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.