PAX Special Events and Stuff

Maladict · April 2007

So I'm thinking about going to PAX this year, but it's going to be a bit more expensive for me than for the average American (International flight included and all). I'm just wondering, on the previous Expos, what have been the most fun special events and things that PA or other companies have done? Stuff like special tournaments, give aways and other stuff? Is it likely that this year's PAX will be even bigger?

I just wanna see what makes it so special, and why a lot of you are going there again, maybe even for the fourth time. I'd really appreciate it

PikaPuff · April 2007

I don't know what to say. Moe_Fwacky did an amazing job explaining it all. http://forums.penny-arcade.com/showthread.php?t=15790

You can skip down to see what's said about tounaments and events and the like. I liked the Q&A's with Gabe and Tycho and I tried to go to every one available. The game expo was amazing and most of the companies had their own events. Technopress' "World's Smallest Dungeon" was fun. The Fury guy constantly yelling in a giant megaphone for us to play his game, that was fun. The Nvidia/ATI war was funny. We all got handed ATI lanyards when we entered PAX, but Nvidia's booth was giving out free stuff and a Nvidia lanyard if you gave them your ATI lanyard. Guild Wars had one of the most interesting ones, because they had quests all around the expo (they told me they designed it that way to encourage people to see all parts of the expo). One of the guild wars quests was how someone accidentally shot Kara's baby with a nerf dart. I'm sad I missed out on assassin's creed's event: They had an assassin game where you try to pull a sticker off other assassin players (stick was on their shoulder). I remember a crowd bunched up at the nvidia booth, and some guy ducking behind me and using me as cover as another assassin walked by, then jumping out to kill him. Fun stuff.

This year's pax will be bigger, and the game expo portion will start from the get go (as opposed to last year's starting on day 2 of 3). I didn't even have time for the console free play or any of the tournaments.

PikaPuff · April 2007

Another thread had this to say: http://www.themegalith.com/reviews/pax06/live_pax06.php

Relativiox · April 2007

Also remember that we're moving into a bigger venue this year, so there is gonna be a lot more cool stuff.

b0wser · April 2007

I think it depends on what your interests are, because there's so much going on during the weekend. I personally take the most enjoyment from the concerts. If you like video games, you can spend the entire weekend doing that; the same goes for tabletop stuff. If you enjoy partying with countless other nerds, there's plenty of opportunity for that as well. The panels span a variety of topics, so you can usually find one or two to check out. Most vendor booths have at least one free thing to dole out during the weekend, so if you patrol the Exhibition floor enough, you can fill a backpack with goodies.

And yeah, the WSCTC is fantastically larger than the Meydenbauer, so it's tough to say what sort of increases there will be-- aside from "more of everything".

ElectricTurtle · April 2007

Although I have been to every PAX and the first Necrowombicon (the underappreciated PAX predecessor), I'm a fairly eccentric person so my focus is probably different than most. For one, I have never gone to any of the concerts. I've never involved myself with watching or participating in any tournaments, with the exception of the last round of the Omegathon which only fools would dare miss. I consider the console freeplay room to be a leper colony, and the PC freeplay to be the BYOC's ugly and boring little sister who puts out way too much. (I kid, I kid, both are really great, I'm just not a console person and always BYOC.)

The primary reason I've gone to PAX has actually been for the panels. Any panel featuring G&T is naturally entertaining, but Pitch Your Game Idea is almost equally so. The other panels usually deal with issues facing the community or experience within the industry and can be quite engaging. (I'm actually moderating a panel this year on the hardware industry.) I guess I'm just really interested in the interaction between industry and community representatives with random consumers in an open forum.

Between panels my focus is the BYOC. Although my system has been too weaksauce the last couple years to get any real game on, I always still register for BYOC because it's such a great place to hang out. It's like a private club, complete with doormen (who are awesome BTW), where you know you always have a chair and a computer with your name on it. Don't count yourself out either if, as I expect, you can only bring a laptop with you, that's all I've had in `05 & `06. It's still a great place to leech those sweet, sweet files. I came away with like 200 gb last year.

In some ways, PAX really shines in the after hours efforts of PAX goers' afterparties. The Sealab party is quickly becoming the place to be, as well it should, for the communal booze runs free and girls have been known to make out with each other. Hot girls. Mmmmmm. There are parties all over the place though, and if you're lucky you might get a shot at the invitation-only second annual OMGWTFBBQ, wherein my fiance grills up some of the best meat in the state (acquired by a long and arduous expedition to rural Washington's famous Stewart's Meats of McKenna, in the land beyond Yelm).

Speaking of special events and my s/o, she also is the organizer of the Pre-PAX dinner, which is loosely associated with the nebulous Pre-PAX movie and/or flash mob invasion. This is a good excuse to come early enough to meet and greet random forum fruits at some local restaurant that has been overrun. 9 out of ten cross-country supertrippers agree, it's better than being stuck in the car for hours at a time rolling through the bland, featureless landscape of America's interior!

Ahem, really though, the true value of PAX comes from the attendees. You really have to go out of your way to meet people because the statistical possibility of those people being awesome is higher at PAX than any other time or place in the known universe.

Dondums · April 2007

This thread makes me all excited and giddy and other such things.
This year will be my first PAX, but hopefully not my last.
Now, the hard part is finding someone local to go with me, but I think I've found someone. I need -someone- to play Puzzle Quest with on the plane. >_>

BigRed · April 2007

ElectricTurtle wrote: »

between panels my focus is the BYOC. Although my system has been too weaksauce the last couple years to get any real game on, I always still register for BYOC because it's such a great place to hang out. It's like a private club, complete with doormen (who are awesome BTW), where you know you always have a chair and a computer with your name on it. Don't count yourself out either if, as I expect, you can only bring a laptop with you, that's all I've had in `05 & `06. It's still a great place to leech those sweet, sweet files. I came away with like 200 gb last year.

In some ways, PAX really shines in the after hours efforts of PAX goers' afterparties. The Sealab party is quickly becoming the place to be, as well it should, for the communal booze runs free and girls have been known to make out with each other. Hot girls. Mmmmmm. There are parties all over the place though, and if you're lucky you might get a shot at the invitation-only second annual OMGWTFBBQ, wherein my fiance grills up some of the best meat in the state (acquired by a long and arduous expedition to rural Washington's famous Stewart's Meats of McKenna, in the land beyond Yelm).

Speaking of special events and my s/o, she also is the organizer of the Pre-PAX dinner, which is loosely associated with the nebulous Pre-PAX movie and/or flash mob invasion. This is a good excuse to come early enough to meet and greet random forum fruits at some local restaurant that has been overrun. 9 out of ten cross-country supertrippers agree, it's better than being stuck in the car for hours at a time rolling through the bland, featureless landscape of America's interior!

*Feels loved*

(were you one of the guys that I gave access to my 4.5TB of l33t things?)

You should be epically excited for BYOC this year. It will be EPIC.

Also BigRed may be making an appearance at sealab... STAY TUNED.
*wonders if he can get invited to said omgwtfbbq shindig for being awesome* ;)

Bambooza · April 2007

It's like a private club, complete with doormen (who are awesome BTW)

I second that... Not only awesome but they make sure your stuff stays safe the whole time. So that makes them what... doormen, secret service... Not sure their eliteness can be defined.

But anyways back to the OP. This will be my fourth time at PAX having gone by myself the first time I have to say that the experience is always new. Be it sharing the experience with friends you bring along or making new friends at the event there is something for every gamer appetite. Even none gamers I have brought with me have enjoyed themselves. In truth there is way to much stuff going on to truly participate in it all and one weekend seems somehow way to small for such huge event.

For me personally PAX if it had to be defined is simply a party to celebrate gaming with a few thousand new found friends.

ElectricTurtle · April 2007

BigRed wrote: »

*Feels loved*

(were you one of the guys that I gave access to my 4.5TB of l33t things?)

You should be epically excited for BYOC this year. It will be EPIC.

Also Bob Dole may be making an appearance at sealab... STAY TUNED.
*wonders if he can get invited to said omgwtfbbq shindig for being awesome* ;)

Yes, I was one of those guys, but I received said access on the last day so I didn't have the chance to get more than a small fraction. I look forward to the epicacy.

Also you are invited to the bbq of omgwtf as my s/o is a worshiper of your mighty vibrating sound chair. Although she will probably expect you to reciprocate with access to said chair. (Goddamnit, if I knew years ago that such a chair was the key to so effectively attracting 'the ladies' I would have built the goddamn death star of such chairs.)

BigRed · April 2007

Maybe have an omgwtfbbqLanparty? Cause if I were to bring the chair id have to bring the computer and such as well. Since a computer is being brought...
You play supreme commander?

ElectricTurtle · April 2007

I was not suggesting you needed to bring the chair to the bbq, though your enthusiasm is appreciated. Who needs a LAN party when you have the BYOC? Srsly. She'll just have to find time to feel the chair's power at check-in table as always.

Supreme Commander is an emotional subject for me, as I have long held that its spiritual predecessor, Total Annihilation, is the best RTS ever. I watched the development of SupCom with unmitigated obsession. However, my computer is lameness incarnate, and I haven't had the budget to get a machine to do it justice yet (multi display support, I mean, fuck yes, but that requires a really good card). I plan on getting such a machine just before PAX, and SupCom will come with it.

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