PAX East recap - Part II

Major Nelson, me, lollip0p, e, Stepto

So, in addition to all the games and goods at PAX East, I was able to take in some panels and meet some well-known industry professionals too.

Sacrifice. It's all about sacrifice. There were numerous amounts of panels throughout each of the three days. This being my first time at PAX, I was somewhat overwhelmed with the amount of topics that were lined up. I found myself in plenty of dilemmas, trying to decide which speakers, podcast, Q&A I wanted to see. Let me tell you, with such a vested interest in video games, it was painstakingly tough.

I was, however, with relative ease, able to line up a few that I just couldn't miss. These were informative topics that were basically focused on how to jump start a career in the video game industry. Each panel was comprised of folks already working in the industry, and I was able to learn a bunch just by listening to what each had to say. Never stalk a company because you want to work there -- it understandably creeps people out. On the plus side, in-person networking is a great way to introduce yourself and try to get your foot in the door (one reason why I decided to go to PAX East).

While learning how to break into the industry was a top priority, I also wanted to check out the 'fun' panels. And I thought the lines for the career panels were long. For these more entertaining topics, people lined up almost two hours early. With limited space, if you wanted to see one of these you had to follow suit and line up to ensure you'd get in. Luckily I was able to conquer the lines and got to attend some cool events. I have to say, many of the live podcasts were awesome. I went to the Joystiq Xbox fancast, IGN podcast, and my favorite, the Major Nelson podcast. Larry Hryb, aka Major Nelson, is pretty much the face of Xbox. He's the Xbox Live Director of Programming and does a lot of press for Microsoft. After his show I got to meet him and the three other co-hosts of the podcast; e, lollip0p and Stepto...awesome time and again, very cool people (check out the photo at top).

Each podcast was unique and quite comical. The Q&A sessions that were opened up to audience members were probably the highlight of each one. Not only were prizes given away at each podcast, but there were some pretty ridiculous questions asked and equally as interesting answers.

I also attended the Joystiq breakfast and was able to meet Justin McElroy, the Reviews Editor for Joystiq. If you remember, he's the one who hooked me up with all that swag when I won that contest back in December. Surprisingly, as soon as I mentioned Splatterhouse he knew who I was. Anyway, he's a cool guy, and I'm definitely glad I got to meet him.

Justin McElroy and I

The most memorable panel I went to was entitled, When I Grow Up: It's Never Too Late to Try Something Crazy. It was here I got to preview a documentary about Sean Baptiste, a well-known Community Manager with Harmonix, who found out...well, here's the preview we were given for the show:

Two years ago, Sean Baptiste was at the top of his game. A wunderkind in social marketing in the game industry, he traveled the country meeting fans and celebrities- promoting games he loved.But an inoperable brain tumor and a series of surguries led to long ICU stays over several months. He came home and discovered that he had major memory problems-at times even forgetting his own name. Struggling with simple tasks most take for granted, Sean decided to do the scariest thing he could think of: stand-up comedy.

I got to hear Sean's amazing journey and how much he's overcome. His outlook on life is inspirational to say the least. It was very touching to hear how he's impacted others who've had to deal with severe medical issues, and how he continues to push through obstacles in his life. The actual documentary we got to watch about how he became a stand-up comedian was hilarious. Although an amateur, he's actually quite funny. I laughed a lot. Definitely a cool story and an ever cooler person. If you want to check out some clips from the show go here.

Overall, both the stuff, games, swag and the people/panels were enough for me to line up plans for next year's PAX. It was a great time. Not only did I take a lot away literally, but I got educated and learned some techniques on how to land a job in this great industry...exactly what I was looking for.

If you missed Part I of my PAX recap you can see it here.

PAX East recap - Part I

 

I've decided to break my PAX post into two segments. There was so much to see and do that trying to fit it into one post would be insane. In this first part I'll be focusing on the stuff - showroom, games, swag. For the next post I'll talk about the people and panels.

Amazingly enough, I was able to accumulate a ton. I scored a bunch of shirts, game-related pins and buttons, posters, beta codes, and some exclusive in-game items. Aside from the goods, what's so cool about PAX is how it's geared towards the fans. There were games galore on the showroom floor, most of which are being released later this year.

The only downfall...the lines. When it came to the waiting times to play games, it felt more like getting your license renewed at the DMV rather than a game expo. It seemed that every other attendee had the same thought that I did about getting the chance to play games that haven't been released yet and because of this, the wait for some games, Gears of War 3, L.A. Noire, and Portal 2 just to name a few, stretched out as far as three hours. I guess that's the price you pay for the opportunity to check out the games before anyone else.

Despite this complaint, I was able to try out some cool games like Red Faction Armageddon, FEAR 3, and BRINK. Playing BRINK was by far the highlight of the trip. Maybe it was because I played the game at a cruise terminal or maybe it was because the first 200 people got to play the game with the developers. See, publisher Bethesda Softworks and developer Splash Damage decided to throw a special event in honor of their game. The event was held on the waterfront at the Boston cruise terminal and gave gamers the opportunity to try out the game and play it with some of the development team. Genius idea. In order to ensure I would be one of the first 200, I decided to show up about three hours early. Crazy, yes, but I wasn't going to miss it. My extreme punctuality payed off, as I was first in line. Not only did I get a shot at being the first to play the game, but I was able to meet the Lead Writer at Splash Damage, Edward Stern. Totally worth it.

While I didn't get to play all of the games I wanted to, I was still able to try out a few and at least watch gameplay of others. The BRINK event more than made up for anything that I missed. After attending PAX, I'm pleased to let you all know that based on the different games I saw, we, as gamers, should be excited for what's coming in the near future.

Stay turned for Part II of my PAX recap, where I'll let you in on the different people I met and what they had to say.

 

  

PAX East bound

Bags are packed. Tickets in hand. I'm headed off to Boston for PAX East early tomorrow morning. I've ironed out the schedule for what panels and events I want to see and can't wait for the gaming festival to begin. There's lots of free swag to be had, and I'm hoping to score some. Check back in the coming weeks cause I'll have plenty more to share once I get back.

For real, it's real

Bask in the soft glow of this neon sign. I know I am. 

I remember first hearing about this promotional item when Fallout: New Vegas was released back in October. The folks over at Bethesda Blog auctioned one off for charity a while ago, and I remember seeing one on display at my local Best Buy. As soon as I discovered this gem for sale on eBay I had to snag it.

Fallout: New Vegas, what's that? Post-apocalyptic and Las Vegas...enough said. If you haven't checked the game out yet, you should. Then you can delight in your own virtual Fallout sign.

Happy Birthday to me

Like I said in my last post, my wife and I celebrated my November birthday last Saturday when we attended Video Games Live. First things first, the concert was awesome. Other than a little kid constantly tapping the back of my chair with his foot, it was a memorable experience. I would most definitely go back again.

Before the show kicked off, we got our photo snapped with Mario and Sonic. Both were overly excited to meet us, as clearly shown by their expressions in the picture. Following the photo shoot, we made it to our seats just in time for the opening of the program, an assortment of music from old school games including Punch-Out, Duck Hunt, Gauntlet and Donkey Kong. Intermittently throughout the show, the host and creator Tommy Tallarico would get the crowd involved through various games. He invited one audience member to come up on stage and play Space Invaders and another to play Guitar Hero. The orchestra and choir were involved in both contests, playing and singing in sync with the actual game.

The highlight of the evening, however, was a segment that featured Martin Leung, the blindfolded pianist. Leung is a youtube sensation known for his blindfolded piano version of the Super Mario Bros. theme song. The video has over 3 million views and his live performance didn't disappoint. I'm still baffled at how good this guy really is.

Generally, music is overshadowed in games by graphics and storyline. It's not common to hear, "man, that soundtrack was sick." Having the opportunity to hear these video game songs live absolutely gave me an appreciation of a forgotten aspect of video games. Next time you're playing a game, take time out to absorb the tunes and delight in the music.