The ONLY reason I could see them trying to do a PAX would be to be able to say 'PAX west has been going on for X amount of years' every year.
Inviting thousands of people from all over the world in the midst of a pandemic just to keep a streak going would be pretty crazy.
I’d think you could do a small event, single theater, small crowd, charge a buttload and donate to charity, and livestream it. Maybe livestream a few other panels, particularly the ones that are yearly staples. Do donations, call that PAX West 2020, that way you still have an entry in the books.
I believe SDCC is going the “virtual event” route, probably same reason.
And I think it is important. 2020 happened. It’s happening. I think there are appropriate ways to meanwhile the year that are safe and can still help bring us together.
Edit: And that’s why you always check if there’s another page.......
In April, we were still hoping to bring you PAX West this year, protecting the safety and health of our community is our highest priority. The more we worked on a solution, the more it became clear that if we really wanted to welcome everybody home, we’d have to remove the physical barriers entirely, and simply take PAX Online.
Going digital means a lot more than just a change in venue though, and by transcending the physical, in fact, we’re able to do more PAX than ever before!
PAX Online is the result of the convention-organizing supergroup made up of the people responsible for PAX West, PAX Australia, as well as our new friends at EGX to create our new PAX Online and deliver a steady 24/7 stream of content, events, discussions, and gameplay.
Oh, and did we say 24/7 We actually meant 24/9, because we're going to be running this virtual shindig for nine straight days, from September 12th, starting at 10am PST, through September 20th, ending at 7pm PST.
We’re sure you have questions, and you should! We waited this long to announce so that we could offer these pre-emptive answers to how, exactly, we’re going to pull this off:
So when do badges go on sale?
They don't! PAX Online will be free and open to the public. If you can access the internet, you can go to PAX Online.
But what about Panels?!
Going “online” generally means the addition of Streamed Content, and boy have we got that covered. Three channels’ worth, to be exact, with literally nonstop content running each and every day. In addition to digital adaptations of the panels, concerts, and competitions that pack our theatres at a traditional PAX, we've got some new and exciting stuff, as well as a few surprises planned; and our friends in Australia, as well as our EGX friends in London, will bring you even more special content.
Is Esports Content?
Yes, content means Esports too! We’re hammering out a lot of the details that we can't wait to announce, but for now we can say that PAX Online will be “hosting” “some” “tournaments” “throughout” the week.
Where’s the booth(s)?
Sending the expo hall to the Grid has been quite the tall order, but we’re reticulating splines, and uh, building data trees, on a project that will let you download and demo games from the comfort of your home! We want to replicate the thrill of the Expo hall as much as possible.
Oh no, what about Merch?!
Thought about this one a lot, and it turns out, we can just sell merch...on the internet. But seriously, if you were looking forward to kitting yourself out in PAX University gear for either West or Aus, we’re planning to have both shows’ collections available online all summer long in addition to a brand-new collection of exclusive PAX Online goodies. Some Early PAX West goodies are available for pre-sale right now and PAX Aus items will be available in the next few days!
What if I want to find and make friends?
There'll be more details on this soon, but we're prepared to offer a host of different ways to interact with the greater PAX community including custom chat rooms, tournament-aggregation systems, and the means to find groups to game with all week long!
So what’s next? Well, here are a few ways to keep up and get involved:
If you’d like to stay up-to-date on what’s happening with PAX Online, you can sign up for our mailing list right here.
We’re looking for panels! If you’d like to host a panel for our stream check out our panel submission form here.
Indie Devs! If you would like to take part in our PAX Online Indie Showcase, we have information on how to get involved here.
Exhibitors, if you would like to discuss how to partner with us, you can follow up with that information right here.
We’re so excited to share our new version of PAX with you. The last time PAX was a 24-hour show was...well, actually, it was the first one ever, almost 16 years ago! History doesn’t repeat itself, but it rhymes.
We've got our work cut out for us, but we're hoping that while everyone's living on the internet, we can maybe help it feel a little more like home.
-The PAX Team
mod edit: made it obvious that this was quoted text
I believe SDCC is going the “virtual event” route, probably same reason.
Last I heard SDCC was postponed until 2021 and was still planning to be a physical event, but who knows?
Presumably if they switch to a virtual event they would offer refunds to people who bought tickets to the physical event.
I believe SDCC is going the “virtual event” route, probably same reason.
Last I heard SDCC was postponed until 2021 and was still planning to be a physical event, but who knows?
Presumably if they switch to a virtual event they would offer refunds to people who bought tickets to the physical event.
SDCC is planning an at-home event for 2020, free, just like PAX. It will take place on the original dates.
Badge holders for 2020 have the option of either rolling their badge to SDCC 2021...a big deal, as they’re tough to get...or can request a refund. Transfer of badges to SDCC 2021 is the default, and automatic.
Now that, for the first time, this discussion is actually resolved with a full conclusion, I will close it. It shall remain the best thread on the forums until a new champion comes to usurp the throne.
Posts
I’d think you could do a small event, single theater, small crowd, charge a buttload and donate to charity, and livestream it. Maybe livestream a few other panels, particularly the ones that are yearly staples. Do donations, call that PAX West 2020, that way you still have an entry in the books.
I believe SDCC is going the “virtual event” route, probably same reason.
And I think it is important. 2020 happened. It’s happening. I think there are appropriate ways to meanwhile the year that are safe and can still help bring us together.
Edit: And that’s why you always check if there’s another page.......
I also love that I can buy the sweet, sweet Merch online
From https://online.paxsite.com
mod edit: made it obvious that this was quoted text
PAAAAAAAAAAAAAAXXXXXXXXXXX!
Presumably if they switch to a virtual event they would offer refunds to people who bought tickets to the physical event.
SDCC is planning an at-home event for 2020, free, just like PAX. It will take place on the original dates.
Badge holders for 2020 have the option of either rolling their badge to SDCC 2021...a big deal, as they’re tough to get...or can request a refund. Transfer of badges to SDCC 2021 is the default, and automatic.
Source: I am a SDCC 2020 badge holder.
Geth, do your duty.