SpawnOfCthulhuAlso that Snifit guy.Gig Harbor, WARegistered Userregular
edited August 2008
I actually wound up with a bit of swag.
You can't just walk up to a booth and expect to be showered with golden idols and signed posters.
You just have to be in the right place, at the right time and actually talk to people.
I got my Resistance 2 shirt and hat just by talking with a guy at the sony booth for like 5 minutes.
I didn't have to wait in line or anything.
Also, "Hey fatso, can I have a fucking t-shirt?" isn't the best way to get free stuff.
Just ask what they're promoting, and if needed, do the trivia/contest/dance they make you do. I got a 1-up shirt simply for putting a tatoo on my face, which I promptly scrubbed off in the bathroom.
"I was ragging hardcore and my flow was REALLY heavy, I looked into my golden pokemon purse and AVAST! I'd forgotten my TAMPAX! I rushed to the little girls room and shockingly there were no tampon machines in the ladies room!
Shame on you PAX for not slipping some hygeine products into our complimentary PAX attendee bags, Shame on the Enforcers for not getting me some napkins and fuck all the Exhibitors for not giving out those really fancy TAMPAX Pearls!
And fuck all the attendees for thinking I'm fat! and making me stand around all bloated!"
EPIC FAIL! Give up gaming if you don't want to wait around for shit.
Translation:
I was one of the 500 lb. hairy backed pussies who were drawing cocks in the pictochat
Ummm no, actually I enjoyed a full day of playing all kinds of demos and getting cool free shit because I'm not a kicking and screaming panty-wearer like you are. Maybe you didn't get cool shit because you exude a cock-gurgler attitude.
I'm sorry Gabe and Tycho didn't pave a solid gold pathway solely for you to enter PAX and be able to play whatever game you wanted at your every wim. I'm sorry the Enforcers didn't wipe your obviously over-pampered ass every time you touched cotton. I'm sorry the Exhibitors can pick up on the fact that you're a whiny, suck-at-gaming fanboy and didn't feel like giving you the goods.
Just face it, you lose....try gardening, just not bonsai. I hear you have to wait and have a lot of patience for those.
kenpachisan: Well I agree with some of your points (though not as vehemently), you might as well accept that you're going to be in the minority here. If you've got complaints, back them up with some constructive ideas on how to improve it. Also, find an e-mail address to send them to; no one all that official tends to look at these boards, and even rarer take anything said on them seriously. ;-)
So why are you flaming me? I didnt attack you on here. You were complaining about fire code and stuff but PAX didnt violate any type of firecode. The convention center stoped people from going into rooms before they reached max capicity.
You kinda make your own expereince in these things.
I personally didnt really care about expo. I went in there a couple times to look around but didnt care much about it, just becuase I read about all the games there online all the time.
I go to these things to meet new people and make more friends with like minded peoples and play games with them. So... yeah.
kenpachisan: Well I agree with some of your points (though not as vehemently), you might as well accept that you're going to be in the minority here. If you've got complaints, back them up with some constructive ideas on how to improve it. Also, find an e-mail address to send them to; no one all that official tends to look at these boards, and even rarer take anything said on them seriously. ;-)
Wrong :P Khoo reads these things all the time, espically after pax in sugguestion threads and such. Plus a few of us enforcers read them and pass along good ideas and sugguestions on how to improve things.
It's a gaming convention that grew. Quickly. There are a lot of people, it's very crowded and some of the booths are difficult to get play-time at because of it.
It's still a convention. There is no other place in Seattle that it could be held at that would accomodate PAX as well. I went into PAX expecting lines to all the panels and booths I wanted to visit. I went into PAX expecting to be surround by a lot of people.
I got all I expected, but because I was prepared for the types of lines that were there, I made a good time of it. So, I have very little to bitch and moan about because I had a great time. If you didn't have a good time, that sucks for you. *shrug* Don't come next year because it's probably going to be bigger and the space will be largely unchanged.
I actually believe the op makes some good points. I'm not convinced it's quite THAT bad, but the lines for everything are horrid, and I've seen almost no swag myself (I got a pin from Razer. While talking to them about my not-working Razer mouse.)
This year is missing something from 07, and I think most of it has to do with the crowds. I enjoyed Friday immensely, in large part because I was hanging with some very fine individuals all around. Even so, though, I'm seriously considering skipping PAX09.
Late on this, but honestly, after the horribleness that was PAX06, this year honestly doesn't seem that bad. It's definately more crowded than last year was, but we're still not packed in like fucking sardines (literally) like the last year at the old venue.
"I was ragging hardcore and my flow was REALLY heavy, I looked into my golden pokemon purse and AVAST! I'd forgotten my TAMPAX! I rushed to the little girls room and shockingly there were no tampon machines in the ladies room!
Shame on you PAX for not slipping some hygeine products into our complimentary PAX attendee bags, Shame on the Enforcers for not getting me some napkins and fuck all the Exhibitors for not giving out those really fancy TAMPAX Pearls!
And fuck all the attendees for thinking I'm fat! and making me stand around all bloated!"
EPIC FAIL! Give up gaming if you don't want to wait around for shit.
Translation:
I was one of the 500 lb. hairy backed pussies who were drawing cocks in the pictochat
kenpachisan: Well I agree with some of your points (though not as vehemently), you might as well accept that you're going to be in the minority here. If you've got complaints, back them up with some constructive ideas on how to improve it. Also, find an e-mail address to send them to; no one all that official tends to look at these boards, and even rarer take anything said on them seriously. ;-)
Wrong :P Khoo reads these things all the time, espically after pax in sugguestion threads and such. Plus a few of us enforcers read them and pass along good ideas and sugguestions on how to improve things.
Speaking of, I wanted to pass on my thanks. There have been some growing pains over the years, but last year and this year, the enforcers have pretty much nailed it.
I also registered just to comment in this thread. I found the schwag to be adequate. I'm a sucker for t-shirts and got 4 or 5 plus tons of posters and hey... bacon flavored salt. Fuck yeah.
I do agree (somewhat) with the OP on the crowds and lines. PAX is not using the 6th floor of the conference center where the really big rooms are and the Raven, Wolfman, and Walrus theaters are WAY WAY too small for the audience. I don't mind lines here and there but we only made it to every 2nd talk because we were standing in lines for 45+ minutes and half the time got cut off anyway. PAX should move the talks & movies upstairs next year and it would be really nice if the enforcers, brave souls that they are, could walk the line and give people an idea of "hey, this room only hold 200 people and you're not gonna get in."
Drop-in PCs were good. A few more attendants would speed things up, I never saw more than two people doling out seats.
DS WiFi sucked, I gotta agree there. p2p games were fine but I couldn't use the DS browser unless I was standing under an access point.
As for the OP's comment about the "sumo sized girl", dude, shut the hell up. My VERY FAVORITE thing about PAX is the variety of people that attend. It's one of the few places this crowd seems to feel comfortable together, whether it's cosplay or B.O. or plus-sized gals or hairy-yet-balding 30-somethings like me, one of PAX's greatest attributes is the diversity of attendees.
I'm looking forward to '09, but please, please fix the lines.
Foo_Dog on
0
SpawnOfCthulhuAlso that Snifit guy.Gig Harbor, WARegistered Userregular
edited August 2008
They couldnt use the 6th floor due to a Transgender convention.
Also, BACON FLAVORED SALT?
WHERE?
Seriously, i seem to be getting alot of normal swag stuff.
I NEED BACON SALT.
I agree with kenpachisan on almost every point, and applaud him for putting his opinion out here. As a Seattle native and an attendee of the last 3 PAXis, I vote this one the worst.
The line to get in on Friday was a bit of ridiculous (we showed up at 2 and still had to wait an hour) and I've been to many conventions before, not just PAX. What this tells me is that there are a lot more people here than there were before and unfortunately they all seem to want to go to the same thing at the same time. It cannot be helped!
I didn't have any problems with the Enforcers, they do the best they can and they do great. However, one of the convention center employees almost snapped my head off for entering through the "wrong doorway", it went literally into the same room but was seperated by a stanchion. She made me leave and come back in the "correct doorway", and had some major attitude. It wasn't even busy! Psh lady, I don't want to go on your "Gender Odyssey" anyway.
No, it wasn't as crowded as PAX '06 (my experience being literally unable to move in a giant crowd and stuck next to a guy who apparently decided not to bathe that day), but it was crowded! I think the convention center IS the right venue; Seattle Center space is way too small for something like this.
I was personally disappointed with the DS wifi. I look forward to PAX as one of the few times a year I can actually play multiplayer games on my DS with other people, but alas, I could not find a single person to play anything with. I spent most of the time playing with my friends I came with, or playing solo games.
The swag really was disappointing compared to what we got last year, I'm not talking about booth swag either, I'm talking about the stuff that came in the bags they passed out to everybody. I had my hopes up for Magic cards... Oh well. Speaking of, I attended the Magic sealed deck tournament on Friday. The people running it seemed overworked and stressed, but overall that was fine.
The exhibition hall was a bit overwhelming for me, and I was a little saddened by lack of vendors, but I can't complain about free pac-man chocolate coins or strong bad pins. Some of the game demos were awesome! I can't wait for Rock Band 2, Iron Chef on DS was ridiculous and silly but I liked it, and Fallout 3 looks absolutely stunning, just to name a few. The panels I went to were all A+, my only complaint was the dork who was sitting behind me in the Penny Arcade Q&A who made stupid comments and jokes the entire time, that really killed the whole atmosphere.
I ended up leaving around 5pm and playing Cosmic Encounters with friends for the rest of the night and I had way more fun with them and this one board game than I had at PAX thus far.
So yes, I haven't really enjoyed PAX 08. In part due to the other attendees, in part due to things that can't be helped. I kept trying to convince myself that this was fun, but to me it really wasn't. It's to the point where I just don't think it's worth it for me anymore.
Enforcers Rock my socks. My fave Enforcer in Action was the female enforcer who did crowd control at the 3 Years of GW panel. Numerous announcements with just the right amount of menace in her voice. =P
SWEET.
Fave social Enforcers were the guy who took my pic with Felicia and Sandeep, and of course BYOC Enforcers Dave, Snax, and Silver Corona.
Fave volunteer was Dirge at the PA Booth, who put up with like 40 minutes of my supreme indecision with total grace and kindness....while also helping a shit ton of other people.
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Enforcers Rock my socks. My fave Enforcer in Action was the female enforcer who did crowd control at the 3 Years of GW panel. Numerous announcements with just the right amount of menace in her voice. =P
SWEET.
Fave social Enforcers were the guy who took my pic with Felicia and Sandeep, and of course BYOC Enforcers Dave, Snax, and Silver Corona.
Fave volunteer was Dirge at the PA Booth, who put up with like 40 minutes of my supreme indecision with total grace and kindness....while also helping a shit ton of other people.
I didn't catch her name, but the girl enforcing the door to the EndWar demonstration did a great job Friday, keeping the line updated on what was happening and what to expect.
I agree with kenpachisan on almost every point, and applaud him for putting his opinion out here. As a Seattle native and an attendee of the last 3 PAXis, I vote this one the worst.
The line to get in on Friday was a bit of ridiculous (we showed up at 2 and still had to wait an hour) and I've been to many conventions before, not just PAX. What this tells me is that there are a lot more people here than there were before and unfortunately they all seem to want to go to the same thing at the same time. It cannot be helped!
I didn't have any problems with the Enforcers, they do the best they can and they do great. However, one of the convention center employees almost snapped my head off for entering through the "wrong doorway", it went literally into the same room but was seperated by a stanchion. She made me leave and come back in the "correct doorway", and had some major attitude. It wasn't even busy! Psh lady, I don't want to go on your "Gender Odyssey" anyway.
No, it wasn't as crowded as PAX '06 (my experience being literally unable to move in a giant crowd and stuck next to a guy who apparently decided not to bathe that day), but it was crowded! I think the convention center IS the right venue; Seattle Center space is way too small for something like this.
I was personally disappointed with the DS wifi. I look forward to PAX as one of the few times a year I can actually play multiplayer games on my DS with other people, but alas, I could not find a single person to play anything with. I spent most of the time playing with my friends I came with, or playing solo games.
The swag really was disappointing compared to what we got last year, I'm not talking about booth swag either, I'm talking about the stuff that came in the bags they passed out to everybody. I had my hopes up for Magic cards... Oh well. Speaking of, I attended the Magic sealed deck tournament on Friday. The people running it seemed overworked and stressed, but overall that was fine.
The exhibition hall was a bit overwhelming for me, and I was a little saddened by lack of vendors, but I can't complain about free pac-man chocolate coins or strong bad pins. Some of the game demos were awesome! I can't wait for Rock Band 2, Iron Chef on DS was ridiculous and silly but I liked it, and Fallout 3 looks absolutely stunning, just to name a few. The panels I went to were all A+, my only complaint was the dork who was sitting behind me in the Penny Arcade Q&A who made stupid comments and jokes the entire time, that really killed the whole atmosphere.
I ended up leaving around 5pm and playing Cosmic Encounters with friends for the rest of the night and I had way more fun with them and this one board game than I had at PAX thus far.
So yes, I haven't really enjoyed PAX 08. In part due to the other attendees, in part due to things that can't be helped. I kept trying to convince myself that this was fun, but to me it really wasn't. It's to the point where I just don't think it's worth it for me anymore.
See kenpachisan? This person made a lot of the same points as you without all that "Major League Douchebag" getting in the way.
Seriously you come onto the official forum for the event and whine about it, then get pissy when someone has the absurdity to DARE ever disagree with you. At the end of the day, you didn't like the event, and maybe it just plain isn't the type of thing for you. My brother is the same way, he's been a gamer just as long as I have, hardcore to the bone about it. But he'll never come to an event like this simply because it doesn't interest him.
In summary, you are a troll... and probably look like one too.
If the convention center is the biggest place possible, then there is no choice but to put a cap on attendance. The expo sucks when it's stuffed like that. big time.
I'd just like to point out that PAX WAS NOT using all the space availible at WSCTC. The space was beeing shared with another con (lol gender oddesey). Next year it is likely that PAX will have all the space availible in the WSCTC. This should help with some of the issues that came up this year.
To the OP I liked to say that I am sorry you had a bad experience. As someone that volunteers his time as an enforcer I can say we try hard to provide an experience that everyone will enjoy. Sometimes we drop the ball and for that I am sorry. I hope you will consider giving us a chance next year.
I'm gonna have to agree with the bit about the DS multiplayer. I don't know what was up but even in the handheld lounges I couldn't get a single game going. Most of the people in the lounges were just sleeping or chatting or using a laptop, only about 1/4 were actually on a handheld.
I opened a match in Mario Kart (four times), a band in Daigasso, and a duel in Ouendan, and waited at least twenty minutes for each, and nothing at all. Even pictochat was almost empty. I was shocked.
And the lines were a bitch too. I mean, I know lines are unavoidable and I don't really mind them, but they were EVERYWHERE. There was literally nothing to do that you could just walk up to and pick up, save for some of the smaller things or during popular things like the concerts. I ended up just playing my DS the whole time, and trying to find people to play with, but as I mentioned I couldn't get anybody at all and ended up just playing N+ by myself. It's fun, sure, but there's thousands of people around me and probably most of them have a DS; why can't anybody get a game going?
Speaking of the concerts, they were incredible. The OneUps absolutely blew me away, and JoCo...well, he's JoCo. He's awesome by default. I didn't go to Saturday's concerts cause I wanted to watch the Wizard, which I didn't get to see anyway because they scratched the disc. I saw Tron instead, which was funny, since the audience made it into a sort of video-game-themed MST3K episode. But I wanted the Wizard, dammit!
The highlight of the show for me was the NWCGE classic freeplay room. I went back there at least four times saturday alone. Punch-Out, Mega Man, NiGHTS, Battletoads (which didn't go so well), and a Warlords tournament which I got third in (it was the first 2600 game I've ever played so it's a bit exciting).
One last thing, that Assassins game was next to impossible because of the crowds. I couldn't see most people's badges anyway, and even if I did, trying to find one of four people out of fifty thousand is a ridiculous long shot IMO. Nobody's killed me yet, and I haven't gotten a kill either.
This year definitely feels like the Meydenbauer Center back in '06 (except I'm not getting hit with sumo bags from two stories up). It's very crowded compared to last year and it felt very offputting to me. There was barely any room to sit in the lounges so I could just play with my DS. I think I'll make one more stop by tomorrow to get some autographs and see the exhibition hall, but that's all.
I wasn't feeling it much on Friday, but today (yesterday/Saturday) completely made up for it despite arriving at about 3:00 PM. There was something much more personal and respectful about the crowd today. Also, Far Cry 2 = legendary.
I think it really got rolling for me when the Friday night concerts started.
By the way, I don't know about the other games but there was Mario Kart everywhere. The real problem I encountered was the transfer rate on the wireless network. It took about 15 minutes to start a DL game of DKR, and about as long to get into the forums. We may have used all the channels, especially since I think we overloaded the phone cell at one point, but in the line room I swear lag got worse when they tested the main theater sound system. EMI anyone?
Oh, and where was the guy who ran the classic game room last year? HE WAS AWESOME.
The lines are horrid, I know, but that's simply unavoidable. A convention such as this is targetted to a very specific group of people. Chances are, others will want to do the same things you want to do. The only thing that really disappointed me was not being able to enter the Fallout 3 Theatre. There wasn't much swag today either but I really don't care about swag...
On top of this, we're sort of working under a rough estimation of what we believe attendance should be, but seeing as how PAX has been growing exponentially every year ever since 2004, it's very hard to just clap your hands and say 'this many people will show up.' 2004 had roughly 3000 people, and... I think 40 Enforcers? Total?
Until PAX's attendance levels out and we start to have a steady amount of people showing up, then we're going to keep matching demand as best we can, but yeah. If demand exceeds expectations, then we're working our butts off to keep up with everyone, but sometimes, the lines just have to happen.
Jaiden on
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I really do understand some of the complaints about PAX this year, especially on the crowds. However, you have to keep in mind despite the fact that Penny Arcade doubled the expo space, doubled the console freeplay space, opened up 2 more theaters, and even reserved a whole building for Tabletop, we're still overcrowded. Why? Because PAX rokks my sokks, and apparently everyone elses too, and has continuted to double in attendence every year since launch!
Imagine you were running a convention like this. Going from 3000 to 6000... no big deal right? 6000 people probably attended this years keynote speech with Ken Lavine. Now go from handling 30000 to over 60000... uhh just a little bit of difference there? You can only prepare for so much.
There are crowds this year... no question. At one point the line for Will Call tickets was almost around the building on friday. Left 4 Dead is an awesome game and obviously comes with long waits. The theaters are fairly small and with twice as many people this year, there are going to be people turned away at the door. Trust me, Gabe and Tycho weren't thinking, "You know, it would be so funny this year to make attendees suffer by standing in lines for hours and getting turned away from a panel they really wanted to see". When your convention is growing at an exponential rate there's only so much you can do to prepare for it.
And on top of that when you have more people, you automatically statistically have more assholes. I'm sure people are dealing with more dicks than they have in past years of pax this year. If you have say 5 annoying fucks for ever 1000 attendants, then when you have 60000 you're going to have a lot more. That just the way things work.
Personally, I come to PAX for the community. I'm all about meeting new people, talking nerd talk and bonding on a level that you can rarely fine with the normal people back home. We're gamers and no matter who you are, how long you're waiting in line, here at PAX we have the most amazing community of almost any convention in the world. Enjoy it while the weekend lasts! After all it only comes once a year.... for now ;-)
I *totally* agree with Accalon. I could play games or watch demos at home, but I came to PAX for the community.
If you can't be bothered to wait in a line, go to the Annex, grab some strangers, and start up an awesome game. There's so much space over there - it's awesome! And open so late (THANK YOU, PAX!!!). The Annex is genius, and I have to say my friends and I have been skipping concerts even to hang out there.
Another tip: kill time in lines by starting up conversations and games with people. Even an old school card game can be tons of fun. I've been chatting with people from all over the world (really) and playing some really fun games. Time flies in line when you're chilling with a posse. You have to be extroverted a bit and open to striking up conversations with the person next to you!
And lastly, yes, lines suck, but that's just part of dealing with popular events. Sadly, even Mike and Jerry can't defeat the laws of Newtonian physics. You can't adjust the limitations of time or space - but you CAN adjust your attitude. Play games, and only go get in lines for things you really want to see, and remember it's about the experience of doing this with the people around you. Sometimes, even with lines, the journey's as fun as the destination. Heck, people camp out for opening-day movies despite that they could see the movie the next day walking straight in, because they want the experience of being die hard and kicking it with the other die hard fans. If this doesn't appeal to you, maybe your not that type of "die hard" fan, and that's fine - but realize this event is for those people.
If you want to just walk up to a counter and get a friggin tshirt and then play some video games, heck, walk over to Westlake Center, go to the bottom level, spend $15 in Hot Topic for a tshirt and 5 minutes in the game store next door playing some demos - you'll save annoying yourself and probably some cash. Me and my friends, we are having an absolute BLAST at this year's PAX, and many have remarked it's even better this year than last, despite the longer lines.
CaptainTapoleAwesome in the Possum - Yee-Haw!Northern CaliforniaRegistered Userregular
edited August 2008
I see everyone's points and I agree with all to extent.
Now, the Capitalist in me is basically me yelling at me to post this.
When it comes to the "free" swag, it boils down to one thing. Recession. HATE to get all economical on ya'll but, did you notice the serious littering of the ads (and sometimes the free stuff i.e. WoW demo disc in the bag) when you get in line in the morning? Thousands-upon-thousands of dollars were poured onto those ads and swag and the folks who don't care for them just throw them away (either by littering and/or in proper areas of disposing.)
And yes, I know some of you are gonna rebuttle stating "Well, they horde all their money and get greedy and make us purchase their stuff/games/whatever-the-frack."
La-de-dah-de-blah. Deal. Unfortunately, that is how America is. Remember what the movie Clue stated,
"Like other Americans, I am a Capitalist."
I am quite certain I'm gonna get dogged for this; don't worry kids, I am what I like to call Liberal-Capitalist. And my deepest apologies for going all political/economical for a moment.
CaptainTapole on
The Girl Who Gave Everyone the Shortest Jenga Game Ever.
Tapole makes a really good point here. It's unfortunate, too, because the higher-quality swag tends to be a more effective advertising tactic, but there's a lot of "quantity over quality" this year.
Thanks for pointing that out. I hadn't yet made the connection, hehe. It's easy to forget about recessions and such when there are bright pretty screens flashing electric awesome everywhere.
Ok, I haven't been to PAX yet (hopefully next year), but why do people go to wait in lines? Why don't they go to PAX to play games?
darren66 on
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I have beat Rygar on the NES and many of you have not.
Ok, I haven't been to PAX yet (hopefully next year), but why do people go to wait in lines? Why don't they go to PAX to play games?
People do go to play games. But when the number of people is greater than the number of available consoles/PCs, then there's going to be a line. Everyone gets an equal amount of time at their game of choice, but... yeah. There're lots of people here this year, and having enough consoles to prevent the lines around... oh, I think estimated turnstyle attendance was 60k this year? (I could be wrong, but..) Unfortunately, it's just a fact of a still rapidly growing expo.
Jaiden on
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I've been to every pax since the first one, and yes I can see where you're coming from.
Lines are longer, swags are fewer, and there's a lot more people. But hey, I think the organizers and enforcers were doing the best that they could, so I give them kudos for that. And don't forget that the enforcers are volunteering. They're not really getting paid to help you out when you need help. So you shouldn't really expect a lot from enforcers (no pun intended).
If I do have to make a complaint... it's the Walrus and Wolfman Theatres. Perhaps this is more of a personal thing, but the panels that I really really wanted to go to were in those theatres (game industry-related panels) and they are always full/out of seats. Especially the Wolfman theatre. And then I look at the Raven and Serpent Theatre and I think that they should've been switched over, at least during the hours of panels.
If I do have to make a complaint... it's the Walrus and Wolfman Theatres. Perhaps this is more of a personal thing, but the panels that I really really wanted to go to were in those theatres (game industry-related panels) and they are always full/out of seats. Especially the Wolfman theatre. And then I look at the Raven and Serpent Theatre and I think that they should've been switched over, at least during the hours of panels.
Personally I've always found the audio at those particular theatres, next to the escalator-types, as being really hard to hear. There are always a few things I want to see at those particular spots, but I can hardly ever hear the panels with the way the crowd moves next to it.
Otherwise, seems to work out just fine in the other areas.
Dyrwen66 on
Just an ancient PA person who doesn't leave the house much.
I've been to every PAX, and PAX is lines. At the first PAX, where there were only 3,000 people, the lines were long and numerous. Complaining about lines at PAX is like complaining about old people on a cruise ship.
Bring a handheld, or a book, or make friends with your neighbours in the line and you will have a good time. Think about how long you've been waiting, or how bored you are, and you will have a shitty time.
As for food, if you don't want to wait in line for a vendor then fucking go outside, walk 3 blocks down the street and go get a sub at Georgio's or something. You're in the middle of downtown Seattle, make use of it.
I've been to every PAX, and PAX is lines. At the first PAX, where there were only 3,000 people, the lines were long and numerous. Complaining about lines at PAX is like complaining about old people on a cruise ship.
Bring a handheld, or a book, or make friends with your neighbours in the line and you will have a good time. Think about how long you've been waiting, or how bored you are, and you will have a shitty time.
As for food, if you don't want to wait in line for a vendor then fucking go outside, walk 3 blocks down the street and go get a sub at Georgio's or something. You're in the middle of downtown Seattle, make use of it.
Agreed. I enjoyed the lines at PAX07. I made friends, we played Tetris, I gave them cookies. Sure, waiting in line sucks, but think about comparing it to going to an amusement park. You might wait in line for over an hour to ride a roller coaster for just a couple of minutes. It is what you make of it.
I totally agree with the OP of this thread. I hated this years PAX. it was my third pax and i went to 07 and 06. 06 was awesome, last year was beyond awesome. i enjoyed both immensley. but this year was just plain TERRIBLE. i HATED it.
okay, now the mirrors edge demo made my life 100% complete and it was fucking awesome. i paid 50 bucks for a mirrors edge demo and im not afraid to admit it. it made my money worth it.
however, other than that, the left4dead demo, the mega64 panel, and the code monkeys panel, this year SUCKED. terribly. here were my problems:
1. OVERCROWDED, OVERCROWDED, OVERCROWDED! i have never been in a place that crowded in my life. it made the streets of NYC seem like an empty football stadium. you have to literally push people out of your way, and when you don't, they push you. it was the most ridiculous thing ever.
2. the LINES. look, i had no problem waiting, but sweet jesus this was a problem. the fallout 3 booth was a joke. they needed to set up a specific demo to let people try out the gameplay mechanics, maybe in a building that has a lot of enemies or something, not in the actual gameworld itself! people spent 20 min. MINIMUM EACH on that demo. it was ridiculous. and dont get me started on the crowd that gathered around mirrors edge. it was a CROWD, not even a real line. god it was terrible. yes i can play my ds in line oh what fun something i can just do at home without half a million ugly nerds and the terrible BO air surrounding me. i remember i made a deal with the guy playing in front of me after i waited a half hour that he would give me the controller. he did, but the second, literally, the SECOND he gave me it the godamn media shows up and literally takes it out of my hand like they're the supreme ruler of the universe. i was in shock at how rude the media was. and the guy heading the exhibit couldn't do anything but give them the run through or else they would have given him a bad writeup.
3. which brings me to my next point. THE MEDIA. i hated those assholes. they cut in front of you without even saying sorry and they waste all their time. IS E3 NOT ENOUGH FOR YOU YOU LUCKY ASSHOLES???
4. the swag was shit. i wont even dive into details but when the best item of swag you get is a comic book on a shitty FPS you dont care about then you have a problem. i MISS MISS MISS last years and the year before thats pax. they gave you TSHIRTS!!! it was the BEST. i would wear those t shirts throughout the entire school year. this year you had to "win" them. screw that and screw you. ohhh i got this cool brochures from that booth great swag this year guys. dam...
5. the intel booth was a JOKE. what a WASTE of space. seriously, wow. gh3, crysis, lost planet. HARDCORE GUYS! GAMES THAT HAVE BEEN OUT FOR CENTURIES! im here to play new games not waste my time on shit from last year that i can play at home. i didnt pay 50 bucks for that.
6. oh god. the sega booth.
overall it just wasn't fun. i had a REALLY good time at last years and 06 pax but this sucked. more problems were there, like the terrible layout and the lame PG booth (compared to the epicness of 07's and 06's) and other issues.
i loved playing mirrors edge, left 4 dead, skate it, shaun white for wii, animal crossing, warioland shake it, destroy all humans, lego batman and fable II. i would have liked to try rock band and gh but the lines were like what the lines would look like if star wars VII was playing at grahmans. the mega64 panel and the code monkeys panels were tight, all the others sucked. overall i got my 50 bucks worth, but compared to how much fun i had last year and the year before that, god it was shit.
i went to friday and saturday, and didn't go sunday because it was just so damn lame. RIP pax u will be missed
Posts
You can't just walk up to a booth and expect to be showered with golden idols and signed posters.
You just have to be in the right place, at the right time and actually talk to people.
I got my Resistance 2 shirt and hat just by talking with a guy at the sony booth for like 5 minutes.
I didn't have to wait in line or anything.
Also, "Hey fatso, can I have a fucking t-shirt?" isn't the best way to get free stuff.
Just ask what they're promoting, and if needed, do the trivia/contest/dance they make you do. I got a 1-up shirt simply for putting a tatoo on my face, which I promptly scrubbed off in the bathroom.
Ummm no, actually I enjoyed a full day of playing all kinds of demos and getting cool free shit because I'm not a kicking and screaming panty-wearer like you are. Maybe you didn't get cool shit because you exude a cock-gurgler attitude.
I'm sorry Gabe and Tycho didn't pave a solid gold pathway solely for you to enter PAX and be able to play whatever game you wanted at your every wim. I'm sorry the Enforcers didn't wipe your obviously over-pampered ass every time you touched cotton. I'm sorry the Exhibitors can pick up on the fact that you're a whiny, suck-at-gaming fanboy and didn't feel like giving you the goods.
Just face it, you lose....try gardening, just not bonsai. I hear you have to wait and have a lot of patience for those.
I got a pretty nice guitar hero shirt too
that fallout 3 book is fucking awesome
I don't know what you want, but it turns out you're not the only person in the world. Sorry if this comes as a shock.
Did you get it from defeating that insanely hot chick dressed as Judy Nails?
And, importantly, is she any good?
I played on beginner, which is terrible. you just strum. I'm not great at guitar hero but a monkey could do that.
but it was pretty fun
So why are you flaming me? I didnt attack you on here. You were complaining about fire code and stuff but PAX didnt violate any type of firecode. The convention center stoped people from going into rooms before they reached max capicity.
You kinda make your own expereince in these things.
I personally didnt really care about expo. I went in there a couple times to look around but didnt care much about it, just becuase I read about all the games there online all the time.
I go to these things to meet new people and make more friends with like minded peoples and play games with them. So... yeah.
Wrong :P Khoo reads these things all the time, espically after pax in sugguestion threads and such. Plus a few of us enforcers read them and pass along good ideas and sugguestions on how to improve things.
It's still a convention. There is no other place in Seattle that it could be held at that would accomodate PAX as well. I went into PAX expecting lines to all the panels and booths I wanted to visit. I went into PAX expecting to be surround by a lot of people.
I got all I expected, but because I was prepared for the types of lines that were there, I made a good time of it. So, I have very little to bitch and moan about because I had a great time. If you didn't have a good time, that sucks for you. *shrug* Don't come next year because it's probably going to be bigger and the space will be largely unchanged.
Late on this, but honestly, after the horribleness that was PAX06, this year honestly doesn't seem that bad. It's definately more crowded than last year was, but we're still not packed in like fucking sardines (literally) like the last year at the old venue.
Grow the fuck up.
Speaking of, I wanted to pass on my thanks. There have been some growing pains over the years, but last year and this year, the enforcers have pretty much nailed it.
If you are still at PAX (or will be on sunday) come to the BYOC desk. Ill hook you up with a tshirt :P
They did a great job, I can only imagine trying to contain about 50,000 people.
They were always busy doing something, but one of them (Damn, forgot his name) had a pretty cool chat with me about Halo
Awesome, I appreciate it. Where's the BYOC desk anyway? Just so I don't have to go hunting around.
I do agree (somewhat) with the OP on the crowds and lines. PAX is not using the 6th floor of the conference center where the really big rooms are and the Raven, Wolfman, and Walrus theaters are WAY WAY too small for the audience. I don't mind lines here and there but we only made it to every 2nd talk because we were standing in lines for 45+ minutes and half the time got cut off anyway. PAX should move the talks & movies upstairs next year and it would be really nice if the enforcers, brave souls that they are, could walk the line and give people an idea of "hey, this room only hold 200 people and you're not gonna get in."
Drop-in PCs were good. A few more attendants would speed things up, I never saw more than two people doling out seats.
DS WiFi sucked, I gotta agree there. p2p games were fine but I couldn't use the DS browser unless I was standing under an access point.
As for the OP's comment about the "sumo sized girl", dude, shut the hell up. My VERY FAVORITE thing about PAX is the variety of people that attend. It's one of the few places this crowd seems to feel comfortable together, whether it's cosplay or B.O. or plus-sized gals or hairy-yet-balding 30-somethings like me, one of PAX's greatest attributes is the diversity of attendees.
I'm looking forward to '09, but please, please fix the lines.
Also, BACON FLAVORED SALT?
WHERE?
Seriously, i seem to be getting alot of normal swag stuff.
I NEED BACON SALT.
The line to get in on Friday was a bit of ridiculous (we showed up at 2 and still had to wait an hour) and I've been to many conventions before, not just PAX. What this tells me is that there are a lot more people here than there were before and unfortunately they all seem to want to go to the same thing at the same time. It cannot be helped!
I didn't have any problems with the Enforcers, they do the best they can and they do great. However, one of the convention center employees almost snapped my head off for entering through the "wrong doorway", it went literally into the same room but was seperated by a stanchion. She made me leave and come back in the "correct doorway", and had some major attitude. It wasn't even busy! Psh lady, I don't want to go on your "Gender Odyssey" anyway.
No, it wasn't as crowded as PAX '06 (my experience being literally unable to move in a giant crowd and stuck next to a guy who apparently decided not to bathe that day), but it was crowded! I think the convention center IS the right venue; Seattle Center space is way too small for something like this.
I was personally disappointed with the DS wifi. I look forward to PAX as one of the few times a year I can actually play multiplayer games on my DS with other people, but alas, I could not find a single person to play anything with. I spent most of the time playing with my friends I came with, or playing solo games.
The swag really was disappointing compared to what we got last year, I'm not talking about booth swag either, I'm talking about the stuff that came in the bags they passed out to everybody. I had my hopes up for Magic cards... Oh well. Speaking of, I attended the Magic sealed deck tournament on Friday. The people running it seemed overworked and stressed, but overall that was fine.
The exhibition hall was a bit overwhelming for me, and I was a little saddened by lack of vendors, but I can't complain about free pac-man chocolate coins or strong bad pins. Some of the game demos were awesome! I can't wait for Rock Band 2, Iron Chef on DS was ridiculous and silly but I liked it, and Fallout 3 looks absolutely stunning, just to name a few. The panels I went to were all A+, my only complaint was the dork who was sitting behind me in the Penny Arcade Q&A who made stupid comments and jokes the entire time, that really killed the whole atmosphere.
I ended up leaving around 5pm and playing Cosmic Encounters with friends for the rest of the night and I had way more fun with them and this one board game than I had at PAX thus far.
So yes, I haven't really enjoyed PAX 08. In part due to the other attendees, in part due to things that can't be helped. I kept trying to convince myself that this was fun, but to me it really wasn't. It's to the point where I just don't think it's worth it for me anymore.
SWEET.
Fave social Enforcers were the guy who took my pic with Felicia and Sandeep, and of course BYOC Enforcers Dave, Snax, and Silver Corona.
Fave volunteer was Dirge at the PA Booth, who put up with like 40 minutes of my supreme indecision with total grace and kindness....while also helping a shit ton of other people.
[15:02] Tajah: I like you BR but I'm not letting you nom my box
[15:02] BigRed-Worky: Did I mention I hate you all? cause i do
PAX Twitter Shitter~*~ Retired Bar Liaison: 2nd, 3rd, & 4th Annual Triwizard Drinking Tournament~*~
I didn't catch her name, but the girl enforcing the door to the EndWar demonstration did a great job Friday, keeping the line updated on what was happening and what to expect.
See kenpachisan? This person made a lot of the same points as you without all that "Major League Douchebag" getting in the way.
Seriously you come onto the official forum for the event and whine about it, then get pissy when someone has the absurdity to DARE ever disagree with you. At the end of the day, you didn't like the event, and maybe it just plain isn't the type of thing for you. My brother is the same way, he's been a gamer just as long as I have, hardcore to the bone about it. But he'll never come to an event like this simply because it doesn't interest him.
In summary, you are a troll... and probably look like one too.
I opened a match in Mario Kart (four times), a band in Daigasso, and a duel in Ouendan, and waited at least twenty minutes for each, and nothing at all. Even pictochat was almost empty. I was shocked.
And the lines were a bitch too. I mean, I know lines are unavoidable and I don't really mind them, but they were EVERYWHERE. There was literally nothing to do that you could just walk up to and pick up, save for some of the smaller things or during popular things like the concerts. I ended up just playing my DS the whole time, and trying to find people to play with, but as I mentioned I couldn't get anybody at all and ended up just playing N+ by myself. It's fun, sure, but there's thousands of people around me and probably most of them have a DS; why can't anybody get a game going?
Speaking of the concerts, they were incredible. The OneUps absolutely blew me away, and JoCo...well, he's JoCo. He's awesome by default. I didn't go to Saturday's concerts cause I wanted to watch the Wizard, which I didn't get to see anyway because they scratched the disc. I saw Tron instead, which was funny, since the audience made it into a sort of video-game-themed MST3K episode. But I wanted the Wizard, dammit!
The highlight of the show for me was the NWCGE classic freeplay room. I went back there at least four times saturday alone. Punch-Out, Mega Man, NiGHTS, Battletoads (which didn't go so well), and a Warlords tournament which I got third in (it was the first 2600 game I've ever played so it's a bit exciting).
One last thing, that Assassins game was next to impossible because of the crowds. I couldn't see most people's badges anyway, and even if I did, trying to find one of four people out of fifty thousand is a ridiculous long shot IMO. Nobody's killed me yet, and I haven't gotten a kill either.
Violets are blue
お前はもう
死んでいる
I think it really got rolling for me when the Friday night concerts started.
By the way, I don't know about the other games but there was Mario Kart everywhere. The real problem I encountered was the transfer rate on the wireless network. It took about 15 minutes to start a DL game of DKR, and about as long to get into the forums. We may have used all the channels, especially since I think we overloaded the phone cell at one point, but in the line room I swear lag got worse when they tested the main theater sound system. EMI anyone?
Oh, and where was the guy who ran the classic game room last year? HE WAS AWESOME.
On top of this, we're sort of working under a rough estimation of what we believe attendance should be, but seeing as how PAX has been growing exponentially every year ever since 2004, it's very hard to just clap your hands and say 'this many people will show up.' 2004 had roughly 3000 people, and... I think 40 Enforcers? Total?
Until PAX's attendance levels out and we start to have a steady amount of people showing up, then we're going to keep matching demand as best we can, but yeah. If demand exceeds expectations, then we're working our butts off to keep up with everyone, but sometimes, the lines just have to happen.
[10:24] * @BigRed-Worky cums the water
[12:32] <+prox> lawl you kickbanned me so hard my client crashed
Imagine you were running a convention like this. Going from 3000 to 6000... no big deal right? 6000 people probably attended this years keynote speech with Ken Lavine. Now go from handling 30000 to over 60000... uhh just a little bit of difference there? You can only prepare for so much.
There are crowds this year... no question. At one point the line for Will Call tickets was almost around the building on friday. Left 4 Dead is an awesome game and obviously comes with long waits. The theaters are fairly small and with twice as many people this year, there are going to be people turned away at the door. Trust me, Gabe and Tycho weren't thinking, "You know, it would be so funny this year to make attendees suffer by standing in lines for hours and getting turned away from a panel they really wanted to see". When your convention is growing at an exponential rate there's only so much you can do to prepare for it.
And on top of that when you have more people, you automatically statistically have more assholes. I'm sure people are dealing with more dicks than they have in past years of pax this year. If you have say 5 annoying fucks for ever 1000 attendants, then when you have 60000 you're going to have a lot more. That just the way things work.
Personally, I come to PAX for the community. I'm all about meeting new people, talking nerd talk and bonding on a level that you can rarely fine with the normal people back home. We're gamers and no matter who you are, how long you're waiting in line, here at PAX we have the most amazing community of almost any convention in the world. Enjoy it while the weekend lasts! After all it only comes once a year.... for now ;-)
*Proud member of the Photoshop Heroes*
If you can't be bothered to wait in a line, go to the Annex, grab some strangers, and start up an awesome game. There's so much space over there - it's awesome! And open so late (THANK YOU, PAX!!!). The Annex is genius, and I have to say my friends and I have been skipping concerts even to hang out there.
Another tip: kill time in lines by starting up conversations and games with people. Even an old school card game can be tons of fun. I've been chatting with people from all over the world (really) and playing some really fun games. Time flies in line when you're chilling with a posse. You have to be extroverted a bit and open to striking up conversations with the person next to you!
And lastly, yes, lines suck, but that's just part of dealing with popular events. Sadly, even Mike and Jerry can't defeat the laws of Newtonian physics. You can't adjust the limitations of time or space - but you CAN adjust your attitude. Play games, and only go get in lines for things you really want to see, and remember it's about the experience of doing this with the people around you. Sometimes, even with lines, the journey's as fun as the destination. Heck, people camp out for opening-day movies despite that they could see the movie the next day walking straight in, because they want the experience of being die hard and kicking it with the other die hard fans. If this doesn't appeal to you, maybe your not that type of "die hard" fan, and that's fine - but realize this event is for those people.
If you want to just walk up to a counter and get a friggin tshirt and then play some video games, heck, walk over to Westlake Center, go to the bottom level, spend $15 in Hot Topic for a tshirt and 5 minutes in the game store next door playing some demos - you'll save annoying yourself and probably some cash. Me and my friends, we are having an absolute BLAST at this year's PAX, and many have remarked it's even better this year than last, despite the longer lines.
I SURVIVED THE PAX 2009 CON-SARS BREAKOUT!
But get over it.
It about the gaming community not so much about games.
Also its what you make of it.
Now, the Capitalist in me is basically me yelling at me to post this.
When it comes to the "free" swag, it boils down to one thing. Recession. HATE to get all economical on ya'll but, did you notice the serious littering of the ads (and sometimes the free stuff i.e. WoW demo disc in the bag) when you get in line in the morning? Thousands-upon-thousands of dollars were poured onto those ads and swag and the folks who don't care for them just throw them away (either by littering and/or in proper areas of disposing.)
And yes, I know some of you are gonna rebuttle stating "Well, they horde all their money and get greedy and make us purchase their stuff/games/whatever-the-frack."
La-de-dah-de-blah. Deal. Unfortunately, that is how America is. Remember what the movie Clue stated,
"Like other Americans, I am a Capitalist."
I am quite certain I'm gonna get dogged for this; don't worry kids, I am what I like to call Liberal-Capitalist. And my deepest apologies for going all political/economical for a moment.
Thanks for pointing that out. I hadn't yet made the connection, hehe. It's easy to forget about recessions and such when there are bright pretty screens flashing electric awesome everywhere.
Neo Geo Big Red owners club.
2009 PAX Puzzle Quest Champion
I have beat Rygar on the NES and many of you have not.
People do go to play games. But when the number of people is greater than the number of available consoles/PCs, then there's going to be a line. Everyone gets an equal amount of time at their game of choice, but... yeah. There're lots of people here this year, and having enough consoles to prevent the lines around... oh, I think estimated turnstyle attendance was 60k this year? (I could be wrong, but..) Unfortunately, it's just a fact of a still rapidly growing expo.
[10:24] * @BigRed-Worky cums the water
[12:32] <+prox> lawl you kickbanned me so hard my client crashed
Lines are longer, swags are fewer, and there's a lot more people. But hey, I think the organizers and enforcers were doing the best that they could, so I give them kudos for that. And don't forget that the enforcers are volunteering. They're not really getting paid to help you out when you need help. So you shouldn't really expect a lot from enforcers (no pun intended).
If I do have to make a complaint... it's the Walrus and Wolfman Theatres. Perhaps this is more of a personal thing, but the panels that I really really wanted to go to were in those theatres (game industry-related panels) and they are always full/out of seats. Especially the Wolfman theatre. And then I look at the Raven and Serpent Theatre and I think that they should've been switched over, at least during the hours of panels.
Personally I've always found the audio at those particular theatres, next to the escalator-types, as being really hard to hear. There are always a few things I want to see at those particular spots, but I can hardly ever hear the panels with the way the crowd moves next to it.
Otherwise, seems to work out just fine in the other areas.
Bring a handheld, or a book, or make friends with your neighbours in the line and you will have a good time. Think about how long you've been waiting, or how bored you are, and you will have a shitty time.
As for food, if you don't want to wait in line for a vendor then fucking go outside, walk 3 blocks down the street and go get a sub at Georgio's or something. You're in the middle of downtown Seattle, make use of it.
Agreed. I enjoyed the lines at PAX07. I made friends, we played Tetris, I gave them cookies. Sure, waiting in line sucks, but think about comparing it to going to an amusement park. You might wait in line for over an hour to ride a roller coaster for just a couple of minutes. It is what you make of it.
okay, now the mirrors edge demo made my life 100% complete and it was fucking awesome. i paid 50 bucks for a mirrors edge demo and im not afraid to admit it. it made my money worth it.
however, other than that, the left4dead demo, the mega64 panel, and the code monkeys panel, this year SUCKED. terribly. here were my problems:
1. OVERCROWDED, OVERCROWDED, OVERCROWDED! i have never been in a place that crowded in my life. it made the streets of NYC seem like an empty football stadium. you have to literally push people out of your way, and when you don't, they push you. it was the most ridiculous thing ever.
2. the LINES. look, i had no problem waiting, but sweet jesus this was a problem. the fallout 3 booth was a joke. they needed to set up a specific demo to let people try out the gameplay mechanics, maybe in a building that has a lot of enemies or something, not in the actual gameworld itself! people spent 20 min. MINIMUM EACH on that demo. it was ridiculous. and dont get me started on the crowd that gathered around mirrors edge. it was a CROWD, not even a real line. god it was terrible. yes i can play my ds in line oh what fun something i can just do at home without half a million ugly nerds and the terrible BO air surrounding me. i remember i made a deal with the guy playing in front of me after i waited a half hour that he would give me the controller. he did, but the second, literally, the SECOND he gave me it the godamn media shows up and literally takes it out of my hand like they're the supreme ruler of the universe. i was in shock at how rude the media was. and the guy heading the exhibit couldn't do anything but give them the run through or else they would have given him a bad writeup.
3. which brings me to my next point. THE MEDIA. i hated those assholes. they cut in front of you without even saying sorry and they waste all their time. IS E3 NOT ENOUGH FOR YOU YOU LUCKY ASSHOLES???
4. the swag was shit. i wont even dive into details but when the best item of swag you get is a comic book on a shitty FPS you dont care about then you have a problem. i MISS MISS MISS last years and the year before thats pax. they gave you TSHIRTS!!! it was the BEST. i would wear those t shirts throughout the entire school year. this year you had to "win" them. screw that and screw you. ohhh i got this cool brochures from that booth great swag this year guys. dam...
5. the intel booth was a JOKE. what a WASTE of space. seriously, wow. gh3, crysis, lost planet. HARDCORE GUYS! GAMES THAT HAVE BEEN OUT FOR CENTURIES! im here to play new games not waste my time on shit from last year that i can play at home. i didnt pay 50 bucks for that.
6. oh god. the sega booth.
overall it just wasn't fun. i had a REALLY good time at last years and 06 pax but this sucked. more problems were there, like the terrible layout and the lame PG booth (compared to the epicness of 07's and 06's) and other issues.
i loved playing mirrors edge, left 4 dead, skate it, shaun white for wii, animal crossing, warioland shake it, destroy all humans, lego batman and fable II. i would have liked to try rock band and gh but the lines were like what the lines would look like if star wars VII was playing at grahmans. the mega64 panel and the code monkeys panels were tight, all the others sucked. overall i got my 50 bucks worth, but compared to how much fun i had last year and the year before that, god it was shit.
i went to friday and saturday, and didn't go sunday because it was just so damn lame. RIP pax u will be missed