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PAX Australia General Discussion

YugYug [ PAX Australia ] Content & Communications ManagerAustraliaRegistered User regular
edited September 2012 in PAX Australia
So, for those that didn't attend Mike & Jerrys Q&A this morning, they made the huge announcement that PAX will next year be expanding to Australia.

So Aussie PA forum dwellers, what do you think?

And for those not living down under, would you take the adventurous trip to our fair country to be a part of the first International PAX?

Also I'm calling it, #PAXAUS for twitter :-)

I like drinking, I like gaming, so I created the Mana Bar
paxaus_sig.gif
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Posts

  • ClixClix This guy I know Seattle, WARegistered User regular
    edited September 2012
    That's pretty awesome news for Aussies, and would even be a reason to warrant a vacation down under for everybody else in the world.

    Clix on
  • DhalphirDhalphir don't you open that trapdoor you're a fool if you dareRegistered User regular
    Imsorad wrote: »
    That's pretty awesome news for Aussies, and would even be a reason to warrant a vacation down under for everybody else in the world.

    This may be a mute point, but doesn't Austalia censor video games that are deemed too violent or taboo? Seems like it would be a big hit on the show.

    Not really - there are some games which have been refused sale because we don't currently have any classification higher than MA15+ for videogames, but the changes are coming and not really all that many games have been affected.

  • AnzekayAnzekay Registered User, Moderator mod
    I believe our new classification laws will be in by the time any PAXau occurs, too.

  • helgirlhelgirl Customer Champ Hobart, TasmaniaRegistered User regular
    New classification laws I believe should come into effect on January 1st next year.

    I'm so bloody excited!!

    I don't suppose there was any mention of what time of year it might be held?

  • helgirlhelgirl Customer Champ Hobart, TasmaniaRegistered User regular
    Or where?

  • SorCSorC Registered User regular
    Yeah, when and where would be nice to know, but I guess that hasn't been finalised yet or it would have been part of the announcement.

    11776-1.png
  • helgirlhelgirl Customer Champ Hobart, TasmaniaRegistered User regular
    Yeah, I know... but I need to organise my time off work before someone else nabs it!!

  • YugYug [ PAX Australia ] Content & Communications Manager AustraliaRegistered User regular
    Yeah, the R18 rating has been passed, they just need to implement it. Honestly though it has very little impact on 99% of the games released though.

    I like drinking, I like gaming, so I created the Mana Bar
    paxaus_sig.gif
    Facebook.com/PAXAus
    Twitter.com/PAXAus

  • anima110anima110 Registered User new member
    it would be on the gold coast in sydney or melbourne

  • BerymBerym MetaGeek Sydney, AustraliaRegistered User regular
    I guess it depends on who they have on the ground in Australia organising things. If they work with the Mana Bar crew (not saying they will, but if), it'll probably end up in Melbourne or Brisbane because apparently those guys hate Sydney ;)

    Personally? I believe the best location would be Sydney - it's the premiere international destination city, has the best public transport (which isn't saying much, Australia's no Tokyo) and great convention locations.

    I believe that Melbourne or Brisbane would be mistakes as convention destinations; they're harder to get to internationally and with inferior public transit. I cannot consider Canberra, Adelaide or Perth to be viable locations.

    If I had to put money on it, I'd be putting it on Sydney, but as I said it all depends who they have on the ground here doing the legwork for them.

  • AnzekayAnzekay Registered User, Moderator mod
    edited September 2012
    The Gold Coat is not Sydney or Melbourne, it's an area of coast north of Sydney... In another state (Queensland) alltogether.

    But yeah it'll be Sydney or Melbourne, on the east coast.

    Anzekay on
  • YugYug [ PAX Australia ] Content & Communications Manager AustraliaRegistered User regular
    We don't hate Sydney, I LIVE in Sydney these days :-P

    I like drinking, I like gaming, so I created the Mana Bar
    paxaus_sig.gif
    Facebook.com/PAXAus
    Twitter.com/PAXAus

  • FenrisknightFenrisknight Token Canadian CanadianRegistered User regular
    I'm interested in what developers are in Australia that we don't normally see, do people know off the tops of their heads?

  • BerymBerym MetaGeek Sydney, AustraliaRegistered User regular
    Yug wrote: »
    We don't hate Sydney, I LIVE in Sydney these days :-P

    Sure, but I don't see a Mana Bar here ;)

  • helgirlhelgirl Customer Champ Hobart, TasmaniaRegistered User regular
    I wouldn't say no to Hobart... pity it's only a dream :(

  • SpagmanSpagman Registered User regular
    I hope the PA guys go against the grain and pick Melbourne, but unlikely as most of the big game publishers are in Sydney.

  • DruexDruex Registered User regular
    I probably cheered the loudest when I heard this. It's nice (but expensive for me) visiting the US, and before this, I thought this would be my one and only PAX experience. Got the chance to thank Khoo personally too.

    "It would be a sad error in judgement to mistake me for a corpse" - Kane : Tiberian Sun
  • Dyrwen66Dyrwen66 the other's insane Denver CORegistered User regular
    The PAX shirts for Aus need to be logos that are upside down.

    Just an ancient PA person who doesn't leave the house much.
  • PAXAusFAnPAXAusFAn Registered User new member
    hope its coming too melbourne ebexpo has been to melbourne and sydeny so pax should come melbourne

  • thegh0ststhegh0sts Sydney, NSWRegistered User regular
    Man, I am so amped for PAX to come to Australia even if it's either in Sydney (where I live) or Melbourne! I'll have to keep an eye out for dates and pass prices :D

    Next PAX: PAX AUS 2017
    Previous PAXs: PAX Prime 2011, PAX AUS 2013
  • FlayFlay Registered User regular
    Did not expect this at all, but now I'm really excited for 2013. Sydney or Melbourne, either way I'll definitely be there.

  • thegh0ststhegh0sts Sydney, NSWRegistered User regular
    Flay wrote: »
    Did not expect this at all, but now I'm really excited for 2013. Sydney or Melbourne, either way I'll definitely be there.

    this news made my day! Robert Khoo and all the dudes/dudettes over at PA I thank you!

    Next PAX: PAX AUS 2017
    Previous PAXs: PAX Prime 2011, PAX AUS 2013
  • just1legendjust1legend Registered User regular
    edited September 2012
    I'm kinda excited for PAX Australia but I wished there was PAX in San Francisco or any other U.S city. I mean Australia is a nice place and Gabe and Tycho wanted to do an international PAX but I mean if there was another PAX in another U.S city then most of the folks might go to the other show so PAX Prime can be balanced. Still, it is what it is and I am still is excited for PAX Australia.

    just1legend on
  • helgirlhelgirl Customer Champ Hobart, TasmaniaRegistered User regular
    EBExpo hasn't been to Melbourne. First one was last year on the Gold Coast, this year in Sydney, and 3 times the size. From what I hear, it's unlikely to go to Melbourne - it left the Gold Coast because it outgrew the convention centre next to Jupiters, which is where they've always had their Vendors show. Having said that, I don't know what kind of size the convention centres in Melbourne are like.

    I'm super amped though, because I'm going to EBX this year!!

  • SurikoSuriko AustraliaRegistered User regular
    I'll try to keep tabs on this. If I can get tickets, I'm totally making the trip up from little old Tasmania. :)

  • Snow DogsSnow Dogs Registered User regular
    I can't wait, I've travelled to the US for PAX Prime and PAX East. It would be great not to have to travel so far.

    What doesn't kill you, only makes you stranger.
  • areaarea Registered User regular
    I happy for you guys, but I was really hoping the first international PAX was going to be in Europe. Still, I'm going to take this as a positive step forward in that direction, regardless.

  • spiderz13spiderz13 Registered User regular
    Khoo gave a interesting quote about PAX Australia in his "Khoo Q&A" that it would require some very difficult decisions for 2013. I wonder if this means that the show would be planned in such a way that you would have to pick between PAXs. I am assuming if that was the case, it would be done to help alleviate the demand on a particular show.

  • EnigmasEnigmas Registered User regular
    I request when speaking of this new PAX, the pronunciation be 'awwPAX'. Then after the show is done, we can all collectively go 'awwwPAX', in sad voice.

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  • AlazullAlazull Your body is not a temple, it's an amusement park. Enjoy the ride.Registered User regular
    While I'm happy for Australians to get a PAX (trust me, I know how bad you guys suffer when it comes to games, you guys deserve it) I'm failing to see how this will alleviate any of the problems PAX Prime has that caused the talk of a third PAX. Short of scheduling the shows on or near the same weekend so as to make it impossible/very difficult to attend both, it does little I can see.

    But then again, I wouldn't have started a gaming show while running a web comic, so I obviously know little.

    User name Alazull on Steam, PSN, Nintenders, Epic, etc.
  • sanovahsanovah Nerd of the West San Diego, CaliforniaRegistered User regular
    Also starting to question the decision of an AU PAX. Taking to a few guys staying in my hotel who were exhibtor. They basically said next to no developers would go because of how far away, how expensive it would be, and how limiting AU laws are in terms of video games. I also don't see how it would alleviate any of the problems with prime or east unless they held it at the same time which would punish probably the new pax.even more then our will probably already be.
    If they decided to do AU because of overpopulation and scalping at prime and a much easier and cheaper solution would be some increased security measures. I know I'd personally be willing to spend an extra five to fifteen bucks for my, name and a picture on my badge. That would pretty much completely shut scalping down especially if they limit what's changable.

  • thegh0ststhegh0sts Sydney, NSWRegistered User regular
    edited September 2012
    it should be held in june/july in either sydney or melbourne but preferably sydney :D

    sanovah wrote: »
    Also starting to question the decision of an AU PAX. Taking to a few guys staying in my hotel who were exhibtor. They basically said next to no developers would go because of how far away, how expensive it would be, and how limiting AU laws are in terms of video games. I also don't see how it would alleviate any of the problems with prime or east unless they held it at the same time which would punish probably the new pax.even more then our will probably already be.
    If they decided to do AU because of overpopulation and scalping at prime and a much easier and cheaper solution would be some increased security measures. I know I'd personally be willing to spend an extra five to fifteen bucks for my, name and a picture on my badge. That would pretty much completely shut scalping down especially if they limit what's changable.

    they'll figure something out + the Australian government has passed the R18+ rating and now it's up to the individual states to implement it into state law.

    but if 1000s of fans is not enough compensation for devs to set up for 3-4 days then that's their loss!

    thegh0sts on
    Next PAX: PAX AUS 2017
    Previous PAXs: PAX Prime 2011, PAX AUS 2013
  • zerzhulzerzhul Registered User, Moderator mod
    Something tells me that they already have dev buy in to even consider a new pax of any kind, let alone an international pax.

  • thegh0ststhegh0sts Sydney, NSWRegistered User regular
    so long as the PA community supports it and not just those in Australia I think it will be possible and a success even!

    Next PAX: PAX AUS 2017
    Previous PAXs: PAX Prime 2011, PAX AUS 2013
  • AnzekayAnzekay Registered User, Moderator mod
    edited September 2012
    I imagine that part of the reason for doing a PAX in Aus is that it's a decent stepping-stone for planning out more internationally-located PAXes. Think about how huge the demand for a PAX in Europe would be, and factor in a lot of language differences and things like that and it does make sense to do a smaller PAX in Australia as a way of testing the waters and seeing exactly how a PAX outside of America would work.

    Also keep in mind that we're close to Asia as well, so it's quite likely that we'll have some folks from there show up too, even if the numbers aren't that great. Don't forget NZ either!

    Regarding our laws related to video games, as of next year (I.E before any PAXAU) we'll have a federal R18+ legislation that I honestly can't see any state not instating immediately. That's really the only law we have that is in any way limiting to video games. The price hike here is a whole other can of worms, but ultimately is due to things other than governmental issues.

    Something else to note is that we have the EB convention running again this year after a rather successful first run last year, and that has attracted plenty of big names in the industry from international locations, so I'm not really convinced that a PAX of all things wouldn't attract similar attention from publishers and studios.

    Anzekay on
  • thegh0ststhegh0sts Sydney, NSWRegistered User regular
    though i think that PAX has a more community feel/vibe/orientation to it over EB's convention which i think is more corporate...plus i don't like EB here.

    Next PAX: PAX AUS 2017
    Previous PAXs: PAX Prime 2011, PAX AUS 2013
  • SashaSasha Registered User regular
    PAX Australia sounds awesome. It'd be a good excuse to take a vacation in Australia.

    Anyone have any idea what time of year it's going to be held in? My assumption would be Nov-Feb or thereabouts, to make it during their summer.

  • sanovahsanovah Nerd of the West San Diego, CaliforniaRegistered User regular
    They apparently said it would be a hard choice deciding which to go to. So we can guess either during or really close to prime or east. Whichever is bigger or more cramped would be my guess.

  • XalaraXalara Registered User regular
    sanovah wrote: »
    Also starting to question the decision of an AU PAX. Taking to a few guys staying in my hotel who were exhibtor. They basically said next to no developers would go because of how far away, how expensive it would be, and how limiting AU laws are in terms of video games. I also don't see how it would alleviate any of the problems with prime or east unless they held it at the same time which would punish probably the new pax.even more then our will probably already be.
    If they decided to do AU because of overpopulation and scalping at prime and a much easier and cheaper solution would be some increased security measures. I know I'd personally be willing to spend an extra five to fifteen bucks for my, name and a picture on my badge. That would pretty much completely shut scalping down especially if they limit what's changable.

    I'm not sure which exhibitors you're talking to but the booths for most well established companies are incredibly portable and built to be moved by airplane. The airplane and hotel costs are not that bad either considering the size of marketing budgets these days. Sure, some of the smaller developers won't come but that's what the locals are for. You already see this with PAX Prime and PAX East.

  • sanovahsanovah Nerd of the West San Diego, CaliforniaRegistered User regular
    He was with an exhibitor from a developer with a big game coming out this year so i'd trust he knows what he was talking about. He wasn't so much taking about how portable booths are he was more taking about just cost. I know my ticket round trip from just LAX here and back was almost 400 with bagage fees. I can't imagine how much more expensive from LAX to an AU airport would be. For simplicities sake let's say its 800, now multiply that by 10 to 15 for your employees. That's 8 to 12 grand just to get your employees there.

    Since you brought it up to. Let's talk about booth and merch, they'd still need to get them there which costs money too. Let's say it costs 5 grand to move their booth and all that merch from again LAX to here and back. So let's double that and make it 10 to go from LAX to AU.

    Now none of this is even taking into account passport and custom fees, but even so that's 18 to 22 grand per developer to go from prime to AU.

    They already for the most part make little to no money from PAX so kinda hard to understand why they'd spend even more to go so far. Honestly kinda surprised they didn't do a london pax since most major developers do have EU offices and teams

This discussion has been closed.