I wouldn't have recognized New York Comic Con if it weren't for all if the bold, graphic, street art-style signage all over the Jacob K. Javitz Center. Gone is the bizarre basement holding pen for early arrivals. The chaos over where, exactly, to go is gone, too. What's left is a large convention that made a huge technology investment that is paying off big dividends.
This is the first year that NYCC has RFID badges. Instead of anyone with a badge that looked remotely like the actual badge getting in, you have to scan your badge at the entrance. You put the metallic sticker up to the volunteer's iPad and it quickly scans to make sure your badge is valid. You register the badge before you show up and you check out whenever you leave.
The only downside is a longer wait for general admission. Sorry, fan pass holders, you will be queuing up for quite some time. It's worth it.
The aisles between boths are so much more open this year. That's a combination of slightly wider walkways and better booth placement. The main floor entrance by the giant Ubisoft and Nintendo displays is the only major bottleneck point. The Block was packed tonight but only because of a really cool series of live painting events.
The other factor is the number of people. Thursday is traditionally the smallest day of NYCC and this year was not an exception. However, it almost felt intimate compared to previous years.
Perhaps I'm looking for a false positive result. Confirmation bias gets the best of us all sometimes. Everywhere I looked, I only saw people wearing official badges with shiny foil corners and thicker plastic. You usually spot quite a few people with fake badges or none at all. I just didn't see it.
It is such a revelation to be able to walk and breathe on at least 80% of the show floor that my few minor complaints--lack of seating, bathrooms blocked off for exhibitors only in Artist's Alley, Artist's Alley NOT being in alphabetical order--seem so insignificant.
Except for the randomized Artist's Alley. It's good for wandering and bad for locating things quickly. You need to get in and out when you're panel jumping on Friday and Saturday. I guess I'll let it slide since it's better overall for the artists.
Otherwise, this is a huge improvement from last year. The show floor was so bad last year I almost didn't even apply for a press badge. I'm glad I stayed loyal to the largest local convention I have.
Thoughts? Share them below.