I was at the very first Otakon in 1994. It was fun. Only a couple hundred people, most of them from the area (State College PA back then)
I was also at Otakon 2004. It was terrible. Attendance was frighteningly huge. About 20,000, from what I heard. So much so that as you are driving towards the event you see fat chicks and nerds in angel wings and lacy skirts miles before you get there. Its like a scene from a zombie movie where a town has been overrun my the undead. In this case we'll call them the unliving.
Cons in the old days were such a different ball game. I keep thinking that I can relive that, so I once in a while go to one of these things and it just ends up sucking. Its not just that they are bigger, its that the attendees are just totally different. It used to be that anime nerds were all college kids, or sometimes even college instructors. Now they are high school kids, if not high school drop-outs. They smell f*cking *terrible*, which probably has something to do with wearing the same Sepheroth costume for 3 days and a DDR tournament.
If I were to go to one of these things again though I'd basically just never leave the game room. My circle actually ran a dozen or so game rooms at least during the 90s/early 2000s at Katsucon, Ohiocon, Anime Iowa, and probably others I've forgotten about. I'd like to think that I'm at least partially responsible for anime con game rooms being as amazingly huge as they are now.
I'm thinking about maybe going to a convention that is more old school nerd by design, like maybe a Doctor Who thing.
My frist one was in 96 when they had it at the ramada inn.
Still i'll miss a one year for it then go to the next one.
I am getting at the point now where i'm kind of sick of fighting, the crowds when your trying to reach a panal and crap.
Not to mention every thing is spread out compare to the last few years.
Still that's why i go down for a day other then to say hi... to people i know from the message boards i post at.
This year pickup a thing things in the dealer rooms and hang out, in the room for video games.
Dunno this might be my last year i go to it.
I wouldn't mind going to a convention for classic video games instead. Such as the, CGE or the Philly Classic Gaming Expo for some diffierent for a change.
Of corse those are out of state.
Still body else that's going to the otakon please post here.
Btw i agree with ya though the scene has change for anime convention.
I miss when they were small and easy to get around in.
Topic: Otakon 2007 (Read 378 times)
