This image is exactly what I had in mind when I brought up the idea. Z, you the best.
The only thing that would make it better is to have it linked to an N-Gage. >.>
PayneTrayne on
PAX East 2015:Get on Pokecrawl Team Yellow Silver [ ] Pass [X] Vacation Time [X] Hotel [X] Flights [ ] PAX East 2015 Complete [ X ] Sell Extra Set of Badges because Friend Bailed [ ]
If you do linked Gameboys, it would only make sense to have a mini representation of Tetris on screen
That amount of detail is likely not feasible
I think you're selling yourself short on the detail. I'm looking at my East 2012 coin, and there are minor details on the arcade cabinet screen, and that's a much smaller space than I'm envisioning the screen space would be for the linked game boys.
Of course, this is easy for me to say - I am not the one designing it
If you do linked Gameboys, it would only make sense to have a mini representation of Tetris on screen
That amount of detail is likely not feasible
I think you're selling yourself short on the detail. I'm looking at my East 2012 coin, and there are minor details on the arcade cabinet screen, and that's a much smaller space than I'm envisioning the screen space would be for the linked game boys.
Of course, this is easy for me to say - I am not the one designing it
especially if you're going with tetris, it only takes a few very simple shapes to make that recognizable. if we could have a flock of 8-bit aliens on the last coin, i think a few tetris blocks would be manageable here.
Having just tried to mock up the 2 basic gameboys with link cable, I don't think you'd get much more on there. We could probably do the tetris blocks in the background at a different height (if I recall, we had 3 heights to work with) . . .
Khadour on
Do unto others 20% better than you would expect them to do unto you, to correct for subjective error - Linus Pauling
thanks for the link! if i'm reading that correctly, it sounds like it's primarily gameplay elements that are protected for tetris, not the actual appearance of the blocks.
Just an idea, is there a game board that the 2 gameboys could be sitting on that would be recognizable in the coin? Then you would have two types of gaming. Not sure if there is a board that would stand out.
As one of the resident native Bostonians, I approve of the Zakim Bridge. It's relatively new but already pretty recognizable. Faneuil Hall could be problematic to render, and the BCEC doesn't seem quite right, not yet. Maybe for a 5th anniversary coin, as previously suggested. I can think of a few alternatives - the Bunker Hill Monument, the State House, the Make Way for Ducklings statues in the Public Garden, maybe the Museum of Science - but nothing that grabs me the way the bridge does, and nothing that could really overcome the momentum it's already built up.
The linked Game Boys also sound good.
PAX EAST 2011 Omegathon Finalist - PAX East 2012 Omeganaut After time adrift among open stars
Among tides of light and to shoals of dust
I will return to where I began
As one of the resident native Bostonians, I approve of the Zakim Bridge. It's relatively new but already pretty recognizable. Faneuil Hall could be problematic to render, and the BCEC doesn't seem quite right, not yet. Maybe for a 5th anniversary coin, as previously suggested. I can think of a few alternatives - the Bunker Hill Monument, the State House, the Make Way for Ducklings statues in the Public Garden, maybe the Museum of Science - but nothing that grabs me the way the bridge does, and nothing that could really overcome the momentum it's already built up.
The linked Game Boys also sound good.
I would think that people who aren't familiar with the area would confuse the Bunker Hill Monument with the Washington Monument. I do like the idea of the Make way for Ducklings statues...definitely something to think of for future coins.
As one of the resident native Bostonians, I approve of the Zakim Bridge. It's relatively new but already pretty recognizable. Faneuil Hall could be problematic to render, and the BCEC doesn't seem quite right, not yet. Maybe for a 5th anniversary coin, as previously suggested. I can think of a few alternatives - the Bunker Hill Monument, the State House, the Make Way for Ducklings statues in the Public Garden, maybe the Museum of Science - but nothing that grabs me the way the bridge does, and nothing that could really overcome the momentum it's already built up.
The linked Game Boys also sound good.
I would think that people who aren't familiar with the area would confuse the Bunker Hill Monument with the Washington Monument. I do like the idea of the Make way for Ducklings statues...definitely something to think of for future coins.
i also think make way for ducklings would be hilarious and awesome. it would be my favorite coin ever.
So... while I haven't contacted Koalabro2 or Flatline or other previous organizers about it... I have about 8 extra challenge coins that were donated to me from 2011 that will be available to be sold for somewhat inflated prices for child's play too. Just an FYI to alert you all that it will occur. I may or may not do my previous Black Blood of the Earth promotion for Child's Play too. I just haven't gotten the time to figure out the details yet.
By "inflated" I mean in the 8-15$ range, nothing crazy
Just wanted to step in and say that I am excited for the challenge coin, there's definitely a lot of great ideas in here.
While I don't feel like I'm qualified to speak on the Boston side of things, I think the handhelds together with a link cable (stylized somehow) is an awesome idea.
So... while I haven't contacted Koalabro2 or Flatline or other previous organizers about it... I have about 8 extra challenge coins that were donated to me from 2011 that will be available to be sold for somewhat inflated prices for child's play too. Just an FYI to alert you all that it will occur. I may or may not do my previous Black Blood of the Earth promotion for Child's Play too. I just haven't gotten the time to figure out the details yet.
By "inflated" I mean in the 8-15$ range, nothing crazy
I would definitely be interested in one of those if that happens. I've been to all of the PAX Easts and this is the first time I'm stumbling across the coin thread. Super excited to follow it.
I have one extra of each of the two previous East coins (2011 and 2012). Depending on the costs this year, I was thinking of "selling" one or both to offset any upfront die costs.
Those of you who have both coins as well, what are your thoughts? I've gone on record stating that I prefer the thickness and smooth edges of the 2011 coin (Paul Revere) over that of the '12 coin (Old Ironsides). Just curious what the rest of you think.
East 2014 Status: Badge [ Friend got it ] Hotel [Crappy] BYOC [YES] Transport [ ] Name on Forum Badge [ ] Challenge Coin [ ]
I don't have the 2011 coin for reference, but I liked the heft and thickness of the 2012 coin. Made it feel important. Also could double as a bludgeoning device in a pinch.
As one of the resident native Bostonians, I approve of the Zakim Bridge. It's relatively new but already pretty recognizable. Faneuil Hall could be problematic to render, and the BCEC doesn't seem quite right, not yet. Maybe for a 5th anniversary coin, as previously suggested. I can think of a few alternatives - the Bunker Hill Monument, the State House, the Make Way for Ducklings statues in the Public Garden, maybe the Museum of Science - but nothing that grabs me the way the bridge does, and nothing that could really overcome the momentum it's already built up.
The linked Game Boys also sound good.
I would think that people who aren't familiar with the area would confuse the Bunker Hill Monument with the Washington Monument. I do like the idea of the Make way for Ducklings statues...definitely something to think of for future coins.
i also think make way for ducklings would be hilarious and awesome. it would be my favorite coin ever.
WAIT!!!!! Boston has a Make Way for Ducklings statue? Apparently they do. That is AWESOME! That definitely goes on the list of ideas, if only for next year.
@flatline: Like I said, I like the smooth edges too, but when we ran the vote last time around, the field was about evenly divided, and most of the support for smooth edges was to keep it distinctive from PAX Prime. Since Prime has gone back to the brass color, that no longer applies, so if we re-ran the vote, I'm pretty sure the ridges would win. As for thickness, any difference is probably due to the different machines the two suppliers may have had. I'll mention our preference for thick coins, but as @vttym said, 2012 still seemed quite acceptably heavy to me. As for selling past coins to help fund the die fee, I'm highly in favor!
I'll tally up people's statements of support this evening, but it looks like "linked Gameboys" is gathering the momentum. At the rate we're reaching consensus, we may be able to start posting design mockups in a week or two, way ahead of my initial schedule. Since all the 3 day passes are sold out, it's not like there's any reason to wait
As one of the resident native Bostonians, I approve of the Zakim Bridge. It's relatively new but already pretty recognizable. Faneuil Hall could be problematic to render, and the BCEC doesn't seem quite right, not yet. Maybe for a 5th anniversary coin, as previously suggested. I can think of a few alternatives - the Bunker Hill Monument, the State House, the Make Way for Ducklings statues in the Public Garden, maybe the Museum of Science - but nothing that grabs me the way the bridge does, and nothing that could really overcome the momentum it's already built up.
The linked Game Boys also sound good.
I would think that people who aren't familiar with the area would confuse the Bunker Hill Monument with the Washington Monument. I do like the idea of the Make way for Ducklings statues...definitely something to think of for future coins.
i also think make way for ducklings would be hilarious and awesome. it would be my favorite coin ever.
WAIT!!!!! Boston has a Make Way for Ducklings statue? Apparently they do. That is AWESOME! That definitely goes on the list of ideas, if only for next year.
@flatline: Like I said, I like the smooth edges too, but when we ran the vote last time around, the field was about evenly divided, and most of the support for smooth edges was to keep it distinctive from PAX Prime. Since Prime has gone back to the brass color, that no longer applies, so if we re-ran the vote, I'm pretty sure the ridges would win. As for thickness, any difference is probably due to the different machines the two suppliers may have had. I'll mention our preference for thick coins, but as @vttym said, 2012 still seemed quite acceptably heavy to me. As for selling past coins to help fund the die fee, I'm highly in favor!
I'll tally up people's statements of support this evening, but it looks like "linked Gameboys" is gathering the momentum. At the rate we're reaching consensus, we may be able to start posting design mockups in a week or two, way ahead of my initial schedule. Since all the 3 day passes are sold out, it's not like there's any reason to wait
re: the reeded edges, I know that we lost the vote last year. I was just hoping that once people had both to compare, they would come over the Right way of thinking Having handled a number of different *actual* challenge coins (e.g., POTUS, DNI), I'm definitely of the opinion that smooth edges differentiate your coin from "currency" coins, which all tend to be reeded to prevent skimming. Then again, most of the DoD-related coins I've seen tend to have colored enamels too.
Like I said, I was just curious if anyone changed their mind. I seem to be the only one tooting the smooth-edges horn though, so I'll let it lie.
East 2014 Status: Badge [ Friend got it ] Hotel [Crappy] BYOC [YES] Transport [ ] Name on Forum Badge [ ] Challenge Coin [ ]
I'm definitely of the opinion that smooth edges differentiate your coin from "currency" coins, which all tend to be reeded to prevent skimming.
See, this is the reason we need ridges - if there's one thing I've learned from Revolution, and Louis CK, it's that when the power goes out, an indiscernible amount of money can get you many things. For reference, view this for 2 minutes: Louis CK - Money (Note, salty language - use headphones)
It's way too early to start talking 2014, I know, but I'd definitely nominate Make Way For Ducklings for next year's coin. (Although that will be the 5th PAX East, so I guess we might be looking at the BCEC design? Well, we'll burn that bridge when we get to it.)
PAX EAST 2011 Omegathon Finalist - PAX East 2012 Omeganaut After time adrift among open stars
Among tides of light and to shoals of dust
I will return to where I began
It's way too early to start talking 2014, I know, but I'd definitely nominate Make Way For Ducklings for next year's coin. (Although that will be the 5th PAX East, so I guess we might be looking at the BCEC design? Well, we'll burn that bridge when we get to it.)
Actually, I think we were talking BCEC for the 5th anniversary of PAX East AT the BCEC, which would give us an opening for next year to use the ducklings . . .
I, too, prefer the smooth edges to the reeded edges.
Do unto others 20% better than you would expect them to do unto you, to correct for subjective error - Linus Pauling
Alright, I have attempted to put together an official tally. I have omitted "agrees" and "awesomes," and counted only actual posts, as it's not always clear what part of the post is being endorsed. Even so, your tallies may vary, as I am attempting to reduce people's ambiguous statements into votes for specific ideas, but a few votes either way don't change the overall picture.
First, for the gaming side:
Virtual Boy - 1
Atari Joystick - 2. Actually got out to an early lead with 5 supporters, but most of them later switched to other ideas.
A whole bunch of crazy shit that will never fit on a coin - 3
Board Gaming - 5
Handheld gaming (linked Gameboys) - 14
For the Boston side:
Fenway - 1
Lighthouse - 1
BCEC (this year) - 2
Ducklings - 3
Zakim bridge - 14
Bottom line is that we definitely seem to have overwhelming momentum for the linked Gameboys and the Zakim bridge. Since 3 day passes sold out very early, I anticipate that forum activity will be high for the next week or two, then taper off into the winter. So, I see no reason for us to keep the brainstorming discussion open any longer than another week, unless a new idea arises that really catches fire. Absent a major push for a new idea, we'll solidify on Linked Gameboys and the Zakim Bridge on October 20th, and start accepting mock-ups for discussion and voting after that.
Bobcats. Angry Bobcats mauling EA playing Jagaurs. It's the only solution.
...is this a reference to something?
I keep seeing bobcats mentioned in PAX threads and feel like I've been away from Reddit for a week and missed 12 new memes.
Well, "missed" might be too strong a word...
Last year people were referring to their newly arrived badges as bobcats. @Kiashien should be able to elaborate...he is the one with the bobcat that adorns his tri-cornered hat.
I was the one that came up with the joystick idea, but that didn't gain enough attention. So I officially put my support behind the linked game boys. It's easy to do an outline picture of and I think would fit nicely within the size of the coin.
Bobcats. Angry Bobcats mauling EA playing Jagaurs. It's the only solution.
...is this a reference to something?
I keep seeing bobcats mentioned in PAX threads and feel like I've been away from Reddit for a week and missed 12 new memes.
Well, "missed" might be too strong a word...
Last year people were referring to their newly arrived badges as bobcats. @Kiashien should be able to elaborate...he is the one with the bobcat that adorns his tri-cornered hat.
Basically, this xkcd comic. Since people couldn't post pictures of the real badges some got creative.
Im in favor of the bridge and linked gameboys. Although the whole thread on bobcats from this past one was pretty funny and would be a cool addition. Ducks and bobcats for 2014.
I did like the overall size, weight and styling of the 2012 coin and would be happy with that again.
I didn't bother mentioning it since I didn't think it would make a difference in the final vote count (and clearly it won't after seeing the tally), but I'm more in favor of the ducklings than the bridge.
Originally, I was in favor of reeded edges for the coin, but after receiving the Prime 2012 coin, I think I can now agree that the smooth edges are nicer.
Assassin's Ball, Prime '13: @CowboyVerse
TWDT '13: HufflepuffOotP
I didn't bother mentioning it since I didn't think it would make a difference in the final vote count (and clearly it won't after seeing the tally), but I'm more in favor of the ducklings than the bridge.
Originally, I was in favor of reeded edges for the coin, but after receiving the Prime 2012 coin, I think I can now agree that the smooth edges are nicer.
Ha! Sweet vindication...
East 2014 Status: Badge [ Friend got it ] Hotel [Crappy] BYOC [YES] Transport [ ] Name on Forum Badge [ ] Challenge Coin [ ]
Re: bobcats. Oh yeah, I remember that now! That was funny. Obscure, but funny.
Re: coin edging. Okay, I was trying to keep things simple, but since we're so far ahead of schedule, I guess we can debate smooth vs. ridged edges. Obviously, since it doesn't affect the design, we can keep tallying votes on that up until we submit our materials to Phoenix (scheduled for November 25th). Right now, flatline, kemikal, Khadour, and I are all in favor of smooth edges (I always was, but didn't want to bring up what I presumed was a dead issue). So far, we have done one year with smooth edges (2011) and one year with ridged (2012). I'll try to lay out the basic arguments for each side (feel free to add additional arguments if I've omitted anything). Please make a clear statement for your preference, if you care.
Why we should do ridged edges (like a quarter): it feels nicer and/or more like a "real" coin. It's consistent with the Prime coin.
Why we should do smooth edges (like a nickel): it feels nicer (yeah, this is a matter of opinion for each side). Challenge coins are not money and so the smooth edge is more appropriate and traditional (coins were ridged to prevent people from shaving the gold or silver the coin was made out of off the edge; this is why the nickel is smooth-edged, because it was never made of precious metal). It adds time and expense (our old supplier, USCC, actually expressed an active dislike of the ridging for these reasons). It sets us apart from the Prime coin.
I'm sure most of the people in favor of the ridged edges have been staying silent because the issue wasn't under discussion. So now that it is, speak up, and hopefully we'll get a decisive answer, once and for all (I hope both sides can agree that, having done one year each way, what we decide for the third year will be the final statement on the issue).
Bobcats. Angry Bobcats mauling EA playing Jagaurs. It's the only solution.
...is this a reference to something?
I keep seeing bobcats mentioned in PAX threads and feel like I've been away from Reddit for a week and missed 12 new memes.
Well, "missed" might be too strong a word...
Last year people were referring to their newly arrived badges as bobcats. @Kiashien should be able to elaborate...he is the one with the bobcat that adorns his tri-cornered hat.
Since people were asked not to post badge photos, people posted Bobcats. Confirmation that your pass had arrived turned into your "Bobcat" had arrived, and it just went crazy from there. At least 20 photos of bobcats arrived- so I acquired a tiny stuffed bobcat that hangs out in my pikachu-ear-adorned tricorn hat during the con. I saw at least 3 other bobcats during the con.
It's my understanding that @gigabrain is working on a secret project involving more bobcats.
I actually had several people during the con notice my bobcat and start laughing when they realized why it was there. It was a great time, overall.
But, essentially, many people call PAX East passes Bobcats now- which is why you see it in several forum signatures, even in this thread, instead of the usual [X] 3-Day Pass
Anyway, it was in fact spawned from the XKCD reference, though, but it's definitely become a PAX East "thing"
Posts
That amount of detail is likely not feasible
And I'll think of something myself (maybe) but I love the Zakim Bridge/linked old school Game Boy combo.
This image is exactly what I had in mind when I brought up the idea. Z, you the best.
The only thing that would make it better is to have it linked to an N-Gage. >.>
I think you're selling yourself short on the detail. I'm looking at my East 2012 coin, and there are minor details on the arcade cabinet screen, and that's a much smaller space than I'm envisioning the screen space would be for the linked game boys.
Of course, this is easy for me to say - I am not the one designing it
especially if you're going with tetris, it only takes a few very simple shapes to make that recognizable. if we could have a flock of 8-bit aliens on the last coin, i think a few tetris blocks would be manageable here.
that's a really interesting question. can they really copyright rectangles of various sizes?
http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2012/06/defining-tetris-how-courts-judge-gaming-clones/
thanks for the link! if i'm reading that correctly, it sounds like it's primarily gameplay elements that are protected for tetris, not the actual appearance of the blocks.
Maybe meeples next year?
The linked Game Boys also sound good.
After time adrift among open stars
Among tides of light and to shoals of dust
I will return to where I began
I would think that people who aren't familiar with the area would confuse the Bunker Hill Monument with the Washington Monument. I do like the idea of the Make way for Ducklings statues...definitely something to think of for future coins.
Twitter
3DS Friend Code: 3926-5491-9247
i also think make way for ducklings would be hilarious and awesome. it would be my favorite coin ever.
I LOVE the Settlers idea, and the linked Gameboy idea, too.
By "inflated" I mean in the 8-15$ range, nothing crazy
Relevant info: #PAX East: 3 Coin Lunch organizer. 2012 Trading card available. Pokecrawl Assistant 2012. Pokecrawl attendee 2011. Cult of the Leaf attendee 2012.
While I don't feel like I'm qualified to speak on the Boston side of things, I think the handhelds together with a link cable (stylized somehow) is an awesome idea.
I would definitely be interested in one of those if that happens. I've been to all of the PAX Easts and this is the first time I'm stumbling across the coin thread. Super excited to follow it.
Those of you who have both coins as well, what are your thoughts? I've gone on record stating that I prefer the thickness and smooth edges of the 2011 coin (Paul Revere) over that of the '12 coin (Old Ironsides). Just curious what the rest of you think.
WAIT!!!!! Boston has a Make Way for Ducklings statue? Apparently they do. That is AWESOME! That definitely goes on the list of ideas, if only for next year.
@flatline: Like I said, I like the smooth edges too, but when we ran the vote last time around, the field was about evenly divided, and most of the support for smooth edges was to keep it distinctive from PAX Prime. Since Prime has gone back to the brass color, that no longer applies, so if we re-ran the vote, I'm pretty sure the ridges would win. As for thickness, any difference is probably due to the different machines the two suppliers may have had. I'll mention our preference for thick coins, but as @vttym said, 2012 still seemed quite acceptably heavy to me. As for selling past coins to help fund the die fee, I'm highly in favor!
I'll tally up people's statements of support this evening, but it looks like "linked Gameboys" is gathering the momentum. At the rate we're reaching consensus, we may be able to start posting design mockups in a week or two, way ahead of my initial schedule. Since all the 3 day passes are sold out, it's not like there's any reason to wait
re: the reeded edges, I know that we lost the vote last year. I was just hoping that once people had both to compare, they would come over the Right way of thinking
Like I said, I was just curious if anyone changed their mind. I seem to be the only one tooting the smooth-edges horn though, so I'll let it lie.
See, this is the reason we need ridges - if there's one thing I've learned from Revolution, and Louis CK, it's that when the power goes out, an indiscernible amount of money can get you many things. For reference, view this for 2 minutes: Louis CK - Money (Note, salty language - use headphones)
We didn't know about the coins for 2011, so I'd be up for one, if you end up selling them. PM me or I'll just watch the forum for it
After time adrift among open stars
Among tides of light and to shoals of dust
I will return to where I began
Actually, I think we were talking BCEC for the 5th anniversary of PAX East AT the BCEC, which would give us an opening for next year to use the ducklings . . .
I, too, prefer the smooth edges to the reeded edges.
First, for the gaming side:
Virtual Boy - 1
Atari Joystick - 2. Actually got out to an early lead with 5 supporters, but most of them later switched to other ideas.
A whole bunch of crazy shit that will never fit on a coin - 3
Board Gaming - 5
Handheld gaming (linked Gameboys) - 14
For the Boston side:
Fenway - 1
Lighthouse - 1
BCEC (this year) - 2
Ducklings - 3
Zakim bridge - 14
Bottom line is that we definitely seem to have overwhelming momentum for the linked Gameboys and the Zakim bridge. Since 3 day passes sold out very early, I anticipate that forum activity will be high for the next week or two, then taper off into the winter. So, I see no reason for us to keep the brainstorming discussion open any longer than another week, unless a new idea arises that really catches fire. Absent a major push for a new idea, we'll solidify on Linked Gameboys and the Zakim Bridge on October 20th, and start accepting mock-ups for discussion and voting after that.
I will update the parent post accordingly.
Relevant info: #PAX East: 3 Coin Lunch organizer. 2012 Trading card available. Pokecrawl Assistant 2012. Pokecrawl attendee 2011. Cult of the Leaf attendee 2012.
...is this a reference to something?
I keep seeing bobcats mentioned in PAX threads and feel like I've been away from Reddit for a week and missed 12 new memes.
Well, "missed" might be too strong a word...
Last year people were referring to their newly arrived badges as bobcats. @Kiashien should be able to elaborate...he is the one with the bobcat that adorns his tri-cornered hat.
Twitter
3DS Friend Code: 3926-5491-9247
Basically, this xkcd comic. Since people couldn't post pictures of the real badges some got creative.
@Durinthal
I did like the overall size, weight and styling of the 2012 coin and would be happy with that again.
Originally, I was in favor of reeded edges for the coin, but after receiving the Prime 2012 coin, I think I can now agree that the smooth edges are nicer.
TWDT '13: Hufflepuff OotP
Ha! Sweet vindication...
Re: coin edging. Okay, I was trying to keep things simple, but since we're so far ahead of schedule, I guess we can debate smooth vs. ridged edges. Obviously, since it doesn't affect the design, we can keep tallying votes on that up until we submit our materials to Phoenix (scheduled for November 25th). Right now, flatline, kemikal, Khadour, and I are all in favor of smooth edges (I always was, but didn't want to bring up what I presumed was a dead issue). So far, we have done one year with smooth edges (2011) and one year with ridged (2012). I'll try to lay out the basic arguments for each side (feel free to add additional arguments if I've omitted anything). Please make a clear statement for your preference, if you care.
Why we should do ridged edges (like a quarter): it feels nicer and/or more like a "real" coin. It's consistent with the Prime coin.
Why we should do smooth edges (like a nickel): it feels nicer (yeah, this is a matter of opinion for each side). Challenge coins are not money and so the smooth edge is more appropriate and traditional (coins were ridged to prevent people from shaving the gold or silver the coin was made out of off the edge; this is why the nickel is smooth-edged, because it was never made of precious metal). It adds time and expense (our old supplier, USCC, actually expressed an active dislike of the ridging for these reasons). It sets us apart from the Prime coin.
I'm sure most of the people in favor of the ridged edges have been staying silent because the issue wasn't under discussion. So now that it is, speak up, and hopefully we'll get a decisive answer, once and for all (I hope both sides can agree that, having done one year each way, what we decide for the third year will be the final statement on the issue).
Since people were asked not to post badge photos, people posted Bobcats. Confirmation that your pass had arrived turned into your "Bobcat" had arrived, and it just went crazy from there. At least 20 photos of bobcats arrived- so I acquired a tiny stuffed bobcat that hangs out in my pikachu-ear-adorned tricorn hat during the con. I saw at least 3 other bobcats during the con.
It's my understanding that @gigabrain is working on a secret project involving more bobcats.
I actually had several people during the con notice my bobcat and start laughing when they realized why it was there. It was a great time, overall.
But, essentially, many people call PAX East passes Bobcats now- which is why you see it in several forum signatures, even in this thread, instead of the usual [X] 3-Day Pass
Anyway, it was in fact spawned from the XKCD reference, though, but it's definitely become a PAX East "thing"
Relevant info: #PAX East: 3 Coin Lunch organizer. 2012 Trading card available. Pokecrawl Assistant 2012. Pokecrawl attendee 2011. Cult of the Leaf attendee 2012.