Liara Statue: From D to B

Bioware's Mass Effect Liara statue has undergone some drastic changes since it's announcement a few months ago. After the original announcement, Bioware has used fan feedback to decrease the size of the statue's breasts - making it seem more similar to the character of Liara.

The statue is designed by Kotobukiya's Bishoujo line, which is known for it's "sexiness" - which to them means overly proportioned, scantily clad, vulnerably posed women. Fortunately, the new statue will feature toned down version, which I believe appeals to more Mass Effect fans than the original design.

Hopefully we can see more of this sort of fan/developer relationship in the near future. Bioware has done several other successful campaigns allowing fans to vote and voice their opinion on things regarding the franchise. It definitely rewards the fans and builds a strong, positive relationship.

Here are some interesting comments brought up on Kotaku on the topic:

• QualityJeverage says, "If we only saw this new version and never the old one, I think people would still be upset. This new one is still ridiculous and sexualized. It's just, you know, less ridiculous. So it's better in comparison."

• Gamescook says, "Gay characters and less insane cup sizes? Bioware is slowly turning Mass Effect away from that boys club it was slowly turning into."

NYCC'11

 I actually got to see this statue is person at NYCC'11 after the changes. I'll definitely be picking this statue up now - luckily the boob reduction is enough to let me ignore the face/pose. 


As always,
LadySnip3r


PS. What do you think of the new vs. old statue? Do you think developers should listen to fan feedback?

Booth Babes are NOT Cosplayers

Post-convention I spend the majority of my time googling images from the convention. To be honest, I'm just looking for pictures of myself. I invested time and money into my costume and I want to be recognized; whether it's someone yelling out, "Hey you're Lara Croft!", getting my picture taken, or finding myself online. It makes me feel like my costume was worth all of my effort.

While doing my ritual post-convention googling, I stumbled across several "cosplay" galleries. Now these galleries, usually entitled Ladies of Comic-Con or Sexy Costumes, mostly contain pictures of booth babes. I know they are booth babes because they're usually holding signs promoting their product or brand, or are not even in any "real" costume.

"Cosplay" Source

 For those of you who don't know what a booth babe is, I'm going to attempt a definition (without any hatred or bias). Booth babes are women paid by a specific brand that has a booth at a convention, to stand around the booth, take pictures with fans, be ogled by boys, and generally just look hot. They don't have to be nerdy, or even enjoy the convention. In fact, they usually look like they do not want to be there.

Those are PJs from your booth, NOT a costume. (Source)

I personally think they are ridiculous. I understand the whole concept of sex sells and the stereotypes that go along with gaming and other nerdy hobbies, but seriously, what year is this? They make me feel uncomfortable. Why can't booths promote their brand without scantily clad women? I'd even settle if there were half naked guys promoting stuff too, but I have yet to ever see a guy booth babe.

As much as I have a hatred of booth babes, I understand their presence at conventions and I can resist from punching them (most of the time). What I can't understand is how on earth they are featured on cosplay galleries! They didn't make their costume, they didn't choose it, they didn't do anything at all. These booth babes are being featured when other cosplayers, people who actually made their costumes or at least put in effort to be dressed up, aren't getting any recognition. It is so frustrating to me.

Uh, nice..costume? (Source)

I know this rant won't accomplish much, but I can say that Assassionista will never feature booth babes instead of real cosplayers (Only reason why their pics are in this post is to prove my point). Let's just hope that one day we can live in a world where they don't exist.


As Always,
Till then,
LadySnip3r

For REAL cosplay, please see post below.  

PS. What are your thoughts on Booth babes? Love em or hate em?

New York Comic-Con Coverage

This past weekend was the New York Comic-Con in New York City. The event took place from Thursday to Sunday and featured everything from video games to comic books and all the geekery in between. The Assassionista team were able to attend Thursday and Friday and took some great shots of the event, the fans, and the cosplayers.

Unfortunately we couldn’t make it for the entire weekend due to a complication with our accommodation plans, but we definitely made the most of the two days that we were there. Thursday was only open to press and VIPs so we were able to check out a few popular games.

The first thing we did when we arrived was basically ran to the Mass Effect booth where we knew there was a playable demo. Now this demo was the same one that was featured at previous events and cons (From E3 onwards), but we really wanted to try it out for ourselves. It was very combat heavy, highlighting the new melee combat options. I really enjoyed the new cover system and to me it played a lot like Gears of War. I missed the dialogue in the demo, but I really didn’t want any plot spoiled until I can play the entire game. The graphics were looking great, but as Chris Priestly pointed out to us, it’s an old build of the game. He promised the game is looking beautiful and if it’s better than what we saw, it definitely is. Mass Effect 3 is one of my most anticipated titles of 2012.

That night we also checked out the majority of the show floor, seeing everything from comic booths to merch stores. We wanted to get the most out of the show floor while it wasn’t as busy. We picked up a bit of swag; including real life batarans, comic book fashion accessories, and a Sailor Moon poster (my favorite).

We also played a little bit of Halo Anniversary multiplayer. It definitely plays the same as Reach, but the nostalgia is what sets it apart.

Our Thursday night ended with hanging out with our friend Jessica Merizen. If you don’t know Jess, you really should check out one of her many projects. She’s the community manager of Bioware and the other half of CrabCat Industries, a cosplay company. We met Jessica back at PAX East and were thrilled to meet up with her in NYC and catch up on gaming and life.

My Lara Costume

Friday was our big day. I cosplayed as the new Lara Croft and got some great feedback. It was awesome meeting some Tomb Raider fans and such an honor to be asked to be a part of the Tomb Raider’s 15^th Anniversary Art Event. We met Meagan Marie, the community manager for Crystal Dynamics and a fellow cosplayer, earlier that day and I was a little star stunned. I’m a huge fan of her cosplay work and was really hoping to meet her at the convention.

Meagan Marie and LadySnip3r

Tomb Raider 15th Anniversary Event

Two Laras and Meagan Marie

I was also interviewed for Spike TV, which was really cool. I’ve been interviewed for TV once before, but it always is so intimidating to me. I’ll definitely post a link the video once it’s online, but basically they were covering the cosplay for the convention. I was so honored to be selected out of the other fantastic cosplayers.

Spike TV

We spent most of Friday taking pictures of cosplayers and were astounded by the sheer amount of them. We also saw a few stars that day including Chad Michael Murray and Stan Lee.

We attended only one panel unfortunately, but it was a great one. We were a part of IGN Beyond Podcast’s live podcast panel. If you listen the podcast, I’m actually in it on one point commenting on the Mass Effect co-op multiplayer. It was super fun and great to see some of the Playstation side of gaming.

One of our last highlights of the event was meeting Mac Walters, the lead writer of the Mass Effect series. He was hanging out at the Mass Effect booth and was super friendly. We discussed his recent achievement of making it onto the New York Times Bestseller list and the upcoming Mass Effect game.

Mac Walters

We really had a great time at NYCC and hope to stay in touch with the people we met there. Let us know your NYCC stories if you were able to attend!

Feel free to email me if your cosplay was featured on the site and we can credit you! Also, please let me know if you got any shots of my Lara Croft cosplay at the convention! I’d love to see them.

As Always,

LadySnip3r

Cosplay Gallery

Chun Li from Street Fighter

Captain America

Scorpion from Mortal Kombat

Assassin's Creed

Jesse from Team Rocket in Pokemon

Cosplay from Silent Hill

Robot Chicken!

Vanille from Final Fantasy XIII

Game of Thrones

Sub Zero from Mortal Kombat

Spartan from Halo

Tony Stark

Hope from Final Fantasy XIII

Back to the Future

Ivy and Bane

Tali from Mass Effect

Show Floor Pictures

DarkSnip3r and his Ugly Doll

EmperorSnip3r

Playing around with the Triforce Lancer Replicas

So...many...PLUSHIES!

We're buds.

Liara Statue revealed - Gorgeous!

The Convention Survival Guide

With Comic-Con only days away, I've begun packing my "Convention Backpack". I'm a bit OCD when it comes to preparation and packing, so I usually have my backpack packed weeks in advance. Comic-Con snuck up on me and I've been scrambling since. In the midst of my stress, it dawned on me. I should share my list of what to pack to conventions so that fellow nerds will never be in the mess that I'm in. (It might also double duty as a checklist before I leave).

For any geeky convention be sure to pack:

- A Backpack
Make sure it's big enough to hold merch and your lunch, but small enough that it won't be too heavy. Remember you'll be wearing this bag 24/7. Also, be sure to have zippers and an interior pocket to keep your phone, wallet, and camera safe.

- Smart Phone
You can't get anywhere without one now a days. You can find schedules, updates, and maps all online at the Convention's site.

- Camera
You're going to want to take pictures.

- Lunch and Snacks
Food at conventions are pricey. I always pack my own lunch to save some money and time (Cause who has time to eat when there are games to play!). I'd recommend PB&J sandwiches, pop tarts, granola bars, and cookies. Might not be the healthiest, but it definitely carries well, no kitchen required, and tastes great.

- Water Bottle
Stay hydrated! You're going to be hot and exhausted, you don't want to be thirsty as well. There are always tons of water fountains to fill up at, and you save more money for merch!

- Wallet
Bring some cash. Not every merch booth takes cards, so make sure you take out some cash beforehand. I always bring a backup card as well, just in case of an emergency. I'd recommend having a piece of ID on you as well.

- Badges
You won't be able to get in without them!

- Small Notepad
I always bring a small notepad without ruled lines for getting autographs. It's way more portable than bringing a game or book, and you'll still have the autograph somewhere safe. Remember to make note of who signed right away. By the time you get home, you may not know whose handwriting it is.

- Sharpies
Bring a few different coloured ones for autographs.

- Hand Sanitizer
With so many people so close, you don't want to get sick. Keep washing your hands and sanitize after touching something multiple people have touched.

- Business Cards
I'd recommend making 50 or so to give out to anyone cool you meet. Put your contact information and gamertag on it, then you can keep in touch. I've met plenty of people at conventions and have stayed in touch because of this!

- Handheld Gaming Console
You're going to be in line a LONG time, might as well get some gaming experience.

- Hotel Address and Taxi Phone Number
You probably don't know the city your in very well. This will help. Another tip, when in a new city, monitor your taxi route via google maps if you have it on your phone. Sometimes Taxi drivers like to trick newbies by taking the longer route. Just speak up (and pretend to be from the area) and you won't be taken advantage of. Also check if the Hotel has a shuttle program to and from the convention.

- Costume or Nerdy Attire
Dress up! Whether you're in full costume or wear your favorite nerdy t-shirt, this is the place to do it. Nerdy outfits are a great icebreaker and it helps pinpoint who has the same interests as you.

Well, I've got my backpack all packed now. I hope this list can help a few of you out with what to bring to a convention! See you in New York.

As Always,
LadySnip3r