San Diego Comic-Con ~Discussion~
By
Acemace,
Posted on: 2009-07-01 09:32 in News, Events and Announcement Discussion
I couldn't attend either PAX or the Hero Con last year (or this year coming up). I desperately want to, not just because they're likely to have such goodies, but because a lot of my online friends will be there. It's an experience I don't regret splurging for back in 07.
Guys - you KNOW when the cons are. You know you can ask about upcoming events in pm's with the rednames. These things aren't coming out of the blue. You can and should save up for a great trip to Sunny San Diego some time - or Pax or whereever else. It's not just "to get the goodies".
If I could, I would snag a dozen of these things and send em to people who ask. But - I'm one person, and fairly there will be hundreds looking for the booth.
Last year they had to give out two kinds of passes for the item and the party. One that had the party admission, and one which was for the party in addition to the code in game. Poor Ex was swamped with people, she had to determine within moments whether someone standing there had an account or not - and yet still I saw people gloating about how they got a code and didn't even know what it was for.
Prepare, in advance, have a week set aside and travel. Yes, it's expensive. But you know what? My town's worth it. 
I personally wouldn't GO to Chicago or New York - I've got absolutely zero interest in seeing them. (again, in Chicago's case.) There's a reason, after all, why most companies choose San Diego over others. They're not denying themselves a big audience outside of it - because those other cons *are miniscule* in comparison.
Please read my FEAR/Portal/HalfLife Fan Fiction!
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Come by and meet in person members of the City of Heroes® development and community relations teams! You will be able to seek Mission Architect advice and tips straight from the designers who created the system themselves - including Matt "Positron" Miller, Joe "Hero 1" Morrissey and Bruce Harlick. Or...you can take advantage of this unique opportunity to show them in real-time your already created story arc mission!
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Nice to see the people with money and/or luck to live on the West Coast will have a better chance at getting their Arcs made Dev's Choice and getting the story slot that comes with it.
No, they don't.
If your arc is good, show it to them in a pm.
If they like it, there you go.
This isn't preferential treatment, it's a CONVENTION.
You want to have your arc shown off? Make a good arc, advertise it, and refine it. sheesh.
Please read my FEAR/Portal/HalfLife Fan Fiction!
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No, they don't.
If your arc is good, show it to them in a pm.
If they like it, there you go.
This isn't preferential treatment, it's a CONVENTION.
You want to have your arc shown off? Make a good arc, advertise it, and refine it. sheesh.
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Hmm, such a strong defensive reaction.
I said it was nice of them. Such a strong defensive reaction would indicate you believe there's something wrong with giving such a nice perk to convention goers and are mindlessly defending what you perceive as a dev "misdeed," but won't say is a misdeed, even when someone says they're doing something nice.
Sheesh.
Your implication that someone who's going to the con is buying their way into the dev's choice slots is obvious and that's what I was responding to.
Please read my FEAR/Portal/HalfLife Fan Fiction!
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Your implication that someone who's going to the con is buying their way into the dev's choice slots is obvious and that's what I was responding to.
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That you saw such an implication, present or not, merely shows that you think the Devs are giving an advantage to those with the geographic location and/or money to go over those that do not.
I said it was nice of them to do it, that's going to be a time sink for them and it will help them add to the 17 or so DC arcs we have. The chance to sit down with a devs to run your arc is bloody awesome, because the feedback is instant and running. If you're into the AE, that is all very very cool.
But your first reaction was to defend the devs from being called "nice." That that tells me you think it is an unfair advantage but don't want to admit it, perhaps even to yourself and will mindlessly defend the devs even when you think they're wrong.
I got my PPD hardsuit last year when I was living in Iowa. I didn't go to PAX. I asked someone I knew who was going to get me a code.
You, too, can do this this year with ComicCon and PAX.
Sadly, though, I don't know anyone going to ComicCon, so I can't ask them. And other than the PPD Hardsuit and the Malta Gungslinger costume (it'd be so cool if that were given at PAX since I live in Seattle now *hint hint* ), there isn't any other Halloween costume I want more than KoA. *sadface*
Paragon Wiki: http://www.paragonwiki.com
City Info Terminal: http://cit.cohtitan.com
Mids Hero Designer: http://www.cohplanner.com
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Originally Posted by Dispari
I don't know why Dink thinks she's not as sexy as Jay was. In 5 posts she's already upstaged his entire career.
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I got my PPD hardsuit last year when I was living in Iowa. I didn't go to PAX. I asked someone I knew who was going to get me a code.
You, too, can do this this year with ComicCon and PAX.
Sadly, though, I don't know anyone going to ComicCon, so I can't ask them. And other than the PPD Hardsuit and the Malta Gungslinger costume (it'd be so cool if that were given at PAX since I live in Seattle now *hint hint* ), there isn't any other Halloween costume I want more than KoA. *sadface*
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You can always try to arrange a possible future trade with someone. Basically "O plan to go to PAX, so you save yours and if they do it at PAX I'll trade it for the KoA one."
I had a friend who did that last year to get one she wanted, though, IIR, she got the SDCC one, didn't use it and arranged a trade with someone later on.
It's a me! yaaay!
Bought our tickets around Jan and it looks like it wasn't too soon. This is the fastest I've ever seen the tickets sell out (entirely sold out over a month before start).
We'll be there yet again and I'm glad to hear we AREN'T doing the whole dancing/pocket D in RL thing. Panel sounds like fun!
Shall I make another "Free Hamster" sign? 
NOOOOO I loved the dancin.
Sure it was a pile of nerds! But get enough liquor into us and we're wild and crazy just like anyone else!
Please read my FEAR/Portal/HalfLife Fan Fiction!
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I have no recollection of such events >.>
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I have no recollection of such events >.>
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hehehehe, see, the drinkin works.
Please read my FEAR/Portal/HalfLife Fan Fiction!
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I'll be there! My first Comic-Con.
Can't wait to meet everybody!
Leader of the British Superhero Corps on Pinnacle
Shego: Another one saved from the fiery pits of EEeeeeconomy Computing Hell.
In addition to the ones handed out at Comicon, they should give a away a certain number of codes online to those who cannot attend, perhaps some sort of drawing. That would be more fair than just giving them only to those fortunate enough to live close or have to money to make the trip.
Just a thought, and one that will likely be shot down for a number of reasons, but what about this:
Each player who attends SDCC (or PAX, or HeroCon) gets a free costume code card. Additionally, they have the option of purchasing up to five(?) more code cards at a price of $5 each.
That way, NCSoft gets to reward players who attend SDCC (or PAX, or HeroCon) with a freebie, and those who can't attend could make arrangements with in-game friends, or SG/VGmates to get a code for themselves, and as a bonus NCSoft puts a little extra cash in their development or convention budget.
(Sometimes, I wish there could be a Dev thumbs up button for quality posts, because you pretty much nailed it.) -- Ghost Falcon
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Just a thought, and one that will likely be shot down for a number of reasons, but what about this:
Each player who attends SDCC (or PAX, or HeroCon) gets a free costume code card. Additionally, they have the option of purchasing up to five(?) more code cards at a price of $5 each.
That way, NCSoft gets to reward players who attend SDCC (or PAX, or HeroCon) with a freebie, and those who can't attend could make arrangements with in-game friends, or SG/VGmates to get a code for themselves, and as a bonus NCSoft puts a little extra cash in their development or convention budget.
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I like the idea, except for the fact that most of those "extra" cards would end up on eBay, not with friends. I personally would love to get the the PPD Hardshell costume that was given away at a Con I didn't attend a couple of years ago, but the only source has been eBay going for about $100.00... no thanks.
Personally, I would like to see these costumes that are given out as Cons be exclusively through the codes for a period of time - say 3 to 6 months. I would then like to see them go into the store for sale - say $5.00 a costume. That way attendees get a cool thing (for free) that is exclusively theirs for a short while, and then anyone who wants it can get it later for a cost much less than on eBay (and the money would be going to game development).
My first 50 of each AT on Triumph:
Tempest Master: Defender; Puppy: Master Mind; Dr Hypochondria: Controller; RubberCop: Tanker; Gleipnir: Scrapper; Viridian Widow: Widow; Mr Atlantis: Blaster; Storm Lord: Dominator; Quetzacouatl: - Peacebringer; DogStar: Corruptor; Lightning Strikes: Stalker; Lord of Brass: Brute; Mr. Cygnus X-1: Warshade
Yeah, lots of the extras would end up on eBay, but they wouldn't be going for $100 each because some people who really wanted them would get them through friends, and there would be more to go around (6 per per person instead of 1), so the eBay supply would go up and the demand would go down, thus lowering secondary market prices significantly.
(Sometimes, I wish there could be a Dev thumbs up button for quality posts, because you pretty much nailed it.) -- Ghost Falcon
So instead of $100 each they would cap at maybe $75.00... that's still more than I would want to pay and that money STILL wouldn't be going to the development of the game.
My first 50 of each AT on Triumph:
Tempest Master: Defender; Puppy: Master Mind; Dr Hypochondria: Controller; RubberCop: Tanker; Gleipnir: Scrapper; Viridian Widow: Widow; Mr Atlantis: Blaster; Storm Lord: Dominator; Quetzacouatl: - Peacebringer; DogStar: Corruptor; Lightning Strikes: Stalker; Lord of Brass: Brute; Mr. Cygnus X-1: Warshade
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To be fair, even if you're local, if you didn't purchase a pass months ago, you'd be hosed anyhow. Comic Con has been sold out for at least the past month or two It's a national event, so hundreds of thousands of passes have already been purchased. It's at capacity, and there are no tickets at the door. Passes are also non-transferable, so no scalped passes either.
However, the same codes given out at previous events have been made available through various CoX contests by some of the third party sites. There's still chances to get them even if you cannot get into Comic Con.
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The wife and I were wanting to do Comic-Con ... and yeah it was sold out quite quickly -so yeah, hosed again. They just need to offer these codes at the store and actually travel to more states for things. I think Statesman was the only one to make it to Arizona, and that was for an ASU game.
ArchRex Dojhrom x ?
* Sidus Loricatus: B-NRG2, S-BS/Reg, T-Fire/Ice, MM-Bots/FF, St-NRG2, Dom-Psi/NRG, Cor-Son/Traps, Cor-Ice/Kin, Ctrl-Fire/Kin, PB-LB/LA
* Arachnos Loricatus: Soldier, Widow
* Praetoria Loricatus: B-DP/Dev, Cor-Elec/Elec
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So instead of $100 each they would cap at maybe $75.00... that's still more than I would want to pay and that money STILL wouldn't be going to the development of the game.
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I honestly don't know what they'd be going for - whatever the buyers were willing to pay, I guess. It's true NCSoft wouldn't get any of that money, but they would at least get the money for the upfront purchase of the cards, which they don't even get now when someone sells one of these on eBay, and it would still allow the cards to remain somewhat exclusive to the con.
(Sometimes, I wish there could be a Dev thumbs up button for quality posts, because you pretty much nailed it.) -- Ghost Falcon
They wouldn't be exclusive to the Con - it would just mean that those who went to the Con could make a profit off of those who were not able to make it. This would simply make an imperfect system WORSE, not better, and resentment would skyrocket.
The company would make SIGNIFICANTLY more offering them through the store where anyone who wants one could get one, not simply those a) who happen to have a friend who is going (and likes them more than the money they can make offering the codes for sale) or b) has enough money to buy them on the after market.
My first 50 of each AT on Triumph:
Tempest Master: Defender; Puppy: Master Mind; Dr Hypochondria: Controller; RubberCop: Tanker; Gleipnir: Scrapper; Viridian Widow: Widow; Mr Atlantis: Blaster; Storm Lord: Dominator; Quetzacouatl: - Peacebringer; DogStar: Corruptor; Lightning Strikes: Stalker; Lord of Brass: Brute; Mr. Cygnus X-1: Warshade
Currently: If you can't go to the con, you can spend, to use your figure, $100 on eBay for a code card, or you do without. NCSoft gets no money from the code cards in any case.
My suggestion: If you can't go to the con, you can at least try to arrange for someone to get one for you at the convention for $5. If you can't get someone to pick one up at the convention, you have to do without or buy one on eBay for, to use your figure again, $75. All the cards that go on eBay put $5 in NCSoft's pocket.
How on Earth is my suggestion WORSE than the way it works currently?
Sure, it's not as ideal as your suggestion, but it is absolutely NOT worse than that current situation in terms of getting cards into the hands of players who can't attend the convention, for a reasonable price.
As for exclusivity, if something is only distributed by the original vendor at one venue, and nowhere else, it certainly is an exclusive, regardless of whether it ends up on the secondary market or not. If a vendor initially distributes something at a single venue, but then later makes the exact same item available to anyone anywhere without changing anything about it, it is NOT an exclusive to the original venue.
(Sometimes, I wish there could be a Dev thumbs up button for quality posts, because you pretty much nailed it.) -- Ghost Falcon
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I want that Knives of Artemis costume power so badly.
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Me too. But I'm so very unlikely to ever get it.
To those who say things like "But they give out the codes to other places, like to be given out as prizes, etc.", let me just say that this is my experience - I went to the Meet & Greet in Columbus at Origins Game Fair. We contacted Niviene and she very kindly hooked us up with stuff to pass out. That stuff included significantly less than enough codes for everyone there who would have liked to get one to actually receive one. And it was not a brand new fresh code like this kewl Knives one.
I would pay money for one. But I can't pay the price of a pass to SDCC plus hotels and air fare from Columbus to San Diego. So once again, I will do without.
I'm kinda sad at the astounding lack of empathy for those of us who can't attend these West Coast events from the forum posters. I hope you have a blast, but please try to understand where the non-attendees jealousy is coming from - and I freely admit I'm jealous.
Altoholic - but a Blaster at Heart!
Originally Posted by SpyralPegacyon
"You gave us a world where we could fly. I can't thank you enough for that."