Schedule announcements for PAX West, Personal Concerns and Recent Incidence
ATTENTION PLEASE! I have requested this discussion to be locked because of repeated ignorance of my request to stop discussion as my query has been resolved to satisfaction. Please direct immediately to the issuance of any further statements from official channels in relation to the current status of PAX West and do not post any more comments on the subject. Thank you for your cooperation.
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With PAX East 2020 in the books I was wondering how long it takes from here before the dates are available for PAX West. This is more of a higher level of important provisions to be aware of than I was planning for due to the coronavirus incidence and possible risks in pertinence to certain personal issues that I have which could legitimately affect my decision on whether or not to proceed this year as I originally planned. So because of this, just having an idea of when the announcement comes out will probably be the deciding factor in whether or not to proceed given how the first casualty reports were literally reported in Washington state.
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With PAX East 2020 in the books I was wondering how long it takes from here before the dates are available for PAX West. This is more of a higher level of important provisions to be aware of than I was planning for due to the coronavirus incidence and possible risks in pertinence to certain personal issues that I have which could legitimately affect my decision on whether or not to proceed this year as I originally planned. So because of this, just having an idea of when the announcement comes out will probably be the deciding factor in whether or not to proceed given how the first casualty reports were literally reported in Washington state.
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EDIT: Further to the point, I just realized that I have serious doubts that it's even going to be worth it until then anyway, considering that all of the good stuff is going to be at least two years out because of this (which is also if we're lucky). I totally expect that with all the delays, cancellation lists and even the supply chain that we're looking at a very late start of the next generation of gaming hardware to begin with.
EDIT 2: I'm also willing to admit that I have a tendency to be exaggerative on these matters (so I would probably take my comment on this with several grains of salt), but with the nature of the situation it's also not out of the question.
So, make plans, but don’t lay any money down for anything unless you 100% know you can get a full refund if West is cancelled.
Ultimately the TL/DR and bottom line is that I wouldn't hold out for anything this year beyond video presentation wars (seriously, just phase out E3 at this point, hold a best newsreel contest between the big three and save the in-person until PAX East 2022)[1].
EDIT: The prospect of the situation is not guaranteed either, since it's still so new and we don't have the information to even support that outcome yet (if at all). Again, Seattle is basically on lockdown at the present time which has effectively killed any chance of Emerald City happening by force majure.[2] So obviously it's not going to be unreasonable to suspect that the continued planning for PAX West is also impossible because of the situation.
EDIT 2: While I do stand by my comment here, when during ordinary circumstances would you suspect that the dates for PAX West will actually occur based on past scheduling? That way I can at least have something to work with, just in case we get spared by then (even though I have my doubts at this point). Furthermore, I can always go with a backup option if necessary (DreamHack, PAX East etc.) so obviously I'm not as concerned about my original plan at this point.
1. Honestly speaking, I'm actually exaggerating this somewhat. But even then it's not unreasonable to expect.
2. Source: CBS News
I think that being cautious about booking anything that can't be refunded is smart, and otherwise we just have to wait and see.
Case closed, and I will not respond further. Thanks again for the input on this.
That being said I already have my hotel room for Labor Day weekend and really hope those will be the dates even though it is a little late this year (Sep 4-7).
What concerns me more is that they have rescheduled ECCC for 2 weeks prior to that (Aug 21-24). That leaves just a little over a week between ECCC ending and PAX Dev starting.
If it was my call I would simply cancel the first one and pool resources for the other. It could legitimately be a rather outlandish setup by the usual PAX standards (and possibly even a mix of apples and oranges) but it would probably be more efficient to have a bit of both at the same time. Setting up twice for comparable events is pushing it, especially when Dev already rolls directly into West and is usually the same time when setup for the latter is underway.
Then again, since there's subject matter that can legitimately be done in both cases (and both are coordinated by the same people, and also that the same mix occurs elsewhere) then it's also not unreasonable to expect that someone thought of every possible consideration for such a complicated logistical matter.
EDIT: Another matter is whether or not people will actually get back to these matters in such a short time. I'd expect practically anything to happen at this point.
UPDATE: After further review and owing to the ongoing logistical changes (and with the current travel guidelines being at prohibitive levels for purpose) my position is now final and I will end all further discussion on this. I'm also willing to admit that I can be rather extreme on these matters because of a personal consequence and I know it's still early in the year, but let's be honest: at this point the situation is unlikely to improve to sufficient levels by the time PAX West is set to begin. Because of this, I implore the PAX team to immediately reassess the remainder of the 2020 schedule and do right by us in terminating all further activity for the rest of the year.
ANOTHER UPDATE: I just noticed that media speculation now points to a possible "shelter directive" for the Seattle area (if not the whole state) because apparently people don't get their shit together for this kind of situation. And needles to say, if something like that happens then I have every reason to ascertain to you that all bets are off. I wouldn't count on PAX West if that were to happen.
2019: May-30
2018: May-31
2017: June-8
2016: June-7
2015: May-7
2014: May-28
2013: April-17
TL/DR: You may as well start canceling your flights and hotels at this point because it's very likely now based the proximity of timing between QuakeCon and PAX for the latter to be forced into cancellation by direct consequence of the former having to call things off. It's basically over at this point.
I'm going to wait for official word from PAX.
I think we can expect similar out of Seattle, at some point. I think by (normal) PAX weekend we'll be at a point where social distancing restrictions are largely relaxed and things are heading back toward normal. But I think holding an event where tens of thousands of people from around the country and around the world travel to pack into a small, sweaty room is going to be a complete fucking nonstarter for the rest of the year.
Also hearing the buzz (but not the announcement...yet) that SDCC 2020 is going to be a no-go as well. That's late July. I don't see a month making the difference, and the inertia you have to overcome to cancel SDCC is an order of magnitude greater than PAX.
Here's the announcement if you need it:
https://indiemegabooth.com/farewell-(for-now)----a-letter-from-kelly-wallick,-founder-of-the-indie-megabooth/
And with that I'm moving on... for real this time. (Well, almost - Germany just ordered all of its entertainment businesses and conference centers to shut down until September, which is when PAX West starts up. And considering that such an order also effectively kills off Gamescom, it's safe to say at this point that we've all been royally fucked.)
RIP PAX West 2020
I hate all the people trying to cancel events for other people. Like, if you don't want to go then stay locked in your home.. but don't try to ruin things for others lol
"We've gotten a lot of questions from fans and want to let everyone know that as of right now we still plan on welcoming everyone home to PAX West on Labor Day weekend (September 4th - 7th) in 2020!
More information on pax site:
"Hey there! We hope you’re staying safe and healthy in these uncertain times.
We tend to be pretty quiet this time of year, but since we’ve had some questions from fans and exhibitors we wanted to let everyone know that as of this moment, we’re still planning on putting together a great PAX West this coming Labor Day Weekend (September 4th - 7th) for you, and we will be updating our website with more information on badges and hotel registration in the coming months.
Our first priority is always your safety, and that extends to issues of public health. As the year progresses, we will continue to monitor the situation and work with health officials at all levels of government, and intend to follow all CDC and WHO guidelines as they are released. That said, actions already taken by our convention center and local government have left us optimistic, and we will continue working with them to make sure we take the correct steps throughout the summer.
We look forward to welcoming you home as we always have, but until then - may you give Tom Nook a run for his money, and may Sephiroth stand defeated in your wake."
We all want to go and have a great time without the worry of anything more than PAX POX.
I'm happy they're monitoring the situation, but there is a reality that this won't be over before PAX and it will be cancelled. We're all just trying to prepare ourselves for that.
I personally will not be attending this year, for my health and safety (I almost died after PAX '18), but I do hope everyone gets to go and have a safe and fun time.
I hope PAX West runs, but the betting man inside me says it's not happening based on what the experts are saying. This article is about sports, but touches on filling arenas, which is a good convention analogue: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/16/sports/coronavirus-sports-come-back.html
Thanks again for all the input on this matter, and hopefully I'll be able to reschedule for PAX East at the earliest. Until then, this matter is now closed and I will not respond to any further messages on the subject.
So, in the mean time, they keep on with the "sure...we're gonna do it" line until they can't.
PAX Australia badges should've been on sale by now if you look at the last three years (March 13, April 9, March 25). They still aren't on sale.
PAX Unplugged badges should go on sale by early-to-mid May (May 3, May 17, May 9).
Since the debut of Unplugged, West badges have not gone on sale until end of May or early June (June 8, May 31, May 30).
Long story short, there's still about a month before West would theoretically be on sale. Will things be better in a month? Unlikely. And if the other two events haven't gone on sale by then, West probably isn't either.
On top of all of this, what companies do you think are willing to risk sending their people to Seattle? Seattle was ground zero for the virus in America in a lot of ways.
I don't think it's happening. I'm as bummed as anyone having gone since 2008. But, I just don't see it.
It's really not that big of a deal. A company like ReedPOP is set up to handle that. They can also do what SDCC is doing, letting attendees choose whether to take a refund or roll the tickets forward to the following year. PAX West hasn't been selling out that fast recently, but it's possible that if we miss a year, next year sells out faster, and having tickets-in-hand may be worth the commitment of funds for some (I'd be among them, same way I'm keeping my SDCC badges).
They can even go the route some music festivals have gone, and offer some sort of sweetener for those that choose to leave their money parked. One festival was offering a $50 credit toward food/drink if you hold your tickets until next year, and that was on like $200 tickets...so 25% of face.
The only thing I'll warn people of now is to read the purchase agreement, preferably (if available) before badges go on sale. Make sure you're comfortable with whatever rights and remedies you have available in writing if the event is canceled. Because one thing I recently learned is that apparently Visa (and presumably other card issuers) do not allow chargebacks for events canceled due to government intervention. So your remedies available will be whatever the event issuer offers in writing, or decides to offer in good faith. ReedPOP was pretty responsible in their handling of ECCC, I don't see any reason this wouldn't be similarly well handled. But always best to pay attention before putting down money. Same goes for hotel/flight reservations.
Hopefully by the time Labor Day rolls around, it's safe to hold the event and they wind up doing so. If I were a betting man, my money is on not. Not a lot of money, mind. I think they're doing the same "it's on until it's off" strategy that major league sports have been going with, and I don't blame them. We'll see.
The way I could see it still happening is if they prove that some of these medicines work (not curing it but keeping people from dying of it). Because it does seem like if things are starting to re-open now, unless there is a terrible resurgence and things close up again, I could actually see it happening now.