Today marks the official start of this year’s San Diego Comic-Con event, which is expected to draw over 100,000 people this year – that’s no small feat. However, the convention holders showcased a “preview night” for select thousands of that group, allowing them to get the jump on some of the hottest toys at the event, as well as check out the thousands of exhibitors and shops that had booths on the show floor.
Obviously, the real highlights were the bigger comic names on the floor. As always, Marvel Comics hosted a huge stand right smack dab in the middle of it, with a number of high-profile names on hand, as well as Disney Interactive’s Disney Infinity 2.0: Marvel Super Heroes, which already has a good line of players waiting to check it out. As a bonus, Lola, the transformable sports car from Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., was also on hand. (Yes, we touched it. SHHHH!)
DC Comics was no exception, as it had its own showcase on the floor, complete with several artists, a few Batman suits (including the unfortunate George Clooney model from Batman and Robin – let’s just forget that exists, k?) and plenty of games, including Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham. It was just as packed with people, along with a slew of collectibles that will no doubt have comic book fans scrambling to pick them up.
As for the other vendors, there were plenty of shops to choose from, including comic book showcase artists, sellers offering everything from custom Mad Libs books to figurines to special DVD and Blu-Ray releases, and several custom shops that specialize in exclusive goods, like a Deadpool Hello Kitty. (Yes, apparently, that exists.)
Over in the far side of the hall was the video game section, and here, several game companies set up shop. Capcom had a big presence on the floor with a Monster Hunter photo booth and several kiosks featuring Ultra Street Fighter IV; Nintendo had a small but sufficient space with Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS; Microsoft had a mini-lounge featuring 2K’s Evolve; and The Behemoth was in full force with its game offerings, as well as a huge, angry cupcake that people could get pictures with.
Unfortunately, the game area was clogged with both the Blizzard and Bandai Namco booths, as fans were looking to pick up exclusives and practically flooded the area a little more than they needed to. Fortunately, today should be more controlled, allowing gamers to come around and see what all is available for play here.
Preview night was impressive, and set the stage for the four days of madness that will follow, starting today. We’ll keep you informed with daily wrap-ups, letting you know the best of what’s happening from the show floor. Unless you’re already attending, that is, in which case you totally need to stop by Prima’s booth and win stuff. Get over here! (Booth 1514, that is.)
Published: Jul 24, 2014 02:47 pm