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Powet @ Otakon 2009
by Sindra, filed in Events, Otakon on Jul.21, 2009
Actually, that title is a bit of a stretch. Powet was at this year’s Otakon in Baltimore, but seeing as how most of the staffers were attending the wedding of our very own Zac Shipley (congrats, btw), I took it upon myself to represent Powet as best I could. Of course, this also is a stretch to say, as I only caught about half of the convention itself, BUT IT MATTERS NOT!
With an estimated attendance of over 26,000 freaks, geeks and Otaku, Otakon certainly kept up its reputation for the largest anime convention on the east coast. Many great guests and voice actors were present, including a special concert by VAMPS even before the con itself started. I managed to make it to a fair amount of panels, most notably the “Sailor Moon’s Influence on Hentai” panel, which of course broke my soul a bit but was still fun. Sadly, I missed out on the “What to Do During a Zombie Apocalypse” panel, as the room was overflowing with con-goers by the time I got there and they were turning people away. Sadness abound. The Video Game Room was jam-packed with all the newest games on hand, as well as some throw-back goodies from the past, and sported heavy traffic from a good many Ghostbusters cosplayers.
Of course the only down side to Otakon, in the past 3 years I’ve attended, has been the convoluted layout. I consider Otakon to be “Disorganized Order”, as while panels are set up in the appropriate places and things are kept flowing in a orderly fashion, the ever-increasing run-around needed to get from Point A to Point B by going around to Points G, K, and Y first becomes more frustrating with each passing year. Oh, and they added a new Hilton hotel onto the convention center this year.
Overall, Otakon is always a fun experience for anyone wanting to spend 3 days in a more-or-less native geek habitat, while also being able to determine your superiority in the geek-chain by demonstrating your ability to use your +3 Deodorant of Smiting.
Long live the Otaku spirit.
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You gotta love system fanboyism. In exchange for the feeling you get of supporting your favorite console manufacturer, you screw yourself out of the chance to play some of the best games available on the other guy’s system(s). Back in the 16-bit days, I couldn’t throw a stone without hitting a Sega fanboy bragging about playing Sonic 2, Streets of Rage, and Madden football while secretly wishing to play Final Fantasy 2 and Super Castlevania 4. Likewise, I knew many a Nintendo fanboy who, while singing praises of their Mario Karts, Secret of Manas, and Contra IIIs during the day, secretly cried themselves to sleep each night over their version of Mortal Kombat having no blood in it. Even in this age of console exclusivity shrinking, I can’t think of one Sony fanboy who didn’t secretly wish to play Mass Effect or Xbox 360 owner who didn’t want to play Meta Gear Solid 4 (even if they wouldn’t admit it out loud). During the last console generation, if there was at least one game that Sony fanboys would have gladly given their first born child for a chance to play, it was the Xbox exclusive Ninja Gaiden, and for good reason. Team Ninja’s 2004 classic not only reintroduced the series to a new generation of gamers, but it crafted one of the finest, hyperactive, gaming experiences on any console, past or present. Thankfully, Tecmo decided to relent, and give Sony PS3 owners a bone. Thus, Ninja Gaiden Sigma, the definitive version of Ninja Gaiden hit PS3s in 2007.