“Please do not monopolize the games,” barked signs posted around every television in Otakon 2010’s massive gaming room. They dictate that winner stays and loser moves on – but with so much variety in gaming, being the loser might be best.
BlazBlue looked positively stunning on HD, widescreen televisions. Fans of the game wore expressions of utmost intensity and the competition was fierce, and that wasn’t even the tournament gameplay! There were, of course, Pump it Up and In the Groove machines, puzzle fighters aplenty (even a Card Captor Sakura game – who knew?), Rock Band, and Tekken among others.
The opportunity to compete with con-goers in the gaming room was not all that gamers could enjoy at Otakon this year. Disgaea, Resident Evil, and Pokemon cosplayers wandered the Baltimore Convention Center, available for photo ops with screaming fans. Pyramid Head even made a few appearances for fans, in-between flesh ripping and, well, you know.
The Dealer’s Room offered hundreds, if not thousands, of import games not available anywhere else. Pokemon fans could even purchase the popped collar and beer-wielding “Slowbro” shirts at Sanshee’s booth in the massive hall of merchandise. Shirts, stickers, swords, costumes, and thousands of different figurines straight out of Japan were available at Otakon this year.
There were two unique and never-before-seen surprises at the convention – one enjoyable and one disruptive. On Saturday afternoon, the entire Baltimore Convention Center was evacuated due to a fire alarm. It was later reported that there was no fire, but just under 30,000 attendees were sent to stand in the sunny streets of Baltimore for over an hour. The Dealer’s Room and Artist Alley hours were extended and several panels were rescheduled so otaku could continue to enjoy the convention despite the interruption.
New to Otakon this year was an 18+ event that filled one of the largest panel rooms, with people both sitting and standing. Cosplay Burlesque was held from 11:30pm to approximately 2am Saturday evening, and the event was a hit with fans. This burlesque troop out of New Jersey introduced fans to the naughty side of some of their favorite characters our of anime and video games including Ponyta and Team Rocket from Pokemon, Tuxedo Mask from Sailor Moon, Link from The Legend of Zelda, and even Tetris. Con-goers attending the event were treated to music, dancing, and talented performers with an array of skills.
With dates just announced for Otakon 2011, it’s time to start planning for next year’s excitement. Here’s hoping for a bigger and better gaming room, no fire alarms, and the return of the hit panel Cosplay Burlesque.
Otakon 2010: Gaming, Fire Alarms, and Naughty Tetris – Oh My!
“Please do not monopolize the games,” barked signs posted around every television in Otakon 2010’s massive gaming room. They dictate that winner stays and loser moves on – but with so much variety in gaming, being the loser might be best.
BlazBlue looked positively stunning on HD, widescreen televisions. Fans of the game wore expressions of utmost intensity and the competition was fierce, and that wasn’t even the tournament gameplay! There were, of course, Pump it Up and In the Groove machines, puzzle fighters aplenty (even a Card Captor Sakura game – who knew?), Rock Band, and Tekken among others.
The opportunity to compete with con-goers in the gaming room was not all that gamers could enjoy at Otakon this year. Disgaea, Resident Evil, and Pokemon cosplayers wandered the Baltimore Convention Center, available for photo ops with screaming fans. Pyramid Head even made a few appearances for fans, in-between flesh ripping and, well, you know.
The Dealer’s Room offered hundreds, if not thousands, of import games not available anywhere else. Pokemon fans could even purchase the popped collar and beer-wielding “Slowbro” shirts at Sanshee’s booth in the massive hall of merchandise. Shirts, stickers, swords, costumes, and thousands of different figurines straight out of Japan were available at Otakon this year.
There were two unique and never-before-seen surprises at the convention – one enjoyable and one disruptive. On Saturday afternoon, the entire Baltimore Convention Center was evacuated due to a fire alarm. It was later reported that there was no fire, but just under 30,000 attendees were sent to stand in the sunny streets of Baltimore for over an hour. The Dealer’s Room and Artist Alley hours were extended and several panels were rescheduled so otaku could continue to enjoy the convention despite the interruption.
New to Otakon this year was an 18+ event that filled one of the largest panel rooms, with people both sitting and standing. Cosplay Burlesque was held from 11:30pm to approximately 2am Saturday evening, and the event was a hit with fans. This burlesque troop out of New Jersey introduced fans to the naughty side of some of their favorite characters our of anime and video games including Ponyta and Team Rocket from Pokemon, Tuxedo Mask from Sailor Moon, Link from The Legend of Zelda, and even Tetris. Con-goers attending the event were treated to music, dancing, and talented performers with an array of skills.
With dates just announced for Otakon 2011, it’s time to start planning for next year’s excitement. Here’s hoping for a bigger and better gaming room, no fire alarms, and the return of the hit panel Cosplay Burlesque.