San Diego Comic Con 2017 Lineup

I really wish I could make it out. Seems like there would be a chance at getting one of the Vincent promos. Very interesting way they are doing these events though. Hopefully it helps the game grow as a whole.

Whoops. Didn't get a photo of the FF TCG area. It was on the other side of the booth from this photo.

I really wanted to participate in other FFTCG events, but wasn't able to due to my con schedule. The only event I was able to participate in was the Wolves' Den event on Sunday, and only for the last 20 minutes. That was good timing for me I suppose. I didn't even get to finish my first game, so it was considered a loss for me with the damage I took. However, the last people holding the table spots got consolation prizes. There was two booster packs of Opus I and Opus II, so four packs total. Also, every promo card was given to each player, so that was a great plus.

People that had a record of wins or fulfilled certain challenges like the highest attacking Forward or the biggest party formed were also given prizes. I didn't get to keep track of all of them. But the main prize was three Play Arts Kai figures given, which is $300 worth of merch, on top of the all the other consolation prizes received. I thought it was well worth it for big prize winners to have stayed at the booth event all day.

I bought a few merch that I couldn't really afford, but I got them anyway. I really wanted a shirt. Hopefully, they'll have them for sale elsewhere, like their online store.



I met a few people, though I didn't get to exchange contact info. The guy I played with at The Wolves' Den event was from NorCal. I visited the booth every day to see the status of the game. I guess I was there so much that I got on a first name basis with several of the staff. Lol. I felt like such a geek, but whatever. It's comic con, it's allowed!

Feedback
The game was so popular that they sold out of the starter decks, booster packs, and playmats and had to turn people away for demos/free play/tournaments.

I think next year Square Enix is gonna have to rent another space for games and tournament play like the Magic, Yu-Gi-Oh, and Pokemon rooms. I liked that the Magic room was at the Marriott Hotel, so there was still a lot of action going on after the exhibit hall closes. It keeps the game going on all day and night. There'll also be more room space to have demos, free play, and tournaments run all at the same time throughout the day. That would also mean a higher cap for tournament space instead of the 8-person cap for each tournament and event there was this year. Another main plus is that an off-site room wouldn't require a SDCC badge, which are very hard to obtain. That means locals and non-badge holders can attend the events as well.

They should still have a small demo space on the exhibit floor though. Then, when there's no more room for demos/free play, then they direct them to the dedicated FFTCG room. That'll still promote the game more while not having to turn away people.

When looking at this at a financial perspective, Square Enix can gain a lot from this. It will cost them more to rent out another space and the extra manpower to manage the room, but if it's outside the convention center, then they'll just have another space to sell their merch and hold paid tournaments with more spaces, even after Exhibit Hall hours. It'll keep the fan base happy with more games throughout the day and night and not having to worry about limited space. It's a win-win situation. SE should definitely consider doing this.