Can we please split PAX into MMO and non-MMO versions?

ElektroDragon · August 2011

Seriously, most MMO players are mostly interested in MMOs, and the rest of us have no interest in MMOs. We need a regular PAX Prime and and PAX Prime MMO version, set a week apart. I'm sick and tired of half the games being MMOs.This would really help with the show size and the crowds, which are all getting out of control.

Fenrisknight · August 2011

I don't know that this is true. At least for me. I like MMO's but also FPS, strategy games, indie games, music games, rhythm...well everything! I feel that's the strength of pax, that we're so inclusive. Once you start segregating out groups of gamers, then the question becomes what next? Tabletop Pax? Cardgame Pax? Handheld Pax?

Nah, keep it all together I say. Maybe if it could be organized so more of the MMO's are together, that might be a solution, but I don't find this to be as terrible an issue as you make it out to be.

Eticket109 · August 2011

Um... I love MMOs and non-MMO games and checked out both at the show.

KaneBlaireau · August 2011

Seconding Fenris here. I am an on-and-off MMO player, but I play a TON of other games. As much as I'd love for things to not be so crowded, segregating groups of gamers is not the answer. I think having the two PAXes closer together MIGHT help to have less double dippers going to both shows. It really feels like that is the major issue to me...

GeeCee · August 2011

no, this is an absurd request.

ElektroDragon · August 2011

I don't think it's absurd. Really have no interest in MMOs. Perhaps a better idea is to segregate the expo hall a little so there is an MMO section and a non-MMO section.

GeeCee · August 2011

The video game industry is moving towards MMOs, and I don't think that it's a significant number of people that don't like MMOs. If you don't like the subscription aspect, there are plenty of free to play MMOs coming out all the time. If you don't like the social aspect of MMOs.. then why are you at PAX in the first place if you don't like people? :P

Angry Weasel · August 2011

I think that this year was just MMO heavy not necessarily a trend. Also, those that were showing MMOs had put a ton of money into booth space and booth quality.

tokyodove · August 2011

although your point has some merit, im pretty sure you're a tiny minority in that regard. PAX isn't going to cater specifically to you just because you're not a fan of MMO's. like fenris and kane said, most PAX gamers have a wide canvas of interests and hobbies, and PAX is designed to appeal to as many gamers as possible

Randomfool · August 2011

KaneBlaireau wrote:

Seconding Fenris here. I am an on-and-off MMO player, but I play a TON of other games. As much as I'd love for things to not be so crowded, segregating groups of gamers is not the answer. I think having the two PAXes closer together MIGHT help to have less double dippers going to both shows. It really feels like that is the major issue to me...

What's wrong with going to both? They're going to sell the same amount of tickets either way?

Drakmathus · August 2011

I kind of wish they had less focus on the Expo hall entirely, not just MMOs. It is usually just standing in line to hear some marketing that I can just as easily see on youtube a few days later. Playable Demos are always great and the 3d glasses/monitor and other hardware is interesting to see but for the most part the expo hall just takes up space that could be used for actually playing games. To control size I think they would need to split PAX up even more beyond East and Prime. You could probably run one in Texas, another in Chicago/Toronto and a third in London/Dublin. A big issue is that Mike and Jerry wouldn't be able to go to so many locations in a single year.

XStarseeker · August 2011

I don't think they should split the whole convention into MMO/ non MMO

However, what they could do, for instance, is put the MMOs & hardware people on the 4th floor, and the other games on the 6th floor, or vice versa, that way if you don't want to go see MMO stuff you can avoid it. I myself play all kinds of games, so I really don't want to see the convention split up.

mcdermott · August 2011

XStarseeker wrote:

I don't think they should split the whole convention into MMO/ non MMO

However, what they could do, for instance, is put the MMOs & hardware people on the 4th floor, and the other games on the 6th floor, or vice versa, that way if you don't want to go see MMO stuff you can avoid it. I myself play all kinds of games, so I really don't want to see the convention split up.

I think you underestimate how large "non-MMO" is, though. It'd be incredibly difficult to partition things off so that non-MMO players could avoid the MMO stuff (and crowds). Instead, the OP might consider that MMOs are popular, and games, and thus belong at PAX just as much as Call of Duty and Settlers of Catan.

Also, how would you even define MMO versus non-MMO? Is Firefall an MMO? Or a shooter? The whole thing is silly.

yabukasigi · August 2011

I hope this was a troll request. I mean really if you don't like the mmo's at pax then don't go to their booth.

NovaFlares · August 2011

i think there was just a large numbers of MMOs in development.

alegria · August 2011

XStarseeker wrote:

I don't think they should split the whole convention into MMO/ non MMO

However, what they could do, for instance, is put the MMOs & hardware people on the 4th floor, and the other games on the 6th floor, or vice versa, that way if you don't want to go see MMO stuff you can avoid it. I myself play all kinds of games, so I really don't want to see the convention split up.

Did you actually visit the 6th floor expo hall? There's no way you could put all "MMO" or "non-MMO" games up there, it's not big enough.

PAX is for games and gamers of all types. I strongly dislike first-person shooters, so I didn't stop at their booths - easy peasy. If you don't find enough things at PAX to hold your interest to the point that you want the things you don't like to not be there, perhaps PAX isn't the right event for you. Seriously, there are SO MANY things you can do at PAX that complaining that "$GAME I don't like shouldn't be there!" is just crazy. Go find something else to do instead.

KaneBlaireau · August 2011

Randomfool wrote:

KaneBlaireau wrote:

Seconding Fenris here. I am an on-and-off MMO player, but I play a TON of other games. As much as I'd love for things to not be so crowded, segregating groups of gamers is not the answer. I think having the two PAXes closer together MIGHT help to have less double dippers going to both shows. It really feels like that is the major issue to me...

What's wrong with going to both? They're going to sell the same amount of tickets either way?

Because not everyone can afford to travel cross country. It would help them from selling out of 3 day passes so quickly at the very least. I suppose they don't much care as long as they are sold. I know a LOT of Seattle locals who could not/did not go due to lack of tickets closer to the show.

alegria · August 2011

KaneBlaireau wrote:

Randomfool wrote:

KaneBlaireau wrote:

Seconding Fenris here. I am an on-and-off MMO player, but I play a TON of other games. As much as I'd love for things to not be so crowded, segregating groups of gamers is not the answer. I think having the two PAXes closer together MIGHT help to have less double dippers going to both shows. It really feels like that is the major issue to me...

What's wrong with going to both? They're going to sell the same amount of tickets either way?

Because not everyone can afford to travel cross country. It would help them from selling out of 3 day passes so quickly at the very least. I suppose they don't much care as long as they are sold. I know a LOT of Seattle locals who could not/did not go due to lack of tickets closer to the show.

PAX is popular, and it will sell out. Three-day passes sold out in three weeks, and all passes sold out in six weeks based on the dates of posts on the Prime PAXsite (04/15/11 tickets on sale, 05/06/11 3-days sold out, 05/31/11 all sold out). If anyone in a city as big as Seattle thinks they can get tickets to go to a big event "close to the show" they are deluded or just moved to said big city. If you want to go to something, you plan in advance...most of us learn that lesson early.

And why would the PA/PAX owners care if "Seattle locals could not go due to lack of tickets closer to the show"? They're not doing PAX to be altruistic and make everyone happy, they're doing it because it's a business at this point (just look at all the "monetizing" that occurred this year - stickers in the bathrooms, logos on the escalators, etc.). Yes, the fans are why PAX is so successful, but that does NOT mean that PA/PAX is now beholden to their fans and required to do silly things like release tickets in batches so people who don't pay attention "have a shot" later on.

Steel Fire · August 2011

If PAX were to exclude certain game types or separate them into different events then they would be doing it wrong. PAX was created for gamers of all types: PC, console, table top, card, board, on and on. What the op suggests is completely anti-PAX.

Additionally, I am sure there is a fine art to how the booths get placed and it has to do with size and needs. Big booths that need lighting and overhead rigging and need forklifts and manlifts for set-up/tear-down will always be center of fourth floor spaces. Smaller booths that don't need these things can go around the edges and sixth floor.

MrDoctorProfessor · August 2011

I cant believe this is even a discussion.

rnicoll · August 2011

I find it very hard to believe that the number of people who only come for MMOs or only for non-MMOs would make any significant impact on rate that tickets sell out at.

I also can't believe you're seriously suggesting MMO players only like MMOs (and for those who do, there's Blizzcon or similar).

rnicoll · August 2011

alegria wrote:

And why would the PA/PAX owners care if "Seattle locals could not go due to lack of tickets closer to the show"? They're not doing PAX to be altruistic and make everyone happy, they're doing it because it's a business at this point (just look at all the "monetizing" that occurred this year - stickers in the bathrooms, logos on the escalators, etc.). Yes, the fans are why PAX is so successful, but that does NOT mean that PA/PAX is now beholden to their fans and required to do silly things like release tickets in batches so people who don't pay attention "have a shot" later on.

Also, if they wanted to reduce pressure on the events, they could start PAX Mid-USA/PAX Canada/PAX Europe/PAX MyHouse, and capture a lot of people who will travel to the closest PAX once a year.

Red Raevyn · August 2011

Seriously, most FPS players are mostly interested in FPSs, and the rest of us have no interest in FPSs. We need a regular PAX Prime and and PAX Prime FPS version, set a week apart. I'm sick and tired of half the games being FPSs.This would really help with the show size and the crowds, which are all getting out of control.

What a narcissistic post. You're a silly goose.

I know a LOT of Seattle locals who could not/did not go due to lack of tickets closer to the show not buying tickets in advance.

If only they had told us it would sell out over and over in advance, as well as when they went on sale, as well as during the weeks it took to sell out! Oh... right. Fixed that post for you.

skylatron · August 2011

MrDoctorProfessor wrote:

I cant believe this is even a discussion.

This.

PAX is a convention for gamers. Both of your posts this year (ElektroDragon) have been the antithesis of the feeling of community, brethren, and belonging that most of us get from the convention.

TOGSolid · August 2011

Most FPS players only play FPSs?
Most MMO players only play MMOs?

...

Wut?

This entire topic is just kinda silly. PAX is for gamers of all types. MMOs, shooters, fighting games, tabletop, drinking (not officially though), etc.

If anything, the real discussion should be "is there anyway to prevent another Firefall-style media bombing." I want them to succeed at what they want to do (as I do with basically any game), but that shit was absolutely ridiculous.

Arco · August 2011

This is kind of the dumbest idea ever, and I'm not usually that mean. There are so many reasons why we can't have two PAX events a week apart that I won't go into listing them, and the idea that there are "MMO gamers" and "other gamers" who don't overlap is not how the world actually is.

Melcene · August 2011

ElektroDragon wrote:

Seriously, most MMO players are mostly interested in MMOs, and the rest of us have no interest in MMOs. We need a regular PAX Prime and and PAX Prime MMO version, set a week apart. I'm sick and tired of half the games being MMOs.This would really help with the show size and the crowds, which are all getting out of control.

I am a GAMER. My gaming interests run the whole gambit, including MMOs and Non-MMOs. I've played WK40k and WoW:TCG. I play on PC and console. Why split gamers up? What, should PC Gamers, console gamers, and tabletop gamers all have their own conventions now?

KaneBlaireau wrote:

Because not everyone can afford to travel cross country. It would help them from selling out of 3 day passes so quickly at the very least. I suppose they don't much care as long as they are sold. I know a LOT of Seattle locals who could not/did not go due to lack of tickets closer to the show.

This is silly too. I am a local. I KNEW to get my passes early. You can't just assume because you're a local, you can wait till the last minute and expect to get in. Sure, last year I got lucky and was able to get a one day pass in July, but because of that, I knew to be on the badge sales quick this year. If someone's a local gamer, and they've heard of PAX, they've heard about how big and crowded it is. They should have looked into it sooner.

TOGSolid wrote:

Most FPS players only play FPSs?
Most MMO players only play MMOs?

...

Wut?

This entire topic is just kinda silly. PAX is for gamers of all types. MMOs, shooters, fighting games, tabletop, drinking (not officially though), etc.

If anything, the real discussion should be "is there anyway to prevent another Firefall-style media bombing." I want them to succeed at what they want to do (as I do with basically any game), but that shit was absolutely ridiculous.

This. Completely. I can't fault them if they spent the money for all the floor space, but Firefall took up so much floor space, I was just astounded.

TOGSolid · August 2011

Wait wait wait, what if we have one PAX that's two weeks long!

I'm a genius!

*runs before Khoo smacks the shit out of him*

Tube · August 2011

Thank you for your absurd suggestion, it will be filed accordingly.

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