Botcon 2013 in San Diego

Discussion in 'Transformers News and Rumors' started by Matty, Dec 7, 2012.

  1. CVprowl

    CVprowl Done

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    im debating going with my son. if you just go on the saturday what is the experience like?
     
  2. Big Filipino

    Big Filipino John 3:16-17 says it all

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    That is probably the best day to go as it has some of the most anticipated panels but it tends to also be the most crowded day. You should probably go early just to get your tickets that day. If Pasadena is any indication, then the line up for general admission for Sat can be quite long.
     
  3. Sidecutter

    Sidecutter Evil Former Dealer Scum TFW2005 Supporter

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    Unless you sign up for a custom class or tour, Thursday is ONLY for package pickup for those who pre-registered. Friday is only open to pre-registrants, but it does tend to include some minor activities, and the three hour dealer room preview. Walk-in attendance is only available Saturday and Sunday and starts an hour later on Saturday than pre-reg attendees can get in.
     
  4. Bed Bugs

    Bed Bugs Haven't gone postal yet...

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    Spring/early Summer in the south is quite moderate.

    Last year, Botcon was in Texas in April. Probably in the 70's or 80's. Here in Wisconsin, we still had snow laying around in some spots, lol.
     
  5. natecm

    natecm Active Member

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    Awesome! Who's gonna come visit us?
     
  6. ducti748

    ducti748 Well-Known Member

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    Wonder how long till we get our first figure reveal?
     
  7. PrimusVsUnicron

    PrimusVsUnicron Well-Known Member

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    Why won't BotCon comeback to Chicago :( 
     
  8. LegendAntihero

    LegendAntihero Banned

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    Not sure but San Diego is possibly best place to have the con. That's why SDCC is there to begin with
     
  9. Primal Sabbath

    Primal Sabbath Well-Known Member

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    Still can't see why they don't just host 3 per year. West coast, middle America, and east coast. Two weeks apart from one another. All in set locations. They'd obviously have to make more box sets and souvenir sets to equally spread out between the 3, but it's not completely impossible, and I'm sure it would prove quite profitable for FunPub. But that's my 2 cents. Were it not for being out of a (steady) job for the last 4 months, I would already have my flight and room booked, but that's the spice of life. Will hopefully get to go next year. Wouldn't want to miss the 30 year anniversary!

    On a side/more interesting note, I am dying to see what the box set figures will be, and later the souvenir sets. As others pointed out, Soundwave being Cybertron Defense Red Alert repaint/remold seems legit, unless they throw us a left-fielder and it's RTS Perceptor or something like that :lol  but I'm genuinely curious on the choices for the other figures. Hopefully I'll land this job I have an interview for this week, and can afford to put my income tax into the non-attending package. And save up for the souvenir sets.
     
  10. G.B. Blackrock

    G.B. Blackrock Autobot Ally

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    This is a joke, right? Can't ever be sure these days....
     
  11. Primal Sabbath

    Primal Sabbath Well-Known Member

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    Nope, not a joke. And I'm not sure why it would be?
     
  12. Liokaiser

    Liokaiser Moderator

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    This will never happen.
     
  13. cobra zartan

    cobra zartan Think's He's a Detective.

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    Have you ever been to botcon? Were lucky to get 1 a year.
     
  14. Primal Sabbath

    Primal Sabbath Well-Known Member

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    Oh I know, but it certainly seems like there's no reason that it shouldn't happen.
     
  15. G.B. Blackrock

    G.B. Blackrock Autobot Ally

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    You suggested that they run three conventions, each in a set different part of the country, within weeks of each other. Even if we assumed it wasn't FP, I can't imagine a group of people with the stamina to keep up such an intense pace....

    Then there's the issue of guests. No way would you get the same guests at each of your hypothetical three conventions, and that means that there's reason for people to choose which one they want to attend, wholly separate from "where the convention is."

    Basically, you're trying to suggest the possibility that one can do otherwise-identical conventions at different times and in different places, and my assertion is that, by moving the locations (let alone the times), you've just set up something that, by definition, isn't possible. It's hard for me to believe that it was actually a serious suggestion.
     
  16. Primal Sabbath

    Primal Sabbath Well-Known Member

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    Went last year (2012), and there were a dick load of people, souvenir sets also sold out at like 11am on Saturday (except for Octopunch & Spinister).
     
  17. Primal Sabbath

    Primal Sabbath Well-Known Member

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    Hire part timers to help with the 3 conventions. FunPub can easily split their core team among the three to oversee everything runs as smoothly as it possibly can.

    First off, the general public won't give two shits who the guests are, they'll go on admission day and maybe buy an autograph wristband just so they and their kids can have a nice fun weekend. And to be honest, I'm almost damn sure the fandom wouldn't mind either. How hard could it possibly be to rotate guests between the 3 by year.

    If you actually sit down and think about it rather than just glance over and say "pfft that'll never happen," then you're not really contributing much at all.
    It's not entirely impossible. I know it'll never happen, but again not impossible.
     
  18. EightiesKid

    EightiesKid G1 archivist

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    Good luck with the interview and job application!

    I would love to see more Transformers conventions, but I do think it would be tough. Part of what makes Botcon cool is the exclusive toys that are offered. Offering them at 3 different conventions would take away from their novelty and from their value. Then you have Hasbro, I don't know that they would want to do multiple official conventions, send their people to the shows, display the toys, and display bigger stuff like movie vehicles, etc. The cost may add up to more than what we might think. I recall that Funpub said that Botcon does very well when it is in CA. I'm taking that to mean that attendance is high, and the convention makes money. We do need to remember that there is a business side to this, and in order for the convention to be successful so that we can have future conventions, it needs to do reasonably well financially.

    With that said, I think there is a lot of demand for Transformers conventions, which is why we see a lot of unofficial conventions popping up all around the country, and in other countries. I would personally LOVE to go to multiple Transformers conventions every year. That would just be awesome. But I'm super happy that I'm getting to go to Botcon this year.
     
  19. Autovolt 127

    Autovolt 127 Get In The Titan, Prime!

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    Well guest wise they better go all out like they did in 2011 when they had a bunch of G1 voice actors, the Prime cast and some others there.
     
  20. Primal Sabbath

    Primal Sabbath Well-Known Member

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    Thanks dude, and yeah, I see what you're saying, but this hobby isn't "a room full of nerds" (I mean that in the best of ways :lol ) anymore. It's gradually growing and expanding as more collectors are starting to enter the hobby. I agree that the point of a business is to make money, and a good way to do that is to start expanding. That's why there isn't just one single ComiCon a year. Now obviously Botcon is no where near that scale, but it's definitely growing. What other way is there for a business to make money other than to grow. They should at least try it out for a year, see how it works.

    As for the toys and their collectibility, well I agree they are great novelty pieces, and definitely something to hold onto for great memories, but there will always be KOs, which I'm totally fine with, to play the wild card. Enough demand for a certain exclusively painted figure and next thing you know CHMS is shelling one of almost identical aesthetic out of their factory :lol . Sure quality is a trade-off, but that's nothing that can't be fixed most of the time.

    Regardless the situation, I'm still going to grab an Iacon set, and then have a buddy pick up the souvenir sets for me, and depending on how cool the attendee "freebie" is, I'll hunt for that too.
    But anyways dude, have fun at the convention, it's a blast!