This was my first PAX, but I have been to E3 before. I went to E3 2005 and 2006 respectively. I can honestly say that I had more fun at PAX. Don't get me wrong though, I love E3, and it was a dream come true to be there, but it's a whole different beast. E3 is where your wildest dreams come true. E3 is where I not only met Will Wright, but Reggie Fils-Aime AND Shigeru Miyamoto. I witnessed the unveiling of the Wii, and played the PS3 and 360 almost a year or more before they released.
PAX is totally different. At E3 when the expo hall closes, that's it, there's nothing to do but go to after parties. I like parties, but I'd honestly rather be playing the games on the show floor. At PAX, even though the expo hall closes at 7:00, the rest of the convention center is still open until 3:00 AM! I was really impressed by the console and PC freeplay. What a great idea. If you didn't get to check it out, make sure you do next year. As great as online gaming is, there's not substitute for playing with or against someone in the same room. I've never played Team Fortress 2 on a LAN. It was amazing. Absolutely no lag.
At PAX there's so much to do, and so little time. I never got a chance to play any Magic, Catan, Munchkin, Talisman, etc. PAX is obviously different because it's not a media event. No, instead it's for the fans, not just of Penny Arcade, but of gaming in general. E3 is supposed to be a press only event, but for some reason, in previous years, you could find random people there, including managers from Best Buy and EB Games. The people at PAX are gamers. Downtown Seattle is an amazing location, and it was hilarious to see PAX attendees take over downtown. The location of E3 sucks. The LA convention center is great, but the area surrounding it has nothing to do, and nowhere to go. At E3, I had to take a 10 minute train ride to get from my hotel to the convention center. At PAX I walked 5 minutes from my hotel to the convention center. Only blocks away was a Game Works with a pretty impressive selection of arcade games. Just a 10 minute walk would take you to the Pikes Peak Market where you can find an amazing array of local flavors.
Obviously, PAX impressed the hell out of me. I can't wait until next year, so I think I'll try to go to PAX East. If PAX East is only half as good as Seattle, I'll still be impressed.
I still have to read the rest of the second page of this thread, and I want to make a meaningfull contribution to this thread, because I agree with each and every one of you, and I love this community.
Thats for tomorrow.
For today, I want to dedicate this song to PAX, to the community, to my 75 thousand friends, to you guys here...
I concur with much that has been said here, but here's what I've realized:
I didn't hate people at PAX.
I hate people, as a general rule. They're oblivious, rude and stupid. I get extremely tense and irritated when I'm exposed to large groups of them. Let's face it, People are savages.
It didn't hit me until yesterday, when I was exposed to a very small sampling of "the masses" at the grocery store. Immediately, I had hate. I had irritation. I couldn't wait to get home.
And I realized that I didn't have ONE moment of that while I was at PAX. Not one. Even standing in long lines of thousands of people. Even trying to get through a jammed expo hall. No hate.
I never thought I'd be relaxed spending a whole weekend with 70,000 people. Huh.
Edit: Wait, that's not true. I hated the register jockey at the FedEx in the conventional hall on Sunday morning. But he wasn't one of us, so it's ok.
I couldnt agree with you more, i am the same way - not a people person at all but at PAX i felt so damn free. I talked to everyone that i could anywhere at anytime. I jumped around and generally had so much fun. After I grabbed a balled of gay tony t-shirt from Rockstar I heard yelling over at the Pirates booth. They were launching shirts into the crowd (this was on sunday) me and my friend not at all interested in the game started yelling and trying to amp up the crowd so much that the guys at the pirates booth couldnt thank us enough. Overall best experience of my lyfe ever so much so that now i feel so down that i have to return to my "normal" lyfe.
So about the stories of gamers being (anecdotally) more trustworthy then in a normal place...got me thinking.
Are gamers as a whole nicer/more accepting/less evil then average people? Is PAX just the type of event that attracts only the more mature gamers? Or are the stories that we hear only the good ones, and we don't hear the bad ones?
The statistician in me makes me think it is the third, but the gamer in me makes me think the first, and partially the second. What do you guys think?
Having been to PAX for a few years now, I can sure relate to many of the posts in this thread. I remember how I felt after my first PAX, and I can honestly say it was a life changing experience. If that sounds like a bit of a lofty claim, let me explain.
As many folks have aptly stated before, PAX is more than just a convention about games. It's a gathering of the community of gamers, and a celebration of the camaraderie, friendship, enthusiasm, teamwork, and fun that makes gaming thrive. It's the joy of every game played with friends, multiplied by thousands, and distilled into a three-day corporeal gathering of the best of the Internet itself. It's genuine, virtual relationships amongst gamers given physical expression. And it's getting to experience that there are so many of us that are very cool, very diverse people, very awesome people.
So why was this life changing for me? In a word, enthusiasm. All my life, I've been an enthusiast. My parents encouraged me that anything worth doing was worth putting all your effort into, a trait that I naturally demonstrated as a young child. What I promptly found out as a young adult, both in college and in the working world, was that genuine enthusiasm is often viewed as uncool; that being excited about things in daily life makes you an outcast. I believe it's one of the reason gamers have been viewed as abnormal: gamers are inherently excited about something that non-gamers just don't understand.
I'd been working in a good job for some time before my first PAX, and working with people who did their job well, but weren't enthusiastic about it, or about much of anything really aside from getting smashed on weekends whenever possible. I came to PAX expecting games. Expecting to play them, see new ones, and hang out with cool people that were like-minded. Expecting a good time, and expecting a break from the "real world" for a few days. I certainly found all of those things, but the rest of what I found truly surprised me.
I discovered people who were utterly passionate about their work. People who worked for ArenaNet, for EA, Activision, Atari, Ubisoft, and so many small gaming companies. People who worked hard, and loved every minute of it. Through shining smiles, they'd relay stories of long hours, tough deadlines, scrapped projects, and tight budgets - all adding up to very tough jobs. Without exception, though, was the consistent answer given when I asked if they enjoyed what they did. "Absolutely! I love it." was always the response. These people loved what they did in a way that I desperately wanted to, and I couldn't think of one person in the environments that I worked in that could match their level of enthusiasm.
But the level of enthusiasm I found was certainly not unfamiliar! I knew exactly how they felt. Finally, I had discovered people who, like myself, weren't just people who played games! They were gamers. Real, honest, enthusiastic people who relished the culture that surrounded games just as much as the games themselves. People who knew exactly what a Grue was, people who could play world 4-1 through with their eyes shut, who would quote a relevant Guybrush Threepwood line at a moment's notice.
I found thousands and thousands of friends, all at once, and it was overwhelming.
I was moved to tears myself at the end of that first weekend. I wanted to package up everything that was PAX and take it with me; to take the experience and the excitement and the atmosphere and never have to leave it behind! At the time, I didn't understand why I felt so strongly, but over the coming weeks and months, and even years, the things that I've said here gradually became clear to me.
And I realized that the most powerful thing about PAX was its ability to create an atmosphere where contagious enthusiasm for gaming is everywhere, where people excitedly discover friends they never knew they had, and where, for just a few days in late summer in Seattle, your whole world feels like family.
GenXer on
Twitter: @GenXer| Flickr: Gene Eckser | Xbox Live: Gene Eckser
But yeah, the feeling like a family is so true. There's hardly ever a time when I feel that comfortable, even when I'm by myself. To just know when you're around people who have the same passions and dedications, but all still have their own stories. It's absolutely fascinating to me.
My biggest regret is not striking up more conversations with people in line. The guy behind me in line for L4D2 was a podcaster and kept taking notes quite frivolously. The entire time I had all sorts of questions I wanted to ask him but I felt like I was interrupting him, so I kept to myself.
For what it's worth, as annoying as the nVidia badge thing was for everyone, it got me talking to people I would have never otherwise.
The entire experience really inspires you to be the person you truly are and want to be.
Nikasaur, your story is incredible. I am not a theater geek but I am 110% in the same boat otherwise.. but I don't think I'd have the courage to get up on stage in the first place. My buddy couldn't even convince me to get on one of the smaller ones. One of my favorite things to do at PAX is watching the Rock Band Freeplay stage because you can just tell when someone goes up there with little to no expectations of themselves just nails it and everyone goes nuts and their entire outlook changes, they get a boost of confidence and hold it together until the end.. and then a whole lot of people run up and hug them and congratulate them. What seems like such simple gestures that we should practice in our everyday lives becomes the moment in someone's life that changes them forever.
I have never and will probably never see anything that even comes close to how absolutely amazing everyone treats each other at PAX.. in the gaming realm or otherwise.
Hopefully I'll have my social anxiety under control by next year. There were a lot of cool people at PAX, but I was too nervous to talk to them.
This was my first PAX, and now that I have an idea of how it works, I bet PAX '10 is going to be even more fun than PAX '09 was. It's only been a couple days, and already I can't wait to go back.
LOL! That certainly demystifies things a little bit. :P Seems functional though.
There were some pretty incredible panels that really showed how realistic it is to get into the industry and be a success, not to mention that I've got a new PROFOUND respect for men like Tim Schafer and Steve Jackson. Pretty amazing human beings, I'd say.
So about the stories of gamers being (anecdotally) more trustworthy then in a normal place...got me thinking.
Are gamers as a whole nicer/more accepting/less evil then average people? Is PAX just the type of event that attracts only the more mature gamers? Or are the stories that we hear only the good ones, and we don't hear the bad ones?
The statistician in me makes me think it is the third, but the gamer in me makes me think the first, and partially the second. What do you guys think?
I think that... gamer culture breeds a different sort of being. Looking at the throngs of PAXers we can determine that the attendees are shockingly non-aggressive, truly happy to be there, and at ease. Are we an oppressed people? Sometimes, but not wholly. Are we a minority? Often.
The thing that's different is that suddenly, you are not the minority at all. You wear your "I'd Tap That" shirt and people not only know what it means, but probably have the same one hanging in their closet. You can make an off-kilter video game joke and have it be appreciated. A combination of these factors tends to lead to a sense of real community, and that leads to an environment of RESPECT.
If lines shut down, we respect it. If enforcers say "DON'T DO IT!" we respect it. No matter what awkward and possibly selfish circumstances the PAXers come across, they tend to react with respect for one another.
I'll admit my biggest failing every year is being a little shy. Yeah. There's a group of nerds over there playing some kind of card game that I don't know about, and on one too many occasions I've been too intimidated to go join up and ask what's going on. It's like spiders, man, they're just as afraid of you...
I haven't seen that dynamic anywhere else I've been to. Maybe it was my outlook as much as anything, but Tycho's vision comes through when we have threads like these, because it shows that his desire for a gaming community meet up still exist, no matter how many of us there are.
Perfect banners, right? "Welcome Home."
No, it's not 100%, but you never
While I didn't actually shed tears of joy at any time during this year's PAX, I came damn close during "Sweet Caroline" towards the end of the Jonathan Coulton concert. It just felt so right.
While I didn't actually shed tears of joy at any time during this year's PAX, I came damn close during "Sweet Caroline" towards the end of the Jonathan Coulton concert. It just felt so right.
Ditto. I was on the verge of tears singing that at the top of my lungs. I wish he had actually switched it and put Sweet Caroline last; that was the perfect song to end the night on.
Also, during the Wil Wheaton panel, when the young woman came up and talked about feeling at home for once, I think probably 60% of the people in that room were either ready to roar or tear up.
It never really hit me how awesome PAX people were till I just now started poking around on other forums I vistit frequently, and to put it mildly, they were all jerks.
I dont know if the good hearted, caring, smart gamers are drawn to Penny-Arcade and PAX, or if PAX just brings out the best of people. Either way it hurts to read posts from jerks after being surrounded by so many awesome people!
I was running the PAX Prank this year. And I was stressing out MAJOR about making it work without disrupting the show. I was focused so much on that, that it became the bane of my PAX. Halfway through Saturday I actually thought to myself "I don't want to be here, I just want to go home." At which point I realized...I was doing PAX wrong. I didn't know how to fix it, until I talked to Accalon, Augustus, and another enforcer outside. They helped me get through it, and get back on the track to actually enjoying PAX again.
Those guys rock...they single handedly saved my weekend. If it wasn't for them, I would have never come back, and would have hated PAX for the rest of my life.
This is why I love this con...because of the people who you have never met/only said hi to before, are willing to go out of their way to make sure that you are enjoying yourself.
Seriously guys.. Stop it! You guys keep making me tear up!
I seriously need to make a post here. I don't even know what to say! I would not trade this community, this amazing group of friends and acquaintances, for anything in the universe.
I'm finally caught up on the thread, and its as amazing as ever. This is hands down, my absolutely favorite thread on the entire forums right now.
I know I promised a post the other day, but its 4 AM, and I'm too brain dead! Tomorrow, I swear... >.>
Y know, Im sorry I can be a douche sometimes, but shit, you dont have to destroy me like that.
It went to my head, yknow? Its happened to some TRULY great people in the past.
And no, Im not comparing myself to them.
So Im kind of internet famous. I might even have a meme SOMEWHERE.
Some people like me, whoo hoo. I have some new friends, awesome!
Some of you might hate the living daylights out of me, and to that, I dont care too much. But you dont have to be dicks to me.
Yeah, I was medically discharged from the Navy because I had asthma. Thats not something I had a lot of control over, whoo hoo. Im over it. Kinda, I miss it sometimes.
Yeah, I work at a Taco Bell. I know, it sucks, but at least its a job.
I dont have the best self esteem. Probably not the biggest surprise to you guys, but I dont have a lot of friends. Im just not a people person.
But PAX this year changed that... It helped my self esteem... I thought that I had a lot of friends after that weekend.
As an older gamer and first timer at PaX I was amazed at how well everyone got along and how polite everyone was. It was a great experience and attending the AION launch party in the Space Needle was icing on the cake. I may live in Hawaii now, but the people of the NW (where I am from) are simply the best.
Y know, Im sorry I can be a douche sometimes, but shit, you dont have to destroy me like that.
It went to my head, yknow? Its happened to some TRULY great people in the past.
And no, Im not comparing myself to them.
So Im kind of internet famous. I might even have a meme SOMEWHERE.
Some people like me, whoo hoo. I have some new friends, awesome!
Some of you might hate the living daylights out of me, and to that, I dont care too much. But you dont have to be dicks to me.
Yeah, I was medically discharged from the Navy because I had asthma. Thats not something I had a lot of control over, whoo hoo. Im over it. Kinda, I miss it sometimes.
Yeah, I work at a Taco Bell. I know, it sucks, but at least its a job.
I dont have the best self esteem. Probably not the biggest surprise to you guys, but I dont have a lot of friends. Im just not a people person.
But PAX this year changed that... It helped my self esteem... I thought that I had a lot of friends after that weekend.
Thanks for proving me wrong.
Hi Dude! It's Pink Bathrobe guy! I STILL RUBB ROOO!!!!
The DIMD on
<+ACC3SS> 4chan doesn't make me cringe as much as you do, The_DIMD.
I just had to chime in here because I wanted to make a thread like this myself. I want to thank every last one of you, even though I probably didn't even see you at Pax, for making Pax great.
This was my first Pax and although I'd long wanted to attend in previous years, money issues and my sometimes crippling social anxiety issues prevented me from coming. My anxiety disorder is so bad that I initially failed out of college because I couldn't leave my dorm room. So, traveling across the country to come to a convention that was supposed to have upwards of 75,000 people attending was just a little scary for me.
But the very first hour we were in town, we stopped by the Hyatt for one of our group to pick up his badge, and I knew it was going to be ok. EVERYONE was super nice. Complimenting each other on our gaming related t-shirts and the enforcers pointing us in the right direction. The first day of the show I talked to people I'd never met before about games and Pax. I was interacting with strangers in a way that I've never really done before. The only time I was really nervous was when I met Wil Wheaton and MC Frontalot and even then it wasn't a social anxiety as much as an, "omigod omigod I'm talking to Wil Wheaton!" anxiety.
On Saturday my group nearly skipped the concerts because of a mixture of exhaustion and laziness but I forced us back out. On the way to the convention center I asked if we were in bizarro world since I was the one making the effort to be social.
I can only think of one moment where someone got angry at someone else, at the Rockstar booth some dude nearly punched a guy over a free t-shirt. It's quite possibly the very definition of ironic. Aside from that everyone was cordial and awesome and I have to thank you all for the experience.
I'm now kicking myself for not doing the community events like the pub crawl and the pre-Pax dinner. I can't wait for Pax East and Pax Prime, I'm going to make damned sure that I come back home every chance I get.
Dunno if I should post this here or in Shout Out Thread but...
To that girl who gave that awesome speech at the Wil Wheaton booth: Thanks. It was that moment ( well, maybe a little before) that brought 800 people together. I will always remember that.
Some of you might have met Alex on the PAXtrain. He was the one with the awesome Czech beer. I honestly don't remember if he has a forum handle or not.
Anyway. He wrote a fantastic article for Game and Player, and reading it really made me smile. It's a wonderful, well written article, and Alex is a hell of a guy. Go read it.
Arco on
Like this, not like the gas station.
Organizer of the Post-PAX Party. You should come!
Satellite Theater for life!
Dunno if I should post this here or in Shout Out Thread but...
To that girl who gave that awesome speech at the Wil Wheaton booth: Thanks. It was that moment ( well, maybe a little before) that brought 800 people together. I will always remember that.
I've heard that mentioned a couple times already but have no idea what it's about as I wasn't there. Can you (or anyone) paraphrase or summarize the speech for me? :P
Dunno if I should post this here or in Shout Out Thread but...
To that girl who gave that awesome speech at the Wil Wheaton booth: Thanks. It was that moment ( well, maybe a little before) that brought 800 people together. I will always remember that.
I've heard that mentioned a couple times already but have no idea what it's about as I wasn't there. Can you (or anyone) paraphrase or summarize the speech for me? :P
I wish I could remember the whole thing but alas. She said that, after a lifetime of being ostracized for her love of videos games, she was glad to have PAX, and that PAX felt more like a family reunion than just a convention.
pretty much. She wasn't super social, so she turned to video games, which made her even more anti-social. She attempted to give her up video game hobby in order to be more accepted, and did so until she met her husband, who got her back into it. Now she feels at home at PAX, and its like meeting family rather then just a convention.
I can't remember exactly what I said anymore and if I tried to repeat it I am sure it wouldn't be the same. At the time I was so worried that I would sound strange when I was trying to express something that felt very personal. I think everyone has paraphrased me better then I was able to express my feelings then.
Thank you everyone for understanding and I can't wait to see you all again next year.
SeaSkyShore on
Time you enjoy wasting, was not wasted. - John Lennon
I'm glad to see that you found it. Look what you went and started, bad SeaSkyShore! We can't have gamers being nice and understanding online...we might lose our street cred or something!
This was my first PAX. I had planned months in advance. It was well worth it, as my trip went off without a single hitch.
Part of the reason was to meet my favorite Video Game developers, such as Ron Gilbert and Dave Grossman from Telltale games (I even chatted a bit with Tom French of Pandemic studios on the way over from the JetBlue flight from JFK airport in NYC. He was sitting next to me ).
The other reason was to see some of my favorite bands, Anamanaguchi and MC Frontalot in concert. Now, I see them all the time in NYC, which is where they (and I) are from. However, the difference between seeing them in a club at NYC and at PAX is like the difference between seeing your favorite band in your hometown and then seeing them in a soccer stadium at Rio De Janeiro. One is far more awesome because the crowds are way more enthusiastic. Also, a way bigger crowd. It just shows you: the venue matters. At PAX, it's not just a bigger and more enthusiastic crowd; it's a crowd of people just like yourself enjoying the same music you do.
I also met Paul and Storm, Metroid Metal, and Freezepop for the first time. I encountered Jonathan Coulton before, but that was during a book-signing session for John Hodgman's "The Areas Of My Expertise" in paperback at a Barnes & Noble near NYU (which isn't there anymore, unfortunately (I'm talking about the B&N, not NYU (Don't you think nested parentheses are fun (I do!)))). Jonathan Coulton was playing acoustic guitar in a coonskin cap, and I didn't recognize him. I couldn't understand the point of having someone play guitar there other than be one of Hodgman's hobos (read "The Areas of my Expertise" to find out what I'm talking about). I later found out that it was Jonathan Coulton, the author of the "Thing A Week" song-a-week year-long marathon. Since I was sitting very close (i.e. 3" or 1m) to John Hodgman's book-signing desk, I actually got recognition from both Messrs. Hodgman and Coulton. In fact, when I asked Mr. Coulton if he remembered me from that event, he said "I DO remember you!" I then proceeded to buy his thing-a-week box set for $40. Why? It's better if you have full CD-quality music rather than lossy MP3-quality music. Also, I want to support the artist, even if he gave legal permission to share his work.
All in all, I'm glad I met everyone there, and I'm damn sure I would do this again!
There's many things I can say about PAX and how it truly does feel like home and what it's become to me over the four years I've gone...
But what I truly want to illustrate is that in '08 I brought my fiance to PAX and was terrified about how she would deal with thousands of people everywhere in various states of hygenic conditions all focused around video games, many of which she might not care about..
Like all worries, they were a waste of time, she ended up loving it and we continued our tradition by going together(and pulling another new person into the experience) again.
PAX is Halloween, Turkey day, Christmas, Get drunk and foight day (St. Patrick's) and a shitload of Concert Days all rolled into one and multiplied by a million to us.
It's something we both have dreams about, something we both squeal like little girls about, albeit it's a little more embarassing when I do it.
PAX brings her and I closer together. We get to have so much fun together and independently. We both get to discover new music we're to embarassed with share with anyone else but each other. (we're both still very sad to not have the oneups or the darkest of the hillside thickets around)
I have NO doubt that we'll be bringing our children to this event someday.
PAX brings out the best of all of us, except when we haven't showered.
It's like the feeling you got during the episode of Futurama about Fry's dog, it's like the feeling you get at the end of every Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, and it's like that one part in Short Circuit when they're killing Johnny Five and he's like, "No disassemble!"
All of those confusing feelings of saddness and happiness and pride and joy.
Let's keep it going til we're too old to stand anymore.
The most powerful part of PAX for me and many more is during a concert when everyone breaks out their DSes, PSPs, laptops and cell phones and slowly waves them back and forth above their heads during a smooth song. That is one of the things I live for.
Thanks to everyone for making this thread an awesome sharing experience. Hopefully all the East PAXers can make wonderful memories to add to the overall experience.
Posts
PAX is totally different. At E3 when the expo hall closes, that's it, there's nothing to do but go to after parties. I like parties, but I'd honestly rather be playing the games on the show floor. At PAX, even though the expo hall closes at 7:00, the rest of the convention center is still open until 3:00 AM! I was really impressed by the console and PC freeplay. What a great idea. If you didn't get to check it out, make sure you do next year. As great as online gaming is, there's not substitute for playing with or against someone in the same room. I've never played Team Fortress 2 on a LAN. It was amazing. Absolutely no lag.
At PAX there's so much to do, and so little time. I never got a chance to play any Magic, Catan, Munchkin, Talisman, etc. PAX is obviously different because it's not a media event. No, instead it's for the fans, not just of Penny Arcade, but of gaming in general. E3 is supposed to be a press only event, but for some reason, in previous years, you could find random people there, including managers from Best Buy and EB Games. The people at PAX are gamers. Downtown Seattle is an amazing location, and it was hilarious to see PAX attendees take over downtown. The location of E3 sucks. The LA convention center is great, but the area surrounding it has nothing to do, and nowhere to go. At E3, I had to take a 10 minute train ride to get from my hotel to the convention center. At PAX I walked 5 minutes from my hotel to the convention center. Only blocks away was a Game Works with a pretty impressive selection of arcade games. Just a 10 minute walk would take you to the Pikes Peak Market where you can find an amazing array of local flavors.
Obviously, PAX impressed the hell out of me. I can't wait until next year, so I think I'll try to go to PAX East. If PAX East is only half as good as Seattle, I'll still be impressed.
Thats for tomorrow.
For today, I want to dedicate this song to PAX, to the community, to my 75 thousand friends, to you guys here...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXeIF6Qk7DM
I couldnt agree with you more, i am the same way - not a people person at all but at PAX i felt so damn free. I talked to everyone that i could anywhere at anytime. I jumped around and generally had so much fun. After I grabbed a balled of gay tony t-shirt from Rockstar I heard yelling over at the Pirates booth. They were launching shirts into the crowd (this was on sunday) me and my friend not at all interested in the game started yelling and trying to amp up the crowd so much that the guys at the pirates booth couldnt thank us enough. Overall best experience of my lyfe ever so much so that now i feel so down that i have to return to my "normal" lyfe.
Are gamers as a whole nicer/more accepting/less evil then average people? Is PAX just the type of event that attracts only the more mature gamers? Or are the stories that we hear only the good ones, and we don't hear the bad ones?
The statistician in me makes me think it is the third, but the gamer in me makes me think the first, and partially the second. What do you guys think?
As many folks have aptly stated before, PAX is more than just a convention about games. It's a gathering of the community of gamers, and a celebration of the camaraderie, friendship, enthusiasm, teamwork, and fun that makes gaming thrive. It's the joy of every game played with friends, multiplied by thousands, and distilled into a three-day corporeal gathering of the best of the Internet itself. It's genuine, virtual relationships amongst gamers given physical expression. And it's getting to experience that there are so many of us that are very cool, very diverse people, very awesome people.
So why was this life changing for me? In a word, enthusiasm. All my life, I've been an enthusiast. My parents encouraged me that anything worth doing was worth putting all your effort into, a trait that I naturally demonstrated as a young child. What I promptly found out as a young adult, both in college and in the working world, was that genuine enthusiasm is often viewed as uncool; that being excited about things in daily life makes you an outcast. I believe it's one of the reason gamers have been viewed as abnormal: gamers are inherently excited about something that non-gamers just don't understand.
I'd been working in a good job for some time before my first PAX, and working with people who did their job well, but weren't enthusiastic about it, or about much of anything really aside from getting smashed on weekends whenever possible. I came to PAX expecting games. Expecting to play them, see new ones, and hang out with cool people that were like-minded. Expecting a good time, and expecting a break from the "real world" for a few days. I certainly found all of those things, but the rest of what I found truly surprised me.
I discovered people who were utterly passionate about their work. People who worked for ArenaNet, for EA, Activision, Atari, Ubisoft, and so many small gaming companies. People who worked hard, and loved every minute of it. Through shining smiles, they'd relay stories of long hours, tough deadlines, scrapped projects, and tight budgets - all adding up to very tough jobs. Without exception, though, was the consistent answer given when I asked if they enjoyed what they did. "Absolutely! I love it." was always the response. These people loved what they did in a way that I desperately wanted to, and I couldn't think of one person in the environments that I worked in that could match their level of enthusiasm.
But the level of enthusiasm I found was certainly not unfamiliar! I knew exactly how they felt. Finally, I had discovered people who, like myself, weren't just people who played games! They were gamers. Real, honest, enthusiastic people who relished the culture that surrounded games just as much as the games themselves. People who knew exactly what a Grue was, people who could play world 4-1 through with their eyes shut, who would quote a relevant Guybrush Threepwood line at a moment's notice.
I found thousands and thousands of friends, all at once, and it was overwhelming.
I was moved to tears myself at the end of that first weekend. I wanted to package up everything that was PAX and take it with me; to take the experience and the excitement and the atmosphere and never have to leave it behind! At the time, I didn't understand why I felt so strongly, but over the coming weeks and months, and even years, the things that I've said here gradually became clear to me.
And I realized that the most powerful thing about PAX was its ability to create an atmosphere where contagious enthusiasm for gaming is everywhere, where people excitedly discover friends they never knew they had, and where, for just a few days in late summer in Seattle, your whole world feels like family.
I loved it there. I never wanted to leave.
Roleplayer, Pirate, and 2009 Omeganaut
But yeah, the feeling like a family is so true. There's hardly ever a time when I feel that comfortable, even when I'm by myself. To just know when you're around people who have the same passions and dedications, but all still have their own stories. It's absolutely fascinating to me.
My biggest regret is not striking up more conversations with people in line. The guy behind me in line for L4D2 was a podcaster and kept taking notes quite frivolously. The entire time I had all sorts of questions I wanted to ask him but I felt like I was interrupting him, so I kept to myself.
For what it's worth, as annoying as the nVidia badge thing was for everyone, it got me talking to people I would have never otherwise.
The entire experience really inspires you to be the person you truly are and want to be.
Nikasaur, your story is incredible. I am not a theater geek but I am 110% in the same boat otherwise.. but I don't think I'd have the courage to get up on stage in the first place. My buddy couldn't even convince me to get on one of the smaller ones. One of my favorite things to do at PAX is watching the Rock Band Freeplay stage because you can just tell when someone goes up there with little to no expectations of themselves just nails it and everyone goes nuts and their entire outlook changes, they get a boost of confidence and hold it together until the end.. and then a whole lot of people run up and hug them and congratulate them. What seems like such simple gestures that we should practice in our everyday lives becomes the moment in someone's life that changes them forever.
I have never and will probably never see anything that even comes close to how absolutely amazing everyone treats each other at PAX.. in the gaming realm or otherwise.
This was my first PAX, and now that I have an idea of how it works, I bet PAX '10 is going to be even more fun than PAX '09 was. It's only been a couple days, and already I can't wait to go back.
Friday = expo floor
Saturday = panels
Sunday = Main Theater (and Wil Wheaton)
LOL! That certainly demystifies things a little bit. :P Seems functional though.
There were some pretty incredible panels that really showed how realistic it is to get into the industry and be a success, not to mention that I've got a new PROFOUND respect for men like Tim Schafer and Steve Jackson. Pretty amazing human beings, I'd say.
ETA.Confidence
EscapeTheAsylum.com
Thanks guys.
Awwwww, Snickers!!! *tear*
I think that... gamer culture breeds a different sort of being. Looking at the throngs of PAXers we can determine that the attendees are shockingly non-aggressive, truly happy to be there, and at ease. Are we an oppressed people? Sometimes, but not wholly. Are we a minority? Often.
The thing that's different is that suddenly, you are not the minority at all. You wear your "I'd Tap That" shirt and people not only know what it means, but probably have the same one hanging in their closet. You can make an off-kilter video game joke and have it be appreciated. A combination of these factors tends to lead to a sense of real community, and that leads to an environment of RESPECT.
If lines shut down, we respect it. If enforcers say "DON'T DO IT!" we respect it. No matter what awkward and possibly selfish circumstances the PAXers come across, they tend to react with respect for one another.
I'll admit my biggest failing every year is being a little shy. Yeah. There's a group of nerds over there playing some kind of card game that I don't know about, and on one too many occasions I've been too intimidated to go join up and ask what's going on. It's like spiders, man, they're just as afraid of you...
I haven't seen that dynamic anywhere else I've been to. Maybe it was my outlook as much as anything, but Tycho's vision comes through when we have threads like these, because it shows that his desire for a gaming community meet up still exist, no matter how many of us there are.
Perfect banners, right? "Welcome Home."
No, it's not 100%, but you never
Ditto. I was on the verge of tears singing that at the top of my lungs. I wish he had actually switched it and put Sweet Caroline last; that was the perfect song to end the night on.
Also, during the Wil Wheaton panel, when the young woman came up and talked about feeling at home for once, I think probably 60% of the people in that room were either ready to roar or tear up.
I dont know if the good hearted, caring, smart gamers are drawn to Penny-Arcade and PAX, or if PAX just brings out the best of people. Either way it hurts to read posts from jerks after being surrounded by so many awesome people!
PAX Prime 2011 Challange Coin Thread -- Order your 2011 PAX Prime Challange Coin!
I was running the PAX Prank this year. And I was stressing out MAJOR about making it work without disrupting the show. I was focused so much on that, that it became the bane of my PAX. Halfway through Saturday I actually thought to myself "I don't want to be here, I just want to go home." At which point I realized...I was doing PAX wrong. I didn't know how to fix it, until I talked to Accalon, Augustus, and another enforcer outside. They helped me get through it, and get back on the track to actually enjoying PAX again.
Those guys rock...they single handedly saved my weekend. If it wasn't for them, I would have never come back, and would have hated PAX for the rest of my life.
This is why I love this con...because of the people who you have never met/only said hi to before, are willing to go out of their way to make sure that you are enjoying yourself.
NEW ALBUM OUT, NOW WITH 100% MORE SHEEP!, have a listen will ya
ETA.Confidence
EscapeTheAsylum.com
Twitter.com: @Shaddz
Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/y7lesjt
You can find my gaming news-related rants and reviews on:
http://www.GAMINGtruth.com
I seriously need to make a post here. I don't even know what to say! I would not trade this community, this amazing group of friends and acquaintances, for anything in the universe.
I'm finally caught up on the thread, and its as amazing as ever. This is hands down, my absolutely favorite thread on the entire forums right now.
I know I promised a post the other day, but its 4 AM, and I'm too brain dead! Tomorrow, I swear... >.>
It went to my head, yknow? Its happened to some TRULY great people in the past.
And no, Im not comparing myself to them.
So Im kind of internet famous. I might even have a meme SOMEWHERE.
Some people like me, whoo hoo. I have some new friends, awesome!
Some of you might hate the living daylights out of me, and to that, I dont care too much. But you dont have to be dicks to me.
Yeah, I was medically discharged from the Navy because I had asthma. Thats not something I had a lot of control over, whoo hoo. Im over it. Kinda, I miss it sometimes.
Yeah, I work at a Taco Bell. I know, it sucks, but at least its a job.
I dont have the best self esteem. Probably not the biggest surprise to you guys, but I dont have a lot of friends. Im just not a people person.
But PAX this year changed that... It helped my self esteem... I thought that I had a lot of friends after that weekend.
Thanks for proving me wrong.
Twitter.com: @Shaddz
Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/y7lesjt
You can find my gaming news-related rants and reviews on:
http://www.GAMINGtruth.com
Hi Dude! It's Pink Bathrobe guy! I STILL RUBB ROOO!!!!
I'd be touched if that wasn't our song you cheating whore!
This was my first Pax and although I'd long wanted to attend in previous years, money issues and my sometimes crippling social anxiety issues prevented me from coming. My anxiety disorder is so bad that I initially failed out of college because I couldn't leave my dorm room. So, traveling across the country to come to a convention that was supposed to have upwards of 75,000 people attending was just a little scary for me.
But the very first hour we were in town, we stopped by the Hyatt for one of our group to pick up his badge, and I knew it was going to be ok. EVERYONE was super nice. Complimenting each other on our gaming related t-shirts and the enforcers pointing us in the right direction. The first day of the show I talked to people I'd never met before about games and Pax. I was interacting with strangers in a way that I've never really done before. The only time I was really nervous was when I met Wil Wheaton and MC Frontalot and even then it wasn't a social anxiety as much as an, "omigod omigod I'm talking to Wil Wheaton!" anxiety.
On Saturday my group nearly skipped the concerts because of a mixture of exhaustion and laziness but I forced us back out. On the way to the convention center I asked if we were in bizarro world since I was the one making the effort to be social.
I can only think of one moment where someone got angry at someone else, at the Rockstar booth some dude nearly punched a guy over a free t-shirt. It's quite possibly the very definition of ironic. Aside from that everyone was cordial and awesome and I have to thank you all for the experience.
I'm now kicking myself for not doing the community events like the pub crawl and the pre-Pax dinner. I can't wait for Pax East and Pax Prime, I'm going to make damned sure that I come back home every chance I get.
To that girl who gave that awesome speech at the Wil Wheaton booth: Thanks. It was that moment ( well, maybe a little before) that brought 800 people together. I will always remember that.
<@zerzhul> you win at twdt
Anyway. He wrote a fantastic article for Game and Player, and reading it really made me smile. It's a wonderful, well written article, and Alex is a hell of a guy. Go read it.
Organizer of the Post-PAX Party. You should come!
Satellite Theater for life!
I've heard that mentioned a couple times already but have no idea what it's about as I wasn't there. Can you (or anyone) paraphrase or summarize the speech for me?
I wish I could remember the whole thing but alas. She said that, after a lifetime of being ostracized for her love of videos games, she was glad to have PAX, and that PAX felt more like a family reunion than just a convention.
<@zerzhul> you win at twdt
Thanks again everyone, It's been awesome reading your experiences and enjoying the memories.
ETA.Confidence
EscapeTheAsylum.com
Thank you everyone for understanding and I can't wait to see you all again next year.
I'm glad to see that you found it.
Part of the reason was to meet my favorite Video Game developers, such as Ron Gilbert and Dave Grossman from Telltale games (I even chatted a bit with Tom French of Pandemic studios on the way over from the JetBlue flight from JFK airport in NYC. He was sitting next to me
The other reason was to see some of my favorite bands, Anamanaguchi and MC Frontalot in concert. Now, I see them all the time in NYC, which is where they (and I) are from. However, the difference between seeing them in a club at NYC and at PAX is like the difference between seeing your favorite band in your hometown and then seeing them in a soccer stadium at Rio De Janeiro. One is far more awesome because the crowds are way more enthusiastic. Also, a way bigger crowd. It just shows you: the venue matters. At PAX, it's not just a bigger and more enthusiastic crowd; it's a crowd of people just like yourself enjoying the same music you do.
I also met Paul and Storm, Metroid Metal, and Freezepop for the first time. I encountered Jonathan Coulton before, but that was during a book-signing session for John Hodgman's "The Areas Of My Expertise" in paperback at a Barnes & Noble near NYU (which isn't there anymore, unfortunately (I'm talking about the B&N, not NYU (Don't you think nested parentheses are fun (I do!)))). Jonathan Coulton was playing acoustic guitar in a coonskin cap, and I didn't recognize him. I couldn't understand the point of having someone play guitar there other than be one of Hodgman's hobos (read "The Areas of my Expertise" to find out what I'm talking about). I later found out that it was Jonathan Coulton, the author of the "Thing A Week" song-a-week year-long marathon. Since I was sitting very close (i.e. 3" or 1m) to John Hodgman's book-signing desk, I actually got recognition from both Messrs. Hodgman and Coulton. In fact, when I asked Mr. Coulton if he remembered me from that event, he said "I DO remember you!" I then proceeded to buy his thing-a-week box set for $40. Why? It's better if you have full CD-quality music rather than lossy MP3-quality music. Also, I want to support the artist, even if he gave legal permission to share his work.
All in all, I'm glad I met everyone there, and I'm damn sure I would do this again!
But what I truly want to illustrate is that in '08 I brought my fiance to PAX and was terrified about how she would deal with thousands of people everywhere in various states of hygenic conditions all focused around video games, many of which she might not care about..
Like all worries, they were a waste of time, she ended up loving it and we continued our tradition by going together(and pulling another new person into the experience) again.
PAX is Halloween, Turkey day, Christmas, Get drunk and foight day (St. Patrick's) and a shitload of Concert Days all rolled into one and multiplied by a million to us.
It's something we both have dreams about, something we both squeal like little girls about, albeit it's a little more embarassing when I do it.
PAX brings her and I closer together. We get to have so much fun together and independently. We both get to discover new music we're to embarassed with share with anyone else but each other. (we're both still very sad to not have the oneups or the darkest of the hillside thickets around)
I have NO doubt that we'll be bringing our children to this event someday.
PAX brings out the best of all of us, except when we haven't showered.
It's like the feeling you got during the episode of Futurama about Fry's dog, it's like the feeling you get at the end of every Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, and it's like that one part in Short Circuit when they're killing Johnny Five and he's like, "No disassemble!"
All of those confusing feelings of saddness and happiness and pride and joy.
Let's keep it going til we're too old to stand anymore.
Thanks again, all. See you next year.
-Confidence
ETA.Confidence
EscapeTheAsylum.com