After being a bit underwhelmed with our investigation of day one, a small part of me didn't really want to bother with day two, even though we got our hands on the free tickets to see the comedy event with Sean Lock headlining. This was especially true when the sky opened and a rain storm of Florida proportions hit. It cleared though.

I'm glad we did, the event was amazing on every level.

The organisation of the event, or at least the bit we saw on Sunday evening (and the time spent there on Saturday) was impeccable. The whole experience just flowed, was easy, free of all stress and just...pleasant. This is quite an achievement, since the comedy event came at the end of the day's activities and they had about 900 people to get seated. There was even people waiting for free seats. Oddly, the people waiting for tickets looked a bit desperate and much poorer than the people queuing with tickets, they even leered a bit and called us the 'rich folks'. A bit odd, since the tickets were free and all it took was a bit of agility with the internet or a willingness to get out of bed a bit early.

The comedy event was brilliant simply because it was very funny, it did what said on the tin to an impressive degree. The event had three acts: Ivan Brackenbury, Lee Nelson and Sean Lock, though the compare, Jason Cook, was also very funny and deserved the status of being a fourth act. Ivan Brackenbury gave Sean Lock a run for his money as the funniest act of the night, while Jason Cook was good, but overshadowed by his fellow comedians. I think everyone involved was a bit shocked by the enthusiasm of the crowd. They obviously missed the fact that we don't have events like this every other weekend.

The intention is to have a Dockfest on steroids during the Tall Ships which hits Hartlepool in 2010. It's going to be four days long and feature much more famous music and comedy acts. I'd have been sceptical before, but based on this, they might just pull it off.

We went for a walk along the promenade today, to the marina and the delights of Dockfest 2009. Luckily, the weather was nice so the walk itself was worth it. The sea was in, a beautiful shade of blue and we even had sail boats out of the marina making the most of it. Very nice.

Dockfest itself was a bit weird. Very random. Have to admit, I didn't see the point. There was a lot of food stalls, including a very impressive stall full of sweets of all kinds. It was massive. There was even someone offering to tell you your future in a fairground Gypsy caravan. One of the best exhibits was the WWII re-enactment people, if only because they must spend an absolute fortune on their hobby. They had vehicles and everything. The main tent had a queue as only a certain amount of people are allowed in at any particular time, but it seemed to a be a load of community theatre acts. The live bands didn't start until later in the day, the Lightning Seeds being the main act later in the evening. Not really my thing.

It's great that the events on and a lot of people seemed to be milling around, but I wasn't sure what I was supposed to be doing. It just needed an extra...something.

Looking forward to the comedy acts tomorrow, leading up to Sean Lock.

This morning I downloaded seven new videos from Xbox Live. All the videos belonged to the Bring it Home brand, which tend to involve going to some event, making video segments and then making them available on Xbox Live. In my view they should be making more of the Bring it Home brand, actually turn it into a whole TV show and really focusing on visiting all the big Pop Culture and Video Game Industry conventions. The content should be more frequent, harder hitting and more complete. What they do is good, but it could be much better.

This series of seven videos was from San Diego Comic Con.

I've said it before (in 2005 and 2007 at least), but I'm going to bore people by saying it again: San Diego Comic Con is, without a doubt, the last, great convention frontier and I'll not be happy until I've walked its hallowed halls. I may have got the UK science fiction convention scene out of my blood twelve or so years ago, and have zero interest in revisiting that, but these grand pop culture conventions are the place to be. They are a grand orgy of games, TV, film, comics, panels (involving actors, writers and directors) commercial grandeur and people in fantastic and lame costumes. Brilliant.

The only problem you get into is the damned event always takes place at a time when travel costs are at a premium (never mind the current exorbitant travel costs generally). Still, San Diego has the advantage of not being too far away from Los Angeles and Las Vegas, which means it could become two weeks of commercial, pop culture entertainment nirvana involving the highs and lows of Americana in Las Vegas, checking out the the theme parks and beaches around Los Angeles and then Sea World and Comic Con in San Diego.

When we take walks along the beach in the sun, on those miracle days when it stops hiding behind the clouds, we often talk about what our next holiday will be whenever it comes around that we can afford one. Las Vegas comes up, as does Dubai, so does Los Angeles. I think I'm onto something here, it's just a matter of making sure everything coincides around a particular weekend. The amazing advantage I have is it's something I'd not have to put much effort into persuading Louise to do!

One day, it'll happen.

A week ago we went to York because the Viking Festival was on. It sounded great on paper, plus I'd not been to the Yorvik Centre. I should have had more sense. You see, I've done the battle re-enactment thing and for the most part the people who do it like real ale and have beards. They are their own special kind of Geek. As an example, I spotted one guy walking around York in costume, with no shoes on. It was a few degrees above zero and he was wearing no shoes. I could have risen above all this strangeness masquerading as something educational if the whole thing hadn't been oversold. It's really stretching things when the 'Viking Settlement' turned out to be a tarpaulin with two old Methuselah in it dressed as Vikings.

I did get to go to the Yorvik Centre though, but regrettably that was a disappointment as well.

The trouble with the Yorvik Centre is it doesn't have the good grace to be really bad, it's just good enough to inspire you to think how fantastic it could have been. It's very much the typical British attraction in that it's a good attempt, but they've just missed the boat, not had enough vision, or they didn't get given enough money. What the Yorvik Centre needs is a serious injection of Disney imagination. I can hear people screaming in outrage now, but if you've been to the Yorvik Centre, and to Disney World, you must see that parts of the Yorvik Centre are a Disney attraction done on the cheap? Not only that, the added gloss that extra money and a bit of imagination could provide need not detract from the fact the Yorvik Centre is an educational attraction.

The first part of the attraction is the Time Machine, which is an attempt to do something the Americans do very well: turn a queue control mechanism into an attraction in itself. It's something we British have never mastered. The idea is quite simple: you need to control the flow of people or keep them engaged while in the queue, or both. So you put something in place that not only does all those things, but actually builds up the theme and story of the attraction and thus becomes part of it. In the Yorvik Centre the theory is you are boarding a time machine that is going to take you back in time. Basically, you sit on benches in front of a screen. The screen shows two young people in front of some bad blue screen images who go back in time changing clothes and background images as you go 'back in time'. Your benches shift rather lamely with each shift backwards. Needless to say this could have been much better. In a strange sort of way though it does set the 'correct' tone for the experience, right down to the bored attendant trying to convince you something exciting has happened. It's hardly the Cyberdyne Systems presentation before the Terminator 2 3D attraction in Universal Studios or the Helicopter simulator as you journey to Wild Arctic in Sea World.

Now let's look at the centre piece of the Yorvik Centre: the tour through the city of Yorvik. I don't think I'm completely mad when I say it's like a cheap version of Peter Pan's Flight? It's so cheap its money shot is a man taking a shit. Are we seriously saying someone couldn't think of something more grand than that? I say it should be exactly like Peter Pan's Flight, but focus on imparting the history. As an example, the tour spends a lot of time trying to establish the size and importance of Yorvik, but it immediately puts you in the city streets. Why does it start with a close-up when it should start with an epic panning shot from above? Money, we know that's the case, but our imaginations aren't limited by money so we can throw ideas around. They already use the same types of cars as Peter Pan's Flight so why not have the tour start above Yorvik, thus showing it's size, it's position on the river? You can then move on, descending down towards it showing the commercial activity on the river, and the hustle and bustle. Once that's established you can descend into the city streets and get the close up detail. Show the grandeur that the tour tries to establish with words despite throwing you straight into the squalor. It's possible, if you've got the millions. It's easy to imagine how it could have been fantastic and educational.

The final part of the Yorvik Centre is probably the best bit and it was probably the least expensive. It's a museum with various historical items in glass cases. There is also some people playing characters you can interact with, and the odd special effect that displays 'holographic' people in some of the glass cases. There is some good stuff in this section. I found myself drawn to the various skeletons showing the damage they had suffered in battle. It was an interesting reminder of how harsh the times must have been. It's brought home when looking at the various leg bones with sword cuts etched into them.

Overall though, the Yorvik Centre suffers from being a typical British attraction, in that it's a case of nice try, but it just seems to fall short. You also have to consider it costs 8 GBP each to get in. A grand total of 16 GBP for two people. I can think of much better things to do with my money. Luckily we paid a grand total of 90 pence so we didn't feel too bad. The sad thing is, the queue waiting to get in had all sorts of nationalities in it, people who had come from as far as Australia and thought it'd be a great place to visit on their travels. I shake my head in shame.

Keeping in with the convention spirit, due to GenCon currently being on-going, I thought I'd dredge up some of my memories of conventions. I stopped going to conventions quite abruptly in 1996, though I'm finding the start date a bit harder to place. It was around the early nineties, put it that way, as I was going to conventions while I was at University, and during my first job. In fact, 1996 was a big year, as I stopped going to conventions, changed jobs and began my four years of being an armchair gamer (only to return with the current role-playing group when D&D 3E was launched in 2000). Anyway, it would seem my conventions years consisted of 4-5 years in the first half of the nineties.

You can break the conventions I went to into a number of elements: guests, media, merchandise, fandom culture, fancy dress and parties.

Each and every convention had guests. Some had better guests than others. The general format was 1 or 2 main guests and then a handful of also rans. You'd generally get the same also rans appearing if you went to a number of conventions: the guy who played Bobba Fett, a few Imperial Officers, a guy who played Data's hand, Tasha Yar's stunt woman or the third Ewok on the left. The main guests at a UK Convention were always difficult, as quite often significant ones would get announced but then not turn up, often making you wonder if it was all fake in the first place. Still, over the course of my convention period I got to meet: Colm Meany, J Michael Straczynski, Michael O'Hare, Ed Wasser, Walter Keonig, George Takei, Robert H Justman, Aron Eisenberg, Dwight Schultz and a good few more I can't remember, such as the production and writing staff of various shows. The guests gave talks, of varying interest, and signed autographs, this used to be for free and then the greedy buggers started charging. Still, it was funny to try and get them to sign something stupid, or something embarrassing from their past, or hitting them with a humorous question during their talk. Different guests would also integrate with the convention to different degrees. As an example, it turned out Dwight Schultz was a UFO conspiracy theorist, we all had Men in Black costumes in our rooms, so we arrested him at a later event, even he got a kick out of it. Sounds stupid, but it was fun at the time.

A core of it was to do with genre media, of course. Talking about the various TV shows and films, and watching them as well. During the day, we'd spend time in video rooms or auditoriums. At numerous conventions I'd catch-up on my Star Trek viewing since the UK was well behind. I remember watching loads of X Files episodes as well, since I discovered the X Files through conventions and it was building up a convention following long before it was on UK television. At one small media convention we watched all three Star Wars films on a big screen, which was neat as I was running a great Star Wars campaign at the time. In many ways, the closest things that counted as 'first dates' between myself and Louise consisted of us watching X Files episodes at the odd convention or two. You'd even get people coming to promote some really ridiculous ideas, along with promotions material and mini-episodes, to try and and generate a grass roots audience, a bit like a pop star playing at shopping malls. I saw some some really dodgy stuff in this area.

The dealers room. Basically, the dealers room was like something off an Indiana Jones film, you'd walk in and it was like an ancient treasure chamber, the music kicking in and dreams of fortune and glory entering your head, just without the traps. Well, unless you count the whole dealers room as essentially one big trap for hopeless geek Cuckoos. Looking back on it now, it was all amazing, colourful rubbish really. You'd buy daft things like replica phasers and tricorders, licensed novels, official guides and the like. It seemed worth the money at the time, but looking back on it now it was a bit insane. I still have the odd thing today that I found in one dealers room or another, such as my boxed set of Star Wars music, containing all the original music scores and additional music not on the original releases. I remember standing in a dealers room thinking things had got a bit ridiculous when I discovered a licensed Star Trek novel featuring the X-Men had been released.

A lot of it was the buzz of just being in the same place as hundreds, if not a thousand or so fans of genre media, though often specifically Star Trek. In the early nineties, the varied menu of product didn't exist. I think many people had love and hate feelings with respect to fandom culture in general. You met some great people. You met some real weird people, but still nice enough. You would also encounter some really anal, opinionated and nasty people as well, the theory that these conventions are full of all sorts of new wave, hippy love is misleading. People can get nasty over this stuff, and hold grudges for a long time. Still, the overwhelming feeling is fun, friendly and social, even if, at times, you're laughing at people rather than with them. I'm also sure everyone thinks they are in their own way cooler, or less sad than others, but then there are probably other people thinking the opposite about you, so it equals out in the end. In my experience? It was the Doctor Who fans you had to watch, but that may be just me.

I started going to conventions sure that the whole fancy dress thing (or Cosplay in US parlance) would never suck me in. I was wrong and it wasn't long before I committed to the whole costume drama spiral and was even entering the fancy dress competitions. In my defence, we always entered in groups, and always did it in a way to get a laugh. I was always particularly impressed with our Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back in 10 minutes entries. We never got to do The Return of the Jedi. In all honesty, the fancy dress thing was about celebrity. It sounds strange, and it was strange, but it was a constant buzz of people talking to you, taking your photo and generally having a laugh. It was fun, a confidence booster, frenetic and exciting.

It was also about parties. Every night, until about 3-4 in the morning. These were often fancy dress parties, which made them even more exciting. Interestingly, for those who have never been to conventions, this is the last thing they expect to happen. But think about it? Lots of people with the same interests, all in the same place, a core of them willing to get into the whole fancy dress thing without feeling stupid or getting drunk first. It's safe to say, it was a relatively low inhibitions environment. The parties at conventions have easily been some of the best I've been to. They did a lot for my confidence, personality and helped shatter my shyness. Not everyone went to the parties, of course, some went to bed, others watched videos, but they were always well attended. They were great.

All this is over a decade ago now, and my reactions to it are a bit mixed. I don't mean they are positive and negative, as my memories of this period in my life are overwhelming positive. Conventions were one contributing factor to me maturing as a rounded individual, becoming much more self-confident, out going and much less shy. I met the person I hope to spend the rest of my life with at these conventions. They have been life affirming. I'm fine openly discussing them even now, and will defend them as a valid activity to this day. I have mixed emotions regarding them because I know I wouldn't enjoy them in the same way now, and while I understand why this is the case, and it has some positives, I also feel that inability represents something I've lost. The simple fact that I would not be able to do the whole costume thing now, is a bit depressing, as it does mean I've lost something. It would seem my life since has influenced me to the extent I'm just a bit more mundane, and a bit more banal, and that results in the fact I'd feel incredibly stupid doing that now. It's a bit of regret over that elusive thing I've lost.

If I was to go to a convention now, GenCon, ComicCon or whatever, the reasons for going would be different, and so would the experience, but that's a good enough summary of yesteryear (actually, it's probably not, there is probably a very humorous article in all this).

Nearly two weeks ago I put forward that I wasn't really that bothered about GenCon, and that if there is one last, great convention in me it would be ComicCon. I think only part of this is true. Yes, ComicCon is probably the last, great convention in me, but as I was reading things about GenCon yesterday I decided that it would be really cool to be there.

What's changed my mind is just the idea of being there. I'm still not that overly interested in playing games at the convention. I'm not such a big fan of playing new games with people I don't know sort of 'on the spot'. I'd be more likely to go to the panels, that might be more my thing. It would be interesting just to soak it all up though, and by that I don't just mean the convention itself but Indianapolis as well. As an example, as I read about all the eating places people go to while at the convention I can't help but think it would be great to meet people I've sort of encountered for years on forums and have a meal at these places. It might never happen, I may have their on-line identities in my head much more than they have mine, but in theory it would be cool. As an example, there is a restaurant and brewery called The Ram, that pulls out the stops for GenCon, and lots of gamers hang around there. That would be fantastic to see, even if it's slightly humorous. They even put on a special stuff like specific drinks and related t-shirts by gaming artists (such as stuff by Privateer Press). They even arrange a gaming rooms and run movies running from early until late (or early in the morning). It sounds fantastic. Allegedly, gamer sorts were spotted there yesterday lunch time, local time, obviously.

There is also a spectacle element. I'm not saying it has the grandeur of ComicCon, but it's probably grand enough. I'm sure the dealers room looks great and is full of all sorts of weird and fantastic stuff I'd never buy. There is undoubtedly going to be some element of Cosplay going on, which is always fascinating. There is ever increasing rumours that Dungeons and Dragons 4E is going to be announced at this years GenCon, and it would be fantastic to be there for that. Not sure why, it just would. I think part of the reason for that is it was the announcement, run up and release of Dungeons and Dragons 3E that got the role-playing group together. A new edition of Dungeons and Dragons shouldn't be exciting, but it always seems to be. I think it's because people with a wide gaming pallet can understand how D&D experience could work for them, if it only wasn't so detailed and was a bit more flexible and streamlined. We shall see. It'll be interesting if they take the Star Wars Saga Edition approach. If it is announced we'll know in about 14 hours according to this clock at the time of posting.

Basically, I'm talking about the sights, the sounds and no doubt the smells. The meet and greet element. The experiencing of a bit of Indianapolis in the sun. Just the thought of that many gaming geeks together has to provide an interesting experience just by virtue of the pressure it puts on the nature of reality itself. I just like that sort of ridiculous excess. Then throw in the fact you'd be going with friends and that would be entertainment in itself.

Well, the whole experience officially begins today, once local time ticks around. For those who are there, enjoy.

First, let's just say the concept of The Convention, isn't something I'm unfamiliar with. For a period of years, circa 5 I think, I was going to at least one science fiction convention a year, quite often more than one. It was one of the things I did and I have no probably saying, at the time, I unabashedly loved them. I liked getting to see all the TV shows early, meeting up with friends, having a laugh, even getting involved in the whole costume thing and partying through the night. All great stuff. I even met my wife at the first Wolf 359 Convention in Leicester. At the same time, this part of my life ended in 1996.

What I've never been two is a big, over the top, media saturated event convention, as these things tend to only really happen in the US. I've been to a good number of the biggest UK science fiction conventions, but there still not exactly the same. This means, when these things happen, I'm fascinated by them, and in the period of about a month we've had ComicCon, BlizzCon is currently happening and GenCon will soon be upon us. I tend to absorb as much as I can from these type of events via the web, though possibly not so much GenCon. We've also had the new E3 not so long ago. All this is brought home even more by the fact three of the gaming group are going to GenCon this year.

Strangely enough, as could probably be guessed at by the fact it's the only one I don't overly scout the web about, I'm not sure I'm that bothered about going to GenCon. At first I thought I was, but the more I think about it I'm not sure I am. I don't do one shot games with people I don't know. I never have and I don't really have any intention to start. This would mean I'd not sign up for a single game, and neither would I jump into anything that happened to spring up more spontaneously. I may find myself intrigued by the panels and the discussions, but I'm not sure I'm 500+ GBP flight plus hotel costs and the like interested. I don't really buy role-playing games in stores any more, I'm not interested in designing my own game, and if I really wanted a large collection of independently published games games I could get them off the web rather than fly halfway across the world to buy them. I really like role-playing games, but just not in a way that seems to generate interest in going to GenCon.

While I'm not bothered about BlizzCon, despite finding it strangely alluring, I still have an eye for getting to go to San Diego ComicCon in the future. As I've said before, if there is one last convention in me, that's probably it. I think the best way to do this would be to arrange a holiday in that part of the US that just happened to accommodate a couple of days at ComicCon. One day, you never know.

For those remotely interested, the picture of the incredibly sexy Blood Elves, and the Owl Bear constructed from old rugs, have been brought to you from BlizzCon.

In some rather shocking news, for me anyway, I'm sure for others they seen it coming a mile off, it would appear E3 is being revamped to the extent that it will become much smaller and much more intimate. I have to say, I find this pretty disappointing. I liked the whole idea of E3 being grand, over the top and a ridiculous celebration of all that is computer gaming - even to the extent of using booth babes. Ain't it all just part of the exciting and event status of such a convention?

It isn't surprising that I think this way, as historically I've been a person who likes over the top commercialism, having enjoyed holidays in Disney World and Las Vegas over absorbing the culture of Rome, for instance (though this approach is slowly changing). I've always wanted to experience E3, and over the years I've found numerous ways to do that, mostly via linking in to Gamespots coverage, but this year by also downloading content for Xbox Live (albeit it all Microsoft related). After experiencing the 'live' coverage from an open studio on the convention floor that Gamespot provided, which was fantastic, I was looking forward to next year. In away, I suppose I held some vague hope that one day I would go myself. It seems I've ran out of time on that one.

The argument is that E3 has become an inefficient way of doing business, and I'm sure there is probably arguments for that, though I'm certainly not the one to discount them or not. It would seem the cost of putting on an E3 show, especially for those professing to be in the big leagues has become prohibitive, and as the cost rises the ability to do actually business reduces due to the nature of the show. As a result, it's going to replaced with a more intimate affair focusing on press events and meetings between media, retail and development businesses. In short, it becomes a way of doing business, with all of the show business, trade show atmosphere totally gone. Even more importantly, it will now be purely an industry thing, and not something the general public attend.

I suspect this will effect the smaller companies the most, those going to the show, paying for smaller stands, but using the event to get their products noticed by the bigger players. The smaller companies, often the ones with some unique ideas, do use the show in this way as I saw quite a few on the E3 footage. I just can't imagine this more intimate event will cater to that audience, as it will almost certainly become the exclusive domain of the big name developers, media and retail outlets.

It'll be interesting to see what the event 'looks like' next year, and how it is covered in the gaming media.

It snowed yesterday and today. Yes, that's right, it's April and it snowed. This was unfortunate as the weather had been showing signs of getting better, we've had a lot of brighter days and blue skies, and while it's not necessarily been warm, it's certainly been nice and cool rather than cold. In a typically British fashion, as soon as you are counting on the weather, it kicks you in the arse.

Yesterday we went to see Liberty X, at Dalton Park.

You have to do these things don't you, for a laugh, and because you have a younger niece who wants to go and see them. That's my excuse anyway. It started well, the weather was a bit on the chilly side, but it was dry and some of the sky was actually blue. The trouble was, as soon as the event started, with the traditional hour of a DJ (from Metro radio in this case) joking about and throwing out free stuff to the crowd, the clouds move in and it starts to rain. Not long after that the sleet starts coming down.

The opening act was Haifa, one of the near finalists on the last series of the X Factor, and also one of the near misses on the original Pop Stars, ironically the same show the Liberty X members came runners up in (the 5 not selected from the last 10 for the band). By this time the temperature had plummeted so much it was bloody freezing. It got so bad, Liberty X speed to the event early in their suitably black vehicle in order to stop people from dying in the cold. Liberty X came on in the snow.

It was all good, and interesting way to spend about five hours, including a look around Dalton Park. And yes, in typically British fashion, it did start getting brighter when it was all over, while walking back to the car in pain due to having stood relatively still in the cold for three hours.

There are many reasons to go to BlizzCon, you can meet the developers, get the low down on the future of the various Blizzard games, hear the latest news on the World of Warcraft expansion and if you're not completely obsessed you can also get out and about in Anaheim, Los Angeles and also see some of the theme parks. Fantastic. I suspect last on anyone's list for going to BlizzCon would be to check out the women with a liking for daubing themselves in purple colouring and wearing false big, floppy ears? Come on, you've travelled that far, you might as well take in the wildlife?

Well, for those unlucky souls who didn't go to BlizzCon, you can find a above a small selection of people from the Con who decided to dress themselves up as a character from World of Warcraft. To be honest, the majority of them are quite good, and not embarrassing at all, unless you find the whole idea embarrassing. We have the obligatory Night Elf babe in purple die, including another Night Elf who seems to be hanging around with some gormless Human Mage. One of the best costumes is the Female Human Mage, as she even has the whole gloriously golden hair that a lot of the models have in the game. She actually looks like a character from World of Warcraft, right down to the fact she's holding the staff from the Scarlet Monastery I think. We do have a few freaky ones, as I assume one of them is a Warlock and one is the Warlock's Succubus, while I have no idea what the person with blue hair is supposed to be. I can't decide whether the people in this picture are convention attendees or models from Blizzard, the Female Mage looks like she could be a model while the figure of the Night Elf seems a bit 'volumptious' for an official Night Elf model.

A small window into the hilarity that ensues at BlizzCon, I can bet now, with a good chance of being right, that at least one girl dressed as a Night Elf decided to do the 'stripper dance' that their character models do in the game, and I also suspect some male geek decided to dance like 'Greece Lightning' just like his character from the game. I might even speculate someone under the influenced even walked up to someone and said 'Looking For Group' with a grin on his face.

Personally, if I was rich beyond my wildest dreams, I'd have went. I'd have loved to speak to the developers and here about the expansion, hell, I'd have even liked to see the girls daubed in purple die. It's part of the spectacle.

I used to go to science fiction conventions, I've probably mentioned it before, and there is at least one article inspired from such trips. I've not been to a science fiction convention for about a decade, but they were fun when they lasted, and I'm happy to defend the merits and flaws inherent about them to anyone. Anyway, I thought my whole convention going life was over, like way in the past, but I think there is one last convention frontier that I'd like to experience at some point: San Diego Comic Con International.

It's like a science fiction convention on steroids, a multimedia extravaganza in which actual movie studios and stars show up to preview their latest products. In which panels take place that are actually interesting, covering all sorts of diverse topics, just scanning the schedule for last year I had at least a couple of events a day I'd want to sign up to. Then you have all the people dressing up as all and sundry, now call me sad, but I'd love that in and off itself as it can offer both awesome sights and incredibly humorous ones. Then you have the dealers room, which is no doubt full of the latest merchandise for a myriad of things. I'm not really in the market for such products any more, but the spectacle of it surely worth seeing. San Diego Comic Con is basically a large convention that covers everything Fandomlife.net does, which is fantastic.

All that and San Diego as well! What more could you want? Yes, for sure, this needs thinking about, San Diego Comic Con International may well be the last convention frontier, something one has to do once in one's life.

Part me thinks I just can't continue with this site without going at least once. Interesting.

I mentioned a while back that the only website I'm willing to subscribe to, and actually pay for, is Gamespot. The simple reason for this is it keeps me current on all the games coming out for the various platforms - but I'm mostly focused on the Xbox lately. Gamespot comes into its own during E3, in fact, the whole years subscription is worth it for their E3 coverage alone. I've always wanted to go to E3, but this is very unlikely to happen, so instead I get a whole multimedia extravaganza via Gamespot. I get to hear the latest news, see footage of the latest games, the booths and all the press conferences.

It's all exciting stuff. Due to mumerous issues with my Internet Connection, I'm only soaking up the E3 coverage now, watching the Microsoft Xbox Press Conference now. Microsoft sure know how to do a press conference.

It still seems to me that Microsoft is the one pushing the console market in interesting directions. Nintendo missed the ball, and the PlayStation just seems to be a very staid console, but the Xbox seems to have a buzz about it, and I think this buzz is because of Microsoft's focus on software. The PlayStation is a console that has games, obviously, but they do not produce any software to make the experience even better. This compares badly with Microsoft, which is constantly using software to enhance and improve the Xbox experience, by extending the use of Xbox Live and building on this with XNA.

They've even managed to resolve their 'dispute' with EA Games, which probably has something to do with all the new features of Xbox Live, the organisation of tournaments, etc, and we can soon look forward to the full EA Sports range on Xbox Live. It's obviously also why Microsoft scaled back their investement in their sports titles.

The world of MMORPGs gets stranger all the time. While I'm obviously quite familiar with the concept of conventions for TV shows, I'm totally unfamiliar with the idea of conventions for MMORPGs. Apparently, the first Star Wars Galaxies Fan Fest is going to be held in Anaheim. Basically the players of the game get together and meet each other, take part in panels, discuss things with the developers, have a banquet dinner, dress up as Star Wars characters, and so on.

I wouldn't be surprised if some of them auction their characters as well, as apparently the market for characters that have become Jedi is quite hot. Indeed, the purpose of some people in MMORPGs seems to be to take the game as far as they can go, in terms of character power, and then sell the result. The games that support rare character types, such as Jedi, obviously make this a feature of the game. Indeed, it will be interesting to see how this market for 'experienced' characters effects the future development of MMORPGs

Anyway, it sounds like an interesting event, and a sign that Star Wars Galaxies seems to be doing quite well.