The new forums will be named Coin Return (based on the most recent vote)! You can check on the status and timeline of the transition to the new forums here.
The Guiding Principles and New Rules document is now in effect.
The Schedule is Revealed
Moe Fwacky
Right Here, Right NowDrives a BuickModerator Mod Emeritus
Right Here, Right NowDrives a BuickModerator Mod Emeritus
http://east.paxsite.com/schedule.php
FRIDAY
FRIDAY
PAX East 2011 Keynote: Jane McGonigal
Main Theatre
Friday, 10:30am - 11:30am
You may know her work from the I Love Bees ARG that launched with a little game called Halo 2. You may also have seen her TED speech or read her book ("Reality is Broken") where she describes gamers as being uniquely equipped to save the world. She's super smart and has a lot of really interesting things to say about gaming, and we're super excited to have her here. Check it out!
Grifball Evolved
Naga Theatre
Friday, 10:30am - 11:30am
Grifball started out as a joke in a Red vs Blue episode and now, 3 years later, it has its own playlist in Halo: Reach. How did this small-time custom assault variant become one of the most popular matchmaking gametypes of all time? Come to the panel to find out! Prominent members from the Grifball community such as Rooster Teeth's Burnie Burns, Halo:Waypoint's Jessica Shea (aka bsangel) and representatives from Rooster Teeth's Grifball.com and the official Grifball fansite GrifballHub.com will be on hand to discuss the origins of Grifball, it's rise to infamy in Halo 3, the development process for the Reach Grifball matchmaking playlist, and the future of Grifball in Reach. Whether you're a Grifball pro or new to the sport, everyone can catch the disease!
Panelists include: Kelli Dunlap [Content Manager, Administrator, GrifballHub.com], Burnie Burns [Producer/Director of Red vs Blue, Rooster Teeth], Jessica Shea [Community Manager, 343 Industries], JJ Shofner [League Administrator, Grifball.com], Jon Lipe [League Administrator, GrifballHub.com]
Video Game Comics: Lifting the Curse
Wyvern Theatre
Friday, 10:30am - 11:30am
Comic books based on video games have not traditionally been very well received. While some have sold well, most are at the bottom of the barrel when it comes to critics and direct market sales. How can the tide turn? What needs to be in a video game comic to make it worth reading? And could Video Game comics wind up being the savior of the comic book industry? Join representatives from across the comic book industry and moderator Lucas Siegel, Site Editor of Newsarama.com as they figure out how to remove the curse of the terrible video game comic.
Panelists include: Lucas Siegel [Site Editor, Newsarama]
Online Gaming Communities and "Real Life" Relationships
Cat Theatre
Friday, 11:00am - 12:00pm
Are you are a member of one or more online gaming website communities? Perhaps the friendships and relationships you formed online have made their way into your everyday "real life". You are certainly not alone. We will discuss the communities we have created and support, and how they impact real life relationships for gamers of all types.
Panelists include: Derek Nolan [Co-Founder / Host, 2old2play.com / 2old2type Radio], Ross Furman [Founder, SFX360], Stan Press [Community Marketing Manager, Astro Gaming], Morgan Romine [Frag Doll Manager & PhD Candidate, Ubisoft], Hamza Aziz [Community Director, Destructoid]
Canon Fodder Season 3: Born at PAX East 2010!
Manticore Theatre
Friday, 11:00am - 12:00pm
Canon Fodder Season 3: Born at PAX East 2010! Sequelized faster than a Call of Duty in time for PAX Prime 2010! N'Gai Croal (Hit Detection) and Stephen Totilo (Kotaku) revive their nearly-perfect interactive method of figuring out which video games are the 10 Best Of All Time - Canon Fodder - for PAX East 2011. Each season, we invite gaming's finest creators to each make one change to the list. Find out the newest controversial changes and watch a host of experts make more moves live at the panel. We will take audience suggestions for laughs, too! Last season ended in a cliffhanger. Will a Zelda game ever make it back on the list? Is Doom still #1? And who shot N'Gai?
Panelists include: N'Gai Croal [Hit Detection], Stephen Totilo [Deputy Editor, Kotaku.com]
Inside Gaming: Behind The Helmet presented by Machinima.com
Merman Theatre
Friday, 11:00am - 12:00pm
As Machinima.com’s flagship gaming news show, Inside Gaming has inappropriately touched millions of gamers with its bi-weekly shenanigans. Come celebrate the show's two year anniversary and listen as show creator Adam Kovic, editor-in-chief Rob Smith, editor John Yniguez, and editorial manager Billy Shibley talk about the evolution of Inside Gaming and what it takes to deliver the news while insulting your mother.
Panelists include: Rob Smith [Editor-in-Chief, Machinima.com], John Yniguez [Segment Producer, Machinima.com], Adam Kovic [Senior Segment Producer, Machinima.com], Billy Shibley [Editorial Manager, Machinima.com]
You Got the Touch, You Got the Power: Lecture
IGDA Dev Center
Friday, 11:30am - 12:30pm
Over 30 years ago the game industry created controllers, it was a way to interact with objects on screen, but really it was just faking our fingers. Finally after all these years of faking “the finger”, we are finally getting to play games the way they were originally played, using touch. This session will focus on the growing casual market of touch screen games. It will cover designing and porting games to multiple touch screen devices, and the common rules and pitfalls that occur within this medium.
Panelists include: Grant Shonkwiler [Philadelphia IGDA head, Producer and Game Designer, Megatouch]
Penny Arcade Q&A #1
Main Theatre
Friday, 11:30am - 12:45pm
Two mics on stage, two mics in the crowd. Line up for your questions and Gabe and Tycho will do their best to accommodate! And God, please no “who would win in a fight” questions. If you can't make this particular Q&A, be sure to catch the second Penny Arcade Panel Sunday at 2:00pm. Note that the theatre will not be cleared before this session as it runs immediately after the keynote address.
Winning the PAX East Game
Naga Theatre
Friday, 12:00pm - 1:00pm
Don't let the abundance of different games exhibited at PAX East 2011 distract you from the truth: PAX East is a game itself, and without the proper strategies, you're experience could fall short. Join Joe O'Brien, Brian McDermott, and Tom Gisondi (the hosts of the Metagame Theory podcast) and special guest John King for a detailed walkthrough of PAX East. What time do you need to show up at a given panel to get in? How many people are entered into a given tournament, and when do those entries open and close? What are the best times to swing by a free play? From opening patterns, to time traps...when to hustle, and when to relax...and, of course, the shortest escape route to the local bars, the MGT guys will reveal how to beat PAX East 2011.
Panelists include: Joe O'Brien [Co-Host, Metagame Theory], Brian McDermott [Co-Host, Metagame Theory], Tom Gisondi [Co-Host, Metagame Theory], John King [Contributor, Metagame Theory]
World Exclusive Demo of "Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning"
Wyvern Theatre
Friday, 12:00pm - 1:00pm
Throw out the first pitch of PAX East with Curt Schilling and his team from 38 Studios. Take a closer look at Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, an all new game that offers a fresh take on open world RPGs. Conceived by SPAWN creator Todd McFarlane, New York Times best-selling author R.A. Salvatore, and Ken Rolston, lead designer of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, the game is an epic action fantasy RPG that is sure to capture the imagination of fans worldwide. Boston’s legendary Curt Schilling will join the game’s Executive Producer and Creative Director for a first-ever public demo of the game. Be among the first in the world to check out the innovative combat and deep RPG systems in this master-crafted fantasy epic.
How to Fund Your Game Development Project with Kickstarter!
Cat Theatre
Friday, 12:30pm - 1:30pm
Whether you're a seasoned game designer or just starting out in the field, independently producing and publishing a game can be a huge undertaking! More and more, game developers are turning to Kickstarter.com as a place to not only raise funding for their projects, but as a unique way to build fan support and reach out to new communities. Founded in 2009, Kickstarter has grown into the largest funding platform for creative projects in the world. Learn how to use Kickstarter for your next project from three successful game developers, including award-winning interactive fiction writer Andrew Plotkin (Spider and Web, Hadean Lands), game designer and publisher Joshua A.C. Newman (Shock, Human Contact), and college student/programmer Evan Balster (Infinite Blank).
Panelists include: Cindy Au [Community Manager, Kickstarter], Andrew Plotkin Joshua A.C. Newman [The Glyphpress], Evan Balster
Mega64: Panel 2 the Grave
Manticore Theatre
Friday, 12:30pm - 1:30pm
The cast and crew of Mega64.com are back again to debut a ton of new videos and stuff. It's not as good as the Omegathon, though, so I wouldn't bother coming to this at all.
Omegathon Round 1
Merman Theatre
Friday, 12:30pm - 1:30pm
Details TBA
Legal Issues in Gaming
Naga Theatre
Friday, 1:30pm - 2:30pm
A PAX Prime institution arrives in Boston! This has been one of the most important years in history for law in the games industry. From the Supreme Court case involving sales of violent games to minors, to lawsuits at Activision, EA, and others, we discuss the legal issues facing both huge publishers and indie developers alike. We'll also conduct a Q+A session especially aimed at indie developers; come pick our brains without a $500/hr bill!
Panelists include: Dan Rosenthal [Contributing Editor, GamePolitics.com], Tom Buscaglia [Director, IGDA], Greg Boyd [Attorney, Davis & Gilbert], Ross Dannenberg [Partner, Banner Witcoff], Seth Krauss [Executive VP and General Counsel, Take-Two Interactive]
A Live Demonstration of RAGE
Wyvern Theatre
Friday, 1:30pm - 2:30pm
Join Design Director Matt Hooper and Senior Producer Jason Kim for a live demonstration of RAGE, the groundbreaking new first-person shooter from id. Set in the not-too-distant future after an asteroid impacts Earth, you emerge into a vast and ravaged wasteland to discover humanity struggling to survive the deadly threat of bandit gangs, mutants, and the Authority – an oppressive government regime that has a special interest in you in particular. Featuring intense first-person shooter action, breakneck vehicle combat, an expansive world to explore and jaw-dropping graphics powered by id’s revolutionary id Tech 5 technology, RAGE promises an experience like no other. Q&A session to follow the demonstration.
Interactive Drama: Dialogue as Gameplay
Cat Theatre
Friday, 2:00pm - 3:00pm
Do narrative games provide dialogue choices that enhance gameplay? Is it important to develop relationships through interactive choices between player and non-player characters? How are interactive conversation choices designed and how important is the user interface? What does it mean to experience Interactive Drama in a gameplay mechanic of dialogue choices?
Panelists include: Jonathon Myers [Co-Founder, Writer, Reactive Games], Stephen Dinehart [Chief Wizard , NarrWare], Evan Skolnick [Writer, Producer, Editorial Director, Vicarious Visions], Emily Short [Interactive Fiction Author, Independent], John Gonzalez [Lead Writer, Lead Creative Designer of Fallout: New Vegas, Obsidian Entertainment]
Everything I Know About Social Games I Learned From Call of Duty
IGDA Dev Center
Friday, 2:00pm - 3:00pm
The games industry is evolving. Social Games, once a fringe games industry enclave, discussed under hushed tones in shadowy corners of interactive entertainment gatherings, has taken its place as an established game development discipline with nuances, best practices, and pillars all its own. That said, are "Triple-A" console games like Call of Duty so different from smash hit Social Games like FrontierVille and Mafia Wars? Is it possible that Call of Duty conned us into believing it was just another shooter, when it was actually a groundbreaking foray into the burgeoning Social Games space? This session examines the core compulsion loops, long-term feedback mechanics, and economy/itemization strategies of games like Call of Duty, and explores the parallels between the console shooter market’s biggest blockbuster and the industry’s newest untamed frontier.
Panelists include: Coray Seifert [IGDA Board Member, Senior Designer, Arkadium]
Blamimation ALIVE! with Kris and Scott
Manticore Theatre
Friday, 2:00pm - 3:00pm
PATV veterans Scott Kurtz (pvponline.com) and Kris Straub (chainsawsuit.com) take you deep behind the scenes of their hit Blamimation series for one magical hour. Will you help come up with the next breakout hit character? Will you watch it come to life? Will you see Kris and Scott BS for 55 minutes? No, maybe, and yes.
Panelists include: Scott Kurtz [Cartoonist], Kristofer Straub [Cartoonist]
D&D Edition Wars
Merman Theatre
Friday, 2:00pm - 3:00pm
Join Dungeons and Dragons experts Zeb Cook, Mike Mearls and Keith Baker as they analyze and discuss the different editions’ gameplay innovation, Role Play integration, pros, cons and their general favorite aspects of the game. All things D&D will be fair game as they try to determine which edition is the ultimate D&D experience. Moderated by Alex Macris, Publisher of The Escapist.
Panelists include: Alexander Macris [Publisher, The Escapist], Keith Baker [Blogger, traveling DM], Zeb Cook [D&D 1st & 2nd Edition Designer], Mike Mearls [D&D 4th Edition Designer]
Growing Your Market: Panel
IGDA Dev Center
Friday, 3:00pm - 4:30pm
All the data suggests vast untapped markets exist - people who do play games, or might play games, but who certainly aren't playing *your* games. Our panel of industry professionals will discuss strategies they've employed for increasing market penetration of their products.
Panelists include: Kate Edwards [Principal Consultant & Founder, Englobe Inc], N'Gai Croal [Consultant | Writer | Columnist, Hit Detection, LLC], Alex Horn [Writer, Big Huge Games/38 Studios ], Tobi Saulnier [CEO & Founder, 1st Playable Productions]
1UP Presents: Retronauts Vs. 16 Bits
Naga Theatre
Friday, 3:00pm - 4:00pm
The late Retronauts podcast rises from the grave to shamble its way to PAX, consuming as many brains along the way as possible! Jeremy Parish, Frank Cifaldi, Wired's Chris Kohler, and Hardcore Gaming 101 boss Kurt Kalata mark the 20th anniversary of the Super NES's launch by looking back at console gaming's 16-bit era: the systems, the conflicts, the survivors, and the casualties.
Panelists include: Jeremy Parish [Executive Editor, 1UP], Frank Cifaldi [News Editor, 1UP], Chris Kohler [Editor, Wired], Kurt Kalata [Editor, HG101]
Death of an Indie Studio
Wyvern Theatre
Friday, 3:00pm - 4:00pm
This year, Boston area indie studio Macguffin Games closed its doors. In three years, Scott Macmillan took the studio from a one-man shop to a 4-person startup with paid employees, launched two games (one of them for Facebook), and then finally shut the whole thing down with no regrets. At this talk, he'll discuss the big lessons he learned, what worked and what didn't, and take lots of questions from the audience.
Panelists include: Scott Macmillan [Founder, Macguffin Games]
Whose Banhammer Is It Anyway?
Cat Theatre
Friday, 3:30pm - 4:30pm
Dealing with online riffraff can be a full time task, but with a little patience, humility, and one hell of a sense of humor; community managers regularly take on the most troublesome of Internet trolls. Join us for an informative (and entertaining) look at the insanity community leaders face every day, and how we handle the madness. This isn't your regular panel, we'll be throwing unscripted scenarios at our guests and making them determine how to handle the situation on the fly. Bring a story about what you're facing in your community to ask the experts.
Panelists include: Ryan Chaply [Editor in Chief / Product Manager, PMS Clan Inc], Alexis Hebert [Community Relations Manager, Terminal Reality], Josh Olin [Community Manager, Treyarch], Kristin Reiley [Community Manager, Microsoft], Aaron Trites [Community Manager, Harmonix]
What the Heck is a Community Manager?
Manticore Theatre
Friday, 3:30pm - 4:30pm
What the heck is a community manager? What does he or she do? Why are there a growing number of community management positions at publishers and development studios? We’ll talk to the industry’s leading group of community managers about their jobs, how they got where they are, how they actually “manage” the “community,” and how they influence the games their studios make and the people who play them.
Panelists include: Tracey John [Games Writer, News Corp.], Arne Meyer [Community Manager, Naughty Dog], James Stevenson [Senior Community Manage, Insomniac Games], Meghan Jenks [Senior Community Manager, Turbine], Seth Killian [Strategic Director, online & community, Capcom]
Parsely Games
Merman Theatre
Friday, 3:30pm - 4:30pm
"You are in a cottage. There is a fishing pole here. Exits are: Out." With these words, a gaming phenomenon was born! Travel back in time to 1985 when Marty McFly was driving a DeLorean and I was hammering out two-word commands on an Apple II version of Wishbringer. This is a live-action text adventure game in the Parsely series. No experience necessary... everyone who comes to the game gets to play!
Panelists include: Jared Sorensen [Game designer, Memento Mori Theatricks]
Press B to Laugh: Gaming, Jokes and How to Make Players ROFL
Naga Theatre
Friday, 4:30pm - 5:30pm
Making people laugh is hard. It’s even harder when the audience is helping you tell the joke. Is there something about games’ interactive nature that makes it impossible to carry a comedy? Apart from a few segregated genres why are there so few games that tell jokes well, and what role can humor have in games when handled properly? This panel invites some of the best comedians of the gaming world to sit down with some of comedy’s most avid gamers to talk about video games and the art of telling jokes. Attendees will be treated to some hilarious insights as well as an opportunity to make the room laugh with our game-inspired Q&A (Quips & Anecdotes) session.
Panelists include: Rob Dubbin Dave Grossman Mike Wilford
Gamers Doing Good - How We use Games to Make Life Better for Others
Cat Theatre
Friday, 5:00pm - 6:00pm
Games are fun to most people that play them, but to many in the disabled community video games can be the only real window to the world they have. To not be defined by a wheelchair or other impairments that can become a barrier to rich social engagements, build life long friendships. We will talk about the importance of gaming to the disabled community, touch on the importance of supporting the needs of this community, and explain the benefits that outreach can bring a game.
Panelists include: Avery Alix [PopCap Games], Mark Barlet [AbleGamers Foundation], Steve Spohn [AbleGamers Foundation], Ben Herz [AbleGamers Foundation], Zach Wigal [Gamers Outreach Foundation], Stefani Shea [Gamers Outreach Foundation], Christopher Frost [RadioActive Nerd]
Creating Compelling Worlds for Original IP
IGDA Dev Center
Friday, 5:00pm - 6:00pm
Starting from scratch to create a believable, compelling world that gets players excited about your otherwise unknown project is a massive, difficult and potentially extremely rewarding task. Team KAOS will converge on the IGDA PAX East Game Development Summit to discuss the unique challenges, opportunities and pitfalls of creating entire worlds from a single spark of inspiration.
Panelists include: Coray Seifer [Senior Designer, Arkadium], Jason Bennett [Concept Artist, 4mm Entertainment], Matthew Harwood [Audio Director, Kaos Studios, THQ], CJ Kershner [Writer, Kaos Studios, THQ], JT Petty [Narrative Director, Creo Ludus Entertainment]
From Background To Center Stage: Building Game Worlds As Main Characters
Manticore Theatre
Friday, 5:00pm - 6:00pm
Creating a world isn't just about painting the scenery, it's about making the environment a headline-character in its own right. In this panel, Irrational's creative team presents the visual side of the city of Columbia, the setting for their upcoming game, BioShock Infinite. The team will walk through the visual design process, from sketches to full color scenes, discussing the decisions, inspirations, trade-offs and implications. Come learn how a team takes history, imagination and inspiration to create worlds both familiar and fantastic.
Panelists include: Julian Murdoch Ken Levine [Creative Director, Irrational Games], Shawn Robertson [Lead artist, Irrational Games], Stephen Alexander [Senior Effects Artist, Irrational Games]
D&D Virtual Table Is Here!
Merman Theatre
Friday, 5:00pm - 6:00pm
See the D&D Virtual Table in a real live gameplay experience! After the game, there will be a short question and answer session on the D&D Virtual Table if time permits.
OC ReMix: Making Sweet, Sweet Love to Video Game Music Since 1999
Naga Theatre
Friday, 6:00pm - 7:00pm
You like video game music? Koji Kondo? Nobuo Uematsu? Of course you do, they're awesome. Come on down and celebrate the greatness of VGM from the NES to the PS3. Whether you want to create OC ReMixes, compose for indie & pro video games or just listen to badass game music, we're here to bestow advice and recommend awesome music. You can also win FREE limited edition physical copies of our Donkey Kong Country 2 album, Serious Monkey Business (featuring composer David Wise, ZOMG!), as well as other merch for people that KNOW their VGM trivia. Come please your ears & win some swag!
Panelists include: David Lloyd [Founder & President, OverClocked ReMix, LLC], Larry Oji [Head Submissions Evaluator, OverClocked ReMix, LLC], Deia Vengen [Judge, Staff, ReMixer, OverClocked ReMix, LLC], Andrew Luers [Judge, Staff, ReMixer, OverClocked ReMix, LLC], Stevo Bortz [Judge, Staff, ReMixer, OverClocked ReMix, LLC]
The Making of an Announcement – Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception
Wyvern Theatre
Friday, 6:00pm - 7:00pm
Description: You may have watched the “Uncharted 3 – The Reveal” pieces on YouTube or the PSN Store recently – and if you haven’t, for shame and go watch them now! The two-part video series barely scratches the surface on the immense effort and hectic pace of activities at a video game developer once an announcement date is set and the studio pulls together to put together a polished set of assets. Join Naughty Dog (developers of the UNCHARTED games) and 2 Player Productions (you may know them from PATV Season 1 and the Infamous and Uncharted web docs) as we delve deeper into the events leading up to the announcement of UNCHARTED 3: Drake’s Deception. The Dogs will talk about the specific challenges in producing a highly polished gameplay demo, a completed trailer, along with screenshots and other announcement assets, within a short timeframe. During that time, 2 Player Productions were the first outsiders we’ve ever invited to document this process firsthand – and they will join the Dogs to let you know what it was like to witness the chaos and excitement for themselves – and we’ve made them promise to bring some never-before-seen footage from the cutting room floor. We’ll be sure to leave some time to answer questions at the end.
Panelists include: Arne Meyer [Community Strategist, Naughty Dog], Taylor Kurosaki [Cinematic Production Lead, Naughty Dog], Paul Levering [2 Player Productions], Paul Owens [2 Player Productions], Asif Siddiky [2 Player Productions]
Game Design Is Mind Control
Cat Theatre
Friday, 6:30pm - 7:30pm
Games are an art form that induces people to irrational behavior that they would not otherwise undertake. Come and watch Luke and Jared make fools of themselves as they try to prove this point.
Panelists include: Jared Sorensen [Game designer, Memento Mori Theatricks], Luke Crane [Game designer, Burning Wheel]
Xbox LIVE Enforcement: Tales from the Din Part 3: The Conclusioning
Manticore Theatre
Friday, 6:30pm - 7:30pm
Enforcement on the Xbox LIVE service isn't just about whacking the bad guys. Join Stephen "Stepto" Toulouse, head of Xbox LIVE Policy and Enforcement, and his team as they walk you through the ins and outs of policing the service (along with some fun stories), working with game developers to keep ahead of the miscreants when designing their titles, and working with the gaming community as a whole to understand how gamers want to be safe online. Stepto and his team will also take your questions about banning, cheating, or anything else you'd like to know about protecting the service.
Panelists include: Stephen "Stepto" Toulouse Boris Erickson Andreas Holbrook Jason Coon
House Rules and Stealing from Other Games in RPGS
Merman Theatre
Friday, 6:30pm - 7:30pm
Most Game Masters do it. Hacking your favourite RPG is as old as the hobby itself. However, one can often get bogged down with rules that defeat their intent and make the game less fun. Others have so many house rules that players and master alike get confused and lose sense of what game they’re playing. That’s why we invite you to join 3 well-known RPG bloggers from Critical-Hits and At-Will to discuss how to design, test, and organize house rules. They’ll also tell you how to explore other classic and modern RPGs to “borrow” their best ideas into your games and give you tangible examples.
Panelists include: Dave Chalker [Editor-in-Chief, Critical-Hits], Phil Menard [Featured Bloggers, Critical-Hits], Quinn Murphy [Editor-in-Chief, At-Will]
The Triple Threat: Short Subjects in Gaming
Naga Theatre
Friday, 7:30pm - 8:30pm
Our usual gaming lectures struggle to fit within an hour, but some topics, important as they may be, don’t warrant much more than twenty minutes of hard discussion. If you want to economize your PAX panels experience, look no further than the Triple Threat. We’ll take you in rapid succession through three back-to-back panels with “MMORPGs are Anything But,” “The Game Makes the Community,” and “How to Win at the Internet: The Rise of Dudebro.” From the creators of “Game Mechanics and Mechanism Design,” “Beyond Dungeons & Dragons,” “Losing Should Be Fun,” and more.
Panelists include: Brandon "Rym" DeCoster [Producer, GeekNights], Scott Rubin [Host, GeekNights]
Joystiq Podcast LIVE!: The Reunion
Wyvern Theatre
Friday, 7:30pm - 8:30pm
They said it wouldn't happen ... but they were wrong. For one night only, the hosts of the Joystiq Podcast will bury the hatchet, smile through the tears, break the vows they made to concerned loved ones and reunite for the podcast that they were perhaps always destined to record. Can you imagine the fireworks when Christopher Grant, Ludwig Kietzmann and Justin "Hoops" McElroy try to hold a civil conversation on the SAME STAGE? We suspect that you cannot. Last year's PAX Joystiq Podcast included DSi giveaways, free games for everyone and an audience-wide hugging orgy. You really want to miss this year's?
Panelists include: Justin McElroy [Reviews Editor, Joystiq], Chris Grant [EIC, Joystiq], Ludwig Kietzmann [Senior Editor, Joystiq]
How Your Favorite Game Companies Use Facebook
Manticore Theatre
Friday, 8:00pm - 9:00pm
Like this. Like that. Facebook has taken the world by storm and has become a crucial platform for community managers and companies to help keep in touch with and grow their online communities. With the constant evolution of social media and Facebook in particular, you may not know some of the cool things happening on your favorite game studio's Facebook page. Join Collin Moore (Community Management Vet) as he moderates a discussion with community managers from across the game industry (Insomniac Games, Playfish/EA, Harmonix, and Robot Entertainment), about the importance of Facebook to game companies, and how pressing the "LIKE" button is just the beginning.
Panelists include: Collin Moore [Game Industry Vet], Sam Houston [Online Content Manager, Playfish - EA], John Drake [Manager of Communications and Special Projects, Harmonix], James Stevenson [Senior Community Manager, Insomniac Games], Justin Korthof [Community Manager, Robot Entertainment]
Inside Game Localization - FF12, Tactics Ogre, and Beyond!
Merman Theatre
Friday, 8:00pm - 9:00pm
We rarely hear about game localizations, unless they're All-Your-Base-Are-Belong-To-Us bad, yet localization has a huge effect on how we experience games from overseas. Bring your ideas about what makes a localization good, and join the translation team for Final Fantasy XII and Tactics Ogre in an exploration of the process and thought behind one style of localization.
Panelists include: Alexander O. Smith [Lead, Kajiya Productions], Joseph Reeder [Lead, Kajiya Productions]
Friday Night Concerts
Main Theatre
Friday, 9:00pm - 12:00am
Break out your cell phone and handheld gaming screens and get ready to rock out to The Protomen, MC Frontalot, and Metroid Metal.
Penny Arcade: The Series Screening
Cat Theatre
Friday, 9:30pm - 10:30pm
Join us and watch the hit (according to us) web series Penny Arcade TV.
Giant Bombcast, Live! Feat. Da East Coast Family
Manticore Theatre
Friday, 9:30pm - 10:30pm
Yes, those lovable Vitamin-D deficient rascals from the Giant Bombcast are leaving the basement, crossing the country, avoiding specific law enforcement agencies, and making their unified East Coast debut at PAX East 2011! Each and every one of you is invited to touch the magic, feel the passion, explore the mystery, and taste the rainbow as fan favorites Vinny Caravella, Ryan Davis, Jeff Gerstmann, and Brad Shoemaker--plus some very special guests whose identities shall be revealed as soon as we figure out who they'll be, maybe--delight you with a magical evening that promises to be virtually defined by an overall lack of direction. Because that is how we like it. So don't screw this one up, for once! Come see the Giant Bombcast, Live at PAX East 2011! The Eastern Seaboard will never be the same!
FRAG Movie Screening
Naga Theatre
Friday, 9:30pm - 10:30pm
As a documentary covering the lives of pro-gamers, FRAG sheds light on the world of pro-gaming. Pro-gamers, referred to as cyber-athletes, face the same problems that professional athletes face, making decisions that can affect them for the rest of their lives. As gaming spreads not only as a hobby, but as a profession, FRAG reveals some of the secrets behind one of the biggest sports industries in the world that many know nothing about. Judd Saul plans to be on hand after the screening to sell videos/answer questions as well.
Panelists include: Judd Saul [Executive Producer, Cohesion Productions]
Blamimations Screening
Merman Theatre
Friday, 10:00pm - 11:00pm
Blamimations are a series of animated shorts from our friends Scott Kurtz and Kris Straub. They are also ridiculously funny, and we will be showing every episode of the web series in Merman Theatre.
Main Theatre
Friday, 10:30am - 11:30am
You may know her work from the I Love Bees ARG that launched with a little game called Halo 2. You may also have seen her TED speech or read her book ("Reality is Broken") where she describes gamers as being uniquely equipped to save the world. She's super smart and has a lot of really interesting things to say about gaming, and we're super excited to have her here. Check it out!
Grifball Evolved
Naga Theatre
Friday, 10:30am - 11:30am
Grifball started out as a joke in a Red vs Blue episode and now, 3 years later, it has its own playlist in Halo: Reach. How did this small-time custom assault variant become one of the most popular matchmaking gametypes of all time? Come to the panel to find out! Prominent members from the Grifball community such as Rooster Teeth's Burnie Burns, Halo:Waypoint's Jessica Shea (aka bsangel) and representatives from Rooster Teeth's Grifball.com and the official Grifball fansite GrifballHub.com will be on hand to discuss the origins of Grifball, it's rise to infamy in Halo 3, the development process for the Reach Grifball matchmaking playlist, and the future of Grifball in Reach. Whether you're a Grifball pro or new to the sport, everyone can catch the disease!
Panelists include: Kelli Dunlap [Content Manager, Administrator, GrifballHub.com], Burnie Burns [Producer/Director of Red vs Blue, Rooster Teeth], Jessica Shea [Community Manager, 343 Industries], JJ Shofner [League Administrator, Grifball.com], Jon Lipe [League Administrator, GrifballHub.com]
Video Game Comics: Lifting the Curse
Wyvern Theatre
Friday, 10:30am - 11:30am
Comic books based on video games have not traditionally been very well received. While some have sold well, most are at the bottom of the barrel when it comes to critics and direct market sales. How can the tide turn? What needs to be in a video game comic to make it worth reading? And could Video Game comics wind up being the savior of the comic book industry? Join representatives from across the comic book industry and moderator Lucas Siegel, Site Editor of Newsarama.com as they figure out how to remove the curse of the terrible video game comic.
Panelists include: Lucas Siegel [Site Editor, Newsarama]
Online Gaming Communities and "Real Life" Relationships
Cat Theatre
Friday, 11:00am - 12:00pm
Are you are a member of one or more online gaming website communities? Perhaps the friendships and relationships you formed online have made their way into your everyday "real life". You are certainly not alone. We will discuss the communities we have created and support, and how they impact real life relationships for gamers of all types.
Panelists include: Derek Nolan [Co-Founder / Host, 2old2play.com / 2old2type Radio], Ross Furman [Founder, SFX360], Stan Press [Community Marketing Manager, Astro Gaming], Morgan Romine [Frag Doll Manager & PhD Candidate, Ubisoft], Hamza Aziz [Community Director, Destructoid]
Canon Fodder Season 3: Born at PAX East 2010!
Manticore Theatre
Friday, 11:00am - 12:00pm
Canon Fodder Season 3: Born at PAX East 2010! Sequelized faster than a Call of Duty in time for PAX Prime 2010! N'Gai Croal (Hit Detection) and Stephen Totilo (Kotaku) revive their nearly-perfect interactive method of figuring out which video games are the 10 Best Of All Time - Canon Fodder - for PAX East 2011. Each season, we invite gaming's finest creators to each make one change to the list. Find out the newest controversial changes and watch a host of experts make more moves live at the panel. We will take audience suggestions for laughs, too! Last season ended in a cliffhanger. Will a Zelda game ever make it back on the list? Is Doom still #1? And who shot N'Gai?
Panelists include: N'Gai Croal [Hit Detection], Stephen Totilo [Deputy Editor, Kotaku.com]
Inside Gaming: Behind The Helmet presented by Machinima.com
Merman Theatre
Friday, 11:00am - 12:00pm
As Machinima.com’s flagship gaming news show, Inside Gaming has inappropriately touched millions of gamers with its bi-weekly shenanigans. Come celebrate the show's two year anniversary and listen as show creator Adam Kovic, editor-in-chief Rob Smith, editor John Yniguez, and editorial manager Billy Shibley talk about the evolution of Inside Gaming and what it takes to deliver the news while insulting your mother.
Panelists include: Rob Smith [Editor-in-Chief, Machinima.com], John Yniguez [Segment Producer, Machinima.com], Adam Kovic [Senior Segment Producer, Machinima.com], Billy Shibley [Editorial Manager, Machinima.com]
You Got the Touch, You Got the Power: Lecture
IGDA Dev Center
Friday, 11:30am - 12:30pm
Over 30 years ago the game industry created controllers, it was a way to interact with objects on screen, but really it was just faking our fingers. Finally after all these years of faking “the finger”, we are finally getting to play games the way they were originally played, using touch. This session will focus on the growing casual market of touch screen games. It will cover designing and porting games to multiple touch screen devices, and the common rules and pitfalls that occur within this medium.
Panelists include: Grant Shonkwiler [Philadelphia IGDA head, Producer and Game Designer, Megatouch]
Penny Arcade Q&A #1
Main Theatre
Friday, 11:30am - 12:45pm
Two mics on stage, two mics in the crowd. Line up for your questions and Gabe and Tycho will do their best to accommodate! And God, please no “who would win in a fight” questions. If you can't make this particular Q&A, be sure to catch the second Penny Arcade Panel Sunday at 2:00pm. Note that the theatre will not be cleared before this session as it runs immediately after the keynote address.
Winning the PAX East Game
Naga Theatre
Friday, 12:00pm - 1:00pm
Don't let the abundance of different games exhibited at PAX East 2011 distract you from the truth: PAX East is a game itself, and without the proper strategies, you're experience could fall short. Join Joe O'Brien, Brian McDermott, and Tom Gisondi (the hosts of the Metagame Theory podcast) and special guest John King for a detailed walkthrough of PAX East. What time do you need to show up at a given panel to get in? How many people are entered into a given tournament, and when do those entries open and close? What are the best times to swing by a free play? From opening patterns, to time traps...when to hustle, and when to relax...and, of course, the shortest escape route to the local bars, the MGT guys will reveal how to beat PAX East 2011.
Panelists include: Joe O'Brien [Co-Host, Metagame Theory], Brian McDermott [Co-Host, Metagame Theory], Tom Gisondi [Co-Host, Metagame Theory], John King [Contributor, Metagame Theory]
World Exclusive Demo of "Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning"
Wyvern Theatre
Friday, 12:00pm - 1:00pm
Throw out the first pitch of PAX East with Curt Schilling and his team from 38 Studios. Take a closer look at Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, an all new game that offers a fresh take on open world RPGs. Conceived by SPAWN creator Todd McFarlane, New York Times best-selling author R.A. Salvatore, and Ken Rolston, lead designer of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, the game is an epic action fantasy RPG that is sure to capture the imagination of fans worldwide. Boston’s legendary Curt Schilling will join the game’s Executive Producer and Creative Director for a first-ever public demo of the game. Be among the first in the world to check out the innovative combat and deep RPG systems in this master-crafted fantasy epic.
How to Fund Your Game Development Project with Kickstarter!
Cat Theatre
Friday, 12:30pm - 1:30pm
Whether you're a seasoned game designer or just starting out in the field, independently producing and publishing a game can be a huge undertaking! More and more, game developers are turning to Kickstarter.com as a place to not only raise funding for their projects, but as a unique way to build fan support and reach out to new communities. Founded in 2009, Kickstarter has grown into the largest funding platform for creative projects in the world. Learn how to use Kickstarter for your next project from three successful game developers, including award-winning interactive fiction writer Andrew Plotkin (Spider and Web, Hadean Lands), game designer and publisher Joshua A.C. Newman (Shock, Human Contact), and college student/programmer Evan Balster (Infinite Blank).
Panelists include: Cindy Au [Community Manager, Kickstarter], Andrew Plotkin Joshua A.C. Newman [The Glyphpress], Evan Balster
Mega64: Panel 2 the Grave
Manticore Theatre
Friday, 12:30pm - 1:30pm
The cast and crew of Mega64.com are back again to debut a ton of new videos and stuff. It's not as good as the Omegathon, though, so I wouldn't bother coming to this at all.
Omegathon Round 1
Merman Theatre
Friday, 12:30pm - 1:30pm
Details TBA
Legal Issues in Gaming
Naga Theatre
Friday, 1:30pm - 2:30pm
A PAX Prime institution arrives in Boston! This has been one of the most important years in history for law in the games industry. From the Supreme Court case involving sales of violent games to minors, to lawsuits at Activision, EA, and others, we discuss the legal issues facing both huge publishers and indie developers alike. We'll also conduct a Q+A session especially aimed at indie developers; come pick our brains without a $500/hr bill!
Panelists include: Dan Rosenthal [Contributing Editor, GamePolitics.com], Tom Buscaglia [Director, IGDA], Greg Boyd [Attorney, Davis & Gilbert], Ross Dannenberg [Partner, Banner Witcoff], Seth Krauss [Executive VP and General Counsel, Take-Two Interactive]
A Live Demonstration of RAGE
Wyvern Theatre
Friday, 1:30pm - 2:30pm
Join Design Director Matt Hooper and Senior Producer Jason Kim for a live demonstration of RAGE, the groundbreaking new first-person shooter from id. Set in the not-too-distant future after an asteroid impacts Earth, you emerge into a vast and ravaged wasteland to discover humanity struggling to survive the deadly threat of bandit gangs, mutants, and the Authority – an oppressive government regime that has a special interest in you in particular. Featuring intense first-person shooter action, breakneck vehicle combat, an expansive world to explore and jaw-dropping graphics powered by id’s revolutionary id Tech 5 technology, RAGE promises an experience like no other. Q&A session to follow the demonstration.
Interactive Drama: Dialogue as Gameplay
Cat Theatre
Friday, 2:00pm - 3:00pm
Do narrative games provide dialogue choices that enhance gameplay? Is it important to develop relationships through interactive choices between player and non-player characters? How are interactive conversation choices designed and how important is the user interface? What does it mean to experience Interactive Drama in a gameplay mechanic of dialogue choices?
Panelists include: Jonathon Myers [Co-Founder, Writer, Reactive Games], Stephen Dinehart [Chief Wizard , NarrWare], Evan Skolnick [Writer, Producer, Editorial Director, Vicarious Visions], Emily Short [Interactive Fiction Author, Independent], John Gonzalez [Lead Writer, Lead Creative Designer of Fallout: New Vegas, Obsidian Entertainment]
Everything I Know About Social Games I Learned From Call of Duty
IGDA Dev Center
Friday, 2:00pm - 3:00pm
The games industry is evolving. Social Games, once a fringe games industry enclave, discussed under hushed tones in shadowy corners of interactive entertainment gatherings, has taken its place as an established game development discipline with nuances, best practices, and pillars all its own. That said, are "Triple-A" console games like Call of Duty so different from smash hit Social Games like FrontierVille and Mafia Wars? Is it possible that Call of Duty conned us into believing it was just another shooter, when it was actually a groundbreaking foray into the burgeoning Social Games space? This session examines the core compulsion loops, long-term feedback mechanics, and economy/itemization strategies of games like Call of Duty, and explores the parallels between the console shooter market’s biggest blockbuster and the industry’s newest untamed frontier.
Panelists include: Coray Seifert [IGDA Board Member, Senior Designer, Arkadium]
Blamimation ALIVE! with Kris and Scott
Manticore Theatre
Friday, 2:00pm - 3:00pm
PATV veterans Scott Kurtz (pvponline.com) and Kris Straub (chainsawsuit.com) take you deep behind the scenes of their hit Blamimation series for one magical hour. Will you help come up with the next breakout hit character? Will you watch it come to life? Will you see Kris and Scott BS for 55 minutes? No, maybe, and yes.
Panelists include: Scott Kurtz [Cartoonist], Kristofer Straub [Cartoonist]
D&D Edition Wars
Merman Theatre
Friday, 2:00pm - 3:00pm
Join Dungeons and Dragons experts Zeb Cook, Mike Mearls and Keith Baker as they analyze and discuss the different editions’ gameplay innovation, Role Play integration, pros, cons and their general favorite aspects of the game. All things D&D will be fair game as they try to determine which edition is the ultimate D&D experience. Moderated by Alex Macris, Publisher of The Escapist.
Panelists include: Alexander Macris [Publisher, The Escapist], Keith Baker [Blogger, traveling DM], Zeb Cook [D&D 1st & 2nd Edition Designer], Mike Mearls [D&D 4th Edition Designer]
Growing Your Market: Panel
IGDA Dev Center
Friday, 3:00pm - 4:30pm
All the data suggests vast untapped markets exist - people who do play games, or might play games, but who certainly aren't playing *your* games. Our panel of industry professionals will discuss strategies they've employed for increasing market penetration of their products.
Panelists include: Kate Edwards [Principal Consultant & Founder, Englobe Inc], N'Gai Croal [Consultant | Writer | Columnist, Hit Detection, LLC], Alex Horn [Writer, Big Huge Games/38 Studios ], Tobi Saulnier [CEO & Founder, 1st Playable Productions]
1UP Presents: Retronauts Vs. 16 Bits
Naga Theatre
Friday, 3:00pm - 4:00pm
The late Retronauts podcast rises from the grave to shamble its way to PAX, consuming as many brains along the way as possible! Jeremy Parish, Frank Cifaldi, Wired's Chris Kohler, and Hardcore Gaming 101 boss Kurt Kalata mark the 20th anniversary of the Super NES's launch by looking back at console gaming's 16-bit era: the systems, the conflicts, the survivors, and the casualties.
Panelists include: Jeremy Parish [Executive Editor, 1UP], Frank Cifaldi [News Editor, 1UP], Chris Kohler [Editor, Wired], Kurt Kalata [Editor, HG101]
Death of an Indie Studio
Wyvern Theatre
Friday, 3:00pm - 4:00pm
This year, Boston area indie studio Macguffin Games closed its doors. In three years, Scott Macmillan took the studio from a one-man shop to a 4-person startup with paid employees, launched two games (one of them for Facebook), and then finally shut the whole thing down with no regrets. At this talk, he'll discuss the big lessons he learned, what worked and what didn't, and take lots of questions from the audience.
Panelists include: Scott Macmillan [Founder, Macguffin Games]
Whose Banhammer Is It Anyway?
Cat Theatre
Friday, 3:30pm - 4:30pm
Dealing with online riffraff can be a full time task, but with a little patience, humility, and one hell of a sense of humor; community managers regularly take on the most troublesome of Internet trolls. Join us for an informative (and entertaining) look at the insanity community leaders face every day, and how we handle the madness. This isn't your regular panel, we'll be throwing unscripted scenarios at our guests and making them determine how to handle the situation on the fly. Bring a story about what you're facing in your community to ask the experts.
Panelists include: Ryan Chaply [Editor in Chief / Product Manager, PMS Clan Inc], Alexis Hebert [Community Relations Manager, Terminal Reality], Josh Olin [Community Manager, Treyarch], Kristin Reiley [Community Manager, Microsoft], Aaron Trites [Community Manager, Harmonix]
What the Heck is a Community Manager?
Manticore Theatre
Friday, 3:30pm - 4:30pm
What the heck is a community manager? What does he or she do? Why are there a growing number of community management positions at publishers and development studios? We’ll talk to the industry’s leading group of community managers about their jobs, how they got where they are, how they actually “manage” the “community,” and how they influence the games their studios make and the people who play them.
Panelists include: Tracey John [Games Writer, News Corp.], Arne Meyer [Community Manager, Naughty Dog], James Stevenson [Senior Community Manage, Insomniac Games], Meghan Jenks [Senior Community Manager, Turbine], Seth Killian [Strategic Director, online & community, Capcom]
Parsely Games
Merman Theatre
Friday, 3:30pm - 4:30pm
"You are in a cottage. There is a fishing pole here. Exits are: Out." With these words, a gaming phenomenon was born! Travel back in time to 1985 when Marty McFly was driving a DeLorean and I was hammering out two-word commands on an Apple II version of Wishbringer. This is a live-action text adventure game in the Parsely series. No experience necessary... everyone who comes to the game gets to play!
Panelists include: Jared Sorensen [Game designer, Memento Mori Theatricks]
Press B to Laugh: Gaming, Jokes and How to Make Players ROFL
Naga Theatre
Friday, 4:30pm - 5:30pm
Making people laugh is hard. It’s even harder when the audience is helping you tell the joke. Is there something about games’ interactive nature that makes it impossible to carry a comedy? Apart from a few segregated genres why are there so few games that tell jokes well, and what role can humor have in games when handled properly? This panel invites some of the best comedians of the gaming world to sit down with some of comedy’s most avid gamers to talk about video games and the art of telling jokes. Attendees will be treated to some hilarious insights as well as an opportunity to make the room laugh with our game-inspired Q&A (Quips & Anecdotes) session.
Panelists include: Rob Dubbin Dave Grossman Mike Wilford
Gamers Doing Good - How We use Games to Make Life Better for Others
Cat Theatre
Friday, 5:00pm - 6:00pm
Games are fun to most people that play them, but to many in the disabled community video games can be the only real window to the world they have. To not be defined by a wheelchair or other impairments that can become a barrier to rich social engagements, build life long friendships. We will talk about the importance of gaming to the disabled community, touch on the importance of supporting the needs of this community, and explain the benefits that outreach can bring a game.
Panelists include: Avery Alix [PopCap Games], Mark Barlet [AbleGamers Foundation], Steve Spohn [AbleGamers Foundation], Ben Herz [AbleGamers Foundation], Zach Wigal [Gamers Outreach Foundation], Stefani Shea [Gamers Outreach Foundation], Christopher Frost [RadioActive Nerd]
Creating Compelling Worlds for Original IP
IGDA Dev Center
Friday, 5:00pm - 6:00pm
Starting from scratch to create a believable, compelling world that gets players excited about your otherwise unknown project is a massive, difficult and potentially extremely rewarding task. Team KAOS will converge on the IGDA PAX East Game Development Summit to discuss the unique challenges, opportunities and pitfalls of creating entire worlds from a single spark of inspiration.
Panelists include: Coray Seifer [Senior Designer, Arkadium], Jason Bennett [Concept Artist, 4mm Entertainment], Matthew Harwood [Audio Director, Kaos Studios, THQ], CJ Kershner [Writer, Kaos Studios, THQ], JT Petty [Narrative Director, Creo Ludus Entertainment]
From Background To Center Stage: Building Game Worlds As Main Characters
Manticore Theatre
Friday, 5:00pm - 6:00pm
Creating a world isn't just about painting the scenery, it's about making the environment a headline-character in its own right. In this panel, Irrational's creative team presents the visual side of the city of Columbia, the setting for their upcoming game, BioShock Infinite. The team will walk through the visual design process, from sketches to full color scenes, discussing the decisions, inspirations, trade-offs and implications. Come learn how a team takes history, imagination and inspiration to create worlds both familiar and fantastic.
Panelists include: Julian Murdoch Ken Levine [Creative Director, Irrational Games], Shawn Robertson [Lead artist, Irrational Games], Stephen Alexander [Senior Effects Artist, Irrational Games]
D&D Virtual Table Is Here!
Merman Theatre
Friday, 5:00pm - 6:00pm
See the D&D Virtual Table in a real live gameplay experience! After the game, there will be a short question and answer session on the D&D Virtual Table if time permits.
OC ReMix: Making Sweet, Sweet Love to Video Game Music Since 1999
Naga Theatre
Friday, 6:00pm - 7:00pm
You like video game music? Koji Kondo? Nobuo Uematsu? Of course you do, they're awesome. Come on down and celebrate the greatness of VGM from the NES to the PS3. Whether you want to create OC ReMixes, compose for indie & pro video games or just listen to badass game music, we're here to bestow advice and recommend awesome music. You can also win FREE limited edition physical copies of our Donkey Kong Country 2 album, Serious Monkey Business (featuring composer David Wise, ZOMG!), as well as other merch for people that KNOW their VGM trivia. Come please your ears & win some swag!
Panelists include: David Lloyd [Founder & President, OverClocked ReMix, LLC], Larry Oji [Head Submissions Evaluator, OverClocked ReMix, LLC], Deia Vengen [Judge, Staff, ReMixer, OverClocked ReMix, LLC], Andrew Luers [Judge, Staff, ReMixer, OverClocked ReMix, LLC], Stevo Bortz [Judge, Staff, ReMixer, OverClocked ReMix, LLC]
The Making of an Announcement – Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception
Wyvern Theatre
Friday, 6:00pm - 7:00pm
Description: You may have watched the “Uncharted 3 – The Reveal” pieces on YouTube or the PSN Store recently – and if you haven’t, for shame and go watch them now! The two-part video series barely scratches the surface on the immense effort and hectic pace of activities at a video game developer once an announcement date is set and the studio pulls together to put together a polished set of assets. Join Naughty Dog (developers of the UNCHARTED games) and 2 Player Productions (you may know them from PATV Season 1 and the Infamous and Uncharted web docs) as we delve deeper into the events leading up to the announcement of UNCHARTED 3: Drake’s Deception. The Dogs will talk about the specific challenges in producing a highly polished gameplay demo, a completed trailer, along with screenshots and other announcement assets, within a short timeframe. During that time, 2 Player Productions were the first outsiders we’ve ever invited to document this process firsthand – and they will join the Dogs to let you know what it was like to witness the chaos and excitement for themselves – and we’ve made them promise to bring some never-before-seen footage from the cutting room floor. We’ll be sure to leave some time to answer questions at the end.
Panelists include: Arne Meyer [Community Strategist, Naughty Dog], Taylor Kurosaki [Cinematic Production Lead, Naughty Dog], Paul Levering [2 Player Productions], Paul Owens [2 Player Productions], Asif Siddiky [2 Player Productions]
Game Design Is Mind Control
Cat Theatre
Friday, 6:30pm - 7:30pm
Games are an art form that induces people to irrational behavior that they would not otherwise undertake. Come and watch Luke and Jared make fools of themselves as they try to prove this point.
Panelists include: Jared Sorensen [Game designer, Memento Mori Theatricks], Luke Crane [Game designer, Burning Wheel]
Xbox LIVE Enforcement: Tales from the Din Part 3: The Conclusioning
Manticore Theatre
Friday, 6:30pm - 7:30pm
Enforcement on the Xbox LIVE service isn't just about whacking the bad guys. Join Stephen "Stepto" Toulouse, head of Xbox LIVE Policy and Enforcement, and his team as they walk you through the ins and outs of policing the service (along with some fun stories), working with game developers to keep ahead of the miscreants when designing their titles, and working with the gaming community as a whole to understand how gamers want to be safe online. Stepto and his team will also take your questions about banning, cheating, or anything else you'd like to know about protecting the service.
Panelists include: Stephen "Stepto" Toulouse Boris Erickson Andreas Holbrook Jason Coon
House Rules and Stealing from Other Games in RPGS
Merman Theatre
Friday, 6:30pm - 7:30pm
Most Game Masters do it. Hacking your favourite RPG is as old as the hobby itself. However, one can often get bogged down with rules that defeat their intent and make the game less fun. Others have so many house rules that players and master alike get confused and lose sense of what game they’re playing. That’s why we invite you to join 3 well-known RPG bloggers from Critical-Hits and At-Will to discuss how to design, test, and organize house rules. They’ll also tell you how to explore other classic and modern RPGs to “borrow” their best ideas into your games and give you tangible examples.
Panelists include: Dave Chalker [Editor-in-Chief, Critical-Hits], Phil Menard [Featured Bloggers, Critical-Hits], Quinn Murphy [Editor-in-Chief, At-Will]
The Triple Threat: Short Subjects in Gaming
Naga Theatre
Friday, 7:30pm - 8:30pm
Our usual gaming lectures struggle to fit within an hour, but some topics, important as they may be, don’t warrant much more than twenty minutes of hard discussion. If you want to economize your PAX panels experience, look no further than the Triple Threat. We’ll take you in rapid succession through three back-to-back panels with “MMORPGs are Anything But,” “The Game Makes the Community,” and “How to Win at the Internet: The Rise of Dudebro.” From the creators of “Game Mechanics and Mechanism Design,” “Beyond Dungeons & Dragons,” “Losing Should Be Fun,” and more.
Panelists include: Brandon "Rym" DeCoster [Producer, GeekNights], Scott Rubin [Host, GeekNights]
Joystiq Podcast LIVE!: The Reunion
Wyvern Theatre
Friday, 7:30pm - 8:30pm
They said it wouldn't happen ... but they were wrong. For one night only, the hosts of the Joystiq Podcast will bury the hatchet, smile through the tears, break the vows they made to concerned loved ones and reunite for the podcast that they were perhaps always destined to record. Can you imagine the fireworks when Christopher Grant, Ludwig Kietzmann and Justin "Hoops" McElroy try to hold a civil conversation on the SAME STAGE? We suspect that you cannot. Last year's PAX Joystiq Podcast included DSi giveaways, free games for everyone and an audience-wide hugging orgy. You really want to miss this year's?
Panelists include: Justin McElroy [Reviews Editor, Joystiq], Chris Grant [EIC, Joystiq], Ludwig Kietzmann [Senior Editor, Joystiq]
How Your Favorite Game Companies Use Facebook
Manticore Theatre
Friday, 8:00pm - 9:00pm
Like this. Like that. Facebook has taken the world by storm and has become a crucial platform for community managers and companies to help keep in touch with and grow their online communities. With the constant evolution of social media and Facebook in particular, you may not know some of the cool things happening on your favorite game studio's Facebook page. Join Collin Moore (Community Management Vet) as he moderates a discussion with community managers from across the game industry (Insomniac Games, Playfish/EA, Harmonix, and Robot Entertainment), about the importance of Facebook to game companies, and how pressing the "LIKE" button is just the beginning.
Panelists include: Collin Moore [Game Industry Vet], Sam Houston [Online Content Manager, Playfish - EA], John Drake [Manager of Communications and Special Projects, Harmonix], James Stevenson [Senior Community Manager, Insomniac Games], Justin Korthof [Community Manager, Robot Entertainment]
Inside Game Localization - FF12, Tactics Ogre, and Beyond!
Merman Theatre
Friday, 8:00pm - 9:00pm
We rarely hear about game localizations, unless they're All-Your-Base-Are-Belong-To-Us bad, yet localization has a huge effect on how we experience games from overseas. Bring your ideas about what makes a localization good, and join the translation team for Final Fantasy XII and Tactics Ogre in an exploration of the process and thought behind one style of localization.
Panelists include: Alexander O. Smith [Lead, Kajiya Productions], Joseph Reeder [Lead, Kajiya Productions]
Friday Night Concerts
Main Theatre
Friday, 9:00pm - 12:00am
Break out your cell phone and handheld gaming screens and get ready to rock out to The Protomen, MC Frontalot, and Metroid Metal.
Penny Arcade: The Series Screening
Cat Theatre
Friday, 9:30pm - 10:30pm
Join us and watch the hit (according to us) web series Penny Arcade TV.
Giant Bombcast, Live! Feat. Da East Coast Family
Manticore Theatre
Friday, 9:30pm - 10:30pm
Yes, those lovable Vitamin-D deficient rascals from the Giant Bombcast are leaving the basement, crossing the country, avoiding specific law enforcement agencies, and making their unified East Coast debut at PAX East 2011! Each and every one of you is invited to touch the magic, feel the passion, explore the mystery, and taste the rainbow as fan favorites Vinny Caravella, Ryan Davis, Jeff Gerstmann, and Brad Shoemaker--plus some very special guests whose identities shall be revealed as soon as we figure out who they'll be, maybe--delight you with a magical evening that promises to be virtually defined by an overall lack of direction. Because that is how we like it. So don't screw this one up, for once! Come see the Giant Bombcast, Live at PAX East 2011! The Eastern Seaboard will never be the same!
FRAG Movie Screening
Naga Theatre
Friday, 9:30pm - 10:30pm
As a documentary covering the lives of pro-gamers, FRAG sheds light on the world of pro-gaming. Pro-gamers, referred to as cyber-athletes, face the same problems that professional athletes face, making decisions that can affect them for the rest of their lives. As gaming spreads not only as a hobby, but as a profession, FRAG reveals some of the secrets behind one of the biggest sports industries in the world that many know nothing about. Judd Saul plans to be on hand after the screening to sell videos/answer questions as well.
Panelists include: Judd Saul [Executive Producer, Cohesion Productions]
Blamimations Screening
Merman Theatre
Friday, 10:00pm - 11:00pm
Blamimations are a series of animated shorts from our friends Scott Kurtz and Kris Straub. They are also ridiculously funny, and we will be showing every episode of the web series in Merman Theatre.
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State of the Industry: What Are Your Career Options?
IGDA Dev Center
Saturday, 10:00am - 10:50am
This panel will focus on the current state of the game industry and the many career paths available to those interested in breaking in. Topics include the growth and development of the industry; new roles, platforms, and genres; the distinction between developers and publishers; and how companies, teams, and projects are structured.
Panelists include: John Comes [Creative Director, Uber Entertainment], Jim Rivers [Hiring Manager, Obsidian Entertainment], Limor Schafman [President, KeystoneTech], Mary-Margaret Walker [CEO & Founder, Mary-Margaret Network]
Radio Free Nintendo: A Live Nintendo Podcast for Grown-Ups... 2!
Cat Theatre
Saturday, 10:30am - 11:30am
We love Nintendo games just as much as we love to criticize the company itself. From Mario, Metroid, and Zelda to Wii and 3DS, we'll cover classic games and upcoming releases, plus whatever you want to hear about with lots of audience interaction. Come see the PAX East return of the best Nintendo-centric podcast crew, with over 200 weekly episodes since 2006. Radio Free Nintendo is a show (and panel) about Nintendo and gaming in general, made by and for gamers who have long out-grown system warz and blind devotion.
Panelists include: Jonathan Metts [Contributing Editor, Nintendo World Report], Mike Sklens [Staff Writer, Nintendo World Report], James Jones [Features Editor, Nintendo World Report], Jon Lindemann [Director, Nintendo World Report], Karl Castaneda [Staff Columnist, Nintendo World Report]
Penny Arcade Make-a-Strip Panel
Main Theatre
Saturday, 10:30am - 11:30am
Ever wonder what goes into making a Penny Arcade comic? Join Gabe and Tycho in the Main Theatre and take part in creating Monday's HILARIOUS comic.
Just Because You Have an Idea, You Are Not a Game Designer
Wyvern Theatre
Saturday, 10:30am - 11:30am
Many of us have worked with some amazing designers over the years, and they are much more than walking idea factories. Passion for concepts is great, but don't confuse passion for skill. In this panel we'll talk about the characteristics that make a good game designer, and specific skills we look for when hiring on new talent. We'll also spend some time to point out the differences between good ideas for projects, theoretically good ideas, and bad ideas that you think are good.
Panelists include: Ichiro Lambe [President, Dejobaan Games], Chris Oltyan [Producer, Dire Wolf Digital], Eitan Glinert [President, Fire Hose Games], Scott Macmillan [President, Macguffin Games]
Getting the Most Out of Game Education
IGDA Dev Center
Saturday, 11:00am - 12:00pm
Representatives from game development studios and degree programs at several colleges and universities will discuss what to look for in game education, curriculum structure, internship programs, special projects, software, and portfolio development.
Panelists include: Adam Chapman [President & COO, Poptank Studios], Terrence Masson [Director of Creative Industries, Northeastern University], [DigiPen Institute of Technology], Jim Rivers [Hiring Manager, Obsidian Entertainment]
PAX East Chiptune Showcase Part 2
Jamspace
Saturday, 11:00am - 2:00pm
Check out some chipbands in Jamspace, the lineup for Saturday includes: 8bitbetty Br1ght Pr1mate Danimal Cannon Zen Albatross Sabrepulse
A Reverse Q&A with the Harmonix Community Team
Manticore Theatre
Saturday, 11:00am - 12:00pm
The Harmonix Community Team spends a good part of their day answering questions about Rock Band and Dance Central on forums, in emails and on camera... but what happens when the tables are turned and they're given free reign to question a captive audience in a PAX panel? Part focus group and part interrogation, this panel turns the traditional notion of a Q&A on its head, giving community members the opportunity to answer questions submitted by developers. You may be wonder: "What kind of questions will be asked?" and "Do attendees answer individually or as a collective?" and "Will this be a disaster?" Continue to wonder, because the Harmonix folks aren't dishing out any answers, only questions.
Panelists include: Aaron Trites [Community Manager Manager, Harmonix Music], Allison Thresher [Community Manager, Harmonix Music], Eric Pope [Community Manager, Harmonix Music], John Veneron [Associate Producer, Harmonix Music], Jason Brau [Community Moderator, Harmonix Community Member]
Owned but Independent: Running a Studio at Activision
Naga Theatre
Saturday, 11:00am - 12:00pm
How do you make gamers happy, make your development team happy, AND make your corporate parent company happy all at the same time? Somehow, the people on this panel have found a way. Join our panelists as they explain what life is really like working with the world’s biggest gaming software publisher. Dan “One of Swords” Amrich moderates.
Panelists include: Brian Raffel [Studio Head, Raven Software], Peter Della Penna [Studio Head, High Moon Studios], Eric Biessman [Senior Project Lead, Raven Software], Jennifer O'Neal [Executive Producer, Vicarious Visions], Dan Amrich [Social Media Manager, Activision]
Omegathon Round 2
Merman Theatre
Saturday, 11:30am - 12:30pm
Details TBA
City of Heroes® - Ascending to the Next Level of Super-Powered MMO’s
Cat Theatre
Saturday, 12:00pm - 1:00pm
City of Heroes, the world’s most popular super-powered MMO, is celebrating its seventh year of super powered adventures in cosmic style. The Paragon Studios development team will unveil never before revealed secrets about our upcoming game update, Issue 20 – Incarnates. The battle against Praetoria steps up as Emperor Cole and his Lieutenants continue their invasion of Earth. Heroes and Villains must rise to new levels of power in order to save the world. Find out about the brand new Incarnate Abilities that players can unlock on their level 50 Heroes and Villains. Get your first peek at the stunning group encounters in the alternate world of Praetoria. The City of Heroes panel will also be the first time players can see the brilliant new environments, characters and art that will be in Issue 20 – Incarnates.
Panelists include: Matt Miller [Lead Systems Designer, Paragon Studios], Nate Birkholz [Lead Producer, Paragon Studios], Ryan Roth [Senior Environment Artist, Paragon Studios], Tia Paraurahi [Associate Community Manager, Paragon Studios]
Making it Happen: The Search is on!
IGDA Dev Center
Saturday, 12:00pm - 12:50 pm
This panel focuses on how to position yourself and jumpstart your career through effective job search techniques, in-person networking, online communities, and social networking tools.
Panelists include: John Comes [Creative Director, Uber Entertainment], Jim Rivers [Hiring Manager, Obsidian Entertainment], Limor Schafman [President, KeystoneTech], Mark Soderwall [Art Director & Visual Game Design Consultant], Mary-Margaret Walker [CEO & Founder, Mary-Margaret Network]
The PAX Musical Guest Panel!
Wyvern Theatre
Saturday, 12:00pm - 1:00pm
Join a mix of our musical guests as they tell stories about their experiences as geek rock icons, what it's like to have an internet fanbase, the games and other influences they've had along the way, and what you should and shouldn't do if you're interested in starting up a band in this genre.
Snagging the Marketing or Writing Job of Your Dreams
Naga Theatre
Saturday, 12:30pm - 1:30pm
In addition to technical roles, opportunities exist for jobs in marketing, writing and PR. Learn what skills are needed and how to apply. Five senior executives from different sectors of the industry will give you advice. This session, one of the most popular panels last year at at PAX East, will allow everyone attending the chance to ask their personal questions.
Panelists include: Sue Bohle [CEO, The Bohle Company], James Seamon [Managing Director, Topware Interactive], AJ Glasser [News Editor, GamePro Media], Jay Pietta [Director of QA, Turbine], Jonathon Myers [Writer, Reactive Games], Kevin Joyce [Liquid Advertising]
Geek Parenting
Merman Theatre
Saturday, 1:00pm - 2:30pm
How young is too young for The Hobbit? Why is LEGO Star Wars the best console game for your child? What's the best way to deal with bullying? How old should your child be before you stop letting/helping them win games against you? As a parent, how do you deal with smart phones, texting and technology in your kids' lives? These questions and many more will be discussed by writers for GeekDad.com, GeekMom.com, and geek parents in the audience. Come share your stories and advice for how to ensure our kids grow up to be geeks like us! Don't have kids? Show up and find out what may be in store for you if you ever do!
Panelists include: John Booth [Geekdad.com], Matt Blum [Managing Editor, GeekDad.com], Natania Barron [Senior Editor, GeekMom.com], Corrina Lawson [Senior Editor, GeekMom.com], Dave Banks [Core Contributor, GeekDad.com], Doug Cornelius [Core Contributor, GeekDad.com]
American Classic Arcade
Cat Theatre
Saturday, 1:30pm - 2:30pm
Details TBA
A Live Demonstration of RAGE
Wyvern Theatre
Saturday, 1:30pm - 2:30pm
Join Design Director Matt Hooper and Senior Producer Jason Kim for a live demonstration of RAGE, the groundbreaking new first-person shooter from id. Set in the not-too-distant future after an asteroid impacts Earth, you emerge into a vast and ravaged wasteland to discover humanity struggling to survive the deadly threat of bandit gangs, mutants, and the Authority – an oppressive government regime that has a special interest in you in particular. Featuring intense first-person shooter action, breakneck vehicle combat, an expansive world to explore and jaw-dropping graphics powered by id’s revolutionary id Tech 5 technology, RAGE promises an experience like no other. Q&A session to follow the demonstration.
Starting Your Own Game Company
IGDA Dev Center
Saturday, 2:00pm - 2:50pm
Founders of game development studios will share anecdotes and advice for budding entrepreneurs who would like to get started on the right path but don’t mind receiving a heavy dose of reality. Topics include company structure, team recruitment, project development, publisher relations, original vs. pre-existing IP, platform/genre focus, branding -- and whether or not to run a “virtual studio.”
Panelists include: Joe Epstein [CEO, Poptank Studios], Andrew Walker [Co-Founder, Carbon Based, LLC], Mike McShaffry [Executive Producer, Red Fly Studio], Dave McCool [President & CEO, Muzzy Lane]
Pitch Your Game Idea
Manticore Theatre
Saturday, 2:00pm - 3:00pm
You’ve got 45 seconds to deliver your idea to our panel of experts. The top three pitches will be picked for prizes and swag! (Please note that this is an open forum -- there’s nothing keeping anyone, judges and attendees alike, from stealing your ideas! If you’re not comfortable with this, please don’t pitch your idea!)
Community: Some Assembly Required and Batteries Definitely Not Included
Naga Theatre
Saturday, 2:00pm - 3:00pm
Building a community around games takes work and may be a little rough around the edges -- just like this session! But stick with it and you'll find yourself in the middle of one of the most fun and most vocal communities around. Come discuss how to build a following, how to find your own voice, success stories, what Xbox LIVE is doing to build community, and how you can try to work with the "big guys", with Xbox LIVE Community Manager Eric "DMZilla" Doty. There is no instruction booklet for Community, but there are plenty of ways to start your journey. Possibility of Powerpoint and FREE stuff.
Presented by: DMZilla Doty [Community Manager, Xbox LIVE]
Here Be Danger: Turn Back Now Before the Game Industry Eats You Alive
Merman Theatre
Saturday, 2:30pm - 3:30pm
Please, step just a little closer so we can eat your brains! Mwuahahahaha! This session will not be a cheery "breaking into the game industry" type presentation, instead it'll go in the reverse direction. Meaning, we'll cover all the problems and crap and sore spots, and how best to avoid them, and work around them. More like the dirty secrets no one tells you about before you get into the industry, which make you sorry you ever did.
Presented by: Jason Della Rocca [Founder, Perimeter Partners]
Guild Wars 2 - Fantasy MMO Redefined
Cat Theatre
Saturday, 3:00pm - 4:00pm
Are you tired of grind, repetitive combat and MMORPGs that have no RPG? Key creators of ArenaNet’s upcoming Guild Wars 2 MMORPG will discuss the game’s creation from an art and design perspective. Accompanied by stunning GW2 concept art, Lead Content Designer Colin Johanson, Game Designer Jon Peters, Community Manager Regina Buenaobra, Global Brand Manager Brian Porter, and SVP, Global Business Randy Price will examine how the lore, design, and gameplay of Guild Wars 2 has evolved from the original game. The panel will field questions about the highly anticipated Guild Wars 2.
Resumes That Rock
IGDA Dev Center
Saturday, 3:00pm - 4:45 pm
This is your chance to get a clear view of what works, and what doesn’t, in the realm of resumes. You will be exposed to the anatomy of a resume – with every section and line item explained and dissected. If you’d like your own resume to be “put on the table,” be sure to bring it to this session!
Panelists include: Beverly Garland [Career Development Specialist, Mary-Margaret Network], Robin McShaffry [Vice President, Mary-Margaret Network], Mary-Margaret Walker [CEO & Founder, Mary-Margaret Network]
Females on Female Characters
Wyvern Theatre
Saturday, 3:00pm - 4:00pm
Join Susan Arendt, Senior Editor of The Escapist; Kathleen de Vere, star of LoadingReadyRun; AJ Glasser, News Editor of GamePro; and Lisa Foiles, star of Lisa Foiles Top 5; as they discuss what they embrace in female fictional characters and why these attributes are important. They will identify their favorite characters and how they would like more heroines with similar attributes integrated into Geek culture. This fresh, positive approach to female characters shouldn’t be missed. Moderated by Elizabeth Grunewald, Not Games Editor of The Escapist.
Panelists include: Susan Arendt [Senior Editor, The Escapist], Kathleen De Vere [Actor, LoadingReadyRun], Lisa Foiles [Actor, The Escapist], AJ Glasser [News Editor, GamePro], Elizabeth Grunewald [Not Games Editor, Themis-media.com]
G4 Feedback Live!
Manticore Theatre
Saturday, 3:30pm - 4:30pm
Details TBA
To Hell and Back Again: How the Game Industry Has Changed Since Diablo
Naga Theatre
Saturday, 3:30pm - 4:30pm
President of Gazillion Entertainment and former President of Blizzard North, David Brevik, has seen the gaming industry change immensely since he created the Diablo franchise. With the growth of social games, free-to-play business models, the digital distribution of titles, and the industry itself being thrust into the spotlight of mainstream media; David will be discussing what he has seen as the most pivotal shifts in gaming over the past decade and where the industry may be heading.
Panelists include: David Brevik [President, Gazillion Entertainment]
Publish Your Own RPG - And Don't Go Broke Doing It!
Merman Theatre
Saturday, 4:00pm - 5:00pm
Want to publish your own tabletop RPG? Publishing your own game used to mean shelling out thousands of dollars for a huge print run and art, and still risk never earning your money back. Not any more. Join an all-star team of self-publishers— D. Vincent Baker ("Dogs In The Vineyard," "Apocalypse World"), Meguey Baker ("1001 Nights", "Psi Run"), Emily Boss ("Three Games About The Human Heart"), Epidiah Ravachol ("Dread," "Time And Temp"), Elizabeth Sampat ("Blowback") and Shreyas Sampat ("Mist-Robed Gate")— as they discuss all of the tips and tricks for publishing a great game without going broke. Want to know how Apocalypse World made money before it hit the printer? How Mist-Robed Gate was published for less than $50? These are the people to talk to! Q&A welcome!
Panelists include: Elizabeth Sampat [Owner, Two Scooters Press], Shreyas Sampat [Owner, Two Scooters Press], Vincent And Meguey Baker [Owner, lumpley games], Emily Boss [Owner, Black And Green Games], Epidiah Ravachol [Owner, Dig 1000 Holes Publishing]
Video Game Music and Nerdcore Hip-Hop
Cat Theatre
Saturday, 4:30pm - 5:30pm
Nerds who rap? Sounds foolish... maybe. MC and gamer Random, aka Mega Ran will take you through the history of both hip-hop and video games, and explain how they both met up at a strange crossroads called "nerdcore hip-hop." Guest Panelists include Damien "MC Frontalot" Hess, Godfather of Nerdcore and more!
Panelists include: Raheem Jarbo [Musician, Mega Ran.Com], Damian Hess [Musician, MC Frontalot/Level Up Records], Kyle Murdock [Producer, Neo Sonic Productions]
Rooster Teeth
Main Theatre
Saturday, 4:30pm - 5:30pm
Brace yourself for awesomeness as the Rooster Teeth crew provides you with an hour's worth of mind-boggling epicness of immense proportions. Be the first to see the final two episodes of Red vs. Blue: Revelation and have your face melted off. This rousing panel will also include videos from other Rooster Teeth projects and more surprises so incredible that they are currently being guarded by attack dogs. Big f@$#ing attack dogs. If you miss this panel, you miss the opportunity to feel superior to your friends. Be there. Cake* will also be provided. *There will be no cake.
Panelists include: The Rooster Teeth Gang, Hardened Inmates
The Roads to Becoming a Community Manager (East Coast Version!)
Wyvern Theatre
Saturday, 4:30pm - 5:30pm
Based on the great feedback we received after this panel at PAX Prime, we've decided to do it again! East-Coast Style. You hear us on podcasts, see us in videos, read our blogs on websites, retweet us, argue with us on forums, and give us high fives at PAX. But have you ever wondered how we became community managers? From games journalism to forum moderation to public policy and QA, every road is different. Find out the random history of some of your favorite game studio community managers, and hear their advice on what skills and knowledge you’ll need to become one of gaming’s next-generation of community managers.
Panelists include: Alli Thresher [Community Moderator, Harmonix Music Systems, Inc], James Stevenson [Community Manager, Insomniac Games], Arne Meyer [Manager, Community, Naughty Dog], Sam Houston [Online Content Manager, Playfish, EA], Jennifer Kye [Company Blogger, Social Media Editor, Gameloft], Michael Abbot [Owner / Writer, Brainy Gamer ], Arne Meyer [Senior Manager of Marketing Communications, Naughty Dog], Justin McElroy [Reviews Coordinator, Joystiq]
Portfolios & Demos That Rock
IGDA Dev Center
Saturday, 5:00pm - 6:45 pm
This is your chance to get a clear view of what works, and what doesn’t, for portfolios and demos. A team of industry experts will expose you to the anatomy of several demos and portfolios– with every element explained and dissected. If you’d like your own portfolio or demo to be “put on the table,” be sure to bring it to this session!
Panelists include: John Comes [Creative Director, Uber Entertainment], Terrence Masson [Director of Creative Industries, Northeastern University], Jim Rivers [Hiring Manager, Obsidian Entertainment], Mark Soderwall [Art Director & Visual Game Design Consultant]
Major Nelson Podcast
Manticore Theatre
Saturday, 5:00pm - 6:00pm
Come for a live recording of Major Nelson's Podcast with Xbox LIVE's own Major Nelson, E, Stepto, and lollip0p. Expect shenanigans, epic giveaways, and Kinect!
MMORPG.com: The Future of Online Gaming
Naga Theatre
Saturday, 5:00pm - 6:00pm
A panel of MMORPG experts gather to chat with fans on where the online game market is going. With games moving into the mobile space, free to play pricing models and five major launches in 2011 the online market is in for a major year. The panel will have speakers from some of the top upcoming games in the online space plus legends in the industry. Fan will be able to ask questions and get answers from top development studios about upcoming games as we hope to explore where online games will be going for the next decade.
Panelists include: Craig Alexander [Turbine], Scott Hartsman [Trion], Garrett Fuller [Industry Relations, MMORPG.com ]
Careers in Paper Gaming
Merman Theatre
Saturday, 5:30pm - 6:30pm
Digital games are great, but the competition for jobs is insane. Games are still published on paper, in decks of cards, in rulebooks, and on boards. What does it take to find a job in the paper gaming industry? Should you look for a position with an established publisher, or find a way to self-publish? Pick the brains of our luminary panelists for answers to all these questions and much more.
Panelists include: Steve Jackson [Founder, Steve Jackson Games], Andrew Hackard [Line Editor, Munchkin], Phil Reed [Founder, Ronin Arts]
Running a Child's Play Fundraiser
Cat Theatre
Saturday, 6:00pm - 7:00pm
Starting a fundraiser for Child's Play Charity? Make this panel your next step! Whether your idea is to run a fund-drive over the internet or a local event set in the real world, this panel will help point you to the right path to make a successful event.
Panelists include: John Seggerson [Co-Founder / Content Programmer, Ümloud! & Telltale Games], Kristin Lindsay [Foundation Coordinator, Child's Play Charity]
Weekend Confirmed
Wyvern Theatre
Saturday, 6:00pm - 7:00pm
Details TBA
Videogame Antiques Roadshow: Are Your Old Games Actually Buried Treasure?
Manticore Theatre
Saturday, 6:30pm - 7:30pm
Television shows like "Pawn Stars" and "Antiques Roadshow" have captured the imagination of Americans who would love to find a priceless collectible at a yard sale. There's just one thing missing -- classic videogames. No longer. Bring the rarities from your collection, and you'll have a chance to come up on stage and have your games appraised and evaluated by our handpicked panel of experts. Along the way, the whole audience will learn some fascinating tidbits about gaming history!
Panelists include: Chris Kohler [Editor, Game|Life, Wired.com], Frank Cifaldi [Editor, 1up.com], Mike Mika [Head of Development, Other Ocean]
The "Other" Us: If We're All Gamers, Does Our Gender Matter?
Naga Theatre
Saturday, 6:30pm - 7:30pm
Abbie Heppe's review of Metroid: Other M prompted a wave of backlash across the gaming community. Words like "feminist" got thrown around in comments sections of popular gaming sites as if it were the new "f" word. But what is really feminist versus what is perceived as feminist by virtue of the fact that it comes from a woman’s perspective? Using these reactions as a jumping off point, a panel of gamers, journalists, and members of the industry will look at the ways gender is treated in gaming culture at large. In our debate and discussion of Abbie's review, we'll be looking at the larger question: "As our industry becomes more progressive and, arguably, gender-blind, is geek and gamer culture regressing?"
Panelists include: Alli Thresher [Community Moderator, Harmonix Music Systems, Inc], Abbie Heppe [Senior Gaming Content Producer, G4 TV], Eric Pope [Community Moderator, Harmonix Music Systems, Inc.], Yesenia Cisneros [Games Tester, Excell], Jennifer Kye [Company Blogger, Social Media Editor, Gameloft]
Where's my Spaceship!? Adventures in Video Game Costuming
Cat Theatre
Saturday, 7:30pm - 8:30pm
Have an awesome costume you want to show off? Want to start cosplaying but haven't made the leap? Join Crabcat Industries as we escape from reality to share your triumphs, horror stories, and battle damage. Show your love for video games by running around and embarrassing yourself in costume! We'll also discuss professional costuming techniques you can do in your garage, and our current project: transforming face model Rana into her Mass Effect 2 character Samara. Then we'll set our eyes on world domination. Or something.
Panelists include: Holly Conrad [Chief Executive Officer, Crabcat Industries], Jessica Merizan [Chief Operations Officer, Crabcat Industries], Hilary Shapiro [Chief Financial Officer, Crabcat Industries], Rana McAnear
The LoadingReadyRun Panel
Wyvern Theatre
Saturday, 7:30pm - 8:30pm
LoadingReadyRun, manufacturers of the finest internet comedy, have sent a delegation to the forbidden wilds of the east coast for one, single purpose: Answering your questions and being generally amusing for your entertainment. LoadingReadyRun produces Unskippable, ENN and Daily Drop for the Escapist Magazine, and runs the annual Desert Bus Fundraising Marathon in support of Child's Play.
The Twisted Pixel Variety Hour
Manticore Theatre
Saturday, 8:00pm - 9:00pm
Come join the crew from Twisted Pixel in a jam packed hour of entertainment. See exclusive never-before-seen presentations of both new Twisted Pixel games in development! Hear the awesome stories behind your favorite characters! Help us create and design parts of our new games over the course of the hour! Mere exclamation points don't convey the amount of awesomeness crammed into this panel! You should probably start lining up now.
Panelists include: Mike Wilford [CEO, Twisted Pixel Games], Dan Teasdale [Lead Designer, Twisted Pixel Games], Matt 'Chainsaw' Chaney [Supreme High Commander of Audiological Endeavors, Twisted Pixel Games],
Joystiq's Xbox 360 Fancast LIVE
Naga Theatre
Saturday, 8:00pm - 9:00pm
Drop bears, marmite, bromance, asparagus, bad accents, San Francisco trolleys ... it's time for X3F LIVE. Join Richard Mitchell, Alexander Sliwinski and David Hinkle as they put on the show about the Xbox 360 for your eyeballs that you've been digesting through your earholes for over 200 episodes. The show will also be visited by ghosts of X3F's past, involve a mass moment of masochism and, if you're lucky, you may just come out the experience a better person -- but that's doubtful.
Panelists include: Alexander Sliwinski, David Hinkle, Richard Mitchell
Saturday Night Concerts and Omegathon Round 3
Main Theatre
Saturday, 8:30pm - 12:00am
Not only will you get to enjoy the third round of the Omegathon (and trust us, you will enjoy it!), but you'll also get a chance to enjoy the VGO, Paul and Storm, and Jonathan Coulton.
Hidden Value of Punching Trees: What Minecraft Reveals About Game Culture
Merman Theatre
Saturday, 8:30pm - 9:30pm
Minecraft, the indie PC game designed by Markus Persson (aka. notch), ignited the gaming scene inspiring communities to band together to, of all things, create. Create castles, rollercoasters, and 1:1 scale copies of the Starship Enterprise out of blocks... but what does Minecraft uncover about today's gamers and game culture? Media scholar Alex Leavitt will look at the development and spread of Minecraft to explain the cultural implications behind why notch spends hours interacting with fans, how online forums are replacing outdated game manuals, and what value there is in the hundreds of thousands of YouTube videos that feature players building dilapidated forts. A panel for Minecraft newbies and seasoned tree-punching veterans alike.
Panelists include: Alex Leavitt [Researcher, Comparative Media Studies (MIT) & Microsoft Research]
After Hours with Kris and Scott (Scott and Kris)
Manticore Theatre
Saturday, 9:30pm - 10:30pm
PAX again heralds the coming of its official late-night talk show with hosts Scott Kurtz and Kris Straub, the talent behind PATV's Blamimation series. After Hours with Kris and Scott promises an hour of laughs, celebrity interviews and probably even a musical guest -- it's a show so spontaneous, we won't know what's planned until the show's over!
Panelists include: Scott Kurtz [Cartoonist], Kristofer Straub [Cartoonist]
PA The Series: Season 2
Merman Theatre
Saturday, 9:30pm - 10:30pm
Details TBA
King of Chinatown
Naga Theatre
Saturday, 9:30pm - 10:30pm
King of Chinatown isn't a documentary about a video game, it's a STORY about a player and his manager struggling to make a living playing video games. It is a story about their relationship through the rise of the Empire and Justin Wong's fame. It covers a 2 year period, which ends in their eventual breakup. If you ever wanted to know the whole story and what this all was about, here is your chance, and even if you have no idea who these people are, you will find their tale an interesting one.
The LoadingReadyRun Screening Block
Wyvern Theatre
Saturday, 9:30pm - 11:30pm
In what has become a PAX tradition for LRR, join Graham, Paul and Kathleen as they provide live creator commentary on a bunch of their videos. It's a really fun time for everyone, come on by!
IGDA Dev Center
Sunday, 10:00am - 10:50am
Role-specific roundtables will consist of top game artists, designers, community managers, and marketing professionals. Each roundtable will be structured into four sections focusing on roles/responsibilities, personal history, career paths, and hot topics/issues. • John Comes (Creative Director, Uber Entertainment) • Terrence Masson (Director of Creative Industries, Northeastern University) • Mark Soderwall (Art Director & Visual Game Design Consultant) • Bert Snow (VP of Design & Content, Muzzy Lane) • Anne Toole (Writer & Narrative Designer)
Do Brands Really Matter in Gaming
Cat Theatre
Sunday, 10:30am - 11:30am
We've all grown up with brands as an integral part of our lives and purchase behavior. It can be the sneakers we buy, food we eat, paint we use, books we read, movies or TV we watch, and of course the games we play. Does building a game based upon a branded IP ensure success? What are the opportunities and challenges of branding a game? Come listen to leaders within the industry from both camps who have launched branded games and from others who have launched without a brand.
Panelists include: Robert Ferrari [vice president of publishing and business development, Sanrio Digital], John Nam [chief operating officer, Neowiz Games America, Inc], Calvin Yang [vice president of marketing, ijji.com], Ben Colayco [CEO, Kill3r Kombo Interactive], Jason Wonacott [CEO, Wonacott Communications]
Omegathon Round 4
Merman Theatre
Sunday, 10:30am - 11:30am
Details TBA
Game Mechanics and Mechanism Design
Wyvern Theatre
Sunday, 10:30am - 11:30am
"Mechanism Design" is perhaps one of the most fundamental concepts required in good game design. Simply put, it is the idea that the game creator, by manipulating the rules of the game, can encourage, without coercion, particular play behavior. Or, to put it another way, a game can manipulate you into certain behaviors you might not otherwise have considered. While it's one of those scary, math-heavy "game theory" constructs, it can be illustrated (and used) without an advanced mathematics degree. If you're a gamer, it's likely been used to great effect on you already. Why not learn the secrets behind the science of game-centered mind control? From the creators of Beyond Dungeons & Dragons, Beyond Candyland, and Losing Should Be Fun.
Panelists include: Brandon "Rym" DeCoster [Producer, GeekNights], Scott Rubin [Host, GeekNights]
Game Marketing & Community Management Roundtable
IGDA Dev Center
Sunday, 11:00am - 11:45 am
Role-specific roundtables will consist of top game artists, designers, community managers, and marketing professionals. Each roundtable will be structured into four sections focusing on roles/responsibilities, personal history, career paths, and hot topics/issues.
Panelists include: Arne Meyer [Senior Manager of Marketing, Naughty Dog], Chris Parsons [Product Manager, Muzzy Lane], James Stevenson [Marketing Manager, Insomniac Games], Allison Thresher [Community Moderator, Harmonix]
PAX East Chiptune Showcase Part 3
Jamspace
Sunday, 11:00am - 2:00pm
Details TBA
Further Greetings from a Dead-Tree Dinosaur Cartoonist
Manticore Theatre
Sunday, 11:00am - 12:00pm
FoxTrot cartoonist Bill Amend returns to PAX East with an all-new slide show!
Public Play: The Secret to Making Games that Are Social, Embarrassing, and Fun!
Naga Theatre
Sunday, 11:00am - 12:00pm
Games are social. We play to compete, but we also play to let our guard down around strangers and strengthen our friendships. Why are so many people happy to make fools of themselves in Dance Central? Can Facebook games treat us as more than just marketing devices? And what's next for the non-player sidekicks we spend so much time with - isn't Dragon Age just a dating sim with blood spatter? This panel will bring experts from multiple fields together to talk about the ways that games bring us closer. Invitees will include a range of experts from academia (MIT Media Lab), the game industry (Harmonix), and designers of games that are meant to be played in public. And as an audience-participation bonus, we will include a game that can be played by the entire audience in just five minutes.
The Sorting Workshop
Cat Theatre
Sunday, 12:00pm - 1:00pm
Industry vets walk you through a writing exercise that will determine where in the industry an aspiring writer belongs. A game developer and publicist kick things off with a 10-minute product demo that you get 20 minutes to write up. Then we (journalists, community managers, publicists, and marketing specialists) sort your writing sample into which field it ought to be in based on tone, content, and accuracy. You won't be graded, but you might be mocked with dramatic readings of your sample. Whatever happens, you'll have a chance to make industry contacts and learn the difference between writing for journalism, for community management, for marketing, and for PR. Bring pens, pencils, and a surface to write on (we recommend the PAX guide) -- we'll provide the rest.
Panelists include: AJ Glasser [News Editor, GamePro Media], Susan Arendt [Senior Editor, The Escapist], Dan Amrich [Social Media Manager, Activision], Arne Meyer [Community Strategist, Naughty Dog], Sue Bohle [Boss, The Bohle Company]
One of Us
IGDA Dev Center
Sunday, 12:00pm - 12:50 pm
Are people surprised to learn that you're a gamer? Do the clerks at the Local Generic Game Retailer ignore you when you shop? If they do talk to you, do they assume you're shopping for something with more pink on the box? Or worse, ask you if you're buying a game for your son or boyfriend? Gamers who do not fit the stereotypical image of the hardcore gamer often feel left out in the cold. Our panel of game writers and hardcore gamers discuss the obstacles to acceptance they've faced and their strategies for coping with them.
Panelists include: Mark Barlet [President & CEO, The AbleGamers Foundation, Inc.], Regina Buenaobra [Community Manager, ArenaNet], David Edison [Writer, Gaygamer.net], Alex Horn [Writer, Big Huge Games/38 Studios], Alexandra Raymond [Writer, The Borderhouse Blog]
The Making of Octodad: A Game About Destruction, Deception, and Fatherhood
Merman Theatre
Sunday, 12:00pm - 1:00pm
Octodad. The game that forever changed the way we see tentacles and fatherhood. Beginning in June, a team of 19 students at DePaul University set to revolutionize gaming with unlikeliest of heroes -- an octopus that happens to be husband and wife to a human family. Where did the inspiration come from? Did they use mocap and live octopi to get the animation right? These questions (and many more) will be answered by the core team behind Octodad in yet another supremely informative PAX panel.
Panelists include: Kevin Zuhn [Project Lead, DePaul University], Nick Esparza [Lead Artist, DePaul University], Jake Anderson [Lead Designer, DePaul University], John Murphy [Producer, DePaul University], Scott Roberts [Associate Professor, DePaul University]
When I Grow Up: It's Never Too Late to Try Something Crazy
Wyvern Theatre
Sunday, 12:00pm - 1:00pm
Two years ago, Sean Baptiste was at the top of his game. A wunderkind in social marketing in the game industry, he traveled the country meeting fans and celebrities- promoting games he loved. But an inoperable brain tumor and a series of surguries led to long ICU stays over several months. He came home and discovered that he had major memory problems-at times even forgetting his own name. Struggling with simple tasks most take for granted, Sean decided to do the scariest thing he could think of: stand-up comedy. A documentary crew followed Sean as he met a tutor, did an open mic, and debuted in a local stand-up night. Did he succeed? Watch the premiere screening of 'When I Grow Up' and talk to director (Trevor Chamberlain), stand-up tutor (Dana Bein) and editor (Jon Mercer) to find out!
Panelists include: Trevor Chamberlain [Director, Wicked Smart Kids], Dana Bein [Comedian], Jon Mercer [Editor], Urvi Fontenot [Producer], Sean Baptiste [Harmonix]
TypeFrag Presents: Raid Warning Live!
Manticore Theatre
Sunday, 12:30pm - 1:30pm
It happened at PAX Prime and it’s happening here. Seven, David, and Joe, hosts of the ill-humored World of Warcraft podcast, Raid Warning, step out from behind their Brewfest steins for a live broadcast show. Expect the latest in WoW community news, prizes, and Cataclysm information while the hosts and their guests attempt to do what their fans have requested: be funny live. Guest Lineup: Jeff Cannata (The Totally Rad Show, Weekend Confirmed), Dustin Blackwell (MMOMFG.com) and more!
Panelists include: Seven DeBord [Host, Raid Warning], David Morrison [Co-Host, Raid Warning], Joe Perez [Co-Host, Raid Warning], Dustin Blackwell [guest, MMOMFG.com], Jeff Cannata [guest, Weekend Confirmed]
X Play Panel (G4)
Main Theatre
Sunday, 12:30pm - 1:30pm
Details TBA
How to Win at Games
Naga Theatre
Sunday, 12:30pm - 1:30pm
It seems obvious that, when playing a game of skill, one attempts to win. Interestingly, this is often not the case, and even skilled gamers rarely analyze to any depth the underlying mechanics and strategy of a given game. By deconstructing the games we play, you too can make them far less fun for yourself, "seeing the Matrix" as it were, and beat the everliving hell out of your friends. We'll hit the theory pretty heavily, but also specific examples from games like "Advance Wars," "Settlers of Catan," and even "Risk." From the creators of "Beyond Candyland", "Beyond Dungeons & Dragons", "Losing Should be Fun", and "Game Mechanics and Mechanism Design" to name a few.
Panelists include: Brandon "Rym" DeCoster [Producer, GeekNights], Scott Rubin [Host, GeekNights]
THE AXE AT PAX! - Team EpicBattleAxe.com talks gaming in 2011
Cat Theatre
Sunday, 1:30pm - 2:30pm
THE AXE AT PAX! - Team EpicBattleAxe.com talks gaming in 2011 as we Cry Havoc and Let Our Voices Be Heard. As the most productive platform for discussion amongst gaming enthusiasts, EpicBattleAxe.com has given gamers a voice that has been heard loud and clear throughout the world. Here at PAX East, founder Daniel Kayser and hosts Brent Adams and Tony Grice will be on-hand to meet the AxeHead Army and talk about the state of gaming in the year ahead. How much has digital distribution altered the landscape of gaming? What has the motion movement meant for the traditionalist gamer? Who the hell stole our beer!?!?! Audience questions, fan tributes, and more will highlight THE AXE AT PAX!
Panelists include: Daniel Kayser [Founder/CEO/LOL, EpicBattleAxe.com], Brent Adams [Host/Vids/Lead Leader, EpicBattleAxe.com], Tony Grice [Host/PimpDaddy, EpicBattleAxe.com], Reuben Moretz [Tech/Knowledge Wizard, EpicBattleAxe.com]
Get Inside 'Magic: The Gathering'...Your Sunday isn't Complete without it!
Merman Theatre
Sunday, 1:30pm - 2:30pm
Come join us for a lively, informative seminar on Magic: The Gathering, including a Q&A session led by Magic Brand & R&D.
PATV Season 2: Vantage Point Productions
Wyvern Theatre
Sunday, 1:30pm - 2:30pm
Join Vantage Point Productions for an exclusive screening and an open Q&A session about the current season.
Panelists include: Van Blumreich Patrick Smith Adam Croft
Penny Arcade Q&A #2
Main Theatre
Sunday, 2:00pm - 3:00pm
Two mics on stage, two mics in the crowd. Line up for your questions and Gabe and Tycho will do their best to accommodate! And God, please no “who would win in a fight” questions. This is the second and last Q&A session, so also check the one on Friday at 11:30 right after the keynote.
Ten Games You Need to Play: The Digital Game Canon
IGDA Dev Center
Sunday, 2:00pm - 2:50 pm
This panel takes inspiration from the challenge of preserving game history and gets right to the key question: What is the canon of digital game history? What games should be first on the list for preservation? What games should game researchers and designers study? In other words, what games do you really need to play? Our panel mixes game designers, researchers, and journalists -- all players, too -- to answer this question. Expect to hear an appeal or two about the need to solve the problem of long-term preservation of these games as part of our cultural heritage...before they disappear forever.
Panelists include: Jon Gibson [Founder, I am 8-bit], Christopher Grant [Editor-in-Chief, Joystiq.com], Henry Lowood [Curator/Professor, Stanford University], Chris Melissinos [Curator, Smithsonian’s Art of Video Games Exhibition]
Getting to Know Your Games
Manticore Theatre
Sunday, 2:00pm - 3:00pm
Are you always the one your friends come to for news on the next big game? Have you ever stopped to think how you learned all about those hot upcoming game that you haven’t even played yet? The shadowy curtain over how the games industry talks to you will be raised, as Gaming PR professional Ryan Jones (Access Communications), community manager Ronnie Singh (2K Sports), social media specialist Sid Shuman (PlayStation Blog), and Activision blogger Dan Amrich discuss how game publishers get the message out about their next big (and not so big) games. When you get the best professionals from every channel of gaming communication in one room, the industry secrets shared may just shock you!
Panelists include: Corri Barret [VP, Access Communications], Ryan Jones [Account Director, Access Communications], Ronnie Singh [Community Manager, 2K Sports], Sid Shuman [Senior Social Media Specialist, PlayStation], Dan Amrich [Blogger, Activision]
We Like to Move It Move It! (An Animated Discussion)
Naga Theatre
Sunday, 2:00pm - 3:00pm
Ever wonder what goes into breathing life and character into the heroes and villains of today's games? Animation for games is where old school animation principles meet new school technical ability and game design theory. Come listen to our panelists discuss how they got their start animating for games, and the difference between animating for games versus film. We will also talk about what the panelists look for in a demo reel and their thoughts on the current state and future of animation for games. (We may talk about animation for Red Dead Redemption, Dance Central, Lord of the Rings Online and Afro Samurai too!)
Panelists include: Daniel Salsberg [Lead Artist, Double Tap Games], Andy Welihozkiy [Lead Animator, Rockstar New England], Ron Friedman [Lead Animator, Tencent Boston], John Lindemuth [Animation Director, Turbine Inc.], Calvin Barreto [Animator, Harmonix Music Systems]
So I Still Have This Website...
Cat Theatre
Sunday, 3:00pm - 4:00pm
The community-focused panel from PAX Prime is making its way to the East Coast. You've spent the time and money building your community site, and now you're looking to take it to the next level. Maybe you want to get a job as a professional Community Manager, or maybe you're just looking for tips on how to get publishers and developers to pay more attention to your site. Whether you're just starting out, or have been running a site for years, this panel is the best place to get your questions answered. Together, these community managers have represented some of the biggest franchises, developers, and publishers in the game industry, and most of them started out just like you - running a fan site.
Panelists include: Justin Korthof [Community Manager, Robot Entertainment], James Stephenson [Senior Community Manager, Insomniac Games], Matthew Pruitt [FPS Community Manager, Electronic Arts], Sam Houston [Community Manager, Independent], Jessica Shea [Community Manager, 343 Industries]
Game Design Jam
IGDA Dev Center
Sunday, 3:00pm - 4:35 pm
This jam involves the creation of paper game prototypes. Participants will have access to tables and supplies -- and they would need to complete their prototypes prior to session close. Industry pros will be on hand to monitor progress, provide guidance when needed, and select a "winner" (if we decide to go the "competition" route). Each project would be presented at the end of the session.
Panelists include: John Comes [Creative Director, Uber Entertainment], Bert Snow [VP of Design & Content, Muzzy Lane], Anne Toole [Writer & Narrative Designer]
Money for Nothing and Your Kicks for Free
Merman Theatre
Sunday, 3:00pm - 4:00pm
Remember the bad old days, when you had to pay for your games? 2010 was they year that AAA games went free-to-play. In this provocative session we'll look at how this new model has evolved, how it's influencing game design, and whether it will change the way we forever buy our entertainment. We'll talk hard numbers and hard facts, share what's worked and what's bombed, and ponder the biggest question of all: will micro-transactions take over the old box-copy model once and for all? Freelance Writer Julian Murdoch interrogates a panel of folks who've done it all.
Panelists include: Julian Murdoch [Writer, Freelance], Fred Howard [VP, KingIsle Entertainment], Kate Paiz [Executive Producer, Turbine], Chris Enock [Marketing Director, Riot Games]
Making the "Citizen Kane" of Poker Games: Poker Night at the Inventory
Wyvern Theatre
Sunday, 3:00pm - 4:00pm
Wondering how Tycho, Strong Bad, Max and The Heavy ended up in a cross-over poker video game? Come hear about the making of what independent reviewer/Telltale marketing guru Earnest Oinktoast called "The greatest achievement in first person card games since solitaire." Enjoy a dev talk of Telltale's "Poker Night at The Inventory" and then ask Sean Vanaman (designer/writer) how cold it was in the shadow of Jerry Holkins when writing dialog for Tycho; or ask Jake Rodkin (designer) about building The Inventory. Nick Herman (cinematic director) will be available to field questions about the tear-jerking cinematography, or, if you want to give someone what for about having a pocket pair busted by a rivered straight draw, Tulley Rafferty (programmer) will be on hand.
Panelists include: Sean Vanaman [Designer, Telltale Games], Jake Rodkin [Designer, Telltale Games], Nick Herman [Cinematic Director, Telltale Games], Tulley Rafferty [Programmer, Telltale Games]
GameScoop (Live Podcast)
Manticore Theatre
Sunday, 3:30pm - 4:30pm
Holy balls! Join the guys from IGN Game Scoop! for the live podcast to end all podcasts. Yes, IGN’s own Daemon Hatfield and a bevy of other IGN Editorial gods are back to discuss the latest video game news and releases, PAX gossip, answers to questions from real fans like you, and much more. Special guests to be announced. Just what will be discussed? How about: How much do you get paid to overrate games? How do you sleep at night after your review closes a studio? How can I knock them boots? Come one, come all, we’ve got plenty of Scoops! to go around!
Start Your Own Damned Company
Cat Theatre
Sunday, 4:30pm - 5:30pm
Sometimes, people have great ideas for games. We're happy for you, we are. But you know what? Our studio isn't gonna help you realize your vision, and chances are no other company will. It's shocking, but the reason we dove headfirst into the start-up ocean full of shattered dreams and razor blades was because WE ACTUALLY HAVE A GREAT IDEA FOR A GAME TOO! If you really feel passionately about your idea and want nothing more than to see it live then go make it your own damn self, we're busy. But we'll throw you a bone with this helpful panel full of tidbits on how to get started. Let us regale you with tales of wonder and woe, led by our fearless moderator Ichiro Lambe. Only the brave will survive, no refunds.
Panelists include: Chris Oltyan [Producer, Dire Wolf Digital], Eitan Glinert [President, Fire Hose Games], Scott Macmillan [President, Macguffin Games], Ichiro Lambe [President, Dejobaan Games], Damian Isla [Director of Technology, Moonshot Games]
Getting What You Want Out of Your Gamemaster
Merman Theatre
Sunday, 4:30pm - 5:30pm
Gaming books are full of sage advice for GMs on why players play and how to keep them happy, but what do GMs want? Why do they spend so much time preparing games for us? And most importantly, how can players use this to get what they want out of their RPG campaign? Award winning game designers Luke Crane, Jack Graham, and Joshua A.C. Newman talk about why we play games, why we run games, and how we design them to make them engaging for everyone involved.
Panelists include: Luke Crane [Writer/Game Designer, Burning Wheel], Jack Graham [Writer/Game Designer, Posthuman Studios/Eclipse Phase], Joshua A.C Newman [Writer/Game Designer, The Glyphpress]
It's not the Length, it's the Mirth: Game Length Versus Value
Wyvern Theatre
Sunday, 4:30pm - 5:30pm
With new forms of distribution for video games come new pricing models. Outlets like Apple's iOS App Store and digital distribution storefronts like Xbox Live Arcade and PSN are challenging the convention of $60 AAA retail titles, and complicating the already peculiar brand of calculus that gamers use when determining "value". Why is $1 okay on iPhone but $6 is too expensive? Why is one ten-hour retail game criticized for being "too short" while others aren't? Why are we so hung up on game length? Join Christopher Grant (editor-in-chief, Joystiq.com) and panelists as they wrestle with this age-old quandary.
Panelists include: Christopher Grant [Editor-In-Chief, Joystiq]
Game Art Jam
IGDA Dev Center
Sunday, 5:00pm - 6:45 pm
This jam involves a series of quick contests where approximately 5 artists must create images based on themes that are given to them at the beginning of each session. Art is digital, with equipment/tablets provided. Each series of contests are separated by art student, art pro, and general public so that no one has an unfair advantage. Prizes are awarded. Audience gets to watch each contest in action; judges score each project in real time.
Panelists include: Adam Chapman [President & COO, Poptank Studios], Terrence Masson [Director of Creative Industries, Northeastern University], Mark Soderwall [Art Director & Visual Game Design Consultant]
It's Okay to Admit It. You Like Free-to-Play MMO Games
Naga Theatre
Sunday, 5:00pm - 6:00pm
One out of every 10americans is playing free-to-play MMO games. That’s more than 35 million people in the US. According to a recent study by Newzoo, there are more people playing free-to-play MMO games than Wii consoles sold. Chances are you’re one of those 35 million people on the free-to-play train. So, join a panel of top free-to-play experts as they discuss free-to-play gaming, how it’s changing the video game industry forever and how it can get better. Current gaming trends will be discussed. The future of the industry will be explored.
Panelists include: Robert Ferarri [vice president of publishing and business development, Sanrio Digital ], John Nam [chief operating officer, Neowiz Gamesamerica, Inc.], Calvin Yang [vice president of marketing, ijji.com], Ben Colayco [CEO, Kill3r Kombo Interactive], Jason Wonacott [CEO, Wonacott Communications]
Final Round of the Omegathon
Main Theatre
Sunday, 5:30pm - 6:30pm
Bear witness to the Final Round of the Omegathon and let us bid thee farewell.
Xbox live:Wonderboy9047
@Astonishingmike on twitter
STILL THE BEST 1973-FOREVER
Trade me pins! - https://pinnypals.com/pals/TheAggroCraig
Thats been announced for a long time now.
cant wait! so excited!!!!!!!!!!!!exclamation mark!!!
http://east.paxsite.com/schedule.php
Thanks for the heads-up. Compare to 2010 Keynote started at 2pm, this year 2011 Keynote starts at 1030. It mean we have to start waiting in-line at 0930am. To me, that is tooooo early.
yeah, when people were just starting to book hotels a few months ago, there were all kinds of complaints that 2pm was too late for some reason, so then it got changed to 10:30am. i personally would have preferred 2pm, but oh well.
I think the 10:30AM start is great. More PAX = better PAX! Also, did anyone see the panel at noon on Friday about how to enjoy PAX East? No offense to the panelists, but if people are there instead of seeing the Q&A at their first PAX, then they are already failing at PAX.
Works well for those of us who are going to be 5 hours jetlegged, and up since 4-5am... *duck*
Keynote starts at 1030am and the Concerts ends pass midnight. OMG, it will be a LONG LONG day on Friday and Saturday.
I have been waiting for this since Studio38 announced their game.
I ♥ making awesome crafts! I ♥ my Cookie Brigaders!
Seems confusing. Blamimations with Scott and Kris, with panelists who aren't actually Scott and Kris, and at the same time, Scott and Kris will be at a D&D panel.
Steam: TheArcadeBear
i'm not entirely sure i understand you correctly, but the panel members are listed BELOW the panel they will be in, not above.
Steam: TheArcadeBear
Both his East and Prime panels are available on YouTube now, and I can upload what I have (recorded the After Hours show at Prime 2010), though it will eventually be part of the Community DVD.
I've also only now just remembered they the floor plan has yet to be released and how much I've got to see at the Expo Hall.
Final words. Do not miss the Red vs. Blue Panel!
I am a monster truck that walks like a man.
know the feeling. I got my parliamentary panels picked out and a few backups and looks like I'll have plenty of time to hang at the free play tables. I still got to set time to track down the Spoony One. I was really hoping he'd have a panel like he had at Magfest but you deal with what you got..
This being said kids, you won't be able to see everything, and that's totally ok!
And now, to make a printer friendly version that will also be easy to carry around on my iPhone!
For those interested I'll put it up on my server once I'm done but I don't expect anything before the end of the day.
I definitely feel the same way about this year vs. last with the panels... but I spent all my time last year in panels so it will be nice to not feel pressure (from myself) to go to all the panels... I'll spend time in the freeplay areas a ton!
Wouldn't be right to have it without Wil, so I understand its absence.
But they could have a Dark Sun game right? Is that not with Kurtz, Game, Tycho and Straub? They will all be there for sure. Oh wait, maybe it's in (or not in) the schedule... I did not get the chance to fully check it out yet.
Then again... They could always make up something at the last second, last year the schedule did not go 100% as planned!
edit: as in, are each artist in order?
That's usually how it worked out in the past.