MetroCon 2012: The Convention Report
After having a great time at last year’s MetroCon I wasn’t sure what to expect. MetroCon 2011 provided many events and was one of the best cons I had attended in awhile. As my third outing and the con’s 10th year it’s probably the convention I looked forward to most this year, so how did MetroCon 2012 compare?
At 9 AM I was greeted at the official convention hotel which allowed me early check in. The room was a little pricey at around $330 to check out on Sunday, but seemed worth it for a big convention. Despite the early hour I saw a decent amount of people in attendance.
My first stop was the videogame room which was huge last year. Stepping inside, I noticed it looked a lot different from last year. It was a little smaller and lacked the intimate darker lighting. The games didn’t seem to have the same diversity. However there was a Project Diva game on a large screen with a special controller, and there was usually a large line to play on it. I wonder if they hav considered expanding the videogame room like AWA does by offering doujin fighters or arcade machines. There was also a table selling videogames and the prices were actually decent.
Speaking of prices, I made quite a few trips to the dealer’s room. The one and only videogame dealer this year had some of the most ridiculous prices I had ever seen. Some were either equal to or more than the eBay price. I overheard someone point out to the dealer “I saw that game on Amazon market place for $20” to which the dealer replied by saying “Maybe, but you won’t know what you are getting if you order like that”. Other than that, the dealers room was more of the same from last year. Dealers were selling steampunk tables, Japanese fashion, manga, music and of course the pachinko machines. There was an awesome dealer selling touhou stuff which I bought a huge artbook from. It also came in a wonderful bag.
In one corner of the dealer’s room were autograph signings. I usually don’t care about media guests, but this year was an exception when I saw Mary Elizabeth McGlynn listed. I wanted to get my Silent Hill 3 soundtrack autographed. The first attempt to get something autographed was unsuccessful as my girlfriend who attempted to get it signed for me arrived around a few minutes after the signings officially opened for Saturday. They had stated they were closing the lines off so that people who were unlikely to get something signed do not have to wait in disappointment. The second time my awesome girlfriend was in line an hour early and was one of the first to get something signed.
Artist Alley was again more of the same. The same photo backdrop and fencing area were also present. The only interesting thing to report was a large comment somebody posted on MetroCon’s facebook. The person stated that while the artist had merchandise she was interested in many of them did not bother to greet her or give her eye contact which swayed her away from buying anything.
Some of the panels and events took a small dive from last year. One of the first panels I attended was some type of Cosplay Courtroom. Wasn’t too bad, but it ended up feeling like a 3rd rate murder mystery. After missing the fire show last year I attended this year’s outing hosted by Mad Moxxi. I thought it was pretty good and featured a great industrial soundtrack. I heard some people state that while it was always impressive to watch it lacked any kind of storyline as some of them had years prior. The Metro Star Party this year was OK, but I felt the choreography and story was much more entertaining last year. I also really wanted to attend GGX Wrestling, but the line was huge and people were still waiting when it started half an hour late. The lighting wasn’t that great for photos either. The costume contest was pretty decent and displayed a lot of talent, although I felt it wasn’t as grand as last years. I also missed out on the new Rhythm City Chronicles, but my friend who attended it told me it was pretty fun. Fortunately there is also a video of the entire performance that can be found here:
I did attend the Masquerade Ball. I have only attended two other convention balls so I wasn’t sure what to expect. I also never understood why you have to pay extra to attend them. Waiting in line went quickly and the event started on time. Upon entering they were checking to make sure people were wearing masks and pass bracelets. Once inside, I was treated to some type of play on stage with Cowboy Bebop cosplayers. There would be a 5 minute segment and then a break for 15 minutes of music. There was also a best mask contest which bore witness to an incredible Loki mask with horns. The play started out innocent enough, but got kind of demented and violent. The music was okay, and appropriate enough. Unfortunately there were no refreshments offered.
As far as the rest of the con I felt the attendance was roughly the same as last year. The Cosplay was also on the same level with not too many surprises. Home Stuck is certainly taking over as I saw hundreds of people cosplaying from it. There were also plenty of shoot spots including ones I didn’t even know about last year. Attendees were also very friendly and the atmosphere was always positive.
Staff was also very friendly and very helpful. During the costume contest I had stepped out to grab something and forgot I had left my badge inside. While the staff at the door was checking badges and I was worried I would not be readmitted back inside. Fortunately one of the staffers at the door remembered who I was and let me back in.
Overall I’d say MetroCon this year was pretty fun but not as exciting as last year’s outing. Don’t get me wrong as it still lives up to its name as the largest anime convention in Florida and offers a lot. I just hope they take opportunities to really expand and raise the bar next year. I also had a few personal mishaps which may have prevented me from enjoying the con as much as I would like. In the end I had a lot of fun and felt the trip was well worth it. While not setting any standards from last year MetroCon is a unique experience that is still worth checking out.
Rating: 7.3
Note: This year also came the announcement of a new convention known as Metrocon Asylum in 2013 ( www.asylumtampa.com ). Details are scarce at the moment other than it being in November and a “dark” theme. I wonder what this will mean if we see a WasabiCon 2013 and EXP Con Orlando 2013 nearby which would practically be running the weekends just after and prior.
Awhile back MetroCon had cut off ties with another convention in Florida known as ShadoCon. It appears this also led to the departure of MetroCon regular Shadowfax who did not attend this year, but will be present at ShadoCon this year.
(Editor’s Note: If you enjoyed Ken AD’s cosplay photos, check out the entire MetroCon Gallery here!)
