Orlando’s second annual video game convention, Otronicon, is currently being held from January 12 to January 21 down in central Florida. DigitalBattle attended this convention in its second year. I am happy to say that this year’s Otronicon was very satisfying. I was completely surprised on how much fun it was compared to last year. It seems like Otronicon is indeed the perfect video game convention for Floridian gamers to attend. Read on for our full story on this event.

The show had some pretty impressive sights. Of course, the thing that interested me most on day one of my experience had to be the Halo 2 matches. These games were intense, played for 10 minutes with 8 players. For once, I can honestly say I didn’t get bored of watching someone else play, especially since the folks at Otronicon hooked up the Xboxes to a massive 8 story tall cinema screen. Everyone in the audience seemed to enjoy the huge screened matches – including some of the older people who where there. The crowd cheered the players on and occasionally applauded at the sight of some of the kills.

Another great highlight of the show was the Guitar Hero and Dance Dance Revolution room. The DDR section featured a huge TV, 2 steel dancing mats, and a couple of lighting effects above the entire setup. Although the Dance Dance Revolution setup was pretty trippy, Guitar Hero 2 seemed to steal the spotlight of the entire convention. Guitar Hero 2 had a setup that made it look as if you were actually putting on a concert. There were amps scattered throughout the stage, a huge TV in the background, great lighting effects, and an overall great atmosphere. The room also had Gran Turismo 4, complete with a huge screen TV and car seats.

I’d also like to make a note that Otronicon has some very cool staff members. Each member was willing to help me out with anything that I needed. I also made a couple of new friends at the convention. Everyone was so kind to each other and willing to help each other out. It was a great feeling seeing so many people in one place, all sharing the same passion: gaming.

I thought Videotopia was very fun seeing. Videotopia is a collection of old arcade machines for everyone to play. Personally, I had the most fun with Tapper and Dig Dug. There was also bits of History lessons scattered throughout the room. Videotopia seemed like a must see for the hardcore gamer.

Throughout the entire complex, there were random games sitting around. I’m guessing the staff decided to barf up a mixture of Xboxes, Gamecubes, and PS2s all over the place. The games ranged from new to old. Some of the games included were Marvel Ultimate Alliance, Katamari Damacy, Animal Crossing, Mario Party 7, Gears of War, Call of Duty 3, and Resistance: Fall of Man. The variety of games were excellent, and there seemed to be something for everyone to play.

Otronicon had a good amount of next generation gaming. The Xbox 360s were in one place, the PS3s were in another, and the Wiis were together out on a balcony. I had a blast playing the Wii with random people outside in the fresh air. The PS3 seemed to attract the most mature audience, while the Xbox 360 was 50/50. Gears of War, undoubtedly, was the favorite of the next gen games.

The convention also offered workshop classes, brought to you by Florida college, Full Sail. These classes were pretty simple. You could learn the basics of creating a game, or 3-D animation. Student works were displayed all over the event. Otronicon also had many simulators. The Marines had a popular shooting simulator, while several other simulators were setup for drag racing and jet piloting.

Overall, I’d say I was pretty impressed with this year’s event. The atmosphere of everything felt pretty good. The event was just something you, your family, and your friends could go to to have a day of fun. Otroncion is something I will defiantly be attending yearly.

The Xbox 360 booth.

The fantastic Guitar Hero 2 stage!

Me playing Tapper. I’m very focused.

A car simulator played by a toddler.

My friend Richard putting Mario in a full nelson.

A jet fighter simulator being played by a very curious kid.