SOE Event Planning: Suggestions wanted!

[Wizkid45]

1. Have you been to one of our events before? If so, what did you like about it? What did you dislike?

Yes, I've been to every single Block Party (was bummed there wasn't one last year). I liked how there were displays with a computer for each game with said game running so that you could play, getting to meet the devs and other players and just talk and talk and have a grand ol' time, free food and drinks :P, tours of the buildings at your headquarters. I've never been to Fan Faire (wasn't 21 until this year) but plan on attending. The only thing I didn't like about Block Party was how it was only a couple of hours, too short

2. If you haven't, what sorts of panels & activities would bring you to Vegas to hob nob with our Planetside 2 team & other players/fans?

I would go just to meet and talk with the devs and other players. It would be sweet if there was a LAN setup so that players could play at the event.

3. Any other suggestions?

Maybe a special in game item for players who attend? Much how players got an in-game Katana for attending one of the past Fan Faires.

Regarding other conventions:

1. Do you attend PAX East in Boston or PAX Prime in Seattle? If we didn't exhibit, but had other ways of showing the game at either, what sorts of things would you like to experience regarding Planetside 2?

No, I would like to seen the game really shown off, like some really great video's played, maybe a live display of the game showing it off.

2. Do you attend ComicCon? Dragon*Con? Games-Com Cologne? What would draw you to attend these events if Planetside 2 was involved?

I attend Comic-Con every year (and the Block Party). I would (and do) attend and visit you guys (Joel and Linda are always around) even though there hasn't been anything Planetside related since '06 or '07. Talking to you folks is great in itself.

[Goku]

1. Have you been to one of our events before? If so, what did you like about it? What did you dislike?

No

2. If you haven't, what sorts of panels & activities would bring you to Vegas to hob nob with our Planetside 2 team & other players/fans?

There needs to be a far stronger focus on PS2 for there to be any chance of me attending. I realize EQ is SOE's largest franchise and they have to cater to that segment, but I have no interest in attending that type of function. SOE has to have more then a couple developer panels during the weekend to make it worthwhile for me to go. I would like to see continuation of the panels of course, but there are other areas to expand. Anything from a party focused for PS2 instead of EQ to the setting up of a special even that can take place in PS2.

3. Any other suggestions?

None that I can think of.

Regarding other conventions:

1. Do you attend PAX East in Boston or PAX Prime in Seattle? If we didn't exhibit, but had other ways of showing the game at either, what sorts of things would you like to experience regarding Planetside 2?

I attended PAX East last year and I already plan on going this year along with the BYOC LAN. If SOE doesn't want to have a place on the floor you could at least secure a developer panel and a demonstration of the game at one of the stations. I know Sony (PS3) and Nvidia was there last year, so perhaps you could make use of one of those floors to show off the game once. If you had to use one probably best of with Nvidia given the Sony section is for their console. Guild Wars 2 did something similar to this as well even though they did not have anything on the floor. As someone else metioned in this thread SWAG.

2. Do you attend ComicCon? Dragon*Con? Games-Com Cologne? What would draw you to attend these events if Planetside 2 was involved?

I am not into comics/fantasy stuff, so PS2 being there wouldn't be enough to make me go. Games Con in Germany while great for the Euros will be hard on my wallet if I attempted to attend.

[WellWisherELF]

1. Have you been to one of our events before? If so, what did you like about it? What did you dislike?

Unfortunately not, as I live on the east coast.

2. If you haven't, what sorts of panels & activities would bring you to Vegas to hob nob with our Planetside 2 team & other players/fans?

I'm not privy to the usual activities of the SOE Fan Faire, but Panels and live-action activities are always fun.

3. Any other suggestions?


Regarding other conventions:

1. Do you attend PAX East in Boston or PAX Prime in Seattle? If we didn't exhibit, but had other ways of showing the game at either, what sorts of things would you like to experience regarding Planetside 2?

Yes, PAX East. I'm not sure how the devs/PR would plan on showing their game without an official 'exhibit' or presence at PAX (besides a panel), but Bethesda did something different with Brink last PAX, hosting an out-of-venue event and inviting all attendees to the waterfront, where they let people play the game against one-another in a LAN-type environment, all whilst supplying free food and swag

If you did host a panel, then gameplay footage (and lots of it) would be a no brainer, as we've all been salivating like children waiting for candy waiting to see any new footage. A Q&A would also be necessary, with the usual suspects all available for questions.


I understand it would be difficult to have proper demo booths at a convention such as PAX, solely because of the massive nature of the game, but it would be possible to have people on the show floor connected to the beta servers to play simultaneously with the beta players, like with what APB did at PAX 2010 (which worked out very well).

2. Do you attend ComicCon? Dragon*Con? Games-Com Cologne? What would draw you to attend these events if Planetside 2 was involved?

No.

Thanks for taking the time to read my input!

[Danicia]

I am taking lots of notes. I agree with many of your points and have visited so many shows. I've been a speaker, a coordinator, staff...every think you can imagine one could do at a con or conference.

Keep your ideas & thoughts coming! Since we're in planning mode, nothing is too crazy or awesome to pitch.

[Justaman]

1. Have you been to one of our events before? If so, what did you like about it? What did you dislike?
no

2. If you haven't, what sorts of panels & activities would bring you to Vegas to hob nob with our Planetside 2 team & other players/fans?
Obviously, if I could afford the time off and the flight, more info on the game that we haven't heard/seen before (a Q&A session?). Because honestly, until we're playing the game, the next closest thing is learning everything about it we can.

3. Any other suggestions?
Watch a bunch of employee's fight over a small tower/location in game? With some energetic music to set the mood.

Regarding other conventions:

1. Do you attend PAX East in Boston or PAX Prime in Seattle? If we didn't exhibit, but had other ways of showing the game at either, what sorts of things would you like to experience regarding Planetside 2?
Don't know enough about the game to know what I wanna see. Other than the game.

2. Do you attend ComicCon? Dragon*Con? Games-Com Cologne? What would draw you to attend these events if Planetside 2 was involved?


One of them being close enough to drive to. As flying is to expensive for a day trip.


I've never been to any kind of con, seen video's and such of various ones. So I don't have much in the way of idea's.

[Hyncharas]

There's no chance that I'm going to get there without a job to earn money, but I think it would be great for there to be photo opportunities; representatives of the three empires to have their picture taken beside many new PS2 and veteran PlanetSide fans...

Another idea might be an art design lecture showcasing some of the techniques you guys use when you're making the game. Remember that some of those who play your titles aren't just gamers, but may be people like myself who've either done or are doing degrees in games/computer animation, and may want a career in the industry.

[Shogun]

Originally Posted by Danicia

I am taking lots of notes. I agree with many of your points and have visited so many shows. I've been a speaker, a coordinator, staff...every think you can imagine one could do at a con or conference.

Keep your ideas & thoughts coming! Since we're in planning mode, nothing is too crazy or awesome to pitch.

nothing is too crazy?
ok, get those guys to build a max unit costume for every faction and let them walk around at conventions ;-)
http://www.wolfbrothers.de/index2.ph...eid=16&lang=en

[kaffis]

If I'm not too late to reply, Danicia, I attend Dragon*Con religiously each year. I'd love to see Planetside 2 make an appearance there!

Once the beta is underway, I can only recommend setting up a travelling LAN party for fans to drop in (or line up, more like, I'm sure!) and play as part of a squad with their other gaming geek con attendees. That would be utterly epic.

[EVILPIG]

I first attended the Fan Faire in 2007 when I won Player of the Year. SOE provided my plane tickets, my room (5 nights at the Rio) and Limo service from my house to the airport, from the airport to my room and vice versa. At the Fan Faire I had an all access pass and attended all the SOE parties. SOE had a live event in which the FF attendees were able to participate in (introduction of Black Ops). There were also a couple of Planetside panels. The best part of the FF was simply meeting the developers and having face time with them. I have been fortunate that I have had a few opportunities to do this (the first time was a tour of SOE with Sporkfire and a face to face with Smed in 2005). It was also very fun to meet the many SOE employees who were members of my outfit and who I have faced on the battlefield throughout the years.

I also attended last year as a member of the Community Council. The FF had the official announcement of Planetside 2 and a panel on the game's development. Having an opportunity to see artwork for the first time is very exciting, but again, the real draw is having face time with developers. Every developer I have ever met is interested in discussing game concepts and getting feedback about them.

I am planning to attend with the Community Council again this year, however I do not know if I will be able to attend. As an attendee, I really do not need live events or games. What I really look forward to are discussion panels and having personal time with my friends at SOE. I would suggest some discussion panels, definitely a live in-game event and some personal face to face events. Like a mixer designated in a particular lounge at a certain time. T-shirts and other swag (related to our game) that you can only get at the FF are also big turn ons to the real game geeks.

And yes Quovatis, I had a blast. I do not remember much about the pool party or passing out in a hallway, but huge thank you to Fishsticks who found me and took me to my room.

[Fenrys]

Originally Posted by Danicia

1. Have you been to one of our events before? If so, what did you like about it? What did you dislike?

2. If you haven't, what sorts of panels & activities would bring you to Vegas to hob nob with our Planetside 2 team & other players/fans?

3. Any other suggestions?

1. No.

2.
-Burning Man/Rainbow Gathering style community kitchens
-Organizational help for ride sharing (rent a few buses?)
-Free commons sleeping area to toss a sleepingbag
-Discussion of upcoming patches
-LAN party type room, with publicly available fast computers, fast internet, and PS2 installed
-In-Game events like everyone at that LAN party gets a temporary PS2 login for a Black Ops type of character (as in the BlOps event in PS1)
-Video and discussion of hilarious bugs that occurred during development
-Harasser Go-Kart paintball
-Brewko in a dunk-tank
-Open bar (me in a drunk-tank?)

3. Everything is air-droppable at least once.

On a more serious note, the PS2 team is doing a great job communicating. Your Planetside fans are a more . . . 'experienced' . . . audience than gamers in general, and the typical marketing schtick need not apply. Console tweens may poo-poo the quality of Higgby's phone-snapped pics and vids, but I think it's absolutely fabulous to get that level of interaction with the Devs and I hope we all can put that information into perspective regarding the relatively early stage of development the game is in (it's great to see the engine is working! and that you have an engine at all!). The Planetside team's openness about the development process is as unique, special, and valued as your one-of-a-kind games. My suggestion is to keep up the good work.

Regarding other conventions:

1. Do you attend PAX East in Boston or PAX Prime in Seattle? If we didn't exhibit, but had other ways of showing the game at either, what sorts of things would you like to experience regarding Planetside 2?

2. Do you attend ComicCon? Dragon*Con? Games-Com Cologne? What would draw you to attend these events if Planetside 2 was involved?

1. No and no. I've never been to a gaming convention. I think it would be cool to show video of massive battles, taken from the perspective of an invisible, invincible, non-participating flyer. Include a combination of real-time recorded events, tame-lapse recorded events, and streaming video of the live game.

2. No. No. No. "All expenses paid."

[Traak]

I want to see full-size, functioning (minus weapons) MAX, HA MA and LA armor. In person.

[That one noob]

Well, considering I live in the damn place, I would really consider going to PAX Prime if there was a Planetside 2 showcase, but I can't remember if there is an age limit or something.

[Traak]

Originally Posted by That one noob

Well, considering I live in the damn place, I would really consider going to PAX Prime if there was a Planetside 2 showcase, but I can't remember if there is an age limit or something.

minimum or maximum?

[Tatwi]

1. Have you been to one of our events before? If so, what did you like about it? What did you dislike?

Sadly, I have not been to any SOE events. However, I watched pretty much all of the panels once they were posted on youtube. My internet is far, far too slow to watch live streaming video...

2. If you haven't, what sorts of panels & activities would bring you to Vegas to hob nob with our Planetside 2 team & other players/fans?

If I was to attend, I would enjoy taking part in a Planetside 2 themed laser-tag event. I haven't seen laser-tag since 90s, but man if we had that when I was a teen, then it's got still be going on! I would also do my best to make a Vanu costume.

3. Any other suggestions?

Having a limited production run of PS2 toys, such as action figures and vehicles, would be fantastic. I'd pay around $30 per item - now, I wouldn't buy one of everything, but I'd buy a couple things! Really, the Transformers cartoon back in the 80s was produced as just a huge advertisement to sell toys, so realistically Sony could make a line of Planetside 2 action figures for normal retail sale and not be doing something weird or fanciful.

So... my suggestions are to have laser-tag and toys!

Regarding other conventions:

1. Do you attend PAX East in Boston or PAX Prime in Seattle? If we didn't exhibit, but had other ways of showing the game at either, what sorts of things would you like to experience regarding Planetside 2?

Being poor and Canadian, the likelihood of me attending an event that isn't in Toronto, Montreal, or Ottawa is slim to none (well, it's just plain none), but if I were to attend one I would like to see:

- Playable Beta.
- Actors in PS2 costume.
- Collectibles, both simple free things (like a travel brochure) and things for purchase (like the toys, art books, ).
- Smed and company chat a bit more about the Forgelight Engine, such as its realistic limits on population, world size, load times, and how detailed the graphical options would be (very detailed like EQ2 or pitiful like Free Realms).
- Devs / Community folks available to autograph memorabilia.
- A real flight simulator machine setup to function with Planetside 2... dream come true right there baby!


2. Do you attend ComicCon? Dragon*Con? Games-Com Cologne? What would draw you to attend these events if Planetside 2 was involved?

I've never really been drawn to the world of comic books and what not. I really don't think I'd attend a generic "con" event. Given that I play Everquest II and that I enjoy other SOE games, I'd really rather attend an event hosted by SOE that is about SOE/Sony games. I mean, I play WoW still, but other that and EQ2, I'm not much of a "gamer" any more. I'm quite into that whole parenting thing though.