Next week isn’t just about the panels (or the cosplay), it’s also about the “activations.”
Whether you call them experiences or activations, they might be the best part of Comic-Con.
Activations is a fancy term for the fun experiences that occur mainly outside the convention, and they’re not always limited to badge holders. In years past, these experiences included major Netflix shows coming together for a fun walk-through in the world of certain shows, or even just a simple, visually arresting VR experience on the show floor and outside.
This year, we already know we’ll see quite a few of these immersive experiences around the San Diego Convention Center, and these are the ones we’re counting down to.
Star Trek: Discovery costume, concept art gallery
In a repeat of last year’s gallery takeover, the CBS Star Trek: Discovery team is again bringing costumes and props to the Michael J. Wolf Fine Arts Gallery. This year, however, it sounds like we can expect the focus to be on the mysterious Mirror Universe and the Terran Empire, including a chance to lounge in Emperor Georgiou’s throne. (Editors’ note: CNET is owned by CBS.)
Last year we also glimpsed some beautiful concept art. Here’s hoping we’ll see more of the Mirror Universe in this form (past and future please, as long as we’re wishing!).
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The Taco Bell future Demolition Man predicted
Maybe I shouldn’t be as excited about this one as I am, but my co-workers are too so I’m including TBell in San Diego on our wishlist.
Why, you ask? For one, Taco Bell was of course named the best Mexican restaurant in America. And for another, it’s the 25th anniversary of Demolition Man. That movie predicted a future where Taco Bell was the only restaurant to survive the Franchise Wars, hence the SDCC connection.
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Plus, Shark Week celebrates its 30th anniversary with a 40-foot-long inflatable shark. And Samsung will have a truck outfitted with custom gaming pods and QLED TVs where you can compete in Forza Motorsport 7 on Xbox One X to win prizes.
World of Ready Player One
Dropping you into the heart of ’80s nostalgia, this activation says it’ll feature gaming stations (Adventure, anyone?), authentic costumes and props from the film, two rooms devoted to trivia about the movie and the ’80s, and a glimpse at the OASIS (the VR world of the book and movie) complete with a haunted Room 237.
We already saw a similar totally VR exhibit at SXSW, but this one sounds like it will be more in-depth and expansive. And because this year’s activation theme seems to be “escape rooms,” it’ll be interesting to see if our ’80s knowledge is needed in very specific ways in the two trivia rooms.
Enter the OASIS at the Omni Hotel 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday. It opens at 10 a.m. Thursday through Sunday.
FXhibition: Legion, Archer, American Horror Story
FX is bringing a handful of mini-activations together in front of the Hilton Bayfront Hotel beginning Thursday at noon, and Friday through Sunday at 10 a.m.
Each is tailored to the show, so Legion features an art installation-slash-audiovisual experience where you are disconnected from the world.
American Horror Story will show off a collection of art and oddities inspired by the show’s lore and enhanced with AR to reveal their secrets and clues about the show’s eighth season. The Archer activation puts you “inside the heads” of characters with sound boxes featuring bits from the show. There will also be a Mayans M.C., It’s Alway Sunny in Philadelphia and a general FX activation.
Source: Cnet