Next week will see geek joy rain down on the streets of Seattle in the form of PAX Prime 2013. For the first time since its inception in 2004, PAX is extending to a full four days: Friday, August 30th through Monday, September 2nd. A Bit of Geek will be there (some of us the whole time, others only Saturday and Sunday) and we are incredibly excited! It will be Rachel and Zach's first attendance, too. We plan on making the most of our time between the expo hall and all of the awesome panels, but we'll also be participating in buttoneering! Be sure to hit that link for all of the information, but the rundown is this: PAX attendees create buttons based on their Penny Arcade forum avatars, and then exchange buttons with other users! I did it for the first time last year and it was a great little game. Although, in a sea of ~70,000+ people it can be difficult to find other buttoneers. Fortunately, there are meetups through the weekend to help participants complete their collections!
I have written about PAX each year since I started A Bit of Geek, and every year I struggle with what to say. The convention is so huge, and so difficult to pin down succinctly. Every year offers something new and exciting, and it is legitimately one of my most favorite things. Whenever PAX is completed I immediately start thinking about how much I can't wait for next year, and whenever passes go on sale I now nearly have a heart attack since they sell out so quickly. I am so fortunate to not have to purchase a plane ticket in order to attend, so if I ever miss out on passes I will become inconsolably distraught.
This year I spent a considerable length of time observing the schedule, and there are two to three panels each day that I am really looking forward to:
Saturday includes!
Penny Arcade Make A Strip
Turning Geek Passion into Profit
Community Management
Chainsawsuit with Friends
Retrogame Roadshow: The Game Show!
Sunday includes!
Penny Arcade Q&A
The Huge Evolution of Games Blogging
Web Video for Gamers
Nintendo Panel
Cards Against Humanity
It really hurts me that I won't be in attendance all four days. It simply wasn't in the cards this year though. Although, the PAX gods are with me because all of the panels that I really want to see are on the two days that I'll be present! Wahoo!
Oh, last year I wrote a series of articles based around getting the most of your PAX experience; you should give them a read! I have one on scheduling your days, how to be social, and keeping energized! Maybe you're a seasoned attendee, or maybe you're a newcomer! Either way I believe there's good information in there. Maybe pass it along to any first timers in your life. I love at least trying to be helpful!
So please tell me, dear readers, are you going to be at PAX? Will you be participating in the buttonneers? Which panels are you most looking forward to? What are your tips for having a great PAX experience? I really and truly want to know the answers to these questions! Few things get me as pumped as the Penny Arcade Expo, so please talk to me about how excited you are!
-MJ
*Header image is a screenshot from the PAX official website.
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