Who's Afraid of the Big Bad PAX
Late last week I posted about some of my concerns coming into PAX Prime. I assumed that upon returning from the land of Starbucks, drizzle and exactly one legendary musician, namely Jimi Hendrix, I would be backtracking on my uncertainties and actively singing the praises of the Expo. The reality is, it turns out, more complicated. As I go back and look at what I wrote last Thursday, I actually don't feel like my reticence was unfounded.
Last week PAX was an unknown quantity that seemed somewhat lost in the middle-ground between major media expo and community driven fan event. This week, my feeling on the matter has changed not one iota. In fact, I would dare say that PAX doesn't exactly know what it is right now. There is the PAX of the console freeplay rooms, the PAX of star-driven panels, the PAX of a giant LAN party, the PAX of endless board games, the PAX of meet and greets away from the show, and of course the PAX of the convention floor. Each one has a totally different vibe, and they all seem loosely connected by the veins and arteries of twisting hallways without ever quite resolving into a unified organism.
I loved the community driven events, and meeting new GWJers around what seemed like every corner is a joy I genuinely treasure. If you think we have a cool community here online, just wait until you put a bunch of us in a room together and start playing board games and Rock Band. I'll just say, if you ever have the chance, put it on your calendar.
That said, some of the other elements of the show -- the actual convention hall and the long lines for panels, for example -- didn't really resolve in the same way for me. I was constantly surprised to find myself going from feeling perfectly at home to suddenly quite out of place. Focus on the people of PAX, from Enforcers to the vast majority of very cool gamers, and it is one thing. Focus on the event itself, however, and it suddenly seems indistinct.
I realize I am being cryptic, and that's why this will be a short piece. I'm not sure I can come to a complete thought on PAX so close to it. I find myself wishing I had attended when it was much smaller, because I think the more something like this grows, the greater the risk that it loses its soul. Ultimately, I have no regrets for going and I walk away with treasured memories. Despite what other reservations I may still hold about the event, that's more than enough for me. For now.
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You are right Kurt Cobain was from Aberdeen not Seattle.
Bear wrote:
First: Yes, PAX was great this year. But there was definitely something special about earlier PAXs that's been missing. I can't put my finger on it, but it has something to do with camaraderie or being able to just hang out with Gabe and Tycho during the con. Isn't PAX too young to have salad days already?
In happier news, this was clearly the best smelling PAX I've experienced. I think it has something to do with mainly hanging out with the Goodjer lot. Ya'll been bathing.
Damn right, ABERDEEN REPRESENT WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!
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I've only been to PAX east, but I'd say it does seem schizophrenic for the first time. I wasn't really sure what to expect, and as expected I ended up trying to see a little of everything. Not the best of plans considering I only had a 1-day pass. I ended up walking back and forth and standing in lines a way too much.
Now, even though I was all over the place I did manage to have some fun. I think next time around I'll get a 3 day pass, maybe take a sick day, and focus on the parts I loved the most. Trying new boardgames, checking out a few choice panels, attempting steel battalion, and just hanging out and talking with people.
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In my short 1/2 day there this year, I thought the show floor was louder and more, well, commercial isn't the right word since this is a show promoting the sales of new games, but there were more booth babes and a lot more barkers hawking the games being played. This really made it tougher to experience some areas like PAX 10 or the margins of the show, as the cranked volume was a bit distracting. Made it seem more like E3 than PAX to me.
This just in from Eli 7.4's playground: Apparently, girls go to college to get more knowledge, but boys go to Jupiter to get more stupider. -Bill Harris
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You're absolutely right. PAX is a collection of mini-cons; it's E3 on the expo floor, a free arcade upstairs, GDC in the panels, a Rabbitcon writ large in the tabletop area, S&T's in the bars around the convention center and a handful of truly unique experiences (Steel Battalion being the most high profile).
One thing that's crystalised for me over the last few years of West Coast PAX's is how I approach it. I've gotten to the point where the payoff for a panel isn't worth the waiting in line, so I now skip even the interesting ones unless I can wander straight in.
I kind of enjoy the disconnected nature of it. It makes for a fun experience drifting from one to another. I can play boardgames until I fancy a change, then wander somewhere else for a dramatically different experience.
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LarryC wrote:
Layne Staley and Jerry Cantrell??
And I agree with the noise. I spent the whole time with a roaring headache. The talks were good though.
40 cop cars lined up in anticipation of post-game Lakers riot. None for E3. Now, which games promote violence? ~Logan Decker
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Like I said, pick only a few panels.
However, we're all still waiting to hear the answer to the most important question of all: did the Pillow work this time?
Certis wrote:
Fedaykin98 wrote:
<+katisu> Q-Stone is an internet genius
I found myself getting into lines for panels and then talking to other PAX-goers and having fun meeting new people (and during one panel even a fellow GWJer, though neither of us knew it at the time). Sometimes I'd have to force people away from a DS or iDevice but it was still a good half hour before what were generally good panels.
I might just be lucky though.
No one's ever suggested a new signature, I'm beginning to suspect no one reads them.
This was my first PAX, and I found the same protean nature that seems to puzzle you is what makes the event so appealing; while I appreciate your aversion to uncertainty, I can't help but feel PAX should remain indistinct as long as possible. Like Bigfoot, keeping PAX perpetually out of focus keeps the magic alive.
A friend summed it up succintly: PAX is the ultimate nerd slumber party.
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Did it work the first time?
Fear the flames...
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Jennska, with whom we were lucky enough to crash, gave Snore-Boy is own bed, so no issues there.
Certis and Cory and I got real friendly though (grin).
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"Publishers still speak in hushed tones about el bunny de la muerte." - *Legion*
This is an excellent way to look at it!
Pax has become so large, amorphous, and multifaceted I think you have to go into it with a bit of a sense of the direction you want to take it. I was there to socialize, play boardgames, and maintain a rather steady buzz the entire time. Oh, and canvass for guests in DQIX, although I slacked on the last one more than I'd intended. The expo hall, the long lines...I could take it or leave it, but I had better stuff to do so I left it.
As someone associated with the media at the event (and thus there with more of a serious purpose than my own), was your experience weighted by the business end of the industry in light of previous experiences a la E3? Those warm, fleeting moments of humanity where personal connections are made may be a little discordant when peppered between exposure to those who are there to do business.
"And thus did it come to pass, as was foretold, that the picture thread became like unto the spider thread...there was much gnashing of teeth and lamentations. Dogs lay down with Cats. Bears began riding sharks and lo, there was war." -Oilypenguin
Totally this. Next year, i'm focusing on boardgaming, and checking out some more storytelling games.
This just in from Eli 7.4's playground: Apparently, girls go to college to get more knowledge, but boys go to Jupiter to get more stupider. -Bill Harris
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I agree with this completely. This was my fourth year at PAX but the first year I really felt that I got it. Previously, I had been focused on the "neato" aspect of getting to see games early and stargazing game industry celebs (hmmm....that sounds creepier than intended.) This year however, while I still did my expo floor runs, I spent far more time playing board games, meeting great new people, and even getting to know people better with whom I'm already acquainted. Hell, after meeting all of those great GWJers in person I've even been inspired to become more active in the online community thanks to PAX. I think the essence of PAX is really the choose your own adventure feel it has. Now if only those thousands of people who were in line ahead of me for Portal 2 would get out of my adventure's way all would be well with the world.
This was the disturbing aspect to PAX this year. From the guy that kept bugging me about how I could play my D&D board games online as I went up the escalator (even though I told him a half dozen times I didn't play that) to the booth babes, there were definitely things that felt... off. Way too many people grabbing at my attention. I'm at a game conference and I'm an average dude. If I want to see what you have to show I'll come on my own accord.
My only other PAX experience is 2007. Not that long ago. I remember it being much easier to wait in a small line to try something I really wanted to try. To me part of the fun of PAX is going to one of the glitzy demo booths and getting your hands on something not out yet. For some reason, though, in 2007 it felt more like I was getting to play with forbidden fruit and this year it felt more like I was being marketed to or like I was part of a focus group. Most of these games are going to be demos on XBL, PSN or Steam soon anyway.
However, as a result of this many of the companies I always love seeing like Pink Gorilla, indie game devs, etc. were more to the periphery this time. That was a bummer. So I had to walk around the 2 story Portal 2 exhibit or the gigantic Epic Mickey to get to the stuff I was genuinely surprised about and happy to spend time at. In 2007 prime Expo floor space was given over to a booth with simply a new FullMetal Alchemist DS game and the voice actress for Winry, Caitlin Glass. At that PAX I stopped to talk to Caitlin as I am a big fan of the show. She spent over an hour talking Anime with me and gave me a list of recommended Anime.
In contrast in 2010 the middle of the floor was so overtaken by giant mini-expos with endless lines that I generally didn't bother. And this meant I spent way too much time struggling to get to the small booths and indie games because I couldn't see them as they were obstructed from view by the AAA booths. One of those AAA booths being an unproven technology made by a company (OnLive) that was forcing people to enter their credit card information on day 1 to demo anything.
The funny thing, though, is that I'm not whining. I'm simply explaining what happened. Like other people these frustrations with the Expo "forced" me to check out what was happening on the 3rd and 2nd floors. Here I not only found enjoyment playing board games, playing the DS alongside other gamers, etc., but yes, having conversations with people as well.
Unless something far more important comes up I'll definitely be going to PAX 2011. After a quick run of the Expo floor on day 1 you'll be able to find me amongst the board games, console freeplay and beanbags. The Expo was finally so loud and obnoxious that I was forced to discover the best part of PAX.
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I agree, there are different faces of PAX. But they are all linked by the same people, us fans. I don't really see many panels, and this year I skipped the concerts (I only ever went to Anamanaguchi in the past anhow, I'm not interested in the rest of them). The expo is fun to just walk around, but as soon as you get stuck in some long ass line the fun stops. So I move on. Freeplay is great if you have a bunch of people with you. And one of these years I am going to spend some time in the board game area; the people I go with are never interested
I think DSGamer and JohnnyPolite both nailed it... This was my first PAX, but yes: the expo floor was loud and overstimulating, yes, it was filled with lots of marketing and booth babes, yes, I'd felt like I was a test audience a lot.
But the other side of PAX: the freeplay, watching the guys play D&D with Will Wheaton on an enormous projection screen, pickup games of "Are You a Werewolf?" while standing in lines, and seeing a cool play about games and friendship - that made it worth it. That I'd met some cool people, and was able to try out some new board games or indie titles was icing on the cake.
I'd probably feel even more that way if I'd been able to make the Slap & Tickle. -Next time I'll be there.
Steam: thevinnlander XBLA: Gibby in PDX
To some extent, I was in the same boat Kojiro. I'll wear an enormous red hat next year so you can find me.
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