are video rooms still needed

[thesheep]

was look'n at ohiocon and saw they had no video rooms r they needed anymore?

[Prager]

It all depends upon who you ask.

Some folks think that user generated content is all you need.  Some folks remember a time when anime conventions were little more than video rooms with a dealer's room and sort of want things to go back that way.  We feel that video rooms can be a good way to get exposed to series or movies you haven't seen before and that they can provide some much needed down-time.  So, essentially it's all up to who you ask.

[thesheep]

It all depends upon who you ask.

Some folks think that user generated content is all you need.  Some folks remember a time when anime conventions were little more than video rooms with a dealer's room and sort of want things to go back that way.  We feel that video rooms can be a good way to get exposed to series or movies you haven't seen before and that they can provide some much needed down-time.  So, essentially it's all up to who you ask.

i remembr otakon lst yr & they showed stupid suff like tmnt and other 4kids tv stuff but no 1 was in the rooms.  just wondr if people find them good in 2days cons.

[Prager]

I imagine that varies from con to con.  If you have a video room head who tries to keep on the bleeding edge of releases and likes variety in their rooms, the video rooms will be better than if your V.R. head is less proactive in their duties.

[gogal]

I think it is an interesting question.  Yeah, if we stay on the bleeding edge they are necessary.  Also, some of the old school stuff, the stuff that is like 10+ years old is important. 
I do believe it is important that we try to stay relevent.
Like this year, Tekko is parterning with Crunchyroll to simulcast some show subtitled as they air in Japan.  I believe that makes the video rooms relevant.  That is just me though.

I at times don't see the need for them because most people don't visit them as they can get their anime online.  Now, with the Toku stuff, it is more important as there are only a few outlets for that (BBS rules prohibit me from directly linking or mentioning them, as webmaster and president of the company I have to play by the rules).  People need to be aware of what is there in that fandom, it is also the only way to build that community at Tekko.

[thesheep]

whats crunchroll

[Prager]

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=crunchyroll

[chi_mangetsu]

was look'n at ohiocon and saw they had no video rooms r they needed anymore?

Do you mean Ohayocon? Ohayocon had videos this year. They were in the Union halls again where they usually were.

As Head of Video Programming I have to say that yes they are. They give people more exposure to shows new and old that they may've never seen or heard of, gives you something to do if you're not interested in any panels or whatnot at the time, gives people who might find something less intelligent to do--like putting holes in walls and whatnot--something to stay out of trouble, plus, just like going to the movies, watching anime with a group is a very different experience than by yourself on your computer. That and why not watch a new--or old--show while you rest your feet from walking about the convention center?
Also, I've noticed a number of attendees will watch a show and then rush to the Dealer's Room to track it down. It provides attendees a free preview of a title to see if they'd like to see the rest of it.

In general we get a good amount of traffic, especially for certain shows--Dragon Half is ALWAYS at or beyond capacity when we've shown it in the past, for example--so I can't say I agree with the somewhat prevalent thought that few people visit them. Overall, we try to give ample opportunity for our attendees to see as many quality shows in an environment you simply can't get at home.

[thesheep]

didn't find them on ur schedule. so didn't look 4 them.
sorry.

[Azzy]

I think they are needed, especially where we come in with the extra genres such as Toku. Someone might want to check out what the whole fandom is about, and pop in for an episode.

And with Crunchyroll coming in,  and with lots of places doing simulcasts, I think they will stay for some time.

[scarletrhodelia]

was look'n at ohiocon and saw they had no video rooms r they needed anymore?

...
As Head of Video Programming I have to say that yes they are. They give people more exposure to shows new and old that they may've never seen or heard of, gives you something to do if you're not interested in any panels or whatnot at the time, gives people who might find something less intelligent to do--like putting holes in walls and whatnot--something to stay out of trouble, plus, just like going to the movies, watching anime with a group is a very different experience than by yourself on your computer. That and why not watch a new--or old--show while you rest your feet from walking about the convention center?
Also, I've noticed a number of attendees will watch a show and then rush to the Dealer's Room to track it down. It provides attendees a free preview of a title to see if they'd like to see the rest of it.
...

What you said.  TekkoshoconVII was my first anime convention, and as a new fan I found myself in video rooms when I had downtime.  I enjoyed seeing Devil May Cry, Ouran High School Host Club, Mushishi, and Paradise Kiss for the first time and revisiting Saiyuki.  I don't think that it would have occured to me to sit down in front of a computer to watch any of these new shows, but I wouldn't have wanted to miss any of this diverse group.

[newtypezaku]

It's true.  In the last two years or so, I've purchased Baccano!, Aquarion, and KO Beast because I liked what I saw in a video room.

[Saber-chan]

I'd say so. The video rooms are my chance to watch something that I don't have time to otherwise do. I teach and find that the limited time I have in the evenings gets split for many other things; viewing anime I want to see doesn't make that list. The video rooms are my chance to watch something I have been wanting to see, but haven't had the chance to. For example, this year they were playing Marimite, and I had been wanting to see it, but knowing it was a longer series, have held off on even previewing it. I watched a few eps when it was playing and since coming home have purchased the first season.

[JohnZ]

To throw my two cents in, for a lot of people the video rooms are the main reason to go to a con, because of the aforementioned preview aspect.   Having the video rooms also allows some shows to get some more exposure, particularly older or lesser-known shows.  Seeing something on the schedule is one thing, but when you're talking with friends and they say, "Oh man, you gotta go see this!", it really helps to give people a little push to stretch their boundaries and watch stuff they ordinarily couldn't or wouldn't. 

Case in point: seeing Moon Phase a couple years in a row at Tekko prompted me to get the set, which I loved.  I would have completely ignored it otherwise, thinking it was overly dark and dramatic.

[Draiken]

I don't know how many people went to see them, but I thought that the playing of Super Sentai and Kamen Rider series in the video rooms this year was a great way to bring tokusatsu out to people who might not have cared to see them otherwise, and there are a lot of cool tokusatsu series out there.