So its almost here… ICON is next weekend and I finally got my (tentative) schedule. And like years past, I’ve got a pretty packed line-up…
Saturday:
Big Budget Game Development – 1PM
Indy/Small Game Dev – 2PM
The Evolution of Online Gaming – 3PM
Girl Gamers (A geek?s legend or reality) – 4PM
The History of Video Games – 5PM
“The 10 best games ever created” (In one guy’s opinion)-6PM
Flame wars and trolls – 9PM
Gloom and DOOM – 10PM
Sunday:
Ratings & Censorship in Modern Media – NOON
The Art of Video Games 1PM
Games We’d Like to Make – 2PM
Every year I’m given an hour to talk about whatever I wish all by myself, and this time its the Saturday 6PM topic. I figured, if hearing some schmuck’s idea of what the ten best games ever created are, and the chance to argue over them, doesn’t put asses in seats, nothing will. Which reminds me, I need to get off my ass and get started on the PowerPoint presentation. Also worth noting is the Gloom and DOOM panel, which is all about games today being too realistic, i.e. dark & grimy, and how we need more blue, blue skies…
So yeah, it takes all the way in the heart of Long Island (on the spacious campus of Stony Brook University), plus the price of admission is considered steep by some, but I think its totally worth it if one simply knows how to maximize the bang for their buck. Here’s just a few of other things one can enjoy…
- The “northeast’s biggest science fiction and fantasy convention” tagline is no bullshit. If you’re into anything at least somewhat nerdy, trust me, you will find others who are into the same exact thing, and about 100 times more so, which can be either a relief or depressing, depending on your point of view.
- If you enjoy people watching, especially nerd watching, then this is the place to be. You’ll see everything from plain-jane guys in comics t-shrits and girls that are into manga, to Jedi’s, goth chicks, at least a half dozen Vash the Stampedes, and large women in extremely tight medieval era corsets. And yes, even furries; if you’re really lucky, you’ll get to see one confront me as its been vaguely eluded to!
- Aside from video games, there’s tons of other panels on a multitude of other interests: movies, animation, comics, anime & manga, pen & paper RPGs, live action RPG, science fiction books, pure science fiction discussion talk, and much more that I’m forgetting. On the comics end, MK will be on-hand for the “how to create a mini-comic” panel. Plus I’ll also be giving a talk about internet behavior, which will focus on message boards hijinks, and given that I’m part of both the GAF and Insert Credit, and how both camps basically hate each other, plus the mod from Something Awful (which sure as hell has no love for the IC set) will hopefully make a return appearance, things could get interesting.
- Hopefully like last year, I’ll manage to infuriate an entire room full of girls during the girl gamers panel, despite the fact that I have a very pro-women in games attitude. Or better yet, I might find myself sharing a panel once again with Lochane, the angry techno-fetishist vampire/pirate who claimed to have the ability to create fireballs with his mind (but was not able to do so because “nobody in this room believes in magic”.
- And then there’s the video game room, which will have every single console known to mankind present… but absolutely no one interested in trying them out. Instead, everyone will just want to play against each other in fighting games on the PS2/Xbox/GameCube (for just Smash Bros. of course). Then someone will pull out the laptop with Mugen, which will seem awesome given the possibilities (Ms. Pac Man vs Sub Zero, Mega Man vs Homer Simpson), until you realize that all anyone wants to play is Dragonball Z characters. Plus the room itself is small and has zero ventilation, so on the way you will be stepping over nerds who have literally passed out from the smell (I am NOT kidding about this one).
- Mr. Sulu, George Takei, will be making an appearance. Nuff said.
- Plus there’s the anime dance party. Again, nuff said.
- Finally, for those of you going for the long haul and staying at the hotel, make sure to stick around the lobby to see some lone Stormtrooper or a guy dressed as the Crow getting yelled at my some drunken groomsmen as he screams “Get over here fag!” so he can come over and get his picture taken with the sloshed wedding party.
Are you guys sold? For more info, such as how to get there, just go to the main site, at: http://iconsf.org/
Oh, and a few quick things:
- Connoisseurs of video game music might recall a special live performance of Mario & Zelda music rearranged with a jazz, latin, and country feel. Well here’s the entire performance from a DVD that was only released in Japan. Its well worth the view, if only to hear Mario music via banjos, the way its meant to be heard (no, seriously) and the amazing Dragon Roost (from Wind Waker) rendition.
- And here’s some arty-farty pictures of a girl posing nude with various game systems (sorta NSFW).
- Moving from video games to the movie of the year, here’s a working link to the Snakes on a Plane trailer.
You know, I’ve been wondering… what will Sam Jackson face off against in the end: a really huge snake, a bunch of snakes that combine to form a person, or a half human/half snake hybrid?
- Also, Steve passed along the trailer to yet another cinematic masterpiece, this time from the Wayans Brothers, called Little Man, and I don’t even know where to begin. All I can say is that, along with Snakes on a Plane, movies this year are gonna rock.
- Finally, not sure if everyone already knows this or not, but Joe is the official artists of the Warp Tour! His characters are all over the site. Can’t wait to see them 60 feet tall during the actual tour!
