. However, there are some things you should look for.

Pre-shop opening. (Ok, you can't buy until the place opens, but this is the highest priority item). If you are a fan of Azumanga Diaoh, then this is your time. More specifically, there's a character called Kasuga (better known as Osaka) in which there is a plushy doll for it. Out of al the characters, in the cast, this one is the most high demanded plushy in existance, right now. If there is something that's going to go in the first 5 minutes, of the dealer's room, that's precisely it. Dude, I found copies of certain rarer Saturn games including Cyberbots and a Shinobi game I never knew existed hours after any and all of those were gone. I have images, in my head, of what kind of "Jingle all the way (Sinbad/Schartzneggar)" antics must happen when the doors open, going for an Osaka doll.

On Friday and most of Saturday, you should ONLY look for rare (hard to get) things. While they are rare, there are those few times you'll find something you can't even find easily online and they just happened to have it.

Another thing you may take advantage of, on Friday and Saturday, is certain more local establishments. Except.....(Avoid the Cube, generally) Though Suncoast may be good on Friday and Saturdays IF you have a Replay account with them. They've been starting up this idea of giving out some pretty nifty deals to Replay owners specifically at the Con. Look out for it, if you have a card.

Sunday..... THIS IS THE DAY. Like the part of the bible Easter is known for, lots of good things happen on Sunday. This is when most of the shops kind of panic for getting rid of inventory (Plus, they really don't want to carry that junk back home). You see mad price drops on Sunday. Sure, all the rare stuff has been picked bone dry, but that's what Friday is for. It is on this day, you look out for those dropping prices and you can actually truly nab stuff cheaper than what you pay for online+cost of shipping. Don't buy too much. This is the time you would normally save on individual titles and such. Nothing beats online bulk shopping, though(because most online places drop Shipping costs beyond a certain cost of items). So even though it is Sunday, buying in bulk will not save you money.

[slerch666]

From what I understand, Sunday last year, in terms of deals, wuite simply... sucked. No one dropped prices, or only a few did, and even then the prices weren't that great. I left Saturday night (around midnight) as I didn't see anything going on on Sunday that I would even have remotely wanted to have done.

On a side note, does anyone else find it ironic that Otakon isn't accepting donations, or at least, isn't offering 'insurance' on donated items? Why is this ironic? Well, EVERY year Otakon has seen growth. This year, obviously, will be set to be the biggest yet. That means 'cash out the ass' for the organizers. Sure they have to pay all the guests, rent the place, pay for damage to the convention center and all that, but they're still making money.

How much, honestly, would insurance be on people's donations? I guess they have to pay too much for the live band this year (though I believe they are charging admission to that show as well as to Otakon... that's the rumor anyway).

[Moon Jump]

Yeah, my friends all waited to buy stuff on Sunday and they weren't budging on the prices. Some stuff even went higher then they were on Saturday, like the Naruto head-bands. I got mine for about 30, I looked on sunday they wanted near 60.

I even got a dirty look from one of the company reps there. My friend went to the one booth to buy the Sailor Moon first season box set and they wanted 100 bucks for it. I said, "Don't buy it here! Go on Deep Discount DVD and get it for 80!"

[Zombie_nation]

Actually, unless you see a dvd you absolutely cannot find anywhere else I would pass on almost all dvds in the dealers room. For example: last year they were selling the third volume of FLCL with artbox and a shotglass, conventions were the only place you could get the artbox by buying it directly from the distributor. It was actually a shame to see the big names distributors like Geneon, Bandai, and ADV selling their discs at prices that were higher than my local BestBuy. Rightstuf was there but their floor prices were higher than their web prices (they usually have awesome deals on their weekly specials). There are several sites on the web that can consistently beat competitors prices by 20-30%. Sure you have to pay for shipping but if you wait and order $100 worth of stuff you make out like a bandit.

I usually try to pick up harder to find items in the dealers room. Last year I picked up a bunch of gatchapon sets that I only occasionaly saw on ebay. I picked up a few dvd's with limited edition artboxes that were near impossible to find. Dealers room is usually a good place to get music, art books, and import manga. Especially some of the harder to find art books (limited edition).

As far as Sunday was concerned I have to agree with what Slerch666 said. If there were deals I sure didn't find any. I think that due to the huge number of people who attended the convention most dealers sold stuff regardless of price. There were trucks constantly delivering new stuff in the loading bay outside of Hall G, that and the band members from TM Revolution constantly taking smoke breaks.

Biggest laugh I had last year was based around Otakon's "weapon policy." According to their weapon policy you are not allowed to carry "real steel" (dull or sharp) or even something that looks real. Friday afternoon I see dozens of people not even in costumes with swords strapped to their backs and wonder what's going on. When I finally make it to the dealers room I find they have about six different booths selling all sorts of bladed weaponry. Rather counter-productive to their "weapon policy."

[Zombie_nation]

On a side note, does anyone else find it ironic that Otakon isn't accepting donations, or at least, isn't offering 'insurance' on donated items? Why is this ironic? Well, EVERY year Otakon has seen growth. This year, obviously, will be set to be the biggest yet. That means 'cash out the ass' for the organizers. Sure they have to pay all the guests, rent the place, pay for damage to the convention center and all that, but they're still making money.

How much, honestly, would insurance be on people's donations? I guess they have to pay too much for the live band this year (though I believe they are charging admission to that show as well as to Otakon... that's the rumor anyway).

Underwrighters and insurance companies can be tricky things. Otakon's insurance not only has to cover all of their property, the convention center, and basically everyone in it. They get into grey areas when you look at things like insuring other people's property that you are "borrowing" for a weekend. And another matter is most insurance policies don't cover 100% reimbursement for items that are stolen or damaged. Typical insurance policies only reimburse up to 50% for electronice equipment (fire/flood insurance would be different as they usually cover replacement cost). To get 100% coverage you would have to have all of your equipment appraised (even borrowed equipment) and then buy an insurnace policy to cover that much specifically. They used to reimburse people out of pocket until they began to look at the amount and cost of equipment in the room. Hopefully the success (or failure) of this years game room will get enough people's attention to enable us to either personally get extra money in the game room's budget to cover cost of insurance or set up a rainy day fund for replacement of lost , damaged, or stolen goods.

I have no idea about charging a seperate admission fee for the concert. I felt that $50 to get in the door should cover just about anything you wanted to do but who knows. I sure hope it's not headed down the path of a 3 day Jpop concert instead of being a anime convention...but hey that's why we the people of the video gaming room are here. We do our best with what we have to provide an alternative programing for people who don't come to see the bands. That of course is also why we depend heavily on donations to help flush out the game room. The Otakon panic meeting is this weekend so maybe they will hash out some kind of "donation reimbursement plan." If they do I will be sure to let you all know.

[slerch666]

For example: last year they were selling the third volume of FLCL with artbox and a shotglass, conventions were the only place you could get the artbox by buying it directly from the distributor.
Actually, it wasn't the artbox that was only sold at the cons, it was the shot glass. I actually preordered FLCL 3 from Rightstuf and a couple days later they put up the LE with the box, so emailed them to cancel the first order and ordered the FLCL 3 w/box instead. So the box wasn't con only, just the shot glass. (not trying to be an ass or anything like that at all, just pointing this out)

I understand the insurance thing for borrowed stuff, I just think it's irionic when this year is likely set to hit the 18-20 mark in terms of attendees, which means record numbers of registrations. If everyone that registers pays an average price of $40 (single day fee for Saturday give or take I believe), then they are set to pull in $720,000 if 18,000 show up (my guess is that it'll be more). This of course would have to cover insurance, damage, blah blah blah. I guess I'm finding it hard to understand why they would pull in that much money, yet not want to reimburse people who donate games/systems if something happens. And how many times have they had to reimburse people? For the most part people who were playing generally treat the gaming equipment well.

I'm not pissing on Otakon or it's rules, just pointing out it's kinda ironic that with this much money coming in they'd be unwilling to ear mark, what, $3-5000 for video game damage.

[JHendrix]

Considering how close we're getting to the con and all I figured this thread needs a bump.




in the realm of Neo Geo MVS we presently have:
King of Fighters 97
King of Fighters 2000 (2)
King of Fighters 2002
King of Fighters 2003 (2)
Last Blade 1 (2)
Last Blade 2 (2)
Magical Drop 3
Mark of the Wolves (2)
Metal Slug X
Metal Slug 3
Metal Slug 5 (2)
Samurai Shodown 4 (2)
Samurai Shodown 5

This is not necessarily a comprehensive list. Many lower sequel number games omitted. Some not as popular games ommited. Some unconfirmed propsects not yet announced.

- Jason G.

Now this list is quite nice, but after last years game room this seems to be way too many games to fit in the few available slots that the Neo normally takes up, now granted I'd love to see lots of these represented for play, but are there a few we can count on to definitely be available in multiple cabs/game setups.

In case you were wondering I was kinda hoping for MOTW, KOF2k2, 2k3, LB2, and um MOTW. ;)

Also, any chance there's going to be some copies of SF3: Third Strike playing at the con? I know a lot of us here would love some quality competition with that game.

I'm just trying to firm things up so me and my friends know what to practice up on before the con.

Thanks for all your help BTW, it's much appreciated.

[bubu_X]

Suggestions:

KOF 2001
RB2


@jhendrix, Garou is gonna be getting some heavy competition for sure. I will have to practice with some of the more unconventional characters I don't normally use.

[Moon Jump]

I have an MVS copy of RealBout 2 and as I said before Nightmare in the Dark for all the puzzle game fans. Let me know what I should bring. I played MOTW there last year and got my ass handed to me on the converson cab.

[Zombie_nation]

Ok let's see if I can answer a few things...

On the MVS side of the house there is no doubt you will see the favorites such as Last Blade 2, Mark of the Garou, and some of the non 2K3 KoF's filling slots in the cabinets. Problem is we are only going to have 3 Neo cabs which means the newer games (i.e. SSV, KoF 2003, and SvC Chaos) are bound to monopolize the most of the machine time. I sort of suspect if we have SSV in a machine plus three other carts most people will want to play SSV because of their limited exposure to it (hell most most arcades around me that have neo's are still playing SS and SS2). But on the otherhand we will have 6 projection screens instead of only 3 like last year. So chances are your going to see SvC Chaos, SSV (or SSVS if it get's delivered before the con), and KoF 2003 on the big screens using super guns. This will allow us to give some of the newest games some good face time and still let us have a decent rotation of games through the cabinet. And we can always change the line-ups during the convention depending on what people are playing and want to play.

After yesterdays panic meeting it appears that the Otakon organization is willing to back up donations out of pocket instead of using a straight insurance plan. So the good news is if you are willing to donate equipment you will get a replacement guarante if it is damaged or stolen. The bad news is because the decision was made so late in the game there will be no associates passes issued for attendees donating systems and such. It kind of sucks that we have nothing to really offer people in return but at least if it all goes smoothly this year we will already have this plan in effect for next year.

As far as games like Street Fighter III: Third Strike is concerned. Several of us staffers own third strike for the dreamcast so it is a safe bet that one or two stations will be running it. That and Capcom vs SNK 2, Marvel vs Capcom 2 will be running in a cabinet or two so it may not end up playing on the regular tv's.

Slerch666: Thing you have to remember about Rightstuf is that Shawn has connections and often times they offer things that most stores don't have access too (like empty artboxes). I have picked up empty boxes from them quite a few times because I was only able to get the first volume of a series minus the box.

[Zombie_nation]

I will talk to Jason and ask him to post a list of games he would like to see donated that way we can minimize redunancy and overlap.

[JHendrix]

Ok let's see if I can answer a few things...

On the MVS side of the house there is no doubt you will see the favorites such as Last Blade 2, Mark of the Garou, and some of the non 2K3 KoF's filling slots in the cabinets. Problem is we are only going to have 3 Neo cabs which means the newer games (i.e. SSV, KoF 2003, and SvC Chaos) are bound to monopolize the most of the machine time. I sort of suspect if we have SSV in a machine plus three other carts most people will want to play SSV because of their limited exposure to it (hell most most arcades around me that have neo's are still playing SS and SS2). But on the otherhand we will have 6 projection screens instead of only 3 like last year. So chances are your going to see SvC Chaos, SSV (or SSVS if it get's delivered before the con), and KoF 2003 on the big screens using super guns. This will allow us to give some of the newest games some good face time and still let us have a decent rotation of games through the cabinet. And we can always change the line-ups during the convention depending on what people are playing and want to play.

After yesterdays panic meeting it appears that the Otakon organization is willing to back up donations out of pocket instead of using a straight insurance plan. So the good news is if you are willing to donate equipment you will get a replacement guarante if it is damaged or stolen. The bad news is because the decision was made so late in the game there will be no associates passes issued for attendees donating systems and such. It kind of sucks that we have nothing to really offer people in return but at least if it all goes smoothly this year we will already have this plan in effect for next year.

As far as games like Street Fighter III: Third Strike is concerned. Several of us staffers own third strike for the dreamcast so it is a safe bet that one or two stations will be running it. That and Capcom vs SNK 2, Marvel vs Capcom 2 will be running in a cabinet or two so it may not end up playing on the regular tv's.

Slerch666: Thing you have to remember about Rightstuf is that Shawn has connections and often times they offer things that most stores don't have access too (like empty artboxes). I have picked up empty boxes from them quite a few times because I was only able to get the first volume of a series minus the box.

Is there anything that you guys are in particular need to have donated?

[jeffkun34]

As far as systems go we can always use the latest systems. Xbox, GC, PS2.

I also need to clarify the replacement policy that Zombie mentioned. We are not offering replacement on out of production systems, such as the Neo and Dreamcast. I'm not mentioning this to dissuade anyone from donating neo stuff because we have a great check-in/out process and awesome lockboxes. Just letting people know what is up with our policy.

Post away any other questions you might have.

[slerch666]

Slerch666: Thing you have to remember about Rightstuf is that Shawn has connections and often times they offer things that most stores don't have access too (like empty artboxes). I have picked up empty boxes from them quite a few times because I was only able to get the first volume of a series minus the box.
Sorry for the late reply.

True, true. But I distinctly remember this (FLCL box) being listed on Amazon as well. Synch-Point's distribution is... limited to be polite. The only thing that wasn't available anywhere else was the shot glass. The only way to get the box, either through RS or Amazon, was to buy it with disc 3.

[TheGreenMachine]

Who the heck cares about the dealers room? You're all just coming for the game room right? Right?! ;)

Seriously there are good deals to be had on certain items from the dealers room, but in general they will be hard pressed to beat deals you can get online. The best shopper is one who is well informed and shops around.

Pass on the stuff you can get cheaper and just look for the harder to find items or items where the cheaper online cost is balanced out by shipping fees.

game room stuff:

Anyway we will do our best to accommodate people on what carts they want to play in the Neo Geos. The trouble is the non-hardcore Neo Geo plebian masses will also be there and we need to try and accommodate everyone to a degree. So bring your carts if you want to play something not on the list. Ask and we'll do our best to swap them in for you. This is something we'll need to do as some sort of consensus since we won't be swapping new carts in every 10 minutes. More like every hour or two.

To that end, let me get a more comprehensive list of Neo carts we will have available for you. That way you can know for certain what you should or should not bring.

Flawed or not I will have Samurai Spirits 0 Special playing on my AES on one of the projection screens. We will have one more free projector so maybe we can put something like KOF 2003 on that.

Sorry on the donation stuff. We found out we would get coverage waaaay too late in the game to be able to offer associates passes in exchange for loan of equipment. We can accept equipment loans/donations at convention, but we will not be able to offer an associates pass.

As Jeff said coverage will be limited to non-limited edition and currently in production consoles/equipment only.

*update* limited edition consoles will only be covered to the replacement cost of the non-limited production version of the item. I.e. a special HALO edition X-Box would only be replaced with a regular X-Box.

- Jason G

[slerch666]

Who the heck cares about the dealers room? You're all just coming for the game room right? Right?! ;)
- Jason G
No actually, I go for Anime news/information first. The Game Room is stop gap between things I want to do. Last year, even though I roomed with some of the people from the boards and they spent most of their time in the GR, I was on my own, doing as I pleased. They didn't seem to be upset about it as they went for the games, I went for the Anime.

I'm an Anime fan first, a gamer second. ;)

[TheGreenMachine]

No actually, I go for Anime news/information first. The Game Room is stop gap between things I want to do. Last year, even though I roomed with some of the people from the boards and they spent most of their time in the GR, I was on my own, doing as I pleased. They didn't seem to be upset about it as they went for the games, I went for the Anime.

I'm an Anime fan first, a gamer second. ;)

Seriously, while we really appreciate people who are harcore gamers, you would be crazy if you came to Otakon just for the game room because of the membership registration cost.

Definitely enjoy the convention as a whole. The game room will always be there waiting for you when you're bored or have nothing better to do.

[Moon Jump]

I didn't know that alot of people went to Otakon for the reason of just staying in the game room the whole entire time. I remember how it was last year. One of my friends working on staff snunk me in early and I got to see Chaos on the projection screen and I got to talk to Jeff and some of the other staffers and they told me one of their friends had a bad car accident and they were lost on systems.

(BTW, how is your friend after the accident?)

Pretty much there was a long line to the door of the game room to almost inside the art room of people waiting to get into the game room. That just shows you how hard core some of these people are for the game room.

[slerch666]

Seriously, while we really appreciate people who are harcore gamers, you would be crazy if you came to Otakon just for the game room because of the membership registration cost.

Definitely enjoy the convention as a whole. The game room will always be there waiting for you when you're bored or have nothing better to do.
Of the people I roomed with, I was the only one who spent 95% of my time outside the game room. EvilMike and PhoenixDown DID spend some time outside the room, but not a whole lot, if I remember correctly. They can come in and correct me if I am wrong. :D

I hope you realize that I know you were kidding about only going for the gaming room?

Some people just like to play other people, and if you go by the registration cost, in all honesty, is that a whole lot to pay to hang out with fellow gamers? Not really I'd say, though I'd still rather spend my time with Anime.

YuckMud- We got lucky. I had my Super Gun the night before and NeoJedi brought SNK Vs Capcom to our room. I got my fill before the convention opened, and seeing the line to play, I have to say I am glad I did. If I wanted to stand in line for hours I'd get my registration at the Con! :D

[Zombie_nation]

Actually you might be surprised by the number of people who have asked if they could buy a membership to JUST the game room. Then again quite a few people just come for the dealer's room and some just come for the live entertainment. We do get a rather large number of hardcore gamers who show up just for the chance to compete. It was in awe on Friday when we finally opened the doors and a swarm of people managed to fill the room in a manner of minutes. It's nice to see how accepted gaming has become over the years. Kind of makes you sad when you have to toss people out to shutdown the room for the night (well not really but after 16 hours in the room can you blame me).

Yuckmud: Well he ended up missing the entire convention because of a punctured lung but he made a full recovery and has been hard at work for this years convention.

[Kirk Foiden]

As far as Sunday was concerned I have to agree with what Slerch666 said. If there were deals I sure didn't find any. I think that due to the huge number of people who attended the convention most dealers sold stuff regardless of price.

Hmm. You might be right about last year. I didn't pick up much at all, outside of all the amounts of free-stuff people were tossing out. DVDs, CDs, posters, etc. So there were deals, just that you didn't er.... select or pay for them. :) :) :)

The years before, there's always been certain dealer tables that drop price on Sunday, and it's a typical habit of anime conventions. So I wouldn't let one single year at one con rule out the possibility of it happening again. Taking note, not all tables drop prices, but certain ones habitually do.


-------------

Getting back to the Con setup. I'm sure interest in KOF 2003 will be high enough to warrant a near permanent presence, there. Well, as long as people don't spam Duolon too much. :) And I'm definitely interested in some RB2. I hope to see some good Rick players there.

[bubu_X]

Okay, I have a few questions...can we bring back packs? Can we bring in big bottles of water? What will everybody be wearing on Friday? Where and what time can we pick up our registration crap at on Thursday...does anyone want to go out drinking after on Friday Saturday or Sunday nights? I don't know what I'll be wearing yet, probably a A Penn State shirt...I won't have a lot of access to the internet between now and next Wednesday, but if anyone can answer my questions I'd be quite greatful. Thanks,

Ethan :loco:

[Zombie_nation]

Yes you can bring a back pack and actually I would recommend that you do. Technically your not supposed to bring food or drink into the convention center, technically, but if it's in a backpack it's not like they are going to frisk you before you go in (at least they didn't last year). As far as what to wear last year it was pretty hot out when people were waiting in line to get registered. I would advise dressing for warm weather but bring a light jacket (windbreaker) or sweatshirt on the chance that it could be cold or rainy. I live in PA so I don't know what the local weather predictions are for Baltimore next week.

Practically everyone over the age of 21 goes out drinking after the convention (sure seems that way anyhow). The game room doesn't close till 1 am and by the time we get things shutdown, tucked in, and locked up it's usually 2 am so chances are whatever drinking we do will be back at the hotel afterwards.

As far as what time you can register your better checking out the otakon webpage to see what they say.
http://www.otakon.com

[Kirk Foiden]

I'm definitely game for some eating out or something on the evenings. I'm quite easy to spot though. Neo-geo.com's resident fox-boy isn't exactly a tough one to pick out of a crowd. I normally play things a bit by ear since I'm so close to home, and I don't really have to worry about time much. Well, except for a short stint early Sunday. I seriously hope they have a better set up for Free Karaoke, this year. I really want to get in Chisana Shiawase in on Saturday. You know, when people are still around. NeoJedi was my only Neo-Geo.com witness, last year. :(

[TheGreenMachine]

[QUOTE=Zombie_nation]
Practically everyone over the age of 21 goes out drinking after the convention (sure seems that way anyhow). The game room doesn't close till 1 am and by the time we get things shutdown, tucked in, and locked up it's usually 2 am so chances are whatever drinking we do will be back at the hotel afterwards.
QUOTE]

Though game room staff will MOST definitely be getting tore up on Sunday night. Maybe get started at Pickles Pub and then get finished off in the hotel. Not sure.

Online pre-reg registration I beleive starts sometime on Thursday evening. Only for a limited time then they are cutting people off till Friday morning. Check the offiical web page. They have to be announcing details pretty damn soon.

[IMTheWalrus]

I for one cannot wait for Otakon. Last years Otakon was the best con I have ever been to and this one will probably be even better. Hopefully I'll actually have time to make it into the game room for some Neo.

In regards to the backpacks, are we allowed to have them in the dealer's room? I remember that I was pissed off royally at Katsucon this year because they wouldn't let me bring in my backpack into the dealer's room.

[slerch666]

So are we going to be having an 'impromptu' Neo gathering this year at some point?

[ToeJam]

I think I'll be there saturday this year. Last year I did all three days, but this year, I dunno. Cause the only neo machines there last year was a candy cab and another machine if I remember correctly.

then again everytime I went into the gameroom I was completely blitzed drunk. The beauty of going for a great lunch and hitting up the pub that's right across the convention center haha.
:buttrock:

oh and for food, the best place to eat at the innner harbor is Phillips. not the fast one, the buffet where you have to reserve your name 2 hours in advance. They say you can't make a reservation and leave, but I call their bluff everytime haha.

[EvilMike]

EvilMike and PhoenixDown DID spend some time outside the room, but not a whole lot, if I remember correctly. They can come in and correct me if I am wrong. :D


You are wrong.

I prolly spent 20-25% of my time in the game room.

Speaking of a Neo gathering.......I was thinking about talking to someone with a hotel room about having a Neo Geo room party. I don't wanna say who in case they say no. I was thinking maybe Thursday or Saturday night (or both :buttrock: )

BTW no I don't have the internet back yet U'm just sneaking on at work.

[Phoenix Down]

Of the people I roomed with, I was the only one who spent 95% of my time outside the game room. EvilMike and PhoenixDown DID spend some time outside the room, but not a whole lot, if I remember correctly.

Wait, there's stuff to do at Otakon besides the game room? Why the hell would you want to do anything but that? :spock:

Seriously though, I'm really not much of an anime fan these days. The only anime I'm interested in nowadays is stuff that pertains to video gaming. :p

Anyway, since Otakon is no longer offering insurance I cannot risk lending the game room my Neo stuff this year (which sucks since I was really wanting to play KoF 2003 and Matrimelee against some human oppoents...). I WILL, however, have my Neo setup in my hotel room at the Wyndham if anyone wants to stop by.

Oh, and do you all want to try to setup a meeting place for the Neo crew on Friday afternoon/evening outside the game room? It sounds like we've got plenty of people coming.

[bubu_X]

I definitely want to meet up and play some Neo Geo. I'm going for the anime and the Neo Geo games. Can't wait! :buttrock:

I don't have a lot of time right now, but I will post again later tonight.

[EvilMike]

Well I just talked to Phoenix Down and we're going to have a room party on Thursday night. See the other thread I'm about to make with Details.

[Zombie_nation]

Anyway, since Otakon is no longer offering insurance I cannot risk lending the game room my Neo stuff this year (which sucks since I was really wanting to play KoF 2003 and Matrimelee against some human oppoents...). I WILL, however, have my Neo setup in my hotel room at the Wyndham if anyone wants to stop by.


FYI: There will be at least one copy of KoF 2003 there so don't worry about being able to play it (maybe on the the big screen?). Jason has Matrimelee for the AES if he decides to bring it. Honestly we have most of the Neo favorites covered (LB2, MotW, MS3, etc..). Not too mention we got the other recent releases covered (SSV, SSVS, SvC Chaos, MS5).

About backpacks and the dealer's room. I don't think they will let you take your bag inside with you but your better off emailing the official otakon website and asking them for sure.

[Moon Jump]

This is for James or Jayson, my one friend would like to know what time your planning on doing the Guilty Gear XX tournament, he's very into that game.

Also let me know if I can get a sneak peak like last year. I shot my voice trying to see if I could find and other Neo-Geo.com members to come into the game room early.

[Shinji]

Just wondering, should we bring our own arcade sticks or will they be there? Last time I spent some time in the game room, I saw mainly pads....

[ToeJam]

Bring any of your own stuff that you like, it's all acceptable. Snair, about your question if you can bring outside stuff into otakon, the short and sweet answer is: YES. You can bring whatever the F you want in otakon (except weapons, which I even question). so bring that backpack with Water and the like in there, it'll be worth it not to get gouged with extra expenses you don't need to pay.

There is however water coolers all over the CON center, just remember to save your cup, peopel take those like MOTHER FUCKERS! It's as if they just take them to crap in so they don't have to miss anime.

Oh and EVERYONE SMELLS! Alot of people don't take showers every day. NOTE: I am not saying this about the people here that attend, but it could happen, be prepared.

[Moon Jump]

Oh and EVERYONE SMELLS! Alot of people don't take showers every day. NOTE: I am not saying this about the people here that attend, but it could happen, be prepared.

Yes, I know. From two years of going and almost being knocked down when walking past sombody. I think they should get Right Guard Deoderant to sponcer the convention and change the name to Ota-Funk.

[bubu_X]

@toejam, Thanks for the info, I will bring plenty of water for sure. I will probably bring something to munch on too. Unfortunately some people will probably smell bad, but as long as it's not the attractive girls (if there are any) it will be cool. I can't wait, seriously, I haven't been excited about anything this much in a long time...Anyone know when the guests of the convention are going to be there? Particularly, I'm interested in talking to Yutaka Minowa and Yuzo Sato. I hope they speak English well.

[ToeJam]

Jsut trying to warn you, well prep you really.

the girls there are hot ones, and then there are hot ones who are also NUTS!!!

To meet the guests expect a LONG line, so they usually have all the times in the schedule you get in the baggie at door with badge.

you can bring food and everything. Remember the whole point is Have fun. Remember there is lots more Jail bait at the con, even though I don't know how old you are haha.

[16-bit]

What are the game room hours?

[Phoenix Down]

What are the game room hours?

All the info can be found at

http://home.earthlink.net/~daedlus/ovg2k4/

[16-bit]

Cool. Thanks

[CountMetal]

The game room was one place that I don't want to leave in Otakon. They have a good selection of games but among all the Neo Geo Games they have, the best one I played was Samurai Showdown V. I was gonna get that game for the PS2 in the Dealers Room today but they were sold out. Hopefully I would love to own a copy of that game. A non-SNK game I like there is Guilty Gear XX. It's one of the greatest fighter series that plays like Samurai Showdown with finishers which you can use anywhere. I entered the tournament but was eliminated earlier. I thought I will do better than next year. Maybe I played too much Samurai Showdown LOL.

[JHendrix]

Thanks to all the people I saw again this year, it was fun. :)

KOF2k3 was fun, there were some really good people on there who I learned a bit from. MOTW was extra awesome though, mostly because I was kicking more ass in it. :D

Oh yeah I'm now learning Hinata and Maxima in KOF because of you people, so um thanks.

[Phoenix Down]

Thanks to all the people I saw again this year, it was fun. :)

KOF2k3 was fun, there were some really good people on there who I learned a bit from. MOTW was extra awesome though, mostly because I was kicking more ass in it. :D

Oh yeah I'm now learning Hinata and Maxima in KOF because of you people, so um thanks.

Hinako > j00 :buttrock:

[ToeJam]

Hooray for my 10 win streak in KOF2k3 on the big projector haha.
Joe, Terry, and Iori UNITED!

Oh well. I wonder if anyone here versed me. This was all on Saturday that I went haha.

[Zombie_nation]

The 3 day marathon known as Otakon is over for another year. It will probably take a good portion of the next year for most of the staff to recover. Overall I was pretty happy with the turnout in the game room. The crowd did seem to be larger than last years. The tournaments ran a bit smoother even though there probably could have been a few more of them (can't count the number of people who wanted another SSB Melee tournament). Having a 4-slot and 6-slot neo was a bit of a waste since people usually stuck to playing KoF2003 on the 4-slot and SvC Chaos on the 6-slot. But at least we had a row of dreamcasts playing a slew of the Japanese SNK releases of some of the classics. All in all it was a lot of work but I managed to have a pretty good time. I can't say that I personally saw any of the Neo people at the convention but I know that you were there even though I didn't have time to meet any of you.

[Shinji]

yeah, SNK classics........ on dreamcast pads.. :emb:

oh well, lemme quote what I said in my other thread -

"I really enjoyed myself, which sort of suprised me, because I was hoping to play CvS2, but hadn't brought my DC arcade stick, thinking they'd have some... But they didn't, oh well.

I didn't get to meet anyone from here (or maybe I saw them, just didn't see any outstanding signs like a neo geo shirt etc) but I met a lot of a cool people. I spent most of my time seeing movies (Anyone else get into Zatoichi?) and getting owned on the Alpha 2 cab. I don't know if anyone saw me (white, 5'10?, shit load of brown hair) but the people I talked to the most weren't from N-G.com. If a lot of people are still going next year, i'd like to meet up sometime, would be fun."

I went with a friends family, and we had lots of fun, hope to see you guys next year.

[taitai]

The Otakon gameroom was the shit. lots of games, lots of space, and what, 3? Pop'n'music setups. Fabulous.

Minus the mass of fanboy smell, but that's a con for you.

[bubu_X]

Had a great time. I wasn't in the game room all that much. There was so much stuff to see at Otakon that spending the whole time in the game room would be silly, but I'm glad I got to play people who actually knew what Neo Geo is. All around fun time, can't wait til next year. :buttrock:

[IMTheWalrus]

I was only in the game room for a little bit, but when I was there, I was playing plenty of SVC, Magical Drop 3, MOTW, and Last Blade 2.

My only loss with Ryo in SVC was against some dude who used Goenitz with his cheap ass boss moves.

Hopefully I will make it out to some neo gathering sometime soon cause I'm definitely up to playing with some neo people.

[insaneben]

I had a blast at this year's Otakon. Though I was in the game room for about half the time I was there last year, I still managed play everything I wanted to. I got to play Samurai Shodown 5 Special (where I beat a fairly good Yoshitora player before getting edged out by Rera), King of Fighters 2003, and Mark Of The Wolves (once on the Dreamcast [where one guy and I fought a whole slew of evenly-matched battles], and once on the 2-slot MVS cab); I got a 4-game win streak going with Hotaru, but after getting beaten, I had to bail in order to make the autograph session for Koge-Donbo.

I also got to see Flame of Recca, Miami Guns, Full Metal Alchemist (before the fans rioted), and a slew of cosplayers. I snatched up a ton of anime cels from the dealer's room for cheap, got my program signed by Chris Sabat, Chuck Huber, and Richard Epcar, and scored a nice fanart commission (two more are on the way). All in all, it was the best Otakon I had ever attended, and I look forward to doing it all over again in 2005. Next time, though, I'll make sure to bring a sign that says, "Any Neo-Geo Freaks In The House?".

[bubu_X]

Full Metal Alchemist (before the fans rioted)


All in all, it was the best Otakon I had ever attended, and I look forward to doing it all over again in 2005. Next time, though, I'll make sure to bring a sign that says, "Any Neo-Geo Freaks In The House?".
What's this about the FMA fans rioting?!

Agree with you on having a great time. I was going to use black permanent marker and write on a white hanes shirt 'neo-geo.com', but I forgot. Definitely will next year!

[insaneben]

What's this about the FMA fans rioting?!

Agree with you on having a great time. I was going to use black permanent marker and write on a white hanes shirt 'neo-geo.com', but I forgot. Definitely will next year!

Well, the schedule said that Full Metal Alchemist was supposed to run for one hour (or two episodes), but the tape ended after one episode, and once the promo bumper came up, everyone literally lost it. Chairs were thrown all over the place, the projector exploded after being shoved over, "Die FUNimation!" and "FUNimation sucks!" were spray-painted all over the screen, mass hysteria reigned supreme all throughout the 100 level.

Okay, I was only kidding about that last part, but the fans WERE mighty bitter after getting only one episode (and though there was no rioting, the schedule had "Die FUNimation!" etched over the Full Metal Alchemist slot).