Otronicon 2008: In the Crowds
Visitors to the Full Sail-sponsored gaming event got more than an eyeful
The Orlando Science Center was emanating a strange glow – not unlike your TV in its fifth consecutive hour of an Xbox marathon – that could only mean one thing: It was time for the third annual Otronicon convention, the ultimate video game experience, put together in partnership with Full Sail.
Over the past two years, more than 35,000 people have attended Otronicon – getting lost in the hours of presentations, demonstrations, and of course, cutting-edge gaming. This year’s gathering was one of the most exciting collections of digital entertainment we’ve seen in one place, and it was definitely our kind of convention.
Walking around the Science Center, it became clear that one of the main themes at Otronicon ’08 was that games are no longer just a passive activity. Nowhere was this dynamic more apparent than at the massive Rock Band stage. Definitely the loudest area of the Science Center, the Rock Band setup let four players band together on an actual concert stage – complete with individual video monitors and peripherals for guitar, bass, and vocal duties. Players could even sit down on an actual drum set rigged to the game. The unique arrangement made the lifelike game even more immersive, as fans ripped through a wide selection of tracks by the Rolling Stones, Radiohead, Foo Fighters, and Metallica.
These onstage festivities proved that Rock Band allows anyone to be a rock star; one round of the game featured a band comprised of a middle-aged mother banging the drums with the fury of Thor and a 12-year-old girl whose dexterity on the fretboard would make Eddie Van Halen blush.
The stage was also the setting for an exclusive Guitar Hero competition, where contestants flexed their finger muscles on a simulated axe while vying for the grand prize. There was more than just bragging rights at stake here; winners of the competition were selected to “perform” on stage at Hard Rock Live as the opening act for Video Games Live, a full orchestra that recreates video game music.
Quick-footed gamers also had a chance to show off at the Dance Dance Revolution area, where they could compete against another player recreating dance moves on the game’s floor pads. While spectators watched in awe, one daring dancer even pulled off a double on the hardest level, resulting in a noisy blur of stomping and shuffling perfectly synchronized with the images on screen.
Across the hall, the Wii Family Arena was lined with several big-screen TVs showing off the games in the Wii Sports compilation. The game is one of the titles that’s helped make the system such a runaway success even with non-gamers, and it was a thrill just to sit back and watch families waving the controllers frantically, trying to beat each others’ scores in tennis, bowling, and boxing. Thankfully, no black eyes were reported.
Gamers who prefer to pull off their best moves while nestled in a couch were huddled around a massive Playstation 3 section – dubbed Playstation Nation – which was set up like the ultimate living room fantasy. A half-dozen consoles were each hooked into their own giant high-def screen, with rumble-equipped seats set squarely in front. Three systems were also linked together, allowing gamers to play head-to-head on one of the best-selling games of 2007, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. All that was missing were the chips and soda.
But it was the Xbox 360 – connected to the Science Center’s IMAX-sized CineDome and running Halo 3 – that offered one of the most thrilling gaming experiences many of us had seen. Some of the community’s best players took turns going head-to-head in an arena unlike any other (think Gladiator, and you wouldn’t be far off) as their on-screen counterparts dwarfed the audience. Even for non-gamers, the visceral impact truly redefined “interactive entertainment.”
Otronicon also had a huge chunk of real estate dedicated to showing off the latest in simulator technology. Looking more like a military test site than a gaming convention, immersive simulator rigs let you strap into the cockpit of a jet fighter, or get behind the wheel of a full-size SUV. There were even medical simulators on hand – showing that games can go far beyond just helping you with your hand-eye coordination.
Gamers were also given a history lesson at the show, with the Classic Arcade Games providing a much-needed break from the frenzy of modern gaming. From Donkey Kong and Pac-Man to the quintessential (and still surprisingly difficult) Joust, these nostalgic games attracted attendants of all ages. We even saw a grandmother burst into laughter while playing Ms. Pac-Man with her young grandson, who seemed just as thrilled to be playing a game that came out 15 years before he was even born. Thankfully, Otronicon wasn’t requiring passers-by to dump an allowance’s worth of quarters into the machines; all the retro games were free to play.
Finally, Full Sail staff was also on hand to lift up the hood and reveal some of the mystery that goes into the actual production of these games – with a variety of public instructional workshops focusing on Game Design, Game Development and Asset Production. Providing a quick taste of what it takes to pump out a top-shelf title, the two-hour sessions concentrated on topics like Gaming for the Web, Designing Levels of the Game, and 3D Animation for Games. It was definitely an eye-opening learning experience for those of us who are only familiar with the finished product found on the shelves of the local game store.
“The focus of Otronicon is to bring the gaming industry to the community,” said Erik Noteboom, Director of Education for Digital Arts at Full Sail. “Through the workshops, we are able to showcase all of the aspects of gaming and various jobs available through this business.”
A blend of the arcade and the classroom, Otronicon continues to ride that careful line between inspiration and entertainment. It’s not often you get to step away from your living room and see how vast the world of interactive gaming truly is – and it’s a testament to the evolution of the medium that places like the Orlando Science Center are taking the time to reflect on how far the industry has come. The only downside? It’s going to be a long wait for next year’s show.
Over the past two years, more than 35,000 people have attended Otronicon – getting lost in the hours of presentations, demonstrations, and of course, cutting-edge gaming. This year’s gathering was one of the most exciting collections of digital entertainment we’ve seen in one place, and it was definitely our kind of convention.
Walking around the Science Center, it became clear that one of the main themes at Otronicon ’08 was that games are no longer just a passive activity. Nowhere was this dynamic more apparent than at the massive Rock Band stage. Definitely the loudest area of the Science Center, the Rock Band setup let four players band together on an actual concert stage – complete with individual video monitors and peripherals for guitar, bass, and vocal duties. Players could even sit down on an actual drum set rigged to the game. The unique arrangement made the lifelike game even more immersive, as fans ripped through a wide selection of tracks by the Rolling Stones, Radiohead, Foo Fighters, and Metallica. These onstage festivities proved that Rock Band allows anyone to be a rock star; one round of the game featured a band comprised of a middle-aged mother banging the drums with the fury of Thor and a 12-year-old girl whose dexterity on the fretboard would make Eddie Van Halen blush.
The stage was also the setting for an exclusive Guitar Hero competition, where contestants flexed their finger muscles on a simulated axe while vying for the grand prize. There was more than just bragging rights at stake here; winners of the competition were selected to “perform” on stage at Hard Rock Live as the opening act for Video Games Live, a full orchestra that recreates video game music.Quick-footed gamers also had a chance to show off at the Dance Dance Revolution area, where they could compete against another player recreating dance moves on the game’s floor pads. While spectators watched in awe, one daring dancer even pulled off a double on the hardest level, resulting in a noisy blur of stomping and shuffling perfectly synchronized with the images on screen.
Across the hall, the Wii Family Arena was lined with several big-screen TVs showing off the games in the Wii Sports compilation. The game is one of the titles that’s helped make the system such a runaway success even with non-gamers, and it was a thrill just to sit back and watch families waving the controllers frantically, trying to beat each others’ scores in tennis, bowling, and boxing. Thankfully, no black eyes were reported.
Gamers who prefer to pull off their best moves while nestled in a couch were huddled around a massive Playstation 3 section – dubbed Playstation Nation – which was set up like the ultimate living room fantasy. A half-dozen consoles were each hooked into their own giant high-def screen, with rumble-equipped seats set squarely in front. Three systems were also linked together, allowing gamers to play head-to-head on one of the best-selling games of 2007, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. All that was missing were the chips and soda.But it was the Xbox 360 – connected to the Science Center’s IMAX-sized CineDome and running Halo 3 – that offered one of the most thrilling gaming experiences many of us had seen. Some of the community’s best players took turns going head-to-head in an arena unlike any other (think Gladiator, and you wouldn’t be far off) as their on-screen counterparts dwarfed the audience. Even for non-gamers, the visceral impact truly redefined “interactive entertainment.”
Otronicon also had a huge chunk of real estate dedicated to showing off the latest in simulator technology. Looking more like a military test site than a gaming convention, immersive simulator rigs let you strap into the cockpit of a jet fighter, or get behind the wheel of a full-size SUV. There were even medical simulators on hand – showing that games can go far beyond just helping you with your hand-eye coordination.
Gamers were also given a history lesson at the show, with the Classic Arcade Games providing a much-needed break from the frenzy of modern gaming. From Donkey Kong and Pac-Man to the quintessential (and still surprisingly difficult) Joust, these nostalgic games attracted attendants of all ages. We even saw a grandmother burst into laughter while playing Ms. Pac-Man with her young grandson, who seemed just as thrilled to be playing a game that came out 15 years before he was even born. Thankfully, Otronicon wasn’t requiring passers-by to dump an allowance’s worth of quarters into the machines; all the retro games were free to play. Finally, Full Sail staff was also on hand to lift up the hood and reveal some of the mystery that goes into the actual production of these games – with a variety of public instructional workshops focusing on Game Design, Game Development and Asset Production. Providing a quick taste of what it takes to pump out a top-shelf title, the two-hour sessions concentrated on topics like Gaming for the Web, Designing Levels of the Game, and 3D Animation for Games. It was definitely an eye-opening learning experience for those of us who are only familiar with the finished product found on the shelves of the local game store.
“The focus of Otronicon is to bring the gaming industry to the community,” said Erik Noteboom, Director of Education for Digital Arts at Full Sail. “Through the workshops, we are able to showcase all of the aspects of gaming and various jobs available through this business.”
A blend of the arcade and the classroom, Otronicon continues to ride that careful line between inspiration and entertainment. It’s not often you get to step away from your living room and see how vast the world of interactive gaming truly is – and it’s a testament to the evolution of the medium that places like the Orlando Science Center are taking the time to reflect on how far the industry has come. The only downside? It’s going to be a long wait for next year’s show.
