Author Topic: SDCC 2016 GENERAL REGISTRATION Discussion Thread  (Read 50346 times)

Offline NoOtherOptions!

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Re: SDCC 2016 GENERAL REGISTRATION Discussion Thread
« Reply #420 on: February 26, 2016, 10:40:42 AM »
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Yeah, there's no way that price would be affordable for me longterm. I'd drain my savings account in just a year or two as a college student. I'm not so sure if the badges would still sell out at 1k a piece to be honest.

I'd still go, but it would definitely impact my priorities as to what I did at the con.  I make enough that this is my one time of year to really "nerd out" so to speak. 

Offline Andrew Costa Mesa

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Re: SDCC 2016 GENERAL REGISTRATION Discussion Thread
« Reply #421 on: February 26, 2016, 12:49:48 PM »
I would not spend $1,000 for a badge to any convention even if it's the easiest way to get one.  I'd rather take my chances with registration.
« Last Edit: February 26, 2016, 02:14:27 PM by Andrew Costa Mesa »
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Re: SDCC 2016 GENERAL REGISTRATION Discussion Thread
« Reply #422 on: Today at 10:42:17 AM »

Offline Berts

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Re: SDCC 2016 GENERAL REGISTRATION Discussion Thread
« Reply #422 on: February 26, 2016, 02:11:05 PM »
For the sheer amount of content and interactivity that the con weekend provides as a whole, it's worth $1000. Obviously this includes offsite events and content that is supplemental to the convention but everything put together, a thousand bucks is reasonable. So yeah I'd pay that if it came down to it. I wouldn't be thrilled about it and I'd have to severely reprioritize my funds the rest of the year but Comic Con is something that I look forward to all year. As soon as one ends, I'm thinking about the next one. It's the one event that I will always try to attend and fully stay engaged in the entire year. it helps that I have free lodging and live relatively close but yeah, I'd pay $1000 for 5 days of packed entertainment.

Now with that being said, if they did charge a grand to attend, it would drastically alter how the con operates and how the surrounding areas participate.
« Last Edit: February 26, 2016, 02:19:58 PM by Berts »

Offline rickythump

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Re: SDCC 2016 GENERAL REGISTRATION Discussion Thread
« Reply #423 on: February 26, 2016, 02:28:21 PM »
The real issue, beyond what the con is worth (as I imagine the value changes per person and experience) - is that we have a third-party dictating the price of the convention now. Not CCI, but the market that is now growing because badges are going to be mailed out as tangible items this year, and early - creating that market where people can charge whatever they want - that should be the discussion.

I know that this is the first year that they are sending out badges via mail so its a bit premature to b***h about it yet, but I can't help but think this is going to stimulate the aftermarket economy and making getting badges through resellers a common thing. It's easy for SDCC to police Craigslist/eBay now, but once badges go out in the thousands, I find it hard to believe that they will have the time/energy being the small company they are to police everything that is going to pop-up on eBay.

Once resellers realize that this is a viable option does. Open Registration from this point forward will be more of a nightmare than it is already. I've already read posts this year about people having over 15+ proxy accounts (seriously, 3 or 4 for your family or whatever, ok, but over 15?) - General Registration will be a lost cause from here on out. Take that "6%" chance and knock it down to 2% once people figure out how to run bots in the waiting room.

I feel like the only way CCI is ever going to level the playing field is by only allowing a certain number of connections from a single IP address - and even though that would negatively impact my situation, I'd prefer to trying to compete against someone running a hundred accounts.

The defense that "they will check ID's, don't you worry" - feels like a moot point. In all honesty, no one knows, and if I were to make a wager, I would say that it would be near impossible given the size of the con to check ID's in any sort of way that doesn't start congestion within the con. It really feels like SDCC is saying "reselling is ok now, counterfeiting is not". It's much more of a stand against counterfeiting than anything else.

I'm lucky to have got badges during pre-reg, and will most certainly try to find a pre-reg buying group for 2017... the odds for General Registration will only get worse as popularity continues to increase and resellers try to get into this market.
« Last Edit: February 26, 2016, 02:31:12 PM by rickythump »

Offline retired

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Re: SDCC 2016 GENERAL REGISTRATION Discussion Thread
« Reply #424 on: February 26, 2016, 02:43:00 PM »
I am really hopeful they check ID's. if not this year, then next year.

right now they have two entrances in the morning to get into the either the convention center, or hall H.

At hall "E" (or wherever they decide to set it up) there is a big line outside waiting for the convention center to open the doors to allow people inside. That's already a bottleneck (until they open up more doors later)
This entrance can have 10+ chutes set up with people checking ID's and scanning your badge. Once your inside you don't have to show ID to enter the exhibit hall or go into a panel.

they can simply make it that re-entrance REQUIRES going back to Hall E, and going back through the chutes to show ID again. I don't think it would be THAT bad.

For Hall H, they can do the exact same thing. setup Chutes right inside the door from the outside, and have a bunch of staff checking ID's as they scan the badges.

This will add extra time when returning to the convention center from lunch or nerdHQ or whatever, so that's a downside. But with enough staff and people controlling the flow of traffic from outside the convention center , to the inside of the convention center, it wouldn't be so bad.

Maybe I'm just optimistic. its kind of my thing...

and to throw in something more on-topic to registration... Congratulations everyone who got badges! see you in July... unless I die before then.

Offline trekster

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Re: SDCC 2016 GENERAL REGISTRATION Discussion Thread
« Reply #425 on: February 26, 2016, 02:43:47 PM »
The scalper market is unfortunate and will likely get worse if CCI moves away from positive ID check, but we won't know about that for a while yet.  For official pricing, you only need to look at CCI's Mission Statement and the fact that they are a non-profit for some insight.  If they had wanted to cash in, they would have tripled (or more) badge prices and moved out years ago.  The fact that they have stayed in San Diego all of these years speaks volumes.  They are "of, by and for" the fans, and to the extent they can, seem to have little tolerance for profiteering by affiliated vendors.

I read something a couple of years ago that part of the reason for the price increases was to try to tamp down some of the demand, and to encourage people to only buy the days they were actually going to attend, rather than a 4 day, when their intent was actually less.  RFID may help with that, now that the registration line may be history for most.  I can't be in a Hall H line at 6AM and also be in line at 8:30 to pick up my badge or sleeve, which is part of what makes the 4 day so valuable, at least for me.

Offline rickythump

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Re: SDCC 2016 GENERAL REGISTRATION Discussion Thread
« Reply #426 on: February 26, 2016, 02:54:52 PM »
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Maybe I'm just optimistic. its kind of my thing...

[.......]

Congratulations everyone who got badges! see you in July... unless I die before then.


 :o

Offline NCDS

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Re: SDCC 2016 GENERAL REGISTRATION Discussion Thread
« Reply #427 on: February 26, 2016, 02:58:56 PM »
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and to throw in something more on-topic to registration... Congratulations everyone who got badges! see you in July... unless I die before then.

We worked too hard for you to up and die before con.   I forbid it!!!!!!
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Offline catvonawesome

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Re: SDCC 2016 GENERAL REGISTRATION Discussion Thread
« Reply #428 on: February 26, 2016, 03:19:55 PM »
I wish there was a way to curb some of this eight from the member id system...ie some sort of identity verification for your member ID. Does that make sense? I cant have 8 fake member IDs if I can't prove they're real people. Of course, screening people online could also be a security risk for everyone. It might open them up to hacking if people knew thousands were uploading pics of IDs or something.

As much as I love this trip every year, I could certainly not pay $1,000 for a badge. As it is, with airfare and hotels and food for a week I could pay for an overseas trip for what it ends up costing me. I stayed cheaper for a week at a small hotel in Rome than I'm staying in San Diego! If badge prices ever shot up like that I would send my regards to y'all from Machu Picchu instead!



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Offline rickythump

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Re: SDCC 2016 GENERAL REGISTRATION Discussion Thread
« Reply #429 on: February 26, 2016, 03:33:49 PM »
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I wish there was a way to curb some of this eight from the member id system...ie some sort of identity verification for your member ID. Does that make sense? I cant have 8 fake member IDs if I can't prove they're real people.

Restricting the number of sessions per IP address, or requiring some type of secure information (last 4 of SSN and birthday), or even a captcha at this point would be better than nothing.

Offline Karin

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Re: SDCC 2016 GENERAL REGISTRATION Discussion Thread
« Reply #430 on: February 26, 2016, 04:56:25 PM »
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I wish there was a way to curb some of this eight from the member id system...ie some sort of identity verification for your member ID. Does that make sense? I cant have 8 fake member IDs if I can't prove they're real people. Of course, screening people online could also be a security risk for everyone. It might open them up to hacking if people knew thousands were uploading pics of IDs or something.

As much as I love this trip every year, I could certainly not pay $1,000 for a badge. As it is, with airfare and hotels and food for a week I could pay for an overseas trip for what it ends up costing me. I stayed cheaper for a week at a small hotel in Rome than I'm staying in San Diego! If badge prices ever shot up like that I would send my regards to y'all from Machu Picchu instead!



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Pretty much. For $1000 I would rather travel around the world.

Offline alyssa

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Re: SDCC 2016 GENERAL REGISTRATION Discussion Thread
« Reply #431 on: February 26, 2016, 05:52:16 PM »
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I am really hopeful they check ID's. if not this year, then next year.

they have to check ID's- i just don't see anyway around it.  CCI has taken a strong stance against scalping in the past, i don't see them walking away from this cornerstone against scalping.

yes, cci will get it's money for the badge regardless of if it's been sold to a 3rd party but it goes against everything they've stood for in the past. If cci didn't care abt who the badges go to then they'd have raise the prices to beyond what us mere mortals can afford.
it seems as tho prices rise when a new feature is introduced, like the 24hr buses.
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Offline Mario Wario

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Re: SDCC 2016 GENERAL REGISTRATION Discussion Thread
« Reply #432 on: February 26, 2016, 09:40:00 PM »
Indeed, they have to check. It would be somewhat lazy if they didn't, and this move would defeat the purpose CCI is trying here. Now will it be a random ID check? That is what I am more curious about, since this way has its pros and cons.
« Last Edit: February 26, 2016, 09:47:56 PM by Mario Wario »
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Offline conventiongeek

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Re: SDCC 2016 GENERAL REGISTRATION Discussion Thread
« Reply #433 on: February 26, 2016, 10:51:37 PM »
Ok people, we all have our opinions...  lol  Do we really think they care that much about scalping? In my experience over the past 5 years I have seen hundreds of badges scalped on ebay, i have seen the listings on craigslist. They may wonder on to these sites and keep a few people honest and they may even care about it, however they do not have the time or resources to control scalping. What makes anyone think that they will suddenly start checking id's at the convention center? They have never in the past.

Think of it this way... if they had 10 people checking id's at hall E for the general line, it would take hours to get everyone in the building each day. Think of last year badge pick up... how many people are in there helping us at the counter in the sail pavilion? At least 70-100? On Wednesday for preview night only 15k people are supposed to get in and it still takes about an hour or so to get us all in the building. Now triple that each day and reduce the number of people checking badges to 25. Ouch... forget it, they can't do it.

The RFID chip is a great idea, it rids them of the counterfit badge. Yes, people are going to sell more badges, but they will be real badges. I think they are willing to sacrifice some scalping for this benefit. It was happening anyway.

Offline retired

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Re: SDCC 2016 GENERAL REGISTRATION Discussion Thread
« Reply #434 on: February 27, 2016, 07:28:33 AM »
Now your going to make me do math cause I'm curious...

30 seconds per person to scan badge and check the ID. Let's give hall E 50 chutes with staff. That's 100 badges a minute, 0r 6000 badges an hour.

They let people into the building early anyways so they can go line up at the exhibit hall line upstairs, or line up for autographs, or panels lines.
They could start one hour earlier and get through 12,000 between 6AM and 8AM, and 24,000 total before the exhibit hall even opens at 10:30am.

I'm honestly not sure how many people are in the building waiting by 10:30am, if it's less than 24,000 then my plan works. If it's more like 50,000 then... Not so much.

Then again, if badge pickup had 100 people working, we could move them all to ID check and badge scanning duty because there well not be many people picking up badges anymore. That means in four hours they could get through about 48,000 people, all before the doors open each day. If I were volunteering I'd take that shift, wouldn't miss any of the con :)

And




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