While San Diego Comic Con primary focus has always been on, well, comics, with the likes of Marvel Comics and DC Comics stealing the show with the biggest Comic Con presence.
Still, as the ‘nerd community’ (if there is such a thing), becomes increasingly diverse, other media proprieties such as video games have an ever-increasing presence at San Diego Comic Con. With that in mind, here’s the top ten video game panels at San Diego Comic Con that you need to check out.
1. Updates on Marvel Heroes and Marvel Avengers Alliance
Marvel video games have been on the rise as of late, with the two flagship titles free-to-play titles being Marvel Avengers Alliance, and more recently, Marvel Heroes. While these aren’t new titles by any means, expect substantial content announcements for both games, as well as the virtual trading game Marvel: War of Heroes at Marvel’s video game panel on July 20th.
For those of you who will be in attendance at the San Diego Convention Center, the event will take place from 12:30pm to 1:30pm in Room 6A.
2. Saints Row IV
Since the break up of publisher THQ , the Saints Row IP was picked up by German media conglomerate Koch Media, under their video games label Deep Silver. Keeping developer Volition Inc. on board was the right choice, and the trailers and gameplay videos from Saints Row IV look like nothing we’ve ever seen, to say the least.
The ‘Saints Row IV Super Dangerous Wub Wub Panel‘ will feature key by Deep Silver’s PR wunderkind Audbrey Norris, and will feature key cast members and developers discussing their experience working on the game, followed by a Q&A session.
For those in attendance, you can check out the panel on Saturday July 20th between 6:30pm and 7:30pm. The panel will be located in Room 7AB.
3. Watch Dogs
Perhaps the most anticipated upcoming Ubisoft title at this years E3 Expo, Watch Dogs is one of this generations last original IP’s that legitimately looks memorable.
Actress Aisha Tyler, best known for voicing Lana on hit animated TV show Archer, will be hosting a panel of security consultants, who will discuss the hyper-connectivity of the increasingly digital world, and how that affects the realities of security in the ‘Watch Dogs: Does Privacy Exist?‘ panel. Having an extraordinary reputation as a Halo fan, Tyler has already played Watch Dogs herself with Jimmy Fallon, and had a great time doing so.
Lead story designer (also known as writer) Kevin Shortt will also make an appearance, discussing the challenges of writing next-gen games and unveiling some never before seen Watch Dogs footage.
If you’re in attendance, the panel will take on Saturday July 20 from 6:00pm to 7:00pm. The location will be in Room 9.
4. Telltale Games’ The Walking Dead
With the recent release of Telltale Games‘ The Walking Dead 400 Days, Telltale Games is on a roll in creating the definitive Walking Dead video game universe. Find out how it all began in the ‘Behind the Scenes with Telltale Games’ The Walking Dead Game Series,’ panel, which will feature The Walking Dead scribe Robert Kirkman, Telltale Game’s CEO, Director, and Founder Dan Conners , Telltale Games producer Kirsten Kennedy and PlayStation’s Director of Product Planning and Platform Software Innovation Don Mesa.
The panel will also reveal the future of the Walking Dead video game franchise, as well as some exclusive Playstation Vita features, and will be moderated by Greg Miller, Executive Editor at IGN.
For those of you in attendance, the panel will take place on Saturday July 20 from 4:00pm to 5:00pm and will be located in Room 23AB.
5. Gaia Online
An age-old classic anime-themed MMO, Gaia Online has existed since 2003, and although not mainstream, holds a serious place in the hearts of the dedicated.
The simply titlted ‘Gaia Online‘ panel will be moderated by Christopher Castagnetto, the Director of Sales & Business Development at Gaia Interactive. Game developers and programers from the title will be available on hand to roll out new content for the game and answer any “burning questions” that fans my have.
For those in attendance, the panel will take place on Saturday July 20th from 7:00pm to 8:00pm and will be located in Room 5AB.
6. Ryse: Son of Rome
Perhaps the best display of Xbox One tech at Microsoft’s E3 conference, Ryse: Son of Rome is shaping up to be a fantastic-looking ancient world hack-and-slash titles, that in many ways seems to be the spiritual successor to SEGA’s Spartan: Total Warrior.
The panel on the game, entitled The Bringing the Roman Empire to Life on Xbox One: The Creation of Ryse: Son of Rome will feature key Crytek developers giving an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at story details, gameplay features, the story behind the making of the game, and all fans in attendance will recieve a limited-edition printed comic book prequel for the story line of soldier Marius Titus.
The panel will take place on Thursday July 18 between 5:00pm and 6:00pm and will be located in Room 7AB.
7. Dead Rising 3
Another Xbox One exclusive, Dead Rising 3 is one of the most anticipated Capcom games to date, and is certainty fairing better than Capcom’s other venerable zombie franchise.
In an interesting and somewhat innovate marketing ploy, Capcom is moderating a panel entitled ‘The Video Game Culture of Zombies – How Dead Rising 3 on Xbox One Kicks Off a New Generation of Mayhem‘. The panel will feature acclaimed World War Z author Max Brooks, as him and Capcom producers discuss the influence of zombies in both video game culture and pop culture at large.
For those in attendance, the panel will take place on Saturday July 20 from 1:30pm – 2:30pm and will be located in Room 5AB.
8. Batman: Arkham Origins
The third installment in the critically and commercially acclaimed Batman Arkham video game franchise, Batman: Arkham Origins, will get the star treatment in a panel simply entitled ‘Batman: Arkham Origins‘.
While we already know that the game will serve as a prequel to Batman: Arkham Asylum and Batman: Arkham City , the panel, featuring appearances by the games Creative Director Eric Holmes, and voice actors Roger Craig Smith and Troy Baker, who will be taking up the voice reigns of Batman and Joker respectively, the group will reveal all-new information and unseen gameplay footage of one of the best DC Comics video games of all time.
If you’re in attendance, the panel will take place on Thursday July 18th between 1:00pm and 2:00pm and will be located in Room 6BCF.
9. Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag
Ubisoft’s front-and-center franchise, Assassins Creed IV: Black Flag will continue the legacy of the Assassin Order with pirate captain Edward Kenway, grandfather of the previous assassin Connor Kenway from Assassins Creed III.
Assassins Creed IV: Black Flag scriptwriter Darby McDevitt, comic book writer Brendan Fletcher, and venerated comic book artist Todd McFarlane will all be on hand on the ‘Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag Live Demo and Q&A’ to show off the latest comics books, figures and give sparing details on what’s next for the franchise.
For those in attendance, the panel will take place on Friday July 19 from 2:00pm to 3:00pm and will be located in Room 6BCF.
10. Hawken
Perhaps the most obscure game with a San Diego Comic Con Panel, Hawken is a multiplayer mech combat game running on Unreal Engine 3 that attempts to simulate what it would actually be like to pilot a death-dealing mech.
Khang Le, the Creative director/co-founder of developer Adhesive Games, and Mark Long, CEO of publisher Meteor Entertainment, will discuss the roots and inspiration behind Hawken in a panel entitled ‘Death Dealing Mechs, Comic Books, and Video Games: The World of Hawken‘.
For those in attendance, the panel will take place on Sunday July 21 from 2:00pm to 3:00pm and will be located in Room 28DE.
