And since we’re talking video games, it seemed relevant to mention controls and camera systems (points of view). Any camera angle will make the gamer relate to the onscreen character, but as pointed out in the discussion, camera angles such as first- and third-person can have quite different effects. First makes the gamer the character. Your senses are tuned into theirs for the duration of the play, making you the one navigating the danger – having to believe in what you’re seeing in order to advance through level upon maddening level. With third-person, there can be a sense of disconnectedness or vertigo which may make it seem a little safer but, in actuality, results in an over-the-shoulder view that adds to the creepy experience via exclusion – not being able to see behind you.

That brings us to another element of the genre, the unexpected. Whether a survival horror game is based on/in this world (Silent Hill, Eternal Darkness, Left 4 Dead) or some other dimension/world/reality (DOOM, Dead Space), when the things that go bump in the night suddenly jump out into your path and become realized, it reaps a fright. This can be accomplished in many ways – jumpy/jerky movements, sudden light changes, things randomly falling down – and is most notably reinforced by the soundtrack.

While panel and guest favorite in this field was Akira Yamaoka (Silent Hill), it must also be noted that whoever was responsible for the soundtrack to the Fatal Frame games must also be given honorable mention. The former is a master of dark, lamenting, foreboding themes that add a Romantic (scenery as representative of emotional state) element to the game, while the latter relies almost entirely upon ambience and lack of sound to convey the creepiness by forcing a sense of isolation and abandonment upon the gamer. Put into context, this differs greatly from typical American horror, where audio swells build anticipation, because Japanese horror slides the audio in subtly to cause surprise.

But a surprise is just a cheap thrill if the gamer doesn’t have a psychological attachment to the character. Thus the panel also focused on the difference between this genre’s characters’ stories and other games. As noted in such games as The Suffering, Eternal Sonata, and Scratches, the use of flashbacks, story line distortions, and issues of perception trick the player into a sense of increased attention due to vested interest. This investment lends well to another element of the genre, the nature of fighting.

When playing survival horror, one generally assumes the role of a character who is often ill-adept to handle the situation or, at the very least, finds himself/herself having to cope with an extraordinary situation. Thus the psychological element of the game makes the gamer not only fight to stay alive but also to find out how a story came about, if he/she is guilty or innocent, if normalcy can ever be returned. And this is all done by getting involved in the character’s psychological trauma through battles both internal and external.

Prior engagements unfortunately got in the way of me attending the convention on its most densely-packed day, Saturday. But during Friday and Sunday, I did my best to get an accurate picture of this year's three-day-long anime party. First on my list were the panels, which never fail to impress at this convention. Friday night featured a string of panels run by Walter Amos, Rob Fenelon, and Brian Price, who I praised for their wonderful presentation at AnimeNEXT 2008. This year, they ran "Anime Princesses Rule, Disney Princesses Drool," a new panel revolving around the idea of powerful, political female royaly in anime versus flowery, helpless female royalty in American cartoons. I didn't catch very much of the other two late-night panels, but they were "My Stereotypes Are More Offensive Than Yours" (a new one about differences in cultural stereotypes) and the three panelists' old classic, "These Are a Few of My Favorite Scenes" (a clip show).

Voice actor Kyle Hebert and his co-host Marc Swint showed up at the con for a live episode of The Big Bald Broadcast, and even invited voice actors Bill Rogers and Michele Knotz to join in on the show. While I wasn't able to attend most of the events, I know that Kyle, Bill, and Michele ran tons of events throughout the weekend, from storytime for kids to Gravitation open discussions. (Wanna hear more about Kyle Hebert? Check out his appearances on Ani-Gamers Podcast episodes #006 and #015!)

One of the most surprisingly enjoyable panels at the con was something called "Otaku Perceptions and Misconceptions." Run by the "IchiP!" anime dance troupe, I was quite honestly expecting a very silly, inconsequential discussion at the panel, considering the group hosting it. However, they really wowed me with some serious discussion of the way in which people view anime fans, and how those perceptions are at times correct and at times woefully misinformed. They opened the floor for questions and comments throughout the panel, which resulted in some very off-topic discussions as well as thoughtful commentary. The "IchiP!" girls definitely have some room to improve their concision and crowd control, but I can't say that I'm not looking forward to seeing their next panel.

The funny thing about AnimeNEXT, though, is that much of its charm comes exclusively from its attendees and panelists, who form a generally friendly and fun-loving group that is always a joy to be around. As such, this year's convention was still lots of fun despite being even more dreadfully disorganized than the year before. The location, as mentioned before, made public transportation difficult, but the big problem was in scheduling. Most panels that I attended were moved to new times and/or locations, which cut down panel attendance significantly. (The blogging panel, for example, was attended almost exclusively by... fellow bloggers.) There were also some less significant panel scheduling problems, as Walter, Rob, and Brian pointed out when they noticed that their panels had been inexplicably given an 18+ rating. To the convention's credit, they published a sheet of last-minute scheduling corrections, but this noble attempt was made mostly useless with all of the new corrections being made mere hours before panels started.

As was the problem last year, there was no Guest of Honor for this year's AnimeNEXT, resulting in a decentralized feeling that left the convention with a list of main events that did not capture as much attention as it should have. Of course, it didn't help that the convention center was new and events were still scattered into various nearby buildings, further confusing convention-goers looking to check out all that AnimeNEXT had to offer.

Regardless of these defects, I continue to promote AnimeNEXT as a fun New Jersey convention, especially now for those living too far to make it to New York Anime Festival. It might not have been well organized, but there was "usually a lot of stuff to do," as one attendee remarked. If you can't make it to a bigger convention like New York Anime Festival or Otakon, AnimeNEXT is certainly a viable alternative for those in the area. It might not drag in the big guests of those cons, but what it has is heart. And that is something that money, organization, and reputation just can't buy.

Oh yeah, and finally, my highlight of the con...