Silicon Valley Comic Con 2018 – Wrap Up
Silicon Valley Comic Con 2018…
Another year has come and gone for the growing and popular Silicon Valley Comic Con. Every year events, to-do’s, and other items are tweaked a little here and there based on feedback from the attendees to make it really what the people want to see. The other key focus that SVCC accomplishes really well is focusing on not just the sole idea of Comics or Celebrities, but also the focus on the professional field of Science and Technology.
From exhibitors such as NASA, they bring to their tables the world of space and engineering helping folks of all ages see what it is like to work in that field, what goes into it and inspiring others to look more into the field of Aerospace. Of course, it does not stop at the show floor with panels featuring Dr. Michio Kaku where they discussed The Science of Earth Life Off The Planet, and other sessions featuring Astronaut Dr. Mae Jemison where she spoke about Pursuing the Extraordinary.
Gaming Zone Area…
The gaming zone area this year we noticed was a bit different this year. While it still offered the great ability to sit down with strategic board games and get instructed for those new to the game, its arcade/pinball area went from free play to pay play. We are figuring that most likely had to do with a vendor change in who provided the games. Either way, it was a fun social area to hang out in that also had a couple of rows of console games to play as well as some Smash Brothers on the big screen to have fans of all ages challenge each other for everyone to watch.
In the Gaming Zone was also the well laid out Adam Savage Cosplay Lounge. Here is where you could catch Adam himself hanging out and talking with fans and Cosplayers. They also had on hand anything from sewing machines to other helpful tools if someone needed to slip away for a second or two to fix their costume before headed out to the show floor again.
Science Fair / Kids Zone…
The Science Fair sponsored by RoboGames had an awesome setup. With their Mini Robots on hand to play with for a quick $5 match, to be able to check out the big guys as well up close and personal. The kids’ zone itself was also a really nice setup that mad the con even more fun for that all ages category. From Cornhole (Bean Bag Toss), Free Face Painting, and even amazing Light Saber battle instructions by the Golden Gate Knights, It was really not something you would want to miss.
Panels With Good Conversation…
We were lucky enough to be able to catch two panels, both were equally awesome. The first one, ‘Worlds Re/Defined: Wakanda, Halo, Star Wars… How Do You Create a Universe or Character That People Love?’, boasted guests of Evan Narcisse (Rise of Black Panther co-writer), Mackenzie Donaldson (Producer of Orphan Black), Mac Walters (Creative Director Bioware), Gary Whitta (Rogue One co-writer), Kiki Wolfkill (Head of Halo Transmedia, 343 Industries), and Marv Wolfman (Comic book writer, The New Teen Titans). There was so much talent mashed into one room it was inspiring. Each panelist was great, taking the time to explain processes of building worlds or stories that people can enjoy. It went from their thought processes to their own failures, showing that even the best can sometimes slip up. One of the best features of the panel was how diverse the guests were. They came from all across different media, from movies, comics, TV shows, and video games…but they all, in the end, they all start the process the same way, with a blank page.
Our second panel was, ‘Leveling Up: Upgrading from AAA to Indie Game Development’. Gary Whitta took the stage again as the host, and the panel consisted of Reid Schneider (Executive Producer and Co-Founder, Typhoon Studios), Alex Hutchinson (Creative Director and Co-Founder, Typhoon Studios), and Caryl Shaw (VP of Development for Double Fine Productions). This was a joy listening to each of their histories in video games, with each one of them being involved with some of the beloved games from Ubisoft and EA. You’d think they’d stay with their decent jobs being in fairly stable companies, but they had creative itches that weren’t being scratched with those companies. Caryl chimed in on how they are hard at work on Psychonauts 2, which gathered a cheer from the crowd. Both Alex and Reid were unable to release any information on their first game from Typhoon Studios, but I was able to pass off a business card to Reid in hopes for more information! On a side note, you should hear Alex’s rant on VR.
Featured Interviews…
We were able to talk with SVCC Chairman Trip hunter about his experience with Comic-Con over the years. From initial start-up to watching it make changes in people’s lives of who they want to be and where they want to go in life was something really special for Trip. Take a moment and click HERE to see our interview with Trip and his thoughts about SVCC and what it brings to the table.
We also got a chance to catch up with the developers of Defend The Cake. Defend the Cake is a strategic and scrumptious tower defense game. Take your time building a maze of toast walls and methodically placed defenses, then get ready to deploy power-ups and fend off armies of bugs in real-time. Check out our interview with them HERE
Final Thoughts…
One new event they added this year was a scavenger hunt type game entitled “Passport To Prizes” with the company Fan Guru. The idea was that you visit the booth that had the sign with a password on it. You select that location and then enter the password displayed on the sign via a one time only multiple choice question. If you got it right, you score 10 tickets, if you got it wrong you would get 0 tickets. Once completed you were able to have those tickets automatically submitted for a chance to win cool prizes. A couple of the people in our group actually won the choice of either a Loot Crate Box, Book signed by Author Andy Weir or 2 Tickets to Six Flags. Unfortunately, we did not win the grand prize of an Xbox One.
While it was fun and helped us visit several places around the show it still had some kinks to work out. 2 of the locations we visited out of all of the tasks had the password displayed, but when we entered the password it said it was the wrong password, locked us out from answering again and gave us zero tickets. The location titles were sometimes confusing as well, leaving some curiosity as if we were standing in the correct location or not. Hopefully, if they do something like that next year, things will be a bit smoother.
Overall we feel the 2018 Silicon Valley Comic Con was another success. There were some amazing celebrities in attendance. The panels were inspiring from science to cosplay, there was something for everyone. Keeping everything confined within one building made it feel like a larger crowd than last year, though it was, the floor was much more crowded because the park wasn’t an event for the con. We were able to have a nice chat with Chairman Trip Hunter about SVCC and the future of the event, check out our interview with him. We were able to meet up with some old friends and make some new ones on the floor which is always a blast.
This is easily one of the main events we look forward to every year. If you are a gaming company in the bay area, get your ass over here. Show off your product and be proud of being based in the bay area. ALSO: I feel like we should do a panel next year, just not sure what people would like to hear or see. Until then, see you next year SVCC.
