FanimeCon 2010 Feedback Thread

[kaizoku]

I attended Fanime 07, and the gaming room sucked. I went this year, and the gaming room still sucked. Please have more gaming related things in this "game" room as I'm sure I'm not the only one who wasn't impressed. Instead of just getting arcade cabinets, why not create a gaming stage where tournaments can be held for people to gather around and watch.

I know stage zero had the SSF4 charity this year, so why can't there be a stage like that in the gaming room to fill up some space?

Worthwhile prizes for tournaments? Charge tournament entry fees.

Bring some gaming companies like Namco or EA.

I don't want only an arcade, if I did I would just drive 3 minutes to Milpitas Golfland. I don't have to pay $55 bucks to get in either.

[PyronIkari]

I attended Fanime 07, and the gaming room sucked. I went this year, and the gaming room still sucked. Please have more gaming related things in this "game" room as I'm sure I'm not the only one who wasn't impressed. Instead of just getting arcade cabinets, why not create a gaming stage where tournaments can be held for people to gather around and watch.

I know stage zero had the SSF4 charity this year, so why can't there be a stage like that in the gaming room to fill up some space?

Worthwhile prizes for tournaments? Charge tournament entry fees.

Bring some gaming companies like Namco or EA.

I don't want only an arcade, if I did I would just drive 3 minutes to Milpitas Golfland. I don't have to pay $55 bucks to get in either.

They can't charge tourney fees, as that defeats the purpose of a lot of things, and takes away from the fact that, everything is supposed to be free with attendance.

Game companies are present at Fanime, but it's a matter of them wanting to sponsor stuff, Aksys wants to do things, so they do.

I've never really understood the appeal of why so many people hang out in the game room to be 100% honest. It's something to do, and fun but you're at a convention. Why bother going to the cons tournament if that's your major focus. NorCal Regionals was at the same time as Fanime this year, you coulda went there if what you were looking for was a big game tournament. Granted, I'm glad you came to fanime instead, but really, if that's your main interest, you're in the wrong place. Fanime's game room and tournaments are supposed to be more fun than about major tournaments.

A stage is a major logistics disaster waiting to happen. Having a big stage like that costs thousands, having big events takes lots of time, man power, and money... for something where only about 5% are major players. If it was a pay tournament, the entrees would be cut down to about like... 10, as most players are there to have fun, not compete.

Mod edit: compiled up to here

[AR-99]

I've never really understood the appeal of why so many people hang out in the game room to be 100% honest. It's something to do, and fun but you're at a convention. Why bother going to the cons tournament if that's your major focus.

Everyone is free to do what they want, but I wholeheartedly agree with this. To each their own I, but I had more than enough to do walking around, hitting up GOH signings (and waiting in line for same), and taking photos of cosplayers. However, the fact that there were so many people in the gaming hall (walked through it just to see what was up, then left) shows that there is a large demand for this sort of thing, and with the 24 hour programming, it is something to do late at night/early in the morning, although I'd take sleep over this.

So no comments on the gaming hall from me.

[the otaku god]

kaizoku wrote
-I attended Fanime 07, and the gaming room sucked. I went this year, and the gaming room still sucked. Please have more gaming related things in this "game" room as I'm sure I'm not the only one who wasn't impressed. Instead of just getting arcade cabinets, why not create a gaming stage where tournaments can be held for people to gather around and watch.-

i like this idea and have always felt we should go in this direction. i'll talk with the people in charge of this and see what we can do. mind you if you get more poeple to join you on this it helps the cause.

[Dagger-6]

Not sure which department is in charge of this, but...

While I am typically very big on freedom of speech, since we're a private even and we already regulate profanity on shirts in the name of good taste, I think we should consider banning Nazi symbols.  I realize what qualifies as "offensive" can be hard to pin down and there are plenty of arguments that a Soviet hammer/sickle or Imperial Japanese symbol are just as offensive to some.  However, the Nazi swatstika/eagle represents a very specifically anti-semitic message that I feel is arguably distinct from a national symbol and more in line with say, a KKK outfit.  I could go into more detailed discussion on the rationale if need be, but I'll keep it simple for now.

If people feel they need to express their desire to wear Nazi regalia, they can do so on public property, next to the religious speakers.

Just something to came to mind when my friend's initial reaction on his first visit to Fanime was "What's with all the Nazis?"

[PyronIkari]

Not sure which department is in charge of this, but...

While I am typically very big on freedom of speech, since we're a private even and we already regulate profanity on shirts in the name of good taste, I think we should consider banning Nazi symbols.  I realize what qualifies as "offensive" can be hard to pin down and there are plenty of arguments that a Soviet hammer/sickle or Imperial Japanese symbol are just as offensive to some.  However, the Nazi swatstika/eagle represents a very specifically anti-semitic message that I feel is arguably distinct from a national symbol and more in line with say, a KKK outfit.  I could go into more detailed discussion on the rationale if need be, but I'll keep it simple for now.

If people feel they need to express their desire to wear Nazi regalia, they can do so on public property, next to the religious speakers.

Just something to came to mind when my friend's initial reaction on his first visit to Fanime was "What's with all the Nazis?"

Ah... this topic caused quite a stir on the cosplay.com forums, and I will tell you in advance, you're stepping on some very thin ice with this topic. While censoring curse words and the such... censoring the swastika can be considered discrimination(yes I realize the irony) and it can become a legal issue if presented incorrectly.

First I want to state, this is *MY* opinion and not the opinion of staff. I want this in no way affiliated with staff, or in any way reflected by staff itself.

Although many people find the swastika offensive, the symbol itself is not offensive. The connotations within the symbol are self created, as the symbol originates far before nazis did. Although they changed the meaning and negative/offensive connotations were created through their actions, the symbol itself is not offensive, but personal opinions can find the symbol offensive.

Banning the swastika, is very much like banning... crucifixes, the Star of David, or numerous other "religious symbols". The JP Flag is EXTREMELY offensive to many Mainland Chinese. The Communist Viet Nam flag is extremely offensive to old southern Viet Namese(A man was actually beat to death in socal for wearing a shirt with the flag on it). While on the flipside the objects are a symbol of pride to many.

[Dagger-6]

In the interest of keeping this thread from getting too off topic, since this is a question the would warrant a longer, more in-depth discussion, I've created a thread in the "serious business" forum section for those interested in discussing it.

http://forums.fanime.com/index.php/topic,14643.0.html

[ewu]

Likewise, in the interest of keeping feedback coming. Please only post comments and feedback. Do not reply to the feedback, EVEN if you are staff unless you are in the SPECIFIC department and feel that there is no other option BUT to reply.

I like all caps....

[AmazingKenchan]

gaming stage

1) If yer the same kaizoku I know, you shoulda gotten a hold of me ):
2) We tossed around with the idea of some kind of main screen after con, if anything like that is at all possible, you'll see it next year.  I know myself and the arcade wouldn't mind something like that, just no idea the logistics of setting it up yet.

[Mew]

Guests: Need a little more guests especially seiyuus. This is only a small complaint because I've mentioned this before how I understand that Fanime is not like Anime Expo where they are funded by the State and not every seiyuu is worth bringing overseas. However I just find it a little frustrating how many people (including myself) are constantly requesting certain seiyuus and american voice actors only to come up short :-\. Its like no one from staff is listening or taking it seriously. Then again I could be wrong.

As a huge seiyuu fan and someone whose job is to help bring Japanese guests over to FanimeCon, you can bet that we try. However, it's not as easy as it may seem since FanimeCon is during a period when seiyuu are very busy with spring shows, etc. But rest assured that we do listen to your requests and try however we can!

[mDuo13]

Gosh, I'm a bit late in posting this, aren't I? Well, by and large, I thought Fanime 2010 was one of the smoothest-run cons I've ever been to. In fact, having just been to Anime Expo 2010 this past weekend, I can say that Fanime was more organized by leaps and bounds. I guess this is part of why Fanime keeps getting bigger at such a shocking pace!

Pros:
- Guest selection. FLOW's concert was great, Momoi Halko's return was a lot of fun, Yamaga-san managed to remain fascinating yet again... I mean, there's still room for inviting more guests I'd really love to see, but it was still a great start.
- The handling of the protestors (with that convenient moving fan) was a stroke of genius. Excellent non-confrontational creative problem solving by the staff.
- The gaming room was once again one of Fanime's top attractions. Having everything combined, easily accessible with so much space is immeasurably better than most cons where various types of gaming are divided into different areas.
- The much-welcomed return of the pocket guide! Super convenient! I hear the mobile site was also really convenient, although I didn't personally check it out.
- Use of Twitter. This year,we had more and relevant updates without going overboard, which was great.
- Rovers were great this year: on target where they were needed, well-informed, not excessively officious, very practical... a smooth run machine (unlike AX!)
- Translators at most of the panels were fairly competent and well-informed. Definitely felt like a bit of an improvement over previous years.
- Lending boardgames were available from the very start and at all hours; the selection could've done well to include more Eurogames, but it was solid as-is and I appreciated the availability.
- Day 0. With so much activity going on, it feels more and more like a legitimate day of the con every year.
- Passerby lanes at Stage Zero. This made it a lot less of a fire hazard and a hassle to get past when big events were happening.
- Viewing rooms. There was a nice variety of things on display (fansubs, official releases, classics, new things) and they largely seemed to start on time. Though admittedly I didn't watch a whole lot of things.
- Swap meet. There were, as always, a couple people with delusional prices ($40 for .hack//INFECTION? I saw it at GameStop for $12!) but in general, I found more things I wanted to get, at bargain prices, at the swap meet than in the dealer's room.

Suggestions/Annoyances:
- I agree with Dracil's suggestion of shifting the pocket guide so that facing pages show the same time block rather than having to flip back and forth constantly.
- My biggest complaint was with the one way entrance/exits for the game room. It makes sense to set up a single path for traffic during peak hours (i.e. while swap meet is mobbing the room) but some of the volunteers were making tired-looking old ladies walk all the way around at midnight while nobody was coming or going. Can't we have the entrances be two-way during off hours?
- The Momoi Quest event was fun, but I think it could've been organized in a way that was more exciting. In general, I think that it lost some hype by breaking her performance up into many smaller concerts with no single, long concluding live. It felt like each time right as people were really getting into the spirit, she was done with that particular session. Also, having the lives at timeslots that weren't announced ahead of time made it difficult to plan around schedule conflicts.
- It was a bit of a shame that we couldn't get DJ Max Technika online, and Pop'n Music was a disappointingly outdated version. The lines at the arcade were fairly long for most of the con -- even in the middle of the night or very early morning, Technika had like a 5-person line.
- The dealer's room was a bit lackluster. I liked having the mydjsobad booth, and there were a few other places with OK selection, but the merchandise at most booths felt far too familiar and there wasn't particularly much I was interested in buying.

Other Observations (Not positive or negative):
- I notice that the Artists' Alley is having a bit of a height escalation lately. Nearly everyone has their little frames showcasing their art vertically, which I guess makes a lot of sense since that way people can see what you have to offer from farther away.
- In terms of Cosplay events, the downturn in FMA costumes was a little surprising since Brotherhood is currently running, while the total explosion of Pokemon costumes was impressive. In general, though, it seemed like this year had a bit more variety than previous ones.
- Attendance was visibly up, especially on Friday! Usually, Friday morning feels relatively empty (since presumably people are largely still at work or school) but this year's Fanime was packed throughout the day.

Overall I want to commend Tony and the rest of the Fanime staff for running one of the cleanest cons to date. My complaints are minimal, but I offer them because Fanime over the past few years has shown a most impressive quality: the ability to learn from mistakes and fix them, while keeping and bringing back the things that go right. Thank you all!

[cutiebunny]

(looks at post above) I guess I'm in the same boat.

Kudos to all the work at Fanime this year.  Having also attended AX this year, I was extremely displeased with my experience.  The lines at AX were horrible and poorly run.  I was almost trampled upon due to AX's 15 minute rule.

Anyways, I really enjoyed the artists this past year.  Please, bring some more Japanese artists back for 2011. 


Also, if possible, could you please contract with MangaGamer to come to Fanime in 2011?  They brought over 8 fantastic artists to AX this year and you could commission them to draw you one of their characters on a shikishi board.  I was really impressed with the level of artwork of these artists, and would love to see either these 8 or another group of artists at Fanime 2011.

[boots01]

Yamaga Party: Please introduce the guests of honor attending the party along with Yamaga at the beginning of the party.  Mori & Ishiwatari were just hanging out with the staffs.  They also looked bored.  When the churros were gone, so was Mori.  

The two people that won the Yamaga Party tickets at this year's slient auction were VERY VERY disappointed.  Also, if there is a no paper, pen, bags and backpack policy, put a notice along with the slient auction so people know what to expect.  

Last year's Yamaga party was fantastic which was the reason that they bid on the tickets at this year's slient auction.  Last year's Yamaga party didn't have the no paper, pen, bags and backpack policy.  GOH and party attendees were interacting with each other by asking for autographs which starts conversation about their work in the industry.

If party attendees can not bring pen and paper, give a sharpie to each guest.  The guests can sign each attendees's Yamaga party invitation which will provide interaction between GOH and party attendees.  GOH will not be bored.

Charity auction:  Don't conflict live charity auction schedule with any major events such as the Yamaga party.

I'd like to give a little insight into some of the decisions facing the Yamaga Party this year.  First off, to the complaint that no pens/paper/bags/backpacks allow me to explain the reasons behind this.  In 2009, Yamaga-san noted that everyone was asking for autographs and sketches from the guests which was not what he wanted.  His vision was to have a reception type event where the attendees could mingle with the Guests of Honor in an informal setting.  He specifically requested the ban on writing implements and the like.  Since he is the host, and we are trying to organize the party to meet his desires, we were obligated to accede to his request.  As to the backpack/bag ban, that was mostly for logistical reasons as we had no place to store them in the room.  In addition, people could bring writing implements and paper in them so there was that concern as well.  

When it comes to scheduling, because Fanime is very large convention (something like 19,000 this past year?), we sometimes have to cross-program events.  In an effort to not cross-program the party with the Black & White Ball (which several of the guests wished to attend as did yours-truly), we pushed the party to an earlier time slot.  This had the unanticipated effect of crossing over with the auction which was hosted by Ric Meyers and Reuben Langdon.  The two of them made very quick work of the auction (bringing in nearly $3000 for charity if I recall correctly) and then proceeded over to join the party which was already in progress.

The suggestion of the sharpie to each guest is not a bad one and we can run the idea by Yamaga-san for next year.  Also, introducing the other guests is certainly a good idea.

[ewu]

Eugene:

Likewise, in the interest of keeping feedback coming. Please only post comments and feedback. Do not reply to the feedback, EVEN if you are staff unless you are in the SPECIFIC department and feel that there is no other option BUT to reply.

I like all caps....

[BSaphire]

Rovers: Personally, I'd rather the rovers be effectual than considerate. I've seen a lot of complaints about rude staff members, but I don't think people realize how frustrating it can be working an event like FanimeCon. I have respect for anyone who's willing to give up precious con time to be staff. If you can be authoritative without being rude, great, but if people are listening to you, don't be afraid to raise your voice a little, and give specific instructions. Incidents that come to mind:

Final Fantasy Cosplay Gathering: Photographers were being told to move back, so they did. But they didn't move back far enough, so they were told again. And again. And again. Someone should have just said where they wanted people to move back to from the beginning.

I agree that the large amount of photographers present at the FF All gathering was an issue, I can honestly say that I asked them several times to move back and part of what happened was that the mass of photographers would creep forward as more and more photographers showed up and they were each trying to get in position for a group shot. There were also a lot of high powered cameras & or those with great lenses which makes it harder for those who don't have the equipment to get the group shot. There were at least 75 cosplayers in that gathering and there must have been that many photographers there too once the gathering was set up.

The photographer positioning problem is something that is being worked on so that it is better next year. Thank you for posting this.

[Memo]

EXIT/ENTER Door- This is the biggest most memorable thing I can remember during fanime.  Sad, I know.  But when your tired, limping, the 'exit' is all the way on the other side of the room and the volunteer/staff won't let you through to get out the entrance, its  something that will stick in your mind.  I understand if its for safety purposes or security purposes but there was  no one at the door coming through and I'd be happy to flash my I.D if It were a problem.   *sigh.   That is all.