Comic-Con 2014: All Badges Are Single Day Badges
This morning, Comic-Con International announced some good news and some bad news. The good news? They're working to improve their online registration system for badge purchases, and promise that it will be stronger, more stable and ready to go "sometime in early 2014."
Understanding that they do have the best intentions, that's good news. If the mainstream thought that complaining about the Obamacare website was bad, they clearly did not read all the comics blogs last year when Comic-Con's website went down. Healthcare, Schmealthcare -- we wanted to see Robert Downey, Jr.
So... they're working on it. Sometime in early 2014. Right now is the time to make sure you have a membership ID so that you can be ready to purchase that badge!
And the bad news? Oh, yeah, they released the pricing schedule.
All badges are single day badges. If you manage to buy all four day badges -- Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, then you may purchase Preview Night. And yes, if you are lucky enough to get all four, at onsite registration you may combine them into one four-day badge.
Got that?
UPDATE: Comic-Con later issued an additional statement -- IF you are at the head of the queue on the website, all five days will be available to you. Since they are not offering any multiple-day discounts, they saw no point in offering it as a package deal. Okay. IF, however, by the time you are able to buy tickets (and that's actually for UP TO THREE FRIENDS, TOO), one of those days is sold out, Wednesday is just not an option you can click on. It sounds a little better, but still a bit confusing.
I get it. Or at least I think I do. As a scene, Comic-Con has become insane. By making purchases more selective like this, it makes people really think about which days they really want to attend, or honestly, even if they really want to attend at all. That means that the people coming... they really want to be there. That's a good thing. It is.
It may also solve an overcrowding problem with hotels, though that could just be my own wishful thinking. We'll see about that.
Or it might even make Comic-Con even more crucial to the San Diego economy. If people can only get in for one or two days, they might spend more time doing things like Seaworld, the San Diego Zoo, or try Tijuana the Justin Bieber way.
The problem is that we don't know the programming yet, so nobody can make a choice based on whether or not their favorite celebrity is going to be there. And last year there were veiled grumblings about the opportunists outside the convention -- well, it's hard to see how Comic-Con hasn't just handed them even more opportunity.
You're at the wrong day for your favorite celebrity? Guess what -- Nerd HQ has him on a panel for a lot less money and a lot of that will go to charity.
So, friends, do what you can. We hope to see you there.
|
