45° PSO2 Live Broadcast (ARKS Festival 2016 - Ariake Coliseum)

[Zysets]

Maybe so..
but wasn't it also the US that has PSO-W as well as the people who created the tweaker, made the English Patch, and maintain a high presence of importers in PSO-2 right about now? Isn't that a level of fandom beyond to the point of sheer addiction and insanity? Sure, Americans can show how unappreciative they are, but Americans are the first to breach to new territory while many others "talk" about breaching to new territory.

I think the fan base exists, and is the right size, the western community could totally pull off a great, fun, and exciting get together and event, but the problem is that it's one location, and not many people can travel around the country so easily.

It's different in Japan, with proper planning you can go half way up the country on public transport without much difficulty, and not to mention the country is smaller. People from a wider area can come together for such an event. That's the problem I think would be the downfall of a western get together of a fairly niche community like PSO2's western player base. Not even counting fans that live in other western countries outside the Unites States, they wouldn't be able to make it for sure.

[FOnewearl-Lina]

Maybe so..
but wasn't it also the US that has PSO-W as well as the people who created the tweaker, made the English Patch, and maintain a high presence of importers in PSO-2 right about now? Isn't that a level of fandom beyond to the point of sheer addiction and insanity? Sure, Americans can show how unappreciative they are, but Americans are the first to breach to new territory while many others "talk" about breaching to new territory.

A non-officcial fan-funded convention is going to lack many attractions that make the official live broadcasts work.

The main reason for me would be the merchandising!

[Keilyn]

A non-officcial fan-funded convention is going to lack many attractions that make the official live broadcasts work.

The main reason for me would be the merchandising!

In Japan, there is a convention called AnimeJapan. It is the largest Anime Convention in Japan. This year it had 135K people. The way that convention began was that two Events (TAF and ACE) were merged into one. What happened was that convention organizers came to the US and spent time in American-Ran conventions and felt the need to create something special in Japan. They were extremely impressed with Anime Expo (which this year had over 100K people) and their level of event organization.

Ariake Coloseum has a maximum seating capacity of 10,000 people. Arks Festa is big by SEGA's standards, but in this day and age, 10,000 people is rather small and mediocre for a first-party convention. QuakeCon was also 8 - 12K people but their BYOC was nearly 3000 which was impressive. Blizzcon last year was 25K people (because of limited capacity) and 10 million who streamed it.

I will give credit to Japan. Years ago their anime conventions were so bad that most of us would skip them on the global schedule of conventions. Anyone out there knew just how bad they were. AnimeJapan is having a lot of us in the group I am in planning trips to the next one. In order for Japan to change and work towards making a worthy anime convention, it took a friendly kick in the ass from the west (they admitted this) to wake up and make something great.

My point is that we have the potential to make something big if we wanted to.
This delusion that only Japan can make something great happen has got to stop...

[Altiea]

This delusion that only Japan can make something great happen has got to stop...

It's not really that. As you stated, we could make something awesome. The problem is that as a niche fanbase, we run into so many other problems that it wouldn't be reasonable to attempt setting up any form of fan festa, let alone an actual, official convention (if SEGA even cares). It's not that we think only Japan can do it, it's that Japan has a better official backing and a higher concentration of fans per square mile to make it work.

[sea1111]

This one going to be their last "old-style" livestream, right?

[FOnewearl-Lina]

This one going to be their last "old-style" livestream, right?

Sakai said they had a new team lined up for the next numbered livestream (not next one, that's a 29 hour long SPecial stream) I doubt the format will change much?

[Sizustar]

So what's the real reason why Ichitaro and the girls are leaving the livestream?

Could be his father wants him back in the family business, he is the eldest son of 6th Sanyutei Enraku(Famous Rakugoga that got started in 1855)
So wants him back to finish training him to be the 7th?

[FOnewearl-Lina]

The downfall of Ichitaro...

@Poyonche They have a new cast lined up for the next numbered broadcast.

[Poyonche]

Wait, so no broadcast this September ?

[ArcaneTechs]

Maybe so..
but wasn't it also the US that has PSO-W as well as the people who created the tweaker, made the English Patch, and maintain a high presence of importers in PSO-2 right about now? Isn't that a level of fandom beyond to the point of sheer addiction and insanity? Sure, Americans can show how unappreciative they are, but Americans are the first to breach to new territory while many others "talk" about breaching to new territory.

Let's look at it from a new player to pso2 (whether they played the old games or not) stand point:
There are 2 options:
1a: Someone who has kept up with pso2 info and has started playing as early as the official opening for this game but wishes to play in English so they patiently play "blind" until most of the menu's etc is done.
2b: Someone who has never heard of or an old vet of the older games looking to play the official West version
2. Can't find any news or download about the game so they go through google or w/e to find info and find psow (or straight to Eng Patch Site)
3. Read stuff on psow, download JP game/Tweaker to play the game in English
4. They become part of the growing (or dying) Eng Community
5. They spread this info to friends etc to get them to play
6. People do the same process or just play in JP
7. This continues as a whole

It's almost neither fandom or dedication, my point being is because there is no Western version of the game, people who are actually seeking and willing to do what very little work there is to play the game are playing now therefore it contributes to this whole Eco system or w/e tf you wanna call it.

Now if the current translation team presence is "high" because the game is popular to an extent to warrant updating the Tweaker/patches over and over is one thing but had they stopped updating and dropped it to go work on/do other things (or loss of interest in general) then I probably would say people would lose interest in the game eventually. Sure some people will pick up where they left but how long will they hold out for? It'll eventually die off along with some of the members who won't play without translations.

I think what I'm getting at is, without the translation team, I dont think the community would be as big as it is now, sure long time vets will play anyways but thats only saying so much. As for the West reaching outside territories, well Dev's for whatever they have don't release the game outside their countries which is a whole other story that i dont want to bother with right now

Watching a Convention, and going to one are two different things altogether.
I hate watching them and rather be there in person myself in cosplay.
To me, just the fact we handle conventions for elements that came from foreign culture is enough you know.

This can literally be said about anything, I've been to a few conventions myself so ya

and the UQ thing was a thought meant for the thread and not at you specifically