This was my first PAX, so I mostly wanted to share how great an experience it was.
Pros
1. Crowd flow was fairly good. Much better than NYCC, for instance, which is usually a miserable sea of people. The "No Cosplay Pictures in the aisles" rule was great.
2. Loved all of the new game designers and developers demoing and selling stuff. I bought like a dozen new board games.
3. I got to play in the Overwatch tournament on the main stage, and it was incredible! I also thoroughly enjoyed watching the For The Watch exhibition match and the other tournament matches.
4. The food trucks were awesome and convenient
5. I was happy to throw money at the merch booth.
6. I enjoyed the panels I went to (Jonathan Blow's keynote, PA Q&A, Make a Strip, Thornwatch, Writing for Games) and there were even more I would have attended if they had not been overlapping.
7. I didn't end up doing much freeplay because I wanted to soak in as much of the expo as I could, but it was so cool that it was available, especially in comparison again to NYCC where I felt like there was nothing to do once I saw the hall
8. I knew nothing about the bands, but I still thoroughly enjoyed both Paul and Storm and the Doubleclicks. I would have stayed for VGO if I hadn't been so tired from 13 hours of PAX beforehand.
9. Fogo de Chao
10. I thought the quick and effective response to the entrance lines (setting up barrier queues) was impressive. In my head I imagined Khoo's Lord Vetinari-like mastery.
Improvements
1. Crowd flow could be even better, I think. I have never run anything like PAX, so I doubt my suggestions have much validity, but a couple ideas:
Make directed lanes with tape in each of the aisles to encourage people to walk on the right
Make (and strictly enforce) boundaries for the booths so people don't end up standing in the aisles and blocking traffic. This is probably the #1 thing I saw holding up flow. In fact, the aisles wouldn't even need to be that wide if they were always 100% used for moving traffic. The problem is that there would sometimes be bottlenecks where there was only a single-person-wide spot for moving traffic and the rest of the aisle or intersection was standing and watching something.
The aisles around the edges of the expo were probably the most congested. I think they were slightly narrower. I think I'd probably be ok with this if it's a tradeoff for the huge main aisles, which were wonderful.
2. I think the Merch line could use some more staff to keep things moving.
3. I'd love if there were more para-convention stuff, like afterparties and nearby events. Basically just further expanding the convention!
4. I also was hoping to see a live-created strip rather than a premade. I totally get if Mike and Jerry don't want to do that, but perhaps then the labeling could change slightly ("PA drawn live" as opposed to "make a strip"). It was still a very entertaining panel!
5. It surprises me that there's not already some kind of app or online system to manage reservations for demos rather than hours-long lines. Not that it would be easy to create or manage, but I think any steps in this direction would be useful, especially if there was a unified PAX system to do so for all exhibitors. (Note: I realize there are inherent problems to such a system, such as no-shows, but there are also solutions, such as having hard deadlines or you lose your spot. Again, I don't think it's an easy system, but I think the benefits would be huge.)
6. I wish it was in NY instead of Boston : P
7. I had to get my badges off stubhub. I was lucky to get a not-exorbitant price, but I still wonder if there are better solutions. Honestly, raising the price might just be the way to go, because otherwise scalpers are capturing the remainder of the value of the badge rather than PAX itself. I'd also love some kind of bound-to-an-individual photo id system, but I know there are no easy solutions there either.
This was my first PAX, so I mostly wanted to share how great an experience it was.
7. I had to get my badges off stubhub. I was lucky to get a not-exorbitant price, but I still wonder if there are better solutions. Honestly, raising the price might just be the way to go, because otherwise scalpers are capturing the remainder of the value of the badge rather than PAX itself. I'd also love some kind of bound-to-an-individual photo id system, but I know there are no easy solutions there either.
I agree with this last part the most, it is nearly impossible to get tickets without having to go though the scalpers. I have been unable to attend the past few years because I refuse to pay scalpers.
I missed 2015 but made it this year. I enjoyed the experience overall. The only things I took issue with were nothing on Penny Arcade (sorry... the Monster Hunter demo was not managed well at all). I had gone the 4 years prior to 2015 and will say this was the first year I felt I was able to enjoy it the most. I think it was because of the placement of the panels. The ones I wanted to go to weren't all stacked up on the same day.
That isn't saying much though as that could change for next year.
Oh and the bag check line. It was atrocious on Friday in the early morning. Setting up the "gates maze" for Saturday and Sunday helped greatly. That was amazing thinking and who ever came up with it deserves all the cookies.
jddyslexia
Per your question about the expo hall the companies have employees working their booths so it's 10-6 which is an 8 hour day not counting any setup or cleanup. It's been this way for years would be very surprised to see it change.
For many expo employees, it's actually more like 8-8. Either way, closing down at 10 would add to an already incredibly exhausting weekend for folks who work in expo.
My sixth year going and it really is interesting seeing how the show has evolved. That said, it can always get better, so I'll indulge in some nitpicking. I realize a number of these issues may be more with exhibitors, the BCEC itself, and other outside companies, but hopefully enough of these are actionable by PAX staff to improve future PAX Easts:
Badge Sale - I've got no complaint with the mystery sale time or quickly selling out (PAX is popular!), but after going to San Diego Comic-Con I wish PAX had a similar system where instead of directly offering a 3-day badge, only single days were offered with the option to bundle into a single badge if you have all the days selected. Having people pay more just to juggle three badges seems silly and preventable, plus it should help with the anxiety of people rushing to buy three-days given Saturdays lasted quite a bit longer as memory serves.
Hotels - Two things: having the Westin not be selectable initially made getting the close hotels as painful as ever even with the Aloft and Element around, and I wish a system was in place that protected your room selection when checking out. Lost a Seaport reservation initially because I didn't enter payment info fast enough; that wasted time meant I had then missed out on all nearby hotels and thus had to try for months to improve my room just because I had the audacity to go for the best option available. Again, seems silly and preventable, even if it is still a race.
Entering the BCEC - Apologies were already provided for the mess Friday morning, so I won't go into that. My problem is that it still wasn't clear where exactly to line up even post-barricade, as signs weren't really designed for that solution and thus it wasn't clear what was/wasn't a bag line, where the lines started, where you could/couldn't walk to get to said entrances, etc. Obviously more metal detectors/bag checkers at each entrance would help. Other weird thing was that I walked in Sunday morning with my badge under my jacket and was never called out for it all the way to the queue line, which seems like a bizarre failure on the part of security given how simple it is.
Food - I really don't have a complaint here: having food trucks on opposite corners of PAX was fantastic, as was their quality and pricing compared to the BCEC's offerings. The carnival-style vendors inside were thankfully kept to the sides of the hall so they didn't take up much space, and generally I felt like there were plenty of options without having to leave PAX proper. The exclusion of alcohol from the bar does seem an odd choice that I wouldn't be opposed to reversing, but as I don't drink it didn't really affect me.
Show Floor - The layout has been getting better and better, as has been noted by many others in this thread. Lots of expo hall space, well-defined areas for indies plus the Arena for tournaments, well-designed pathways throughout, signs asking for no pictures in said pathways, seemingly plenty of table-top and PC free-play, minimal queue area. Perhaps the only real flaw here was that only the expo hall proper and to a lesser extent the arena had detailed maps accompanying them. Going into the show I didn't know what tabletop exhibitors would be there, where BYOC was, or even the existence of the dedicated VR demo area, among other things. Personally this led to not spending much time in said areas as I didn't know what would actually be there, which just seems a shame. If you can give a finely detailed map of the show floor, you can do the same for the rest of the convention.
Swag Bags - As many have stated, they were awful. In the past I've always recommended people get them since I could count on the obligatory Magic deck as a great line-waiting activity, but even that wasn't present this year. If it's just going to be a bag of download codes, save some ink and paper and send them via e-mail to badge purchasers or otherwise put them online. Saves the enforcers a headache and saves some space in the middle of the day for more PAX.
Lanyards - One of the more baffling events of the weekend was seeing that by Sunday morning they had actually run out of PAX-specific lanyards and were giving out generic black ones instead. I’ve never seen this happen before, and I’m not sure I ever will again, but I’d imagine Gearbox wasn’t thrilled that people weren’t getting the Battleborn lanyards they presumably paid for. (On the flip side, if Gearbox wasn’t willing to pay for enough lanyards to last the whole show, they probably shouldn’t have been allowed to be a lanyard sponsor.)
Merch - We all know about how the hoodies were sold out by Friday night, but how about virtually all non-grey t-shirts being gone by Saturday night? Heck, at that same time they were sold out of water bottles. Predicting demand is hard, sure, but it’s still unfortunate for anyone who misses out on the items they want, and I can only imagine how much it sucks for people who only go Sunday. In my mind there are two solutions here to make merch a better experience for everyone. One, ration out supplies for all convention-exclusive items like they already do for the LE pins, so no matter what day you go there is a fair chance to get the items you want. Two, follow Blizzcon’s example and allow PAX-goers to buy convention items online via an exclusive shop so, worst case scenario, they can just fulfill orders later after any needed reprints. The latter would help ensure people don’t feel obligated to waste their morning in the merch line instead of going to do, well, anything else, even if they exclude the print run-limited LE pins from the online selection.
Panels - This is very subjective and limited by what is submitted, but I know among my group the Saturday line-up in particular had very little appeal, which says to me the overall scheduling across the three days could stand to be improved. Further, it seems like at this point Giant Bomb should be placed in Main, with CAH at least being in Albatross, as perhaps the two most obvious mismatches of panel popularity to theatre size. Also, as a Pinny Arcade fan, I strongly dislike that the pin-distributing Witcher panel overlapped with the staff trading event. I ended up having to leave a minute into the panel when I got the message that staff trading was 2/3 full, which sucked as I really did want to hear the GWENT discussion, not just grab a pin and run. Collecting the pins is difficult enough as it is; please don't make even the schedule work against us! (On the topic of panels, two shout-outs real quick: Jackbox was amazing and needs to return next year, and PAXAMANIA in Main was a worthy upgrade and I can only imagine will get better if it gets to continue using that theatre.)
The Jackbox/Dance Central Stages - I don’t take any real issue with Rock Band’s traditional spot being taken by Jackbox: RB had a stage on the show floor this year, and Jackbox proved a fantastic choice for one of those two stages. However, the fact that other users on this thread are calling the latter the “Just Dance” stage when it’s actually Dance Central seems telling that it’s time for it to be retired. I’ve got nothing against the dancing games, and it has been a fun area to hang out in in past PAX Easts, but if RB isn’t featured on the show floor next year, I think RB should take DC’s place while Jackbox can retain its new spot. (Also, while I didn’t check Friday, it seems Jackbox closed well before midnight on Saturday, which is a shame when both stages have traditionally been open during all show hours. Keep the games going!)
League of Legends - Thank you thank you thank you for keeping League in its own area, both with one hallway keeping the Riftwalk attraction and its own large part of the Arena. Even as a fan of the game it was always unfortunate how it caused massive traffic issues on the show floor, but this new approach gave fans plenty of space to enjoy League-related attractions without causing too much extra congestion for everyone else. Nice work! (I just wish they had been giving out skin codes en masse like they used to, but I can hardly blame PAX for that!)
Enforcers and Cookie Brigade - I’d like to end with a shout-out to both of these groups. I’m seeing some users felt Enforcers were understaffed this year, which may well have been true, but in my experience they did a stellar job with line management, keeping pathways flowing properly, providing entertainment in said lines, and generally keeping PAX running smoothly. As for Cookie Brigade, maybe some think they’re obnoxious, but I loved seeing them show up at so many panel lines throughout the weekend and doing their part for charity. Also, whoever made the White Chocolate Cherry Oatmeal cookies that I got in the Jackbox panel line is my hero and needs to keep doing that.
If I’m coming across as overly negative, let me be clear: this was a great PAX East overall and I really did have an amazing time. That said, it’s clear the show continues to have room to improve, and I’m hoping my criticisms will help it do exactly that. Thanks to all the staff for another wonderful weekend, and hope to see you next year!
jddyslexia
Per your question about the expo hall the companies have employees working their booths so it's 10-6 which is an 8 hour day not counting any setup or cleanup. It's been this way for years would be very surprised to see it change.
For many expo employees, it's actually more like 8-8. Either way, closing down at 10 would add to an already incredibly exhausting weekend for folks who work in expo.
And I do get that, so it's not like I'm asking people to work 16 hour days. But if exhibitors are willing to bring extra people and stagger shifts, then I don't see the problem. Besides, the entirety of Tabletop stays open later, so the exhausting weekend you refer to for people in the expo hall are currently being managed by people in Tabletop, and I haven't heard anyone from there complain about it.
It may be a matter of expo hall companies not wanting to bring additional staff due to not thinking it's worth the extra cost, but I think it would be something to think about, especially considering the comments about long lines to try out games in the expo hall.
Also, whoever made the White Chocolate Cherry Oatmeal cookies that I got in the Jackbox panel line is my hero and needs to keep doing that.
You made my wife's morning with that compliment We go every year, and this was our first time doing Cookie Brigade. Can confirm, they will return next year.
Much of what I'd like to add has already been said. However, I'll go over a few points that PAX is in control of for emphasis.
1. Swag bags, they get worse every year, and this year, were to me, all but worthless. I second eliminating them, if there is no way to improve them significantly.
2. Expo Floor hours. The expo floor was great, more room, but with it's increased size and long lines to check out many demos, even another hour or two each day would really rock. But that would have to be negotiated with all of the various vendors, perhaps PAX could send them a survey to see if they are open to expanded expo hall hours. I realize this puts great demand on staffing, but it also would increase marketing exposure especially to those only attending PAX for one day.
3. Merchandise. Open the upstairs merch booth for sales earlier. I was in line 2.5 hours there Friday morning, while this is understandable for items in demand, if the line had actually begun moving at 8:30 instead of 9:30, I would have missed none of the expo floor time that day. But also feel free to put limits on items in high demand to avoid selling out too fast, and/or reserve stock for Saturday and Sunday.
4. BCEC Alcohol. I don't drink much myself, never in the BCEC, but in the previous PAX East's I've attended, I've seen no reason to close the bar. I recommend it be opened back up next year unless there are documented incidents caused by it. Closing it will not prevent drinking though as there are multiple bars one could grab a drink at and re-enter the BCEC, at the cost of slowing down security with all of the re-entries and crowding local bars.
5. Badge checks. This ranged from a careful look and UV light check of it on Friday, to not caring that mine was hidden behind my turned around forum pass, on Sunday. The constant calls for "Bags open" should be changed to "Bags open and badge visible" or some such (which I did hear occasionally, but not at all entries), and somebody should simply watch. They would only need to stop those whose badges cannot be seen.
6. Expo floor raffles. We discuss this every year. I was at one where the enforcers said it would only last 5 minutes, but it dragged on for an hour, you know which one! There must be a better way than taking up so much expo time and floor space for these.
Overall I have no complaints, just a couple of suggestions.
Area for Cosplay Photos I would also love to see a designated area for cosplay photos, it would be awesome if you could designate a corner of the expo hall to that. I'm huge into cosplay and it annoyed me ever so slightly that they put up signs asking people not to take cosplay photos on the expo floor, but didn't offer an alternative area to do so.
Get rid of Swag Bags I also agree that the swag bags have been pretty useless for years now. I say just get rid of them. For example, some bags this year had Superfight cards, so rather than the tons of people that don't play Superfight throwing out the cards, just have the cards available for free at the Superfight booth, that way the people that actually want the cards can get them. (I know the Munchkin card game does it this way). I can't imagine how much effort goes into putting the swag bags together and handing them out, its just not worth it. Pax is all about the swag you get from all of the booths anyway.
Check Badges I don't think anyone checked my badge all weekend. In fact one of my friends tested this theory by hiding his badge under his sweatshirt for the entire day on Saturday and no one said anything. Kind of makes me wonder why I went through the ridiculous amount of stress and effort to get a 3 day pass and paid $100 for it. I never saw anyone checking badges on the way into the expo hall. I know sometimes they have enforcers checking badges and sometimes the convention center security does it, but it seemed like no one was this year.
jddyslexia
Per your question about the expo hall the companies have employees working their booths so it's 10-6 which is an 8 hour day not counting any setup or cleanup. It's been this way for years would be very surprised to see it change.
For many expo employees, it's actually more like 8-8. Either way, closing down at 10 would add to an already incredibly exhausting weekend for folks who work in expo.
And I do get that, so it's not like I'm asking people to work 16 hour days. But if exhibitors are willing to bring extra people and stagger shifts, then I don't see the problem. Besides, the entirety of Tabletop stays open later, so the exhausting weekend you refer to for people in the expo hall are currently being managed by people in Tabletop, and I haven't heard anyone from there complain about it.
It may be a matter of expo hall companies not wanting to bring additional staff due to not thinking it's worth the extra cost, but I think it would be something to think about, especially considering the comments about long lines to try out games in the expo hall.
It's not just people, although yes that is a considerable cost, it's also the cost to rent that space. Power, Internet, etc, goes up if they stay open longer. The expo hall folks are using a lot more of every resource than tabletop vendors. Another point to this is that expo enforcers work that entire same shift with the expo hall exhibitors. Staying open later would also mean doubling the amount of enforcers assigned to expo. It's a huge undertaking for just a few more hours of being open.
I don't disagree that it would be cool if it could be open later. However, marginal cost to marginal benefit of that resource and cost increase is probably non favorable.
Anyhow, I don't mean this as an argument, but since it comes up all the time I thought it was valuable to have this information handy for other folks who are similarly hoping for additional expo hours.
Being my first PAX may not have the context of previous years but a few thoughts worth sharing: Food: I'll echo the sentiments that the food trucks were an excellent option for convention goers. I wish there was a way for people who had only walked across the way for lunch didn't have to queue up in the same line as everyone else to get back in b/c that was more chaotic than trying to get in during the morning.
Tabletop: This is where I spent 97% of my day it was such a blast. The only parts where it got tricky were:
1. Checking games back in later in the day at the lending library. I heard people in line say they waited over 30 mins just to give something back, which kind of sucks.
2. Also really enjoyed the tabletop tournaments but would be helpful to have a larger Enforcer presence for these just to help facilitate getting these games started. There was a large amount of uncertainty in the Dixit and Fluxx tourneys as to when we could actually start. I don't know if possible but the enforcers working should probably have a base understanding of the game they're helping with. On paper the staff was great but they seemed rather confused setting up the tables for both events I attended.
Expo Hall: I didn't get to spend a lot of time here partly because the lines moved so slowly but moreso because you couldn't tell if a line was capped without walking over and being refused. When turned away from the line for RockBand at the Harmonix booth we asked the Enforcer if we came back later how we would know if the line was was capped or not he said you just have to come up and find out. Not an efficient use of our time and didn't promote wandering over to other booths to attempt the same thing.
Overall it was a great time and none of these were deal breakers to come again, simply areas to improve upon in the coming year.
I personally apologize that it was unclear when you could start. I and my tourney partner did the best we could- we ran a huge amount of games at once, and we both were first year Enforcers.
What we tried to do was as soon as a game was "full" was kick it off... but often were running 3-5 tourneys at once.
This was my first PAX, so I mostly wanted to share how great an experience it was.
7. I had to get my badges off stubhub. I was lucky to get a not-exorbitant price, but I still wonder if there are better solutions. Honestly, raising the price might just be the way to go, because otherwise scalpers are capturing the remainder of the value of the badge rather than PAX itself. I'd also love some kind of bound-to-an-individual photo id system, but I know there are no easy solutions there either.
Scalpers in MA are legally allowed to double the price. Raising the price -increases- even the scalped price. This is not a solution.
Overall I have no complaints, just a couple of suggestions. Check Badges I don't think anyone checked my badge all weekend. In fact one of my friends tested this theory by hiding his badge under his sweatshirt for the entire day on Saturday and no one said anything. Kind of makes me wonder why I went through the ridiculous amount of stress and effort to get a 3 day pass and paid $100 for it. I never saw anyone checking badges on the way into the expo hall. I know sometimes they have enforcers checking badges and sometimes the convention center security does it, but it seemed like no one was this year.
I can confirm that I checked at least ten badges at random, and tabletop checks them absolutely -constantly- as it was required to do a tourney or check a game. If a department was not checking badges, be specific. Just saying "someone didn't check badges" will not really help locate the issue.
Swag Bags: I kinda agree that they have outlived their usefulness. If they don't contain anything that excites people... there's no real purpose to them. Either put something in there that actually makes people go "hell yes!" or be gone with them. It isn't like Enforcers lack for things to do.
If something great and awesome can be put in them, sure.
If not, a stack of programs with a stack of promo cards next to them will do. Go to the end of the counter, walk down and take 1 of whatever you care about. Skip the bags, unless you're loading something so surprisingly awesome that it feels like a present. That's my 2 cents.
Needs way more gaming events. When compared to other gaming cons there's not as much gaming taking place.
For instance, check out Fire & Ice Convention in Wisconsin. 400 people show up and there's over 250 gaming events scheduled. Compare that to PAX, ~10,000 people and there's only around 100 gaming events scheduled. I know PAX isn't all about gaming, but the ratios are out of whack.
Not all gaming events scheduled need to be a multiple-round tourney that hands out prizes. Instead gaming events could just be scheduled to play a specific game at a certain time, that way interested parties could show up at that time instead of checking it out and hoping for LFGs to show up.
Wii U sucks, but my NNID is da66en. Steam is route66. 3DS is 2938-8099-8160.
Neo Geo Big Red owners club.
2009 PAX Puzzle Quest Champion
I have beat Rygar on the NES and many of you have not.
Overall I have no complaints, just a couple of suggestions. Check Badges I don't think anyone checked my badge all weekend. In fact one of my friends tested this theory by hiding his badge under his sweatshirt for the entire day on Saturday and no one said anything. Kind of makes me wonder why I went through the ridiculous amount of stress and effort to get a 3 day pass and paid $100 for it. I never saw anyone checking badges on the way into the expo hall. I know sometimes they have enforcers checking badges and sometimes the convention center security does it, but it seemed like no one was this year.
I can confirm that I checked at least ten badges at random, and tabletop checks them absolutely -constantly- as it was required to do a tourney or check a game. If a department was not checking badges, be specific. Just saying "someone didn't check badges" will not really help locate the issue.
As I said, our badges were not checked on our way into the expo hall. To be even more specific, badges were not checked while we were entering the convention center from the front entrance, entering the Expo hall from the front and side entrances, and entering the console free play, classic arcade, jamspace, etc roooms. I did not participate in any tournaments. I'm glad that you were checking badges, but if you checked 10 out of the 70,000 that attend Pax East there is still clearly an issue...
As I said, our badges were not checked on our way into the expo hall. To be even more specific, badges were not checked while we were entering the convention center from the front entrance, entering the Expo hall from the front and side entrances, and entering the console free play, classic arcade, jamspace, etc roooms. I did not participate in any tournaments. I'm glad that you were checking badges, but if you checked 10 out of the 70,000 that attend Pax East there is still clearly an issue...
Badge checks at the expo hall entrance is something we can improve on. I know every time I entered the expo I saw the badge checker there, but we will look into it. Be assured that we don't want people at PAX without badges, one reason being it adds to overcrowding. But we do not check badges at the main entrance because some people still need to pick up their badge at Registration in the north lobby.
Thanks everyone for the feedback. While some things are deliberate choices for reasons that may not be apparent to you, we do appreciate hearing from you and knowing how we can improve.
Overall I have no complaints, just a couple of suggestions. Check Badges I don't think anyone checked my badge all weekend. In fact one of my friends tested this theory by hiding his badge under his sweatshirt for the entire day on Saturday and no one said anything. Kind of makes me wonder why I went through the ridiculous amount of stress and effort to get a 3 day pass and paid $100 for it. I never saw anyone checking badges on the way into the expo hall. I know sometimes they have enforcers checking badges and sometimes the convention center security does it, but it seemed like no one was this year.
I can confirm that I checked at least ten badges at random, and tabletop checks them absolutely -constantly- as it was required to do a tourney or check a game. If a department was not checking badges, be specific. Just saying "someone didn't check badges" will not really help locate the issue.
As I said, our badges were not checked on our way into the expo hall. To be even more specific, badges were not checked while we were entering the convention center from the front entrance, entering the Expo hall from the front and side entrances, and entering the console free play, classic arcade, jamspace, etc roooms. I did not participate in any tournaments. I'm glad that you were checking badges, but if you checked 10 out of the 70,000 that attend Pax East there is still clearly an issue...
Yeah, my buddies were waiting for me to give them their passes on Friday and they got in sans badges without any issues
The only time I expected it to be checked and it was not, was on Sunday while entering the BCEC. So overall, yes it was checked, but not every time.
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Kilonum[E]Somewhere near BostonRegistered Userregular
RE: Swag bags: They contain what the companies give PAX to put in them, PAX has very little control over the contents (other than the obvious "Keep it family-friendly etc"). And a group of enforcers (and Khoo, I've personally witnessed him work the line) spends their Saturday before PAX stuffing those bags (I would have this year but didn't due to personal reasons).
This was my first PAX, so I mostly wanted to share how great an experience it was.
7. I had to get my badges off stubhub. I was lucky to get a not-exorbitant price, but I still wonder if there are better solutions. Honestly, raising the price might just be the way to go, because otherwise scalpers are capturing the remainder of the value of the badge rather than PAX itself. I'd also love some kind of bound-to-an-individual photo id system, but I know there are no easy solutions there either.
Scalpers in MA are legally allowed to double the price. Raising the price -increases- even the scalped price. This is not a solution.
This is assuming the demand for the badges is totally inelastic, which I don't think is the case, given that badges were still available on secondary markets for several weeks well below that double-face-value point. I have very limited data, so I can't say what would actually happen, but assuming the demand for badges does indeed respond to price changes, a higher face value will at least put more of the real market value of the tickets into PAX's pockets as opposed to scalpers.
If the exact same number of people are going to buy badges even if the price increases, then yes, increasing the price doesn't solve anything.
As I said, our badges were not checked on our way into the expo hall. To be even more specific, badges were not checked while we were entering the convention center from the front entrance, entering the Expo hall from the front and side entrances, and entering the console free play, classic arcade, jamspace, etc roooms. I did not participate in any tournaments. I'm glad that you were checking badges, but if you checked 10 out of the 70,000 that attend Pax East there is still clearly an issue...
Badge checks at the expo hall entrance is something we can improve on. I know every time I entered the expo I saw the badge checker there, but we will look into it. Be assured that we don't want people at PAX without badges, one reason being it adds to overcrowding. But we do not check badges at the main entrance because some people still need to pick up their badge at Registration in the north lobby.
Thanks everyone for the feedback. While some things are deliberate choices for reasons that may not be apparent to you, we do appreciate hearing from you and knowing how we can improve.
Compared to 2 years ago, I did not see the same level of badge checking at Expo hall doors I saw them. My badge personally was flipped around a few times and no one said anything as I entered the hall. This year a lot of times the enforcer was missing, or not paying attention. In general, I felt like I saw fewer enforcers, and I was wondering if they were understaffed compared to previous years.
It's not just people, although yes that is a considerable cost, it's also the cost to rent that space. Power, Internet, etc, goes up if they stay open longer. The expo hall folks are using a lot more of every resource than tabletop vendors. Another point to this is that expo enforcers work that entire same shift with the expo hall exhibitors. Staying open later would also mean doubling the amount of enforcers assigned to expo. It's a huge undertaking for just a few more hours of being open.
I don't disagree that it would be cool if it could be open later. However, marginal cost to marginal benefit of that resource and cost increase is probably non favorable.
Anyhow, I don't mean this as an argument, but since it comes up all the time I thought it was valuable to have this information handy for other folks who are similarly hoping for additional expo hours.
I definitely understand the increased costs in other areas, and honestly, as long as it's a topic of conversation every year or two with exhibitors with a "Would it be worth it to you guys if we kept the expo floor open longer?", then I'm happy.
I definitely understand the increased costs in other areas, and honestly, as long as it's a topic of conversation every year or two with exhibitors with a "Would it be worth it to you guys if we kept the expo floor open longer?", then I'm happy.
Also, there are Enforcers in the expo hall that have an all day shift (like 8:30AM-6:30PM) every day of the convention, so that has an impact on their health and sanity as well!
Also, there are Enforcers in the expo hall that have an all day shift (like 8:30AM-6:30PM) every day of the convention, so that has an impact on their health and sanity as well!
I see this more as a "Do we have enough enforcers?" question rather than asking for longer shifts. Another consideration for sure.
Also, there are Enforcers in the expo hall that have an all day shift (like 8:30AM-6:30PM) every day of the convention, so that has an impact on their health and sanity as well!
I see this more as a "Do we have enough enforcers?" question rather than asking for longer shifts. Another consideration for sure.
This isn't quite the case when it comes to Expo due to the nature of the department, but Enforcers aside it also puts the burden (whether it's for more bodies or longer hours) on the booths as well. And especially for the indies and other smaller groups, that's not the easiest burden to carry.
I'd love more Expo time, too, but also remember how the Westin wasn't on the list at first? That was because the Exhibitors needed the rooms for their staff. If you lengthen the show floor hours then you increase the number of people who need exhibitor badges so that they can work in shifts. Or you exhaust the ones who can't afford to double-shift (like all those indie developers we all love). It's great for attendees in the moment, but there are all kinds of knock-on effects to consider here.
I think the solution is actually to schedule more panels for 6:00 and later, so that even while the Expo hall closes down there is still lots of interesting stuff to do.
Well one solution to the longer expo hours issue is do what Prime (sorry West ) does. Expand to 4 days. Yes I know that they don't do it because Monday is not on a holiday and is a work day, however Friday is also a work day.
So since people such as myself take vac days anyways for Fri I don't see why East doesn't get expanded to 4 days too. I could spare an extra vacation day for Monday and I would definitely attend. East's Monday would probably never sell out but since Prime's Monday does sell out I think there would still be demand. Maybe East's Monday would sell 50%, hopefully more. I'm sure there are more East attenders like me that would attend on Monday.
Well one solution to the longer expo hours issue is do what Prime (sorry West ) does. Expand to 4 days. Yes I know that they don't do it because Monday is not on a holiday and is a work day, however Friday is also a work day.
So since people such as myself take vac days anyways for Fri I don't see why East doesn't get expanded to 4 days too. I could spare an extra vacation day for Monday and I would definitely attend. East's Monday would probably never sell out but since Prime's Monday does sell out I think there would still be demand. Maybe East's Monday would sell 50%, hopefully more. I'm sure there are more East attenders like me that would attend on Monday.
That is one way, however the Enforcer thing crops up again. If people thought they were short-staffed this year, imagine how it would go for those that needed another day off work.
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sary100% pure awesomesaucemanchester, nhRegistered Userregular
If not, a stack of programs with a stack of promo cards next to them will do. Go to the end of the counter, walk down and take 1 of whatever you care about. Skip the bags, unless you're loading something so surprisingly awesome that it feels like a present. That's my 2 cents.
They tried that at one PAX, iirc (prime 2012?) It... did not go well....
As far as my personal feedback - I really wished there was more consistency as far as the level 0 northeast entrance in the morning. I kept being directed to that route. Friday, they weren't letting anyone in that entrance, and directed us further down the tunnel, towards the valet. Saturday, let in with no issue. Sunday, I had trouble (props to the security officer there though. While I'dve obviously preferred my morning to be trouble free, he used good judgement).
Not a huge issue for most, but... the elevator was in service only sporadically. I'm lucky enough that even on a bad day I can have someone carry my mobility device up or down stairs so I can walk up, if there's a steady handrail. Which is what I ended up having to do on Friday morning. (and more huge props to the people that helped me with that!). If I wasn't able to do that, I would have had to backtrack and circle all the way around the Westin. I've heard there's a route that cuts through it, but I never seemed to be able to locate it when I looked.
Thankfully the weather was beautiful for the most part, but I dread what an early March PAX might be like. When there's ice and snow on the ground, without either access through that door or consistent elevator functionality, the Element and the Aloft will be really difficult for me to get to/from.
Well one solution to the longer expo hours issue is do what Prime (sorry West ) does. Expand to 4 days. Yes I know that they don't do it because Monday is not on a holiday and is a work day, however Friday is also a work day.
So since people such as myself take vac days anyways for Fri I don't see why East doesn't get expanded to 4 days too. I could spare an extra vacation day for Monday and I would definitely attend. East's Monday would probably never sell out but since Prime's Monday does sell out I think there would still be demand. Maybe East's Monday would sell 50%, hopefully more. I'm sure there are more East attenders like me that would attend on Monday.
That is one way, however the Enforcer thing crops up again. If people thought they were short-staffed this year, imagine how it would go for those that needed another day off work.
Yeah that is true. I don't know what East's enforcer demand is like. Did they have a call for enforcers this year? If not maybe they just need to reopen it to add another day.
Yeah that is true. I don't know what East's enforcer demand is like. Did they have a call for enforcers this year? If not maybe they just need to reopen it to add another day.
PAX East 2016 was my 15th PAX and it shall remain in my memory as one of the best I've been to. The quality of games in the expo hall was ridiculously high and I discovered gem after gem in there and I know I only saw a tiny fraction of what was on show. This coming from someone who didn't line up for a single thing. That's right, not even for a panel! I've been to too many PAXes to know how to avoid lining up when there is way better ways to spend one's time than queuing. Also bear in mind this is coming from an Englishman and therefore can attest to the fact that my fellow countrymen have elevated standing in a line waiting for something into a fine art form. Yet I avoided it just to eek out as much time as I humanly could in the expo hall.
Now for the constructive criticism time. I felt the retro arcade area had an interesting layout, with current generation arcade games such as Street Fighter V sat next to retro machines, but I go there to experience the old arcade experience and not a game that is less than 3 months old. Other than that the retro area was well put together.
The table top area was a land of confusion, to quote Genesis. With poor signage it was nigh on impossible to find anything. Where was the demo area vs. the tournament area? Resellers were not signposted so those looking for RPGs had to wander around looking through miniature specialists. Not good PAX, this needs to be treated in the same way at the flashy lights video game area where every stall is identified, numbered and located.
Speaking of video games there is something that PAX would do well to pay tribute to or even just straight up copy and that is the Eurogamer's Left Field Collection. EGX Rezzed and EGX both have The Left Field Collections. These are a selection of curated games that will never see the light of day within the market place because they are just that, too left field. Want to play a game who's primary control mechanism is a giant exercise ball? It's in Left Field. Want to have two puppets punch the stuffing out of each other and scores flash up on a screen? It's in Left Field. Want to play a game while lying in a coffin? That's right, it's left field. Very few if any of these games were made for the sake of material gain; they were made because the creators decided to make them.
The table top area was a land of confusion, to quote Genesis. With poor signage it was nigh on impossible to find anything. Where was the demo area vs. the tournament area? Resellers were not signposted so those looking for RPGs had to wander around looking through miniature specialists. Not good PAX, this needs to be treated in the same way at the flashy lights video game area where every stall is identified, numbered and located.
Having worked tabletop tourney, I can attest to this. I have already provided feedback to the Tabletop Department heads that we should move back HQ to the wall, and corridor off the tourney areas with clear signs saying "This is prioritized for tournaments." with the schedule next to it, with estimated lengths. We often leave games out and let people play them, with the understanding that we're at some point going to come through and (depending) either ask them to reset it for a tourney, or pack it up. Sometimes this can be an hours gap, and we have no issue with people playing multiple games of say, dominion between tournaments. So really we need a system to "wrap" the tourney area and make it clear that it is a place that we -will- need at some point.
Just a simple.. whatever they are called. The black zipline-like ropes... around it would be enough, with multiple signed entrances. It's less about keeping people out, but making it easier for people to know "this is tourney."
I spent far, far more time relocating people to non-tourney tables than actually setting up games or arranging things. That should not happen, but as a first year, I could only do so much. I can say Table Top did listen to my suggestions for next year, though they couldn't promise anything.
I personally did not like how the tabletop vendors were set up. Where a stall is located needs to be seen from -both- sides, not just from Expo. I spent over two hours trying to locate a booth.. because their sign was only visible from the expo side.
Oh, I forgot to mention that moving RockBand really sucked. Somehow it seemed more commercialized and less friendly. I hope they put it back next year.
There were a lot of positives this year, particularly the layout of the bottom floor, but there was one glaring negative that didn't ruin the weekend for me, but cast a very dark pall on the proceedings.
Like a previous poster noted I did not care for the inflatable penis tied to the inflatable orca in the queue line. It was crass, and exactly the sort of thing PAX, and the gaming community as a whole, really needs to knock the fuck off.
And then someone drew a swastika on it.
I was beyond disappointed. One racist asshole does not speak for the whole community, but...just...fuck, man. This comes on the heels of this article occupying a large part of my mind.
And again, exclusionist shit popping up in the Smash Bros. freeplay, with some great nicknakes like, HIV+, 4Skin, and FAG.
I don't lay this at the feet of the PAX organizers--you can't police every jerk's behavior--maybe Enforcers can be more on the lookout for this stuff.
Not a huge issue for most, but... the elevator was in service only sporadically. I'm lucky enough that even on a bad day I can have someone carry my mobility device up or down stairs so I can walk up, if there's a steady handrail. Which is what I ended up having to do on Friday morning. (and more huge props to the people that helped me with that!). If I wasn't able to do that, I would have had to backtrack and circle all the way around the Westin. I've heard there's a route that cuts through it, but I never seemed to be able to locate it when I looked.
I'm sorry to hear about this. The bad thing is, it's not something I'd expect to change. This was my fourth East and since I first started going the elevators in the BCEC have always had a bit of a reputation for being unreliable.
If it's any help for the future though, I think the route you're referring to may be the path that cuts through the Lawn on D.
Lines were a mixed bag this year. Obviously Friday's main entrance line was not handled well, but they fixed that for the rest of the weekend. Whether this was a PAX or BCEC issue on Friday, they really should know by now how the lines need to work in the morning, especially Friday and Saturday! Friday we waited in line an hour, watched as people joined the line in the middle because of the lack of organization, and then our bags didn't even get checked after we got metal-detector-wanded. The lines for panels were handled just as well as usual, no complaints here!
Panels I managed to attend were all great. I really like the panels about mental health/sexism/other social issues and their intersection with gaming. I was sad that Take This didn't have a panel of their own, but I'm unsure if this was due to PAX or because the Take This people couldn't or didn't want to run it for whatever reason. I'd love to see them again next year, and their presence in both the AFK room and Diversity Lounge was awesome; Susan is always just the nicest person. There was one panel on mental health and gaming that I didn't enjoy, which was a late Sunday panel - new panel hosts would benefit from having more than just themselves hosting and talking at a room with no visuals. I checked out the Hello from the Magic Tavern panel on a whim and it's now my favorite thing ever, so that was an awesome find. This was also the first time I checked out Acquisitions Incorporated and while I didn't love waiting in line, the line was organized well and it was an awesome event.
The Expo Hall was much better organized this year - the wider walkways really helped the flow of traffic. Indie Megabooth was still quite crowded at times, but not so much so that I felt uncomfortable. I did also notice a lack of swag, but swag isn't my thing so I wasn't much bothered by it. I agree that demos were too long/overcrowded this year.
Tabletop continued to be packed at almost all times, and we found it very hard (as usual) to find a table to sit and play a board/card game (except late at night). The space is pretty much at capacity though so I'm not sure what more could be done for it. BUT I did think that it was easier to get around in this space this year, since the tables seemed less cramped together. So that was nice! The aisles between the tabletop company booths were super congested at times, and some of the vendors didn't seem interested in actually demoing their games, and rather gave us a rundown of gameplay then told us the price. No solution there on PAX's end, but if you're someone who demos card/tabletop games and read this, please please please ask people if they want to try a round after you've given them the rundown of the game! We were very interested in a couple card games but when the vendor didn't want to actually show us how it was played, we were turned off. Yes I know you're there to try and sell a product, but maybe make an effort to show me what I'd be buying? The Poop the Game vendor was especially bad with this; he just wanted to chat with someone, and seemed put off by us wanting to talk (took a bit to even come to the table, gave us a quick rundown, told us the price, didn't want to play, when we said thanks he walked off again).
The food options situation was so much better this year, too. The main food court didn't get so jammed full from what I saw, and the smaller food courts scattered around were a good idea, even if I still refuse to buy con food. I don't mind the no-alcohol thing, but the husband was a bit sad. The signs for the food trucks were great! I only wish there were hours of the trucks listed as well, though I know this would be difficult to keep accurate since the trucks don't always know how long the product they have on hand will last. They jacked up their prices Sunday, and while I don't blame them, I was also a tiny bit annoyed. But overall, great food for better prices than inside the convention center. The water stations in the panel rooms were well stocked and as always, very much appreciated!
Little things: I agree that the Dance Central area could be done away with; it wasn't often busy this year. Handheld did seem a little smaller, but I really liked the space it was in - much easier to find people and less of a pain to get through/around than the hallway in previous years. The LoL area could do better at the end of a hallway, in my opinion. It would often get congested and hard to get through on my way to a panel or whatever.
My fifth year of PAX, and definitely in my top two in terms of quality. Keep in mind I only got to go after the expo hall closed on Saturday, and then all of Sunday.
Things I liked: the LFG stuff in the tabletop area with the pathfinder society and DND 5e.
The indie booth, lot's of cool games here with relatively short lines.
The PS move controller game that people were running Saturday night. This was a really unique game that was fun to both watch and play.
The expo hall congestion was muuuuuch lighter than in years past.
Things I didn't like
The security seemed pointless. I went in costume and was wearing chainmail, set off the metal detector and didn't get so much as a second look from security.
More vegetarian options would be nice, most of the salads had chicken in them.
Advertising the cospitality area would be nice. I had no idea it existed until I walked by on my way out.
The magic area seemed a little too small this year, I often had to wait 1+hour to get into a draft.
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Pros
1. Crowd flow was fairly good. Much better than NYCC, for instance, which is usually a miserable sea of people. The "No Cosplay Pictures in the aisles" rule was great.
2. Loved all of the new game designers and developers demoing and selling stuff. I bought like a dozen new board games.
3. I got to play in the Overwatch tournament on the main stage, and it was incredible! I also thoroughly enjoyed watching the For The Watch exhibition match and the other tournament matches.
4. The food trucks were awesome and convenient
5. I was happy to throw money at the merch booth.
6. I enjoyed the panels I went to (Jonathan Blow's keynote, PA Q&A, Make a Strip, Thornwatch, Writing for Games) and there were even more I would have attended if they had not been overlapping.
7. I didn't end up doing much freeplay because I wanted to soak in as much of the expo as I could, but it was so cool that it was available, especially in comparison again to NYCC where I felt like there was nothing to do once I saw the hall
8. I knew nothing about the bands, but I still thoroughly enjoyed both Paul and Storm and the Doubleclicks. I would have stayed for VGO if I hadn't been so tired from 13 hours of PAX beforehand.
9. Fogo de Chao
10. I thought the quick and effective response to the entrance lines (setting up barrier queues) was impressive. In my head I imagined Khoo's Lord Vetinari-like mastery.
Improvements
1. Crowd flow could be even better, I think. I have never run anything like PAX, so I doubt my suggestions have much validity, but a couple ideas:
- Make directed lanes with tape in each of the aisles to encourage people to walk on the right
- Make (and strictly enforce) boundaries for the booths so people don't end up standing in the aisles and blocking traffic. This is probably the #1 thing I saw holding up flow. In fact, the aisles wouldn't even need to be that wide if they were always 100% used for moving traffic. The problem is that there would sometimes be bottlenecks where there was only a single-person-wide spot for moving traffic and the rest of the aisle or intersection was standing and watching something.
- The aisles around the edges of the expo were probably the most congested. I think they were slightly narrower. I think I'd probably be ok with this if it's a tradeoff for the huge main aisles, which were wonderful.
2. I think the Merch line could use some more staff to keep things moving.3. I'd love if there were more para-convention stuff, like afterparties and nearby events. Basically just further expanding the convention!
4. I also was hoping to see a live-created strip rather than a premade. I totally get if Mike and Jerry don't want to do that, but perhaps then the labeling could change slightly ("PA drawn live" as opposed to "make a strip"). It was still a very entertaining panel!
5. It surprises me that there's not already some kind of app or online system to manage reservations for demos rather than hours-long lines. Not that it would be easy to create or manage, but I think any steps in this direction would be useful, especially if there was a unified PAX system to do so for all exhibitors. (Note: I realize there are inherent problems to such a system, such as no-shows, but there are also solutions, such as having hard deadlines or you lose your spot. Again, I don't think it's an easy system, but I think the benefits would be huge.)
6. I wish it was in NY instead of Boston : P
7. I had to get my badges off stubhub. I was lucky to get a not-exorbitant price, but I still wonder if there are better solutions. Honestly, raising the price might just be the way to go, because otherwise scalpers are capturing the remainder of the value of the badge rather than PAX itself. I'd also love some kind of bound-to-an-individual photo id system, but I know there are no easy solutions there either.
I agree with this last part the most, it is nearly impossible to get tickets without having to go though the scalpers. I have been unable to attend the past few years because I refuse to pay scalpers.
That isn't saying much though as that could change for next year.
Oh and the bag check line. It was atrocious on Friday in the early morning. Setting up the "gates maze" for Saturday and Sunday helped greatly. That was amazing thinking and who ever came up with it deserves all the cookies.
Badge Sale - I've got no complaint with the mystery sale time or quickly selling out (PAX is popular!), but after going to San Diego Comic-Con I wish PAX had a similar system where instead of directly offering a 3-day badge, only single days were offered with the option to bundle into a single badge if you have all the days selected. Having people pay more just to juggle three badges seems silly and preventable, plus it should help with the anxiety of people rushing to buy three-days given Saturdays lasted quite a bit longer as memory serves.
Hotels - Two things: having the Westin not be selectable initially made getting the close hotels as painful as ever even with the Aloft and Element around, and I wish a system was in place that protected your room selection when checking out. Lost a Seaport reservation initially because I didn't enter payment info fast enough; that wasted time meant I had then missed out on all nearby hotels and thus had to try for months to improve my room just because I had the audacity to go for the best option available. Again, seems silly and preventable, even if it is still a race.
Entering the BCEC - Apologies were already provided for the mess Friday morning, so I won't go into that. My problem is that it still wasn't clear where exactly to line up even post-barricade, as signs weren't really designed for that solution and thus it wasn't clear what was/wasn't a bag line, where the lines started, where you could/couldn't walk to get to said entrances, etc. Obviously more metal detectors/bag checkers at each entrance would help. Other weird thing was that I walked in Sunday morning with my badge under my jacket and was never called out for it all the way to the queue line, which seems like a bizarre failure on the part of security given how simple it is.
Food - I really don't have a complaint here: having food trucks on opposite corners of PAX was fantastic, as was their quality and pricing compared to the BCEC's offerings. The carnival-style vendors inside were thankfully kept to the sides of the hall so they didn't take up much space, and generally I felt like there were plenty of options without having to leave PAX proper. The exclusion of alcohol from the bar does seem an odd choice that I wouldn't be opposed to reversing, but as I don't drink it didn't really affect me.
Show Floor - The layout has been getting better and better, as has been noted by many others in this thread. Lots of expo hall space, well-defined areas for indies plus the Arena for tournaments, well-designed pathways throughout, signs asking for no pictures in said pathways, seemingly plenty of table-top and PC free-play, minimal queue area. Perhaps the only real flaw here was that only the expo hall proper and to a lesser extent the arena had detailed maps accompanying them. Going into the show I didn't know what tabletop exhibitors would be there, where BYOC was, or even the existence of the dedicated VR demo area, among other things. Personally this led to not spending much time in said areas as I didn't know what would actually be there, which just seems a shame. If you can give a finely detailed map of the show floor, you can do the same for the rest of the convention.
Swag Bags - As many have stated, they were awful. In the past I've always recommended people get them since I could count on the obligatory Magic deck as a great line-waiting activity, but even that wasn't present this year. If it's just going to be a bag of download codes, save some ink and paper and send them via e-mail to badge purchasers or otherwise put them online. Saves the enforcers a headache and saves some space in the middle of the day for more PAX.
Lanyards - One of the more baffling events of the weekend was seeing that by Sunday morning they had actually run out of PAX-specific lanyards and were giving out generic black ones instead. I’ve never seen this happen before, and I’m not sure I ever will again, but I’d imagine Gearbox wasn’t thrilled that people weren’t getting the Battleborn lanyards they presumably paid for. (On the flip side, if Gearbox wasn’t willing to pay for enough lanyards to last the whole show, they probably shouldn’t have been allowed to be a lanyard sponsor.)
Merch - We all know about how the hoodies were sold out by Friday night, but how about virtually all non-grey t-shirts being gone by Saturday night? Heck, at that same time they were sold out of water bottles. Predicting demand is hard, sure, but it’s still unfortunate for anyone who misses out on the items they want, and I can only imagine how much it sucks for people who only go Sunday. In my mind there are two solutions here to make merch a better experience for everyone. One, ration out supplies for all convention-exclusive items like they already do for the LE pins, so no matter what day you go there is a fair chance to get the items you want. Two, follow Blizzcon’s example and allow PAX-goers to buy convention items online via an exclusive shop so, worst case scenario, they can just fulfill orders later after any needed reprints. The latter would help ensure people don’t feel obligated to waste their morning in the merch line instead of going to do, well, anything else, even if they exclude the print run-limited LE pins from the online selection.
Panels - This is very subjective and limited by what is submitted, but I know among my group the Saturday line-up in particular had very little appeal, which says to me the overall scheduling across the three days could stand to be improved. Further, it seems like at this point Giant Bomb should be placed in Main, with CAH at least being in Albatross, as perhaps the two most obvious mismatches of panel popularity to theatre size. Also, as a Pinny Arcade fan, I strongly dislike that the pin-distributing Witcher panel overlapped with the staff trading event. I ended up having to leave a minute into the panel when I got the message that staff trading was 2/3 full, which sucked as I really did want to hear the GWENT discussion, not just grab a pin and run. Collecting the pins is difficult enough as it is; please don't make even the schedule work against us! (On the topic of panels, two shout-outs real quick: Jackbox was amazing and needs to return next year, and PAXAMANIA in Main was a worthy upgrade and I can only imagine will get better if it gets to continue using that theatre.)
The Jackbox/Dance Central Stages - I don’t take any real issue with Rock Band’s traditional spot being taken by Jackbox: RB had a stage on the show floor this year, and Jackbox proved a fantastic choice for one of those two stages. However, the fact that other users on this thread are calling the latter the “Just Dance” stage when it’s actually Dance Central seems telling that it’s time for it to be retired. I’ve got nothing against the dancing games, and it has been a fun area to hang out in in past PAX Easts, but if RB isn’t featured on the show floor next year, I think RB should take DC’s place while Jackbox can retain its new spot. (Also, while I didn’t check Friday, it seems Jackbox closed well before midnight on Saturday, which is a shame when both stages have traditionally been open during all show hours. Keep the games going!)
League of Legends - Thank you thank you thank you for keeping League in its own area, both with one hallway keeping the Riftwalk attraction and its own large part of the Arena. Even as a fan of the game it was always unfortunate how it caused massive traffic issues on the show floor, but this new approach gave fans plenty of space to enjoy League-related attractions without causing too much extra congestion for everyone else. Nice work! (I just wish they had been giving out skin codes en masse like they used to, but I can hardly blame PAX for that!)
Enforcers and Cookie Brigade - I’d like to end with a shout-out to both of these groups. I’m seeing some users felt Enforcers were understaffed this year, which may well have been true, but in my experience they did a stellar job with line management, keeping pathways flowing properly, providing entertainment in said lines, and generally keeping PAX running smoothly. As for Cookie Brigade, maybe some think they’re obnoxious, but I loved seeing them show up at so many panel lines throughout the weekend and doing their part for charity. Also, whoever made the White Chocolate Cherry Oatmeal cookies that I got in the Jackbox panel line is my hero and needs to keep doing that.
If I’m coming across as overly negative, let me be clear: this was a great PAX East overall and I really did have an amazing time. That said, it’s clear the show continues to have room to improve, and I’m hoping my criticisms will help it do exactly that. Thanks to all the staff for another wonderful weekend, and hope to see you next year!
PAX East Attendee since 2011
And I do get that, so it's not like I'm asking people to work 16 hour days. But if exhibitors are willing to bring extra people and stagger shifts, then I don't see the problem. Besides, the entirety of Tabletop stays open later, so the exhausting weekend you refer to for people in the expo hall are currently being managed by people in Tabletop, and I haven't heard anyone from there complain about it.
It may be a matter of expo hall companies not wanting to bring additional staff due to not thinking it's worth the extra cost, but I think it would be something to think about, especially considering the comments about long lines to try out games in the expo hall.
You made my wife's morning with that compliment
1. Swag bags, they get worse every year, and this year, were to me, all but worthless. I second eliminating them, if there is no way to improve them significantly.
2. Expo Floor hours. The expo floor was great, more room, but with it's increased size and long lines to check out many demos, even another hour or two each day would really rock. But that would have to be negotiated with all of the various vendors, perhaps PAX could send them a survey to see if they are open to expanded expo hall hours. I realize this puts great demand on staffing, but it also would increase marketing exposure especially to those only attending PAX for one day.
3. Merchandise. Open the upstairs merch booth for sales earlier. I was in line 2.5 hours there Friday morning, while this is understandable for items in demand, if the line had actually begun moving at 8:30 instead of 9:30, I would have missed none of the expo floor time that day. But also feel free to put limits on items in high demand to avoid selling out too fast, and/or reserve stock for Saturday and Sunday.
4. BCEC Alcohol. I don't drink much myself, never in the BCEC, but in the previous PAX East's I've attended, I've seen no reason to close the bar. I recommend it be opened back up next year unless there are documented incidents caused by it. Closing it will not prevent drinking though as there are multiple bars one could grab a drink at and re-enter the BCEC, at the cost of slowing down security with all of the re-entries and crowding local bars.
5. Badge checks. This ranged from a careful look and UV light check of it on Friday, to not caring that mine was hidden behind my turned around forum pass, on Sunday. The constant calls for "Bags open" should be changed to "Bags open and badge visible" or some such (which I did hear occasionally, but not at all entries), and somebody should simply watch. They would only need to stop those whose badges cannot be seen.
6. Expo floor raffles. We discuss this every year. I was at one where the enforcers said it would only last 5 minutes, but it dragged on for an hour, you know which one! There must be a better way than taking up so much expo time and floor space for these.
Area for Cosplay Photos I would also love to see a designated area for cosplay photos, it would be awesome if you could designate a corner of the expo hall to that. I'm huge into cosplay and it annoyed me ever so slightly that they put up signs asking people not to take cosplay photos on the expo floor, but didn't offer an alternative area to do so.
Get rid of Swag Bags I also agree that the swag bags have been pretty useless for years now. I say just get rid of them. For example, some bags this year had Superfight cards, so rather than the tons of people that don't play Superfight throwing out the cards, just have the cards available for free at the Superfight booth, that way the people that actually want the cards can get them. (I know the Munchkin card game does it this way). I can't imagine how much effort goes into putting the swag bags together and handing them out, its just not worth it. Pax is all about the swag you get from all of the booths anyway.
Check Badges I don't think anyone checked my badge all weekend. In fact one of my friends tested this theory by hiding his badge under his sweatshirt for the entire day on Saturday and no one said anything. Kind of makes me wonder why I went through the ridiculous amount of stress and effort to get a 3 day pass and paid $100 for it. I never saw anyone checking badges on the way into the expo hall. I know sometimes they have enforcers checking badges and sometimes the convention center security does it, but it seemed like no one was this year.
I don't disagree that it would be cool if it could be open later. However, marginal cost to marginal benefit of that resource and cost increase is probably non favorable.
Anyhow, I don't mean this as an argument, but since it comes up all the time I thought it was valuable to have this information handy for other folks who are similarly hoping for additional expo hours.
I personally apologize that it was unclear when you could start. I and my tourney partner did the best we could- we ran a huge amount of games at once, and we both were first year Enforcers.
What we tried to do was as soon as a game was "full" was kick it off... but often were running 3-5 tourneys at once.
Relevant info: #PAX East: 3 Coin Lunch organizer. 2012 Trading card available. Pokecrawl Assistant 2012. Pokecrawl attendee 2011. Cult of the Leaf attendee 2012.
Scalpers in MA are legally allowed to double the price. Raising the price -increases- even the scalped price. This is not a solution.
Relevant info: #PAX East: 3 Coin Lunch organizer. 2012 Trading card available. Pokecrawl Assistant 2012. Pokecrawl attendee 2011. Cult of the Leaf attendee 2012.
I can confirm that I checked at least ten badges at random, and tabletop checks them absolutely -constantly- as it was required to do a tourney or check a game. If a department was not checking badges, be specific. Just saying "someone didn't check badges" will not really help locate the issue.
Relevant info: #PAX East: 3 Coin Lunch organizer. 2012 Trading card available. Pokecrawl Assistant 2012. Pokecrawl attendee 2011. Cult of the Leaf attendee 2012.
If something great and awesome can be put in them, sure.
If not, a stack of programs with a stack of promo cards next to them will do. Go to the end of the counter, walk down and take 1 of whatever you care about. Skip the bags, unless you're loading something so surprisingly awesome that it feels like a present. That's my 2 cents.
Relevant info: #PAX East: 3 Coin Lunch organizer. 2012 Trading card available. Pokecrawl Assistant 2012. Pokecrawl attendee 2011. Cult of the Leaf attendee 2012.
For instance, check out Fire & Ice Convention in Wisconsin. 400 people show up and there's over 250 gaming events scheduled. Compare that to PAX, ~10,000 people and there's only around 100 gaming events scheduled. I know PAX isn't all about gaming, but the ratios are out of whack.
Not all gaming events scheduled need to be a multiple-round tourney that hands out prizes. Instead gaming events could just be scheduled to play a specific game at a certain time, that way interested parties could show up at that time instead of checking it out and hoping for LFGs to show up.
Neo Geo Big Red owners club.
2009 PAX Puzzle Quest Champion
I have beat Rygar on the NES and many of you have not.
As I said, our badges were not checked on our way into the expo hall. To be even more specific, badges were not checked while we were entering the convention center from the front entrance, entering the Expo hall from the front and side entrances, and entering the console free play, classic arcade, jamspace, etc roooms. I did not participate in any tournaments. I'm glad that you were checking badges, but if you checked 10 out of the 70,000 that attend Pax East there is still clearly an issue...
Badge checks at the expo hall entrance is something we can improve on. I know every time I entered the expo I saw the badge checker there, but we will look into it. Be assured that we don't want people at PAX without badges, one reason being it adds to overcrowding. But we do not check badges at the main entrance because some people still need to pick up their badge at Registration in the north lobby.
Thanks everyone for the feedback. While some things are deliberate choices for reasons that may not be apparent to you, we do appreciate hearing from you and knowing how we can improve.
Yeah, my buddies were waiting for me to give them their passes on Friday and they got in sans badges without any issues
This is assuming the demand for the badges is totally inelastic, which I don't think is the case, given that badges were still available on secondary markets for several weeks well below that double-face-value point. I have very limited data, so I can't say what would actually happen, but assuming the demand for badges does indeed respond to price changes, a higher face value will at least put more of the real market value of the tickets into PAX's pockets as opposed to scalpers.
If the exact same number of people are going to buy badges even if the price increases, then yes, increasing the price doesn't solve anything.
Compared to 2 years ago, I did not see the same level of badge checking at Expo hall doors I saw them. My badge personally was flipped around a few times and no one said anything as I entered the hall. This year a lot of times the enforcer was missing, or not paying attention. In general, I felt like I saw fewer enforcers, and I was wondering if they were understaffed compared to previous years.
Also, there are Enforcers in the expo hall that have an all day shift (like 8:30AM-6:30PM) every day of the convention, so that has an impact on their health and sanity as well!
This isn't quite the case when it comes to Expo due to the nature of the department, but Enforcers aside it also puts the burden (whether it's for more bodies or longer hours) on the booths as well. And especially for the indies and other smaller groups, that's not the easiest burden to carry.
I think the solution is actually to schedule more panels for 6:00 and later, so that even while the Expo hall closes down there is still lots of interesting stuff to do.
So since people such as myself take vac days anyways for Fri I don't see why East doesn't get expanded to 4 days too. I could spare an extra vacation day for Monday and I would definitely attend. East's Monday would probably never sell out but since Prime's Monday does sell out I think there would still be demand. Maybe East's Monday would sell 50%, hopefully more. I'm sure there are more East attenders like me that would attend on Monday.
That is one way, however the Enforcer thing crops up again. If people thought they were short-staffed this year, imagine how it would go for those that needed another day off work.
They tried that at one PAX, iirc (prime 2012?) It... did not go well....
As far as my personal feedback - I really wished there was more consistency as far as the level 0 northeast entrance in the morning. I kept being directed to that route. Friday, they weren't letting anyone in that entrance, and directed us further down the tunnel, towards the valet. Saturday, let in with no issue. Sunday, I had trouble (props to the security officer there though. While I'dve obviously preferred my morning to be trouble free, he used good judgement).
Not a huge issue for most, but... the elevator was in service only sporadically. I'm lucky enough that even on a bad day I can have someone carry my mobility device up or down stairs so I can walk up, if there's a steady handrail. Which is what I ended up having to do on Friday morning. (and more huge props to the people that helped me with that!). If I wasn't able to do that, I would have had to backtrack and circle all the way around the Westin. I've heard there's a route that cuts through it, but I never seemed to be able to locate it when I looked.
Thankfully the weather was beautiful for the most part, but I dread what an early March PAX might be like. When there's ice and snow on the ground, without either access through that door or consistent elevator functionality, the Element and the Aloft will be really difficult for me to get to/from.
PAX East 2012 Omeganaut. Awesomest. Time. Ever.
Yeah that is true. I don't know what East's enforcer demand is like. Did they have a call for enforcers this year? If not maybe they just need to reopen it to add another day.
Yup, there was.
Now for the constructive criticism time. I felt the retro arcade area had an interesting layout, with current generation arcade games such as Street Fighter V sat next to retro machines, but I go there to experience the old arcade experience and not a game that is less than 3 months old. Other than that the retro area was well put together.
The table top area was a land of confusion, to quote Genesis. With poor signage it was nigh on impossible to find anything. Where was the demo area vs. the tournament area? Resellers were not signposted so those looking for RPGs had to wander around looking through miniature specialists. Not good PAX, this needs to be treated in the same way at the flashy lights video game area where every stall is identified, numbered and located.
Speaking of video games there is something that PAX would do well to pay tribute to or even just straight up copy and that is the Eurogamer's Left Field Collection. EGX Rezzed and EGX both have The Left Field Collections. These are a selection of curated games that will never see the light of day within the market place because they are just that, too left field. Want to play a game who's primary control mechanism is a giant exercise ball? It's in Left Field. Want to have two puppets punch the stuffing out of each other and scores flash up on a screen? It's in Left Field. Want to play a game while lying in a coffin? That's right, it's left field. Very few if any of these games were made for the sake of material gain; they were made because the creators decided to make them.
Having worked tabletop tourney, I can attest to this. I have already provided feedback to the Tabletop Department heads that we should move back HQ to the wall, and corridor off the tourney areas with clear signs saying "This is prioritized for tournaments." with the schedule next to it, with estimated lengths. We often leave games out and let people play them, with the understanding that we're at some point going to come through and (depending) either ask them to reset it for a tourney, or pack it up. Sometimes this can be an hours gap, and we have no issue with people playing multiple games of say, dominion between tournaments. So really we need a system to "wrap" the tourney area and make it clear that it is a place that we -will- need at some point.
Just a simple.. whatever they are called. The black zipline-like ropes... around it would be enough, with multiple signed entrances. It's less about keeping people out, but making it easier for people to know "this is tourney."
I spent far, far more time relocating people to non-tourney tables than actually setting up games or arranging things. That should not happen, but as a first year, I could only do so much. I can say Table Top did listen to my suggestions for next year, though they couldn't promise anything.
I personally did not like how the tabletop vendors were set up. Where a stall is located needs to be seen from -both- sides, not just from Expo. I spent over two hours trying to locate a booth.. because their sign was only visible from the expo side.
Relevant info: #PAX East: 3 Coin Lunch organizer. 2012 Trading card available. Pokecrawl Assistant 2012. Pokecrawl attendee 2011. Cult of the Leaf attendee 2012.
Like a previous poster noted I did not care for the inflatable penis tied to the inflatable orca in the queue line. It was crass, and exactly the sort of thing PAX, and the gaming community as a whole, really needs to knock the fuck off.
And then someone drew a swastika on it.
I was beyond disappointed. One racist asshole does not speak for the whole community, but...just...fuck, man. This comes on the heels of this article occupying a large part of my mind.
And again, exclusionist shit popping up in the Smash Bros. freeplay, with some great nicknakes like, HIV+, 4Skin, and FAG.
I don't lay this at the feet of the PAX organizers--you can't police every jerk's behavior--maybe Enforcers can be more on the lookout for this stuff.
My NES blog and my Pokemon Snap tumblr.
I'm sorry to hear about this. The bad thing is, it's not something I'd expect to change. This was my fourth East and since I first started going the elevators in the BCEC have always had a bit of a reputation for being unreliable.
If it's any help for the future though, I think the route you're referring to may be the path that cuts through the Lawn on D.
I understand this should not be a problem.. but unfortunately it often is, as The_MadHatter_ said, this just is something the BCEC is notorious for.
Relevant info: #PAX East: 3 Coin Lunch organizer. 2012 Trading card available. Pokecrawl Assistant 2012. Pokecrawl attendee 2011. Cult of the Leaf attendee 2012.
Panels I managed to attend were all great. I really like the panels about mental health/sexism/other social issues and their intersection with gaming. I was sad that Take This didn't have a panel of their own, but I'm unsure if this was due to PAX or because the Take This people couldn't or didn't want to run it for whatever reason. I'd love to see them again next year, and their presence in both the AFK room and Diversity Lounge was awesome; Susan is always just the nicest person. There was one panel on mental health and gaming that I didn't enjoy, which was a late Sunday panel - new panel hosts would benefit from having more than just themselves hosting and talking at a room with no visuals. I checked out the Hello from the Magic Tavern panel on a whim and it's now my favorite thing ever, so that was an awesome find. This was also the first time I checked out Acquisitions Incorporated and while I didn't love waiting in line, the line was organized well and it was an awesome event.
The Expo Hall was much better organized this year - the wider walkways really helped the flow of traffic. Indie Megabooth was still quite crowded at times, but not so much so that I felt uncomfortable. I did also notice a lack of swag, but swag isn't my thing so I wasn't much bothered by it. I agree that demos were too long/overcrowded this year.
Tabletop continued to be packed at almost all times, and we found it very hard (as usual) to find a table to sit and play a board/card game (except late at night). The space is pretty much at capacity though so I'm not sure what more could be done for it. BUT I did think that it was easier to get around in this space this year, since the tables seemed less cramped together. So that was nice! The aisles between the tabletop company booths were super congested at times, and some of the vendors didn't seem interested in actually demoing their games, and rather gave us a rundown of gameplay then told us the price. No solution there on PAX's end, but if you're someone who demos card/tabletop games and read this, please please please ask people if they want to try a round after you've given them the rundown of the game! We were very interested in a couple card games but when the vendor didn't want to actually show us how it was played, we were turned off. Yes I know you're there to try and sell a product, but maybe make an effort to show me what I'd be buying? The Poop the Game vendor was especially bad with this; he just wanted to chat with someone, and seemed put off by us wanting to talk (took a bit to even come to the table, gave us a quick rundown, told us the price, didn't want to play, when we said thanks he walked off again).
The food options situation was so much better this year, too. The main food court didn't get so jammed full from what I saw, and the smaller food courts scattered around were a good idea, even if I still refuse to buy con food. I don't mind the no-alcohol thing, but the husband was a bit sad. The signs for the food trucks were great! I only wish there were hours of the trucks listed as well, though I know this would be difficult to keep accurate since the trucks don't always know how long the product they have on hand will last. They jacked up their prices Sunday, and while I don't blame them, I was also a tiny bit annoyed. But overall, great food for better prices than inside the convention center. The water stations in the panel rooms were well stocked and as always, very much appreciated!
Little things: I agree that the Dance Central area could be done away with; it wasn't often busy this year. Handheld did seem a little smaller, but I really liked the space it was in - much easier to find people and less of a pain to get through/around than the hallway in previous years. The LoL area could do better at the end of a hallway, in my opinion. It would often get congested and hard to get through on my way to a panel or whatever.
Overall, I had an amazing time this year!
Things I liked: the LFG stuff in the tabletop area with the pathfinder society and DND 5e.
The indie booth, lot's of cool games here with relatively short lines.
The PS move controller game that people were running Saturday night. This was a really unique game that was fun to both watch and play.
The expo hall congestion was muuuuuch lighter than in years past.
Things I didn't like
The security seemed pointless. I went in costume and was wearing chainmail, set off the metal detector and didn't get so much as a second look from security.
More vegetarian options would be nice, most of the salads had chicken in them.
Advertising the cospitality area would be nice. I had no idea it existed until I walked by on my way out.
The magic area seemed a little too small this year, I often had to wait 1+hour to get into a draft.