Feldon 
Today, along with the Press Release announcing SOE Live, we saw the first blog post by Linda “Brasse” Carlson about the new venue, some of the reasons why it was selected, and things we can look forward to improving and returning such as the Bazaar “phat loot” store and Player Panels.
HURRAH! SOE Live 2013 planning is underway! We will release regular updates every month, or even more often as we get closer to the event. Tell us what you want to know about on our forums, on Twitter (@SonyOnline) and on Facebook – we’ll get you the answers.
SOE Live is an unparalleled opportunity to exchange information and ideas with all of you and it’s just plain FUN – a weird and crazy sort of family reunion every year, each better than the last.
We warmly invite all players of our SOE games, but we’d love to have former players as well, whether you want to meet up with guildies or simply check out what’s going on with your old game. Bring along people who have not played our games yet – your extended friends and family are equally welcome to attend! This event is truly a “the more the merrier” gathering.
Kids will get in free again this year, so bring them along!
Experimentation leads to innovation
Yes, we are at a new venue for 2013! We took all of your detailed feedback from last year’s SOE Live and as a result, decided to move to a new location in Vegas: Planet Hollywood. We think this will improve the event in every respect:
- Better air quality – this was the number one complaint about our previous location.
- Better sound in the auditorium – you’ll be able to hear Smed more clearly than before!
- More flexible meeting space – more rooms with more room. Given how many people sat in on some of the sessions, we NEED more room!
- A more vibrant and interesting Bazaar – in a unique, open environment that overlooks the casino, while still being its own separate space.
In our planning, budgets are still a major consideration for all of us. We need to keep our costs down, and we want to make sure there is no huge jump in room rates for you – again, Planet Hollywood is a great fit on both fronts. We think you’ll really like it, and of course we gladly welcome your impressions after the event!
Read the entire post at SOE.com/SOELive.
Announcements about the schedule, registration fees and so forth can be expected in the coming weeks and months!
No mention of the awful food, I see. Hope that was an oversight.
For those asking, Chris Jones is in the center of the photos. He wad an EQ player who died of a rare form of skin cancer last night.
http://kithicor.org/irl/rip-wars
http://kithicor.org/irl/donate4chris
Dear sweet GOD that food was worse than awful last year. It was ridiculous, embarrassing, and even if everything else was pristine, would be a reason not to go back.
I do miss the Hilton . . . mostly, of course, when the Star Trek Experience was there. I am SOOO glad I went in 2008 just before it shut down. I had never been before. It was truly a geek’s “Nerdvana” (P.S. watch King of the Nerds on TBS . . . it rules!)
I loved the star trek experience. The Hilton was a good hotel. Quark’s bar was a blast. Good times!
Totally agree. And there were ZERO vegetarian options. It was ridiculous, the food.
The Star Trek Experience didn’t get shut down, it got moved to a small no name hotel off of the main strip. Look it up, its still around (or at least it was last summer when we went).
Good to hear about the new location, even if it is only next door to where it was. The biggest thing is that Planet Hollywood is a no smoking building. We’re contemplating making the trip down just to hang out with some friends, but really have no intention of going to Fan Faire (still refuse to call it by the Xbox name).
I was wondering about the middle person, as well — at first I thought it was a fan — wearing a name badge lanyard and all that, but then I am thinking is it a character from one of their other games?
Someone ‘splain, please.
Glad to hear the Star Trek experience is still there, I will try to find it if I ever get back there.
Trueflight – I just looked it up. Can find nothing since 2008 besides stuff that never materialized and found that most of the good parts of the “experience” were auctioned or destroyed.
feldon,
1) thank you for explaining
2) big thanks for editing that
/facepalm /cry