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News & ArtsFriday, September 4, 2009
Games / Nerd PAX!
Posted by Nick Nelson on Fri, Sep 4, 2009 at 4:47 PM
Since its inception in 2004, PAX has been growing exponentially. It outgrew Bellevue's Meydenbauer Center, where it was hosted for three years, and now, in its third year at the WSCTC, it's outgrown it too; as Jonah mentioned, PAX completely sold out of all passes a week before it began, so if you haven't gotten a pass yet, you're not going to be able to get in*.
I'll be there tomorrow and Sunday (perhaps briefly today if I can manage). How many Sloggers are going? Are you there right now? What is your favorite part about PAX? Anything you're dying to see?
*UPDATE: They have released a limited number of Saturday and Sunday badges, so if you're bummed that you didn't get a badge in time, you still have a chance. Grab one quickly and spend the weekend geeking out!
2
I'm really pissed about no door tickets. I understand it's my own fault for not buying them ahead of time, but it's absurd that they got that many people! I'm amazed at the dedication some of the kids have to come out to the event. It's the first time in four years I won't be going on some day, and I'm actually really bummed about it. I always look forward to drinking heavily and staying up in the LAN area until 2am (I don't do PC gaming otherwise so it's a neat change of pace) and of course the chance for hands-on time with yet-to-be-released games is a blast. I'm sad I won't get to try Mass Effect 2! The other really fun parts:
- Vintage console check-out time. Last year I wound up playing Perfect Dark on an N64 for a solid two hours like I was in high school again. My friend - who I played with back then - still pulled the same old cheap bullshit with the sniper rifle.
- Music games in front of a giant audience in the exhibition hall. Enough said.
- Nintendo DS chat rooms. They're wi-fi and ad hoc so they're everywhere; in waiting lines, in the lounges, on the sidewalks outside - and they're full of utterly childish and utterly hillarious crudely drawn photos of dicks. A Nintendo killer app if there ever was one.
- People who are so, so, so into gaming (and nothing else!) that you feel okay about getting stoned and playing Battlefront 1943 once or twice a week.
- Beating those people at Battlefront 1943.
- Vintage console check-out time. Last year I wound up playing Perfect Dark on an N64 for a solid two hours like I was in high school again. My friend - who I played with back then - still pulled the same old cheap bullshit with the sniper rifle.
- Music games in front of a giant audience in the exhibition hall. Enough said.
- Nintendo DS chat rooms. They're wi-fi and ad hoc so they're everywhere; in waiting lines, in the lounges, on the sidewalks outside - and they're full of utterly childish and utterly hillarious crudely drawn photos of dicks. A Nintendo killer app if there ever was one.
- People who are so, so, so into gaming (and nothing else!) that you feel okay about getting stoned and playing Battlefront 1943 once or twice a week.
- Beating those people at Battlefront 1943.
3
@2 Yeah, I'm surprised at it selling out too. They should have set some passes aside for sale at the doors. PAX is always bigger than they expect. There's an East Coast PAX next year along with the main one here, so hopefully that will lighten some of the load next time, but who knows? It's been almost doubling in size each year since it started. Hope you have better luck getting in next year.
If there's one thing at PAX that everyone brings, it's their DS. What else are you going to do while waiting in line? Some people on the PA forums wanted to set a word record for most DSs in one place, too!
If there's one thing at PAX that everyone brings, it's their DS. What else are you going to do while waiting in line? Some people on the PA forums wanted to set a word record for most DSs in one place, too!
6
At least this post somewhat redeems Jonah's earlier one. With that said, looks like Sam will have great in depth coverage over at Publicola for those that want a news outlet that actually gives a shit about PAX.
7
damn it, I am pissed at myself for not buying tickets ahead of time... but who would have predicted nerds/geeks/gamers have loose money to come to seattle ?
9
I went earlier but had to get out of the crowd. It was my first one so I have nothing to compare it to, but it was good times. I wasn't super excited about the Bumbershoot lineup this year and I thought I'd try something different.
I got to see the Ron Gilbert keynote (not a great speech but Ron is directly responsible for me sinking hours into Monkey Island and Maniac Mansion back in the day... OK, still in the day...), got my hands on the new Ratchet and Clank (awesome), saw some people in silly costumes, stepped aboard the TMNT bus, and generally just walked around and looked at stuff. I wouldn't call myself a hardcore gamer (a lot of the games being shown don't interest me in the least), but I like what I like and it was really nice to be among a bunch of people who are just really jazzed about SOMETHING.
I got to see the Ron Gilbert keynote (not a great speech but Ron is directly responsible for me sinking hours into Monkey Island and Maniac Mansion back in the day... OK, still in the day...), got my hands on the new Ratchet and Clank (awesome), saw some people in silly costumes, stepped aboard the TMNT bus, and generally just walked around and looked at stuff. I wouldn't call myself a hardcore gamer (a lot of the games being shown don't interest me in the least), but I like what I like and it was really nice to be among a bunch of people who are just really jazzed about SOMETHING.
14
I was able to get a pass so I could catch Anamanaguchi. That shit was off the hook. Too bad about the bad hygiene all around me.
15
@12
Yeah, he's no gifted orator, but he sounds like an all-around good guy who happens to have made some pretty awesome games in his time, so I'll give him a pass.
Yeah, he's no gifted orator, but he sounds like an all-around good guy who happens to have made some pretty awesome games in his time, so I'll give him a pass.
16
This girl has a pass for Sunday! I absolutely can't wait to play the demo for No More Heroes II. It's kind of all I care about this year.
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