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PAX Prime 2013 Ideas, Suggestions and Feedback

124

Posts

  • LackeyLackey [E] PAX Tabletop Tournaments Registered User regular
    edited September 2013

    I thought that there was a separate check in/out over at Olive 8. I suspect that's where Scotland Yard was. That was how the Red Lion operated last year, in that there were two check in/outs: one at Red Lion, one at WSCC.
    There was indeed a separate checkout at the Olive 8. However, everything in the Olive 8 was *also* available at the main TT HQ library. (Only games where we had more than 1 copy of them were set aside to go to the Olive 8 library)

    You couldn't find Scotland Yard because it wasn't in either library, sadly. In the past, the PAX TT library took loans for the weekend from Enforcers, to bolster the permanent collection. But too many Enforcer games were getting damaged/losing parts, and the PAX permanent collection was becoming large enough to stand on its own. Scotland Yard was previously an Enforcer-loaned game that we haven't had a chance to add permanently to the library.

    Over in the general TT info thread here on the forum, we tried to get the word out about the Olive 8. We just need to continue spreading that word. We also maintain a list of what is available in the library (viewable at http://www.boardgamegeek.com/collection/user/paxtt?own=1&subtype=boardgame&gallery=large&ff=1) - and this will be updated before PAX East.

    Lackey on
  • ClixClix This guy I know Seattle, WARegistered User regular
    edited September 2013
    I don't know how anybody can label any PAX as the "worst". Every PAX I've been to has been awesome, and I've had tons of fun every time. That's not to say that each show isn't without it's critiques, but overall it's wonderful.

    Dew/Doritos XP: I have mixed feelings about the promotion. I figured it as a time waster right from the go. I came to Seattle for PAX, not to run around Seattle for four days trying to gain a slim chance at an Xbox One. I didn't like the way it was touted as soon as the goon started shouting about it with the microphone in the queue hall on Friday. But on the other side, it probably helped keep lines in the expo hall a little shorter with folks running around after QR codes.

    Enforcers: Great job done by most the crew as usual. Sorry to draw attention to one bad experience, but why did I get directed around the queue room when it was empty? I was trying to make my way to the WotC Magic card unveiling one afternoon. It's held in the far corner of the queue hall, so I came in by way of the merch booth side to get there. I was directed away from the giant empty room and forced to go thru the expo hall to get to the other side. Seriously, I had to go thru the freaking crowded ass expo hall just to pass by an empty section of the queue hall about 100 feet from my destination. It served zero purpose, and I could even have walked right up behind the enforcer that made me go all the way around. It only seemed to be so somebody could throw their weight around. Frustrating at the least. But every other of my interactions with Enforcers were great.

    The Penny Arcade Staff: I can't say anything bad here. This was my first time ever even noticing the PA staff thanks to Pinny Arcade and appearances in Strip Search. Every time I asked to trade pins I was kindly greeted and always asked if I was enjoying PAX. Even when he was dead tired from working until midnight at the merch booth, Brian still asked my wife and I if we were having fun. Superb staff.

    Random aka Megaran: So glad to have a new artist in the concert line up! Megaran was awesome in his solo performances, but the backup band he had with him sucked the fun right out of the room.

    Expo Hall Booths: Much better job with the noise control and line management! Twitch had a boxed in booth this time, which was a million times quieter then at PAX East. Most booths did a good job with line control too. Nintendo is the only ones that did terrible in this aspect. They put their demo rigs right up to traffic lanes, and left it to attendees to manage the lines themselves. Terrible idea. And that line for Windwaker HD? Cutthroat at best.

    Pinny Arcade: Love it. I'm just not the biggest fan of how some of the pins are distributed. Hidden Path pins were a pain in the ass to get. You had to play either their Minecraft ripoff, or extremely boring tower defense game. This earned you a token to let one of their employees spin a weighted wheel to decide a prize for you. I ended up with a stack of beta codes for two games that I never want to play again. Thankfully I was able to trade for a Jin pin, and the wheel spinner person took pity on me Monday afternoon and gave me a Juggernaut pin after a half dozen times of playing Defense Grid.

    Smoking Areas: Any chance of getting the WECC staff to enforce the smoking ban right near the exits? Nothing like stepping outdoors to get a breath of fresh air only to instead be greeted by a face full of smoke from the 200 people that light up right next to the doors. Seattle has a 25 foot smoking ban near exits, if this could be enforced it'd be a start.

    Clix on
  • AllforceAllforce Registered User regular
    Most of the time I was out there they had a WSCC staff member making sure people were observing the 25 foot restriction.

    I only use an ecig so I wasn't stinking up your air though :smugdog:

  • kalanikalani Straight Edge O.G Edmonds WARegistered User regular
    since we had a bunch of new acts this year. Who should come back?
    MegaRan: YES -Protomen: YES- Bit Brigade: YES- MC Frontalot YES- Adam Warrock: YES- Super Commuter:YES -Hideo: NO - The Doubleclicks: NO-Supergiant: NO-Super Guitar Bros: NO. And please bring back Freezepop -Anamanaguchi And Paul and Storm. And try to get Mc lars . And if possible Can you bring back the 2 AM close the 12 AM close was too early. And please kick league of legends out of the convention center . And please bring back jam space

  • TheMisanthropeTheMisanthrope That's Mr. Misanthrope to you Registered User regular
    Actually, is it logistically possible to put LoL and Blizzard over in the Sheraton, and put the theaters back in the WSCC?

    From a non-MMORPG perspective, I think I'd want the two MMORPGs with a homebase together, while having the theaters in the WSCC was kind of nice. Plus, the LoL situation seemed fairly crazy and the E's didn't seem too thrilled with the crowds. I dunno if the LoL would be better handled in the Sheraton.

    On the other hand, the Cookie Brigade can't work the lines in the WSCC, so that's a bummer for line waiting.

    That's just my two cents.

    PAX Prime 2012: [X] Pass Purchased [X] Extra Charge Battery Packs for Phone, etc
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  • TheMisanthropeTheMisanthrope That's Mr. Misanthrope to you Registered User regular
    I might be wrong. I didn't get hit by the cookie brigade when I was in line at the WSCC theater, but I thought I remembered them being at both lines I was in at the Sheraton. Like I said, I might be wrong, but its jut the way I experienced it (admittedly, with my head in my DS somewhat).

    PAX Prime 2012: [X] Pass Purchased [X] Extra Charge Battery Packs for Phone, etc
  • WedjatWedjat SeattleRegistered User regular
    vespachica wrote: »
    - Extreme queue room temperature. In one of the queue rooms we watched a guy literally fall over after getting dizzy from the heat. I even got sick to my stomach because it was so hot (which never happens). And that was all before the doors were closed which increased the tempature even more. PLEASE invest in fans that can be placed in the door way to circulate the cooler air from the outside in. Even just one or two would have made a world of difference.

    Oh, YES. I agree. But I think this is more due to a higher than normal humidity than actual temperature. I've felt that a lot here the past few weeks. However, I remember feeling physically better just getting into the Skybridge or the 6th floor (which was like A/C nirvana). I'm talking more the actual expo hall space.
    Expo hall definitely made me feel sick after just a short time in there, but I'm extremely sensitive to temperature, and stifling spaces, so I assumed it was just me. Was it that bad for others too, then?

    3DS 0404-6459-8631
  • ScunosiScunosi WashingtonRegistered User regular
    edited September 2013
    Actually, is it logistically possible to put LoL and Blizzard over in the Sheraton, and put the theaters back in the WSCC?

    From a non-MMORPG perspective, I think I'd want the two MMORPGs with a homebase together, while having the theaters in the WSCC was kind of nice. Plus, the LoL situation seemed fairly crazy and the E's didn't seem too thrilled with the crowds. I dunno if the LoL would be better handled in the Sheraton.
    I don't think Blizzard has ever had a presence at PAX? What with Blizzcon being just a month away?
    And LoL's pretty far from an MMORPG, so I'm a little confused.

    I do think it'd be nice to move LoL to the Benaroya, but I get that Halo was there this year and in a previous year Halo had been creating the same issue since it was in the Annex instead of Benaroya, so I don't know where'd they'd go. Since Halo doesn't have the pre-release hype any more though it might be okay to move it back into a smaller part of the main Convention Center.
    Wedjat wrote: »
    vespachica wrote: »
    - Extreme queue room temperature. In one of the queue rooms we watched a guy literally fall over after getting dizzy from the heat. I even got sick to my stomach because it was so hot (which never happens). And that was all before the doors were closed which increased the tempature even more. PLEASE invest in fans that can be placed in the door way to circulate the cooler air from the outside in. Even just one or two would have made a world of difference.

    Oh, YES. I agree. But I think this is more due to a higher than normal humidity than actual temperature. I've felt that a lot here the past few weeks. However, I remember feeling physically better just getting into the Skybridge or the 6th floor (which was like A/C nirvana). I'm talking more the actual expo hall space.
    Expo hall definitely made me feel sick after just a short time in there, but I'm extremely sensitive to temperature, and stifling spaces, so I assumed it was just me. Was it that bad for others too, then?
    I didn't have any real problems with the heat outside of the Queue room and actually unless I was outside in the sun, but that was just due to the layers of my costume.
    I actually kinda thought it was a little cooler inside than in previous years because it seemed a little less packed/condensed. It was still hot and sweaty times, but never bad enough I felt ill.

    Scunosi on
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  • OmniscientlyMeOmniscientlyMe Registered User regular
    edited September 2013
    Pros:
    -Noise levels from LoL and on the show floor were much better this year. Whatever rules kept the noise levels down are keepers.

    Cons:
    -Too many merchants, particularly the non-gaming merchants need to go. How many forms of caffeine/sugar for stimulant use were being sold?
    -Indie Megabooth was mega-crowded.

    Suggestion:
    I see a lot of people suggesting LoL move to an outside venue. If it does, it might be nice to have it be an event where PAX badges can get you in, but separate tickets are sold and maybe it will provide some relief for PAX badge sales. Anymore it takes industry connections to get badges reliably and anything that could free up more for those without would be an improvement.

    OmniscientlyMe on
  • QuintiousQuintious Registered User regular
    edited September 2013
    Scunosi wrote: »
    Actually, is it logistically possible to put LoL and Blizzard over in the Sheraton, and put the theaters back in the WSCC?

    From a non-MMORPG perspective, I think I'd want the two MMORPGs with a homebase together, while having the theaters in the WSCC was kind of nice. Plus, the LoL situation seemed fairly crazy and the E's didn't seem too thrilled with the crowds. I dunno if the LoL would be better handled in the Sheraton.
    I don't think Blizzard has ever had a presence at PAX? What with Blizzcon being just a month away?
    And LoL's pretty far from an MMORPG, so I'm a little confused.



    Blizzard had a big booth at PAX East this year (to reveal that stupid WoW CCG), but I don't recall ever seeing them at a Prime.

    And LoL is a MOBA, which is not an MMO.

    Quintious on
  • adias.angeladias.angel Tech-Savvy Wife Kalamazoo, MIRegistered User regular
    zerzhul wrote: »
    I don't disagree with the lack of table space issue, but just as an FYI, I heard that the Olive 8 tabletop area was quite good. Just nobody knew it was there or worth heading to.

    The Olive 8 was a nice location but we also encountered a lack of space issue there. The only time we didn't have this problem was EARLY in the day. Once the afternoon hit space filled up fast.

    Prime '12, '13, '14, '15, '19 .. East '12
  • CabadrinCabadrin Boston, MARegistered User regular
    One thing that I brought up in the East 2013 suggestions thread that I'll bring up here as well: a dedicated merch area for vendors. First, it gets the massive lines for merch out of the main expo hall. Second, it puts all of the merch vendors in one place, so I don't have to hunt for them everywhere. Case in point, I didn't realize ThinkGeek was upstairs until Day 2. Having a dedicated merch area or hall would cut down on some of the crazy lines and give some great exposure to vendors.

    e2TtnRd.png
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  • PurpleSkyPurpleSky Registered User regular
    edited September 2013
    Pros:
    -Noise levels from LoL and on the show floor were much better this year. Whatever rules kept the noise levels down are keepers.

    Cons:
    -Too many merchants, particularly the non-gaming merchants need to go. How many forms of caffeine/sugar for stimulant use were being sold?
    -Indie Megabooth was mega-crowded.

    Suggestion:
    I see a lot of people suggesting LoL move to an outside venue. If it does, it might be nice to have it be an event where PAX badges can get you in, but separate tickets are sold and maybe it will provide some relief for PAX badge sales. Anymore it takes industry connections to get badges reliably and anything that could free up more for those without would be an improvement.


    Wow I never thought of that but man you bring up a great point! Your suggestion is a wonderful idea and I do hope it is taken into consideration.

    PurpleSky on
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  • ScunosiScunosi WashingtonRegistered User regular
    edited September 2013
    Cabadrin wrote: »
    One thing that I brought up in the East 2013 suggestions thread that I'll bring up here as well: a dedicated merch area for vendors. First, it gets the massive lines for merch out of the main expo hall. Second, it puts all of the merch vendors in one place, so I don't have to hunt for them everywhere. Case in point, I didn't realize ThinkGeek was upstairs until Day 2. Having a dedicated merch area or hall would cut down on some of the crazy lines and give some great exposure to vendors.
    mcdermott wrote: »
    I agree that line management is a priority, because otherwise it turns into a clustershart. But the reason this probably won't happen is because segregating the merch booths into a ghetto that's easily avoided lowers the value of those booths. Because many attendees will just never go there. They want the foot traffic that comes from being near/between other destinations, because even if you think you don't care about stupid vendors trying to sell you crap, sometimes you'll see that one t-shirt/keychain/whatever that now you decided you absolutely must have.
    Plus I can't imagine trying to sell exhibitors on paying for two booths, even if the overall cost was the same since they're (presumably) decrease their main booth's size since it wouldn't have to hold merch any more (and even though Titanfall decided to do this randomly).

    I think it's a cool idea, but I can't really think of any particular booths where merch really created that much of a problem. Bethesda's had some crowds, but they wrangled everyone so that they were still inside the Bethesda booth rather than out in the aisles. In fact the only times merch buyers were in the way was when they were at merch-only booths, since they didn't have any place for them to stand other than in the aisles with everyone else. Though I guess if they were all together they'd probably be able to partition the space better I hope.

    Scunosi on
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  • TheMisanthropeTheMisanthrope That's Mr. Misanthrope to you Registered User regular
    Scunosi wrote: »
    Actually, is it logistically possible to put LoL and Blizzard over in the Sheraton, and put the theaters back in the WSCC?

    From a non-MMORPG perspective, I think I'd want the two MMORPGs with a homebase together, while having the theaters in the WSCC was kind of nice. Plus, the LoL situation seemed fairly crazy and the E's didn't seem too thrilled with the crowds. I dunno if the LoL would be better handled in the Sheraton.
    I don't think Blizzard has ever had a presence at PAX? What with Blizzcon being just a month away?
    And LoL's pretty far from an MMORPG, so I'm a little confused.

    I do think it'd be nice to move LoL to the Benaroya, but I get that Halo was there this year and in a previous year Halo had been creating the same issue since it was in the Annex instead of Benaroya, so I don't know where'd they'd go. Since Halo doesn't have the pre-release hype any more though it might be okay to move it back into a smaller part of the main Convention Center.

    You're right, I was thinking of Bioware, not Blizzard. I dunno why I kept reading the Bioware theater as Blizzard base. But, in my head, all weekend, I was thinking oh, Blizzard. Yay reading comprehension.

    PAX Prime 2012: [X] Pass Purchased [X] Extra Charge Battery Packs for Phone, etc
  • ScunosiScunosi WashingtonRegistered User regular
    mcdermott wrote: »
    I think some of the bigger merch-only booths can cause traffic problems in the aisle from time to time, like pink gorilla or mega 64. Not often, though. They've gotten pretty good at making sure there's at least some of their footprint dedicated to customer browsing/checkout space.
    Pink Gorilla's problem tends to be less their fault and more that they always end up in that back corner right behind one of the big draw booths. You end up with two fairly large crowds getting smooshed together, or people hanging out in Pink Gorilla's space to jump in line for whatever's nearby.

    Plus PG always just has honestly a too-tiny booth for the amount of traffic they get...

  • PurpleSkyPurpleSky Registered User regular
    Pink Gorilla's line was not that much of a hindrance however. When I was at the booth on Friday, one of their busiest days, it was a long line but it was always parallel with the booth and people in that line always managed to remain relatively close to the PG wall. I believe PG prefers that location and to be honest I've gotten used to them being there. I'd prefer that they stay there and if there was ever a vendor that deserves to be at PAX and should always be at PAX its them. It'd be a shame that these complaints about vendors ends up affecting them :(

  • Steel FireSteel Fire Gunboat Diplomat PAI MarketingRegistered User regular
    The issue with the idea of segregating merchants is that laying out the halls isn't that simple. It's a giant game of Tetris that has to be played when all the exhibitors and merchants submit what they need for space, and yeah, I'm sure some of them request a specific area (because everyone is used to them being there) or pay to be in specific traffic zones. It's easy to say something like put all the merchants up on 6 or something, but that goes out the window as soon as you try to lay out all the spaces.

    That said, I'm all for the stimulant vendors getting the boot. I really don't like seeing that stuff being so heavily pushed, especially when a lot of people grabbing it might not be used to that level of caffeine or other stuff. I think we've dodged a bullet thus far that someone hasn't needed medical attention for over-consuming some of that stuff.

  • 8_Bit-Ginger8_Bit-Ginger Registered User regular
    I have thought long and hard about what I want to say here, and I've raged, edited, raged, and edited again.

    I have some criticisms about the Mtn Dew/Doritos/Xbox One QR Code-scanning promotion that I want the PAX event management to be aware of.

    I know this criticism should be directed for the most part at Microsoft, Frito-Lay, and Pepsi, but I do have some feedback that I hope spurs action from PAX event management.

    There should not have been codes at the freakin' Space Needle. The Space Needle is NOT PAX, and by their claim that codes were "around PAX", I find that to be false advertising and patently unfair conduct by the organizers. In short, "Shenanigans!!!". And that's not taking into account the moving and removing of codes by certain unscrupulous, cut-throat code hunters. And consider the rampant posting of points codes on reddit, while we're at it. In summation, the lack of integrity in this promotion wasn't just a glitch. It was a feature. For many of us, the time we spend at PAX is the most valuable time we have to spend all year, and wasting the attendees time on fruitless pursuits is NO GOOD **Sonic Finger Wag**.

    I know that this request is a long shot, but I'm hoping the management will see fit to take steps to constrain contests like these to some standard of fairness. Perhaps event management should develop guidelines about contests held at PAX and have exhibitors voluntarily post (i.e. a "quality seal") that their competition complies with the promotional competition guidelines.

    OTHERWISE, I had a great PAX. Fantastic. I don't even have PPD at the moment.
    Am I to understand that a formal declaration of Shenanigans has been issued? If so "get the brooms".

  • YakivegasYakivegas Registered User regular
    My kids and I were at Prime 2011, so that's our comparison. The Expo hall floor felt much less crowded, though I think in 2011 there were more big titles being demoed (Skyrim, Mass Effect 3, Old Republic, Assassin's Creed: Revelations). At the very least, crowd flow felt much smoother.

    There were a lot of great panels. My daughter enjoyed the focus on LGBT and women's roles in games and gaming. I really liked the Fallout: Nuka Break panel

    I don't mind the merchandise booths at all, they were easy to avoid if you want to.

    Similar to some other posts, here's my suggestions:

    1) More room for the Indie booths. Some fun stuff in there, but great googly moogly, way too cramped.
    2) I was perplexed as to the point of the Comcast/Xfinity booth. Maybe relevant to content delivery, but not in any way really pertinent to the point of PAX.
    3) I'm not a big LoL fan, so I would have no problem moving with that activity to Benaroya or other peripheral site.
    4) I liked the extra day. My son's girlfriend could only get a Saturday badge and with the extra day, I could loan her mine for a while and not feel like I was missing out.
    5) The Doritos/Dew QR thing was a big meh for us. Looked like a lot of people were photographing the codes and sharing them that way.
    6) Didn't mind the swag bag process this time around, it was still possible to get a bag into the afternoon.

    In all we had a great time and we are looking forward to 2014, if the Pass Gods are smiling on us.

    All bleeding stops...eventually.
  • YoungFreyYoungFrey Registered User regular
    I bet I'm not alone in that I love any change which involves less booths yelling at me. At Prime 2012 there was a booth in Bandland that was really annoying. This year that spot was the Stripsearch table. This was very welcome. Any time an anything that is loud constantly can be isolated is a plus in my book. It's probably not feasibly to put all the loud booths next to each other, but any consideration for their noise is appreciated.

    I was sad to see all the people swag dumping in the swag room, it made the place pretty trashy at times. I get that most of the stuff in the bag is effectively garbage, but don't leave it on the floor. It's naive to expect people to do this, so in the future, maybe a couple simple signs or having the closest Enforcer educate them a little. Just some little nudges to encourage good behavior.

    My final complaint is about the PAX web page. I think that PAX as an organization does an astonishlingly poor job of distributing information. People new to PAX that don't know that the forums are the best way to get information are likely to miss out on so much their first time. At the least, I'd like to see links to the online version of Guidebook, the full sized maps, front page items being removed when they are irrelevant (like the call for Enforcers), a general guide to finding X (where X is one of the many things spread about like Tabletop being in Olive 8 and the PAX 10 being upstairs and not in the main Expo hall). Or just make it clear that if you want info the forums are where to look.

  • zerzhulzerzhul Registered User, Moderator mod
    YoungFrey wrote: »
    People new to PAX that don't know that the forums are the best way to get information are likely to miss out on so much their first time. At the least, I'd like to see links to the online version of Guidebook, the full sized maps, front page items being removed when they are irrelevant (like the call for Enforcers), a general guide to finding X (where X is one of the many things spread about like Tabletop being in Olive 8 and the PAX 10 being upstairs and not in the main Expo hall). Or just make it clear that if you want info the forums are where to look.

    I think this is extremely valuable input and right on the money.

  • LexiconGrrlLexiconGrrl Registered User regular
    mcdermott wrote: »
    Cookie brigade can't work lines at the WSCC? I thought that got sorted out.

    Nope. Nothing has changed in the WSCC policies, the Brigade has just gotten more Ninja. And with PAX spreading out to more and more locations outside, it's easier to find alternative distributing locations.

    That's all the news that's fit to print.

    Happily on Sabbatical. Don't bug me.
  • Bladed CicadaBladed Cicada Registered User regular
    Just because I've seen it mentioned several times in this thread, I'd like to echo the distain for comcast. They really have no business being there (trying to get me to add a voice line hardly counts as gaming) and are one of the most hated companies in the US. They had a huge space that, from what I could tell from four days, was ALWAYS empty. The only people there were just giving up personal info in a vain attempt to win a drawing. Absolutely anything would have made better use of the space ( a stare. At the ground booth, build sand castles booth, a gouge out your eyes booth etc.) and could have decompressed or freed up other booths. In general, I go to PAX for the community and gaming, not to pay money so I can be relentlessly advertised to. I know they have to pay them bills but there had to be a point of reaching critical mass. So yeah. Boo comcast. And I didn't say Boo-urns.

  • ClixClix This guy I know Seattle, WARegistered User regular
    edited September 2013
    I've gotta say, I really don't understand all the aggro on Comcast. Well, the booth anyways, I hate the company itself just as much as anyone.

    But they were demoing one of the most anticipated racing games on the horizon, The Crew. Plus they gave away a freaking car to one lucky PAX goer.

    At the least I don't think that a media company like Comcast has any less of a place at PAX as caffeine pills or Mountain Dew.

    Clix on
  • adias.angeladias.angel Tech-Savvy Wife Kalamazoo, MIRegistered User regular
    Imsorad wrote: »
    I've gotta say, I really don't understand all the aggro on Comcast. Well, the booth anyways, I hate the company itself just as much as anyone.

    But they were demoing one of the most anticipated racing games on the horizon, The Crew. Plus they gave away a freaking car to one lucky PAX goer.

    At the least I don't think that a media company like Comcast has any less of a place at PAX as caffeine pills or Mountain Dew.

    I think part of it is that it seems that a lot of people (myself included) didn't realize they were actually there to show a game. I thought they were just hocking their wares like the the caffeine people. After I saw it was a racing game I understood more why they were there but I still refuse to step foot into their booth because of their distasteful business practices. I steer clear of shady companies no matter what industry they are in.

    Prime '12, '13, '14, '15, '19 .. East '12
  • Mushroomer25Mushroomer25 Registered User regular
    edited September 2013
    A bit late, but had a handful of thoughts reflecting on PAX last night that I'd like to share. It was my first time going, and I loved every minute of it. But I had a few things to note.

    Sometimes I want to know what I'm in line for: Particularly, there should be a clearer definition of what is a demo, and what is going to be a presentation. Ubisoft was particularly bad about this - gathering some of the longest lines on the floor for a live presentation of their biggest titles. Not a demo mind you - just a Ubisoft representative playing through the game to a crowd. If I had waited in a line labeled "Watch_Dogs" for well over an hour, only to be presented with something I could have easily just watched online in my own time. I think Infamous: Second Son was guilty of the same thing. There really should be a designation in the guidebook for what portions of the show floor are going to be for unplayable material. But on the topic of Ubisoft, note how I said "If I had waited"...

    FastPasses should be the standard when applicable: While I didn't like Ubisoft's "demo", I didn't feel too cheated - because I ultimately spent less than ten minutes waiting for it. The day before, Ubisoft allowed UPlay users to reserve "FastPass slots" for a scheduled demo time. You just walked up at your appointed time, flashed the confirmation email to a representative, and they gave you a lanyard to take you to the front of the line. Now obviously this model wouldn't work for all demos. Part of the fun of PAX is exploring the floor & seeing new games - scheduling out your day weeks ahead of time, rushing to keep demo appointments.. that's not enjoyable. But for cases like Ubisoft, where there's a presentation - or a group demo, like Killzone: Shadow Fall - it'd be nice to have a few seats reserved for people who plan ahead. If those appointments aren't met - fill 'em with the main line. Hopefully if such a system was used on a conference-wide level, we'd see shorter lines as a whole in an already crowded conference. Speaking of crowding..

    Move League of Legends. Or the Indie Megabooth. Or both: LoL was huge at PAX this year. It seemed like the entire top floor was dedicated to the region event, and not even that was enough to hold the massive audience - who later filled the hallway outside the stage as well as the overflow area below. And the following is only going to get bigger. If Riot wants to stay at PAX, I think it'd be in everyone's best interest to put them in a new venue. As for what to do with that now vacant half of the top floor - the Indie Megabooth needs space to breathe. It's one of the best parts of the show, but I felt like I was suffocating everytime I walked through. Move the Pax 10 into the space formerly occupied by the IMB, the IMB into Riot's zone, and LoL into another ballroom in one of the neighboring hotels. Maybe it's obvious - but I hope it's improved next year.

    On Enforcers: I'm not even sure if this qualifies as an issue, but it's something I feel the need to bring up. While in line for the Giant Bomb panel, there was an Enforcer interacting with the crowd, playing a guitar & singing songs. Fine if he wanted to lighten the mood of a crowded room - but afterwards, he handed out business cards advertising his soundcloud page. Which felt all too close to an abuse of power. I'm sure it's already a rule - but Enforcers really should not be able to use the position to hock their own wares. I'm sure he had the best of intentions - but having the cards just took it over a line for me.

    Mushroomer25 on
  • ScunosiScunosi WashingtonRegistered User regular
    Imsorad wrote: »
    I've gotta say, I really don't understand all the aggro on Comcast. Well, the booth anyways, I hate the company itself just as much as anyone.

    But they were demoing one of the most anticipated racing games on the horizon, The Crew. Plus they gave away a freaking car to one lucky PAX goer.

    At the least I don't think that a media company like Comcast has any less of a place at PAX as caffeine pills or Mountain Dew.

    I think part of it is that it seems that a lot of people (myself included) didn't realize they were actually there to show a game. I thought they were just hocking their wares like the the caffeine people. After I saw it was a racing game I understood more why they were there but I still refuse to step foot into their booth because of their distasteful business practices. I steer clear of shady companies no matter what industry they are in.
    I thought they were just hawking Internet/phone services, too. I knew they had something playable but assumed it was some shovelware game meant to show off their latency, not the game itself. But then I don't keep up with racing games beyond Mario Kart.

    I do wish they'd cut down on the amount of non-game booths, or at least non-gaming. It's better than that one year they had all those NOS girls giving out free samples, which made me wonder if that was before their booth babe policy went into effect or if they had some loophole. Hell, they could've just been pretty gamer ladies, too. :P
    I get that they probably don't turn booths away unless it's something they really personally despise, but you'd think a gaming company would want to and be willing to pay more than an eyedrop company for space at a gaming convention. I think the caffeiene guys out by the Queue room, while a little loud, were at least using space that would've otherwise probably gone to waste. But premium space going to none-gaming booths just seems really odd.
    Is Comcast actually sponsoring or helping develop that game? Maybe that's why.

    I will admit that it's by no means something that's been getting out of hand, and the amount of vendors who were selling something other than vidyas or tabletops could be counted on one hand. It's just something I don't want to see expand much, either.

  • TOGSolidTOGSolid Drunk sailor Seattle, WashingtonRegistered User regular
    I think the caffeiene guys out by the Queue room, while a little loud
    That's like saying a vuvuzela is "a little annoying."

    wWuzwvJ.png
  • ClixClix This guy I know Seattle, WARegistered User regular
    Oh man, how did I forget the U Play fast passes? This was a great idea by Ubisoft. I just wish that I could have used a fast pass on all their games, and not only one.

    I love the idea of publishers rewarding their loyal customers that attend PAX. Sony doing the Last of Us signing? It was a hugely popular and very limited. But anybody that follows Sony's Playstation twitter account or PSN blog knew to grab a ticket/bracelet first thing in the morning to get the signed print later in the day.

    The Elder Scrolls Online food truck? Same thing. Attendees that follow Bethesda knew when and where to get a free lunch and some sweet swag to boot.

  • Goblin ScrewdriverGoblin Screwdriver Seattle, WARegistered User regular
    PikaPuff wrote: »
    Next! Medical badges. MTG booth had 10 of a special item for sale each day. All 10 were sold to people with medical badges the first two days, as they get in early. Someone complained and the mtg booth held a few on Sunday (8) for non medical badges after reserving 5 for medical badge people. So that's 25 of 33 items going to people with medical badges. I don't know what to say about that to make it fair. Mtg booth disliked what happened so much that they just aren't going to sell items like that at all next year or ever. (they might raffle it or make it a tourney prize instead.) I don't have any way to improve this aspect of the medical badge situation so I'll bring up a different point.

    This is hearsay so I don't know if its true. Someone said they saw three days in a row (I talked to him on Sunday so it's possible it happened all four days) that someone would stand in line and like clockwork around nine start limping and go to an enforcer and get a temporary medical badge for that day. Then they would go in early with the other medical and speedily walk to their objective. Every morning the same person repeated this. If true, maybe make it harder to get a medical badge? I know nothing of medical badge getting process but this story sounded sketchy.
    Is this actually what happened? If so that is incredibly frustrating given that I spent a combined eight hours in line trying to get that product.

    PAX Prime attendee since 2006

    Pointless signature checklist [x]
  • AiouaAioua Ora Occidens Ora OptimaRegistered User regular
    PikaPuff wrote: »
    Next! Medical badges. MTG booth had 10 of a special item for sale each day. All 10 were sold to people with medical badges the first two days, as they get in early. Someone complained and the mtg booth held a few on Sunday (8) for non medical badges after reserving 5 for medical badge people. So that's 25 of 33 items going to people with medical badges. I don't know what to say about that to make it fair. Mtg booth disliked what happened so much that they just aren't going to sell items like that at all next year or ever. (they might raffle it or make it a tourney prize instead.) I don't have any way to improve this aspect of the medical badge situation so I'll bring up a different point.

    This is hearsay so I don't know if its true. Someone said they saw three days in a row (I talked to him on Sunday so it's possible it happened all four days) that someone would stand in line and like clockwork around nine start limping and go to an enforcer and get a temporary medical badge for that day. Then they would go in early with the other medical and speedily walk to their objective. Every morning the same person repeated this. If true, maybe make it harder to get a medical badge? I know nothing of medical badge getting process but this story sounded sketchy.
    Is this actually what happened? If so that is incredibly frustrating given that I spent a combined eight hours in line trying to get that product.

    I doubt that story is true, at least as told. There's not really such a thing as a temporary medical badge. Once you get one, it's yours.

    life's a game that you're bound to lose / like using a hammer to pound in screws
    fuck up once and you break your thumb / if you're happy at all then you're god damn dumb
    that's right we're on a fucked up cruise / God is dead but at least we have booze
    bad things happen, no one knows why / the sun burns out and everyone dies
  • PikaPuffPikaPuff Registered User regular
    Aioua wrote: »
    PikaPuff wrote: »
    Next! Medical badges. MTG booth had 10 of a special item for sale each day. All 10 were sold to people with medical badges the first two days, as they get in early. Someone complained and the mtg booth held a few on Sunday (8) for non medical badges after reserving 5 for medical badge people. So that's 25 of 33 items going to people with medical badges. I don't know what to say about that to make it fair. Mtg booth disliked what happened so much that they just aren't going to sell items like that at all next year or ever. (they might raffle it or make it a tourney prize instead.) I don't have any way to improve this aspect of the medical badge situation so I'll bring up a different point.

    This is hearsay so I don't know if its true. Someone said they saw three days in a row (I talked to him on Sunday so it's possible it happened all four days) that someone would stand in line and like clockwork around nine start limping and go to an enforcer and get a temporary medical badge for that day. Then they would go in early with the other medical and speedily walk to their objective. Every morning the same person repeated this. If true, maybe make it harder to get a medical badge? I know nothing of medical badge getting process but this story sounded sketchy.
    Is this actually what happened? If so that is incredibly frustrating given that I spent a combined eight hours in line trying to get that product.

    I doubt that story is true, at least as told. There's not really such a thing as a temporary medical badge. Once you get one, it's yours.
    The other part where most of the product going to Medical Badges is quite true, though. Friday was when media and medical were allowed in an hour early, so it's possible media got some on Friday, too.

    jCyyTSo.png
  • jaberwockynmtjaberwockynmt PAX Info Booth Manager Renton, WARegistered User regular
    On Enforcers: I'm not even sure if this qualifies as an issue, but it's something I feel the need to bring up. While in line for the Giant Bomb panel, there was an Enforcer interacting with the crowd, playing a guitar & singing songs. Fine if he wanted to lighten the mood of a crowded room - but afterwards, he handed out business cards advertising his soundcloud page. Which felt all too close to an abuse of power. I'm sure it's already a rule - but Enforcers really should not be able to use the position to hock their own wares. I'm sure he had the best of intentions - but having the cards just took it over a line for me.
    That seems over the line to me. If you got one of his cards, please PM me and I'll talk to him.

    --Jarrod "Jaberwocky" Lombardo, PAX Enforcer: Info Booth Manager.
    "We know that the moment we slip, it will be taken away... and so it is of the utmost importance to be worthy of it constantly."
    PAX will always be held on the best weekend for PAX. Sometimes that will be a bad weekend for you; I'm sorry.
  • jaberwockynmtjaberwockynmt PAX Info Booth Manager Renton, WARegistered User regular
    PikaPuff wrote: »
    Mtg booth disliked what happened so much that they just aren't going to sell items like that at all next year or ever. (they might raffle it or make it a tourney prize instead.)
    That is great news. I wish all of the exhibitors would do that. It would relieve the morning crush since there would be no need to be "first" into the Expo Hall.
    PikaPuff wrote: »
    This is hearsay so I don't know if its true. Someone said they saw three days in a row (I talked to him on Sunday so it's possible it happened all four days) that someone would stand in line and like clockwork around nine start limping and go to an enforcer and get a temporary medical badge for that day. Then they would go in early with the other medical and speedily walk to their objective. Every morning the same person repeated this. If true, maybe make it harder to get a medical badge? I know nothing of medical badge getting process but this story sounded sketchy.
    It would be possible for someone to cheat the system like this. We ran out of Medical Badges during this Prime (I think that means we distributed 500, but it might mean 1000). I'll escalate this and maybe we'll adjust the policy somehow in time for East 2014.

    --Jarrod "Jaberwocky" Lombardo, PAX Enforcer: Info Booth Manager.
    "We know that the moment we slip, it will be taken away... and so it is of the utmost importance to be worthy of it constantly."
    PAX will always be held on the best weekend for PAX. Sometimes that will be a bad weekend for you; I'm sorry.
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