Ten Reasons You Should Have Been At PAX 13

If you didn't get to go to PAX Prime this year, I am truly sorry. You missed out on such a good time; luckily, it comes around every year, so you'll get another chance soon enough! If you need more convincing, here are ten reasons that will seal the deal!

10. Free Swag

Free stuff is always good! Especially when it's merchandise that revolves around your favorite games, characters, and companies. Free swag was in abundance this year. I'm officially set for life as far as lanyards go, I have lots of new comics to read, and I even have some amazing new tshirts to wear!

Really, the free swag is genius incentive to try out new games and products. Sonic Lost World? I'm sorry to say I wasn't all that interested before I laid eyes on the free lanyards they were handing out to anyone who tried the demo. I actually had a lot of fun playing it, and I might want to buy it when it comes out in October! And, not that I needed incentive, but I got another adorable lanyard for trying out Super Mario 3D World (coming out on Wii U November 22nd).

9. Awesome Cosplayers

I thought the cosplayers at Emerald City Comicon were impressive! There were so many amazing costumes at PAX, I don't even know where to begin. My personal favorite was the appearance of The Joker, played by Anthony Misiano. This guy was born for this role.

Ha. Ha ha! Ha ha haha hee hee hoo HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! I digress.

Other incredible costumes included the Supreme Dalek (from Doctor Who), Zorg and LeeLoo (from The Fifth Element), Batman, and Mega Man, just to name a few. Truthfully, I really admire the talent and dedication these folks have to represent a genre they are so obviously in love with.

8. Celebrity Appearances

Tom is an expert photobomber.

Yes, that's me, Rachel, with ADAM SESSLER. Can you tell I'm excited about it? Honestly, he is such a nice guy. He was nice enough to sign our PAX badges, as well!

Zach and Tom also got to meet Keiji Inafune, the creator of Mega Man. You guys will hear more about that from Zach soon! Tom also ran into Arin Hanson (aka Egoraptor) which we were all very jealous of.

7. Pre-Gaming (with the Wii U, not liquor)

Step into the Expo Hall and there are yet-to-be-released games, as far as the eye can see, all for your viewing and playing pleasure. It was like being the VIP of the gaming world. Bethesda, Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft, Behemoth, Capcom...the list goes on and on. All with arms wide open, saying, "Come, come in to our fortress of crisp, fresh games, and play on to your heart's content!" (not literally though, there is a time limit).

I really didn't mean to make that sound so creepy.

6. Informative panels

Miranda and I attended a very helpful panel on Saturday, and while they're only an hour long, it was definitely chock-full of useful information. Among the other panels offered were The Evolution of a Game Developer, Penny Arcade Q&A, How to Forge the Career You Want in the Videogame Industry, Why Role-Playing Games Matter, and a million more. You can pick, choose, and schedule which ever panels you want to attend, as there are many to choose from, just remember to enjoy the rest of the convention as well!

Who can spot Destructoid in this picture? (It's like Highlights Magazine!)

Psst! Download this awesome app to your phone and it will help you with all of your scheduling needs!

5. Buttons!

Earlier this month Miranda gave you guys a look into our ABOG PAX Prime '13 edition buttons. We had no trouble handing those babies out! In return, we got tons of awesome custom made buttons back! Miranda lined her lanyards with as much as she could, but there were too many to fit! I think each of us will need to buy some bulletin boards to display all of them.

4. Extra activities

An arcade, a paint-and-take workshop, tabletop, tabletop, TABLETOP!! There's no way you'll run out of things to do at PAX. There will always be somewhere to go, something to do, whether it's a bit of shopping, some old-school gaming, or learning a new board game, the convention center is your oyster.

I'd just like to say, in regards to sitting down and playing a game you've never played before with a table full of strangers, the community at PAX is incredibly kind and welcoming. I never once felt talked-down-to, or like I didn't belong. I was happy to be there, even amongst people I didn't know. We were all able to laugh together and have a good time. That, more than anything else (yes, even more than free stuff), is why I'll continue to go to PAX each year.

3. So much merch!

Okay, I could have shopped for days. Oh, I did! My favorite booths were Sanshee, FanGamer, and Pink Gorilla. Sanshee's unique designs and quality materials made for fun and smart purchases. FanGamer had tons of adorable stuff, I couldn't even make a decision. Pink Gorilla, as always, had every vintage game/item you could think of, not to mention plushies galore! I think I made a pretty good dent in my wishlist.

Itty Bitty Dovahkiin from Symbiote Studios.

2. Indie Games

If it weren't for PAX I wouldn't have learned about some great indie games that are out there. Getting the chance to sit down and listen to the creators talk about this project that they worked so hard on and are so passionate about makes me love the game even more. Some great ones include Contraption Maker (from the creators of The Incredible Machine), Mayan Down, and McDroid. I encourage all to give them a try!

1. The ABOG team was there!

You missed all of our lovely faces in the flesh! Too bad. I guess you'll just have to continue to come here to get your fix!

What a good lookin' group of geeks.

Were any of you guys at PAX this year? How about a previous year? Has my article convinced you to attend next year? Let us know in the comment section below!

-Rachel

Header image credit http://twodashstash.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/PAX-Prime-Logo.png

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PAX Prime 2013 Recap

PAX Prime 2013 was an amazing affair, indeed. Every year I struggle with how to spend my time at the convention, and generally I never end up doing all of what I planned. This time around I wanted to sit in on a handful of industry panels, then only attended two. They were about geek business and web video and were a valuable use of my time! Sadly, I didn't make it to either the Penny Arcade Make-A-Strip panel or the Sunday Q&A. The expo hall truly held too many wonders for me to sacrifice all of that time standing in line.

The A Bit of Geek team all together!

Around the expo hall.

The Elder Scrolls Online booth was jam packed.

The streets of Seattle lined with PAX banners.

On Saturday Rachel, Zach, and I arrived a few minutes after eleven and the expo was in full swing. We walked into the convention center and I was immediately hailed by a twitter friend, Brad. We met via streetpass at PAX last year, and correspond from time to time. I was very startled when a stranger dressed as Luigi called my name, haha! Right after that we immediately found Tom on the escalators, and right after that I saw Rex and Dabe, two nice fellows that I met at the Enforcer after party last year. I am still amazed at how serendipitously I ended up seeing people that I knew! The three of us chatted with the spooky and talented Kris Straub, and then immediately fell in line to get our photo taken with the King of Red Lions boat! This picture later led to the three of us acquiring snazzy Wind Waker Pajama Link t-shirts!

The giant Pikmin display at the Nintendo booth was really fun!

The only games I hoped to play were A Link Between Worlds and Super Mario 3D World. Fortunately I got to play both, and they were fantastic. A Link Between Worlds looks wonderful, which is to be expected, and the 2D/wall melding thing was far more seamless than the videos made it seem. My only complaint is the fact that the camera is directly above Link's head. It feels like I'm a bird peering down from a tree. I wish the camera was more at an angle. Super Mario 3D World was mayhem evolved, and the cat power up is incredibly fun. I was delighted to see that the game incorporates a "holding" area for items, so if one player grabs multiple cat power ups, for example, the extra ones will go into the holding area for future use. They should have added that sooner! Hopefully epic fights and divorces will now be avoided over someone accidentally (or vindictively) taking all of the items!

The ABoG team (plus a friend) playing Super Mario 3D World for Wii U.

Morgan playing Beyond: Two Souls.

I spent time wandering the halls and taking cosplay photos on Sunday, all the while Morgan was in line to play Beyond: Two Souls. I checked in on his progress every twenty to thirty minutes, and ended up watching him play the demo. First things first: it's not my kind of game, but it looks truly amazing! It was a suspenseful, knuckle clenching twenty minutes as he battled cops, exploded helicopters, fended off dogs, jumped, rolled, and generally kicked ass in the newest masterpiece from Quantic Dream. I look forward to watching him play through the whole game, for sure.

For the first time since 2004, I took cosplay photos! Rachel was a good friend and basically harassed and pressured me the whole weekend to take pictures. In her defense, I asked her to! I always chicken out and get nervous and afraid that I'm bothering people, so she encouraged me to be more bold and polite and get the pictures that I wanted. It got easier after I asked the first few people, and finally I was asking people for photos even when I was alone. Achievement Unlocked: Not Being a Wuss!

Borderlands.

Batman!

Rachel and Codex from The Guild!

Reese and Cyrus from Animal Crossing: New Leaf.

Luigi! Also, my twitter friend.

The ZoraPrincess Ruto, from Ocarina of Time.

A Supreme Dalek, from Doctor Who.

The talented glitzygeekgirl dressed as Ramona Flowers.

PAX tends to be an absolute dream for geek merch. This year positively destroyed my wallet. I mean, my brain is happy, but woof. The most amazing things are on display at PAX, the kind of merchandise that I only ever see and drool over online. The chance to buy it in person, after thorough inspection, and not having to deal with shipping fees? Yes, please! With Sanshee, FanGamer, the Penny Arcade table, andso many board game displays, I don't know how anyone is expected to control themselves. It's safe to say that I'm set on nerd gear for another year.

Zac Gorman's Magical Game Time, and blooper and pirhana plant plushies!

PAX exclusive CAH expansions.

Burlap bell bag from Sanshee.

Kokiri's Emerald necklace from Sanshee.

I am extremely pleased to say that buttoneering ended up being a huge success! Tom, Rachel, and Zach had no problems dishing out buttons to buttoneers and general interested parties alike! I required extra poking and coercion from Rachel to approach people (again, thank goodness for her!), but ultimately I got all but about seven of my buttons distributed. Rachel, Zach, and Morgan (honorary ABoG member) all ran out of buttons during the meetup on Sunday morning. We ended up with a huge array of buttons each, and not all of us got the same ones. Zach and Rachel found someone with A-MAZING Legend of Zelda buttons that I am very, very jealous of (for instance).There were many people who loved our buttons, and some even picked up on the fact that we were a set! Thus began the clamouring to make sure they got them all : ) It was a truly successful experience, and I can't wait to design new buttons for next year.

After the buttoneer meet up.

The buttons ready to go before PAX.

There are so many reasons to attend PAX: free swag, cool merch, playing not-yet-released-games... But ultimately I love the feeling of it all. I love being surrounded by like-minded individuals, and knowing that I can talk to anyone. I strike up conversations with more strangers during PAX than I do in my regular life all year long. Every attendee is a friend waiting to be spoken to. Every booth attendee knows something about you from the moment you approach. I mean, every booth is tailored to my exact interests. I can walk from a board game room, to an arcade room, to a console gaming room, and something will delight me in each place. I can ask silly questions, I can engage in intense discussions, I can (and have) ask to play a new and challenging game, and receive enthusiasm and support in response. It is a literal haven, and I hope that what I've shared, and what Rachel has shared, and what Tom and Zach will share next week, will bring you closer to our experience. And if you've never attended before, I hope it will encourage you to try and go next year!

If you've attended, what was your favorite part? If you've never attended, what would you most like to do when/if you get to go?

-MJ

*all images, including those in the header, belong to abitofgeek

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Planning for Geek Paradise: PAX Prime 2013

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!

A little preview of the button station!

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!

PAX badge day is one of the best days of the year!

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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My Favorite Things About PAX

Good morning, and welcome to PAX Prime 2012 everyone! By the time you read this, I’ll be knee deep in Enforcer hullabaloo in the Washington State Convention Center in Seattle, Washington, surrounded by tens of thousands of gamers and having the time of my life. 

It'll be as much fun as when Tycho groomed Felicia Day. Source.

I feared that this write-up would come off far too brag-y, so here’s my solution to fix things: today’s article is about my favorite aspects of PAX. Its purpose is to entice you to attend some year, or get you super pumped about attending next year if you were unable to obtain tickets for the 2012 show.

It’s not easy to narrow down the innumerable fantastic things about PAX, but I’m going to do my best. Keep in mind that this is in no way a definitive list, and everyone’s experience varies! No matter how you prefer to spend your time, PAX has something fantastic to offer. This is but a tiny sampling of an ever expanding table of geek nourishment.

Source.

1. The Vendors

Have you been eyeing a specific shirt, dice bag, or other piece of nerdy accoutrement? Chances are that a vendor at PAX will have exactly what you’re looking for. Better yet? A reasonable price and free shipping*! My personal favorite? Sanshee, the New England based nerd clothing and accessory company. Last year I purchased a shirt, earrings, and bumper sticker from them. This year I anticipate many more shirt purchases!

*free shipping because you'll be carrying it. Get it? Heh.

2. The Expo Hall

I love video games. They’re exciting and fun and I can’t wait to get my hands on the upcoming titles from my favorite companies. PAX provides opportunities for the general public to play games before they’re released. Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft are always on the scene with the latest and greatest, so you can bet they’ll be bringing something exciting. PAX 2005 I played Twilight Princess for the Gamecube before the Wii version was announced (a whole year before the game was released) and it remains one of the most glorious moments of my life. 

3. The PA Q&A Panel

Gabe and Tycho, your gracious hosts. Source.

Mike and Jerry, or Gabe and Tycho as they’re better known online, are the founding fathers of PAX, and indeed the creative duo behind Penny Arcade, the webcomic from whence PAX sprang. Every year they host a Q&A panel where excited attendees can ask whatever questions they want. More often than not, people share deep, personal, touching stories, and it’s quite the experience to be in the room as the tales unfold. Additionally, Mike and Jerry wax hilarity and share entertaining behind the scenes information about their ever-expanding empire.

4. Tabletop

One entire floor of the convention center is dedicated to tabletop/board games. Dice, mats, and player tokens as far as the bespectacled eye can see. Practically any game you could imagine playing will be present at PAX, and you, my friend, will have the pleasure of playing. Friday and Saturday night PAX is open until 2 am, so there’s practically no limit to how many games one could get in (OK that's not true, some games take hours upon hours). And it gets even better. You know those vendors I mentioned earlier? Well, a lot of them sell board games, too.

5. Community

Cozy socialization. Source.

It’s amazing knowing that I’m with friends when I’m at PAX. Even if I end up wandering alone, I am surrounded by friendly faces. Lines are long, but tempers don’t run high. It’s difficult for me to strike up conversations with strangers, but at PAX I don’t even hesitate. Everyone is friendly and willing to talk. It’s the most accepting place I’ve ever been. If you find yourself in the handheld lounge desperately seeking a beanbag chair to relax in, don’t be afraid to ask for a spare one. These people are nice, and they’re willing to share.

So there you go, my favorite things about PAX. If you’re still really upset that you’re not attending, then please follow us on twitter and instagram (both @abitofgeek)! We’ll be doing our best to post highlights and entertainment throughout the weekend. If you ARE at PAX and you managed to read this, then I thank you and we should find each other and say hello!

What are your favorite things about PAX?

-MJ

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PAX 2011: Best ever? part 2

--This is part two of a long post regarding my amazing time at PAX 2011! Be sure to read part one for full coverage!--

So I believe that yesterday I promised full coverage of my Wil Wheaton encounter plus Link cosplay photos. Prepare yourself!

Sunday is the day of the PAX that I remember most clearly. Perhaps it's because I was only at the center for about five hours and therefore there wasn't a lot of time for too much to happen. I decided after open to close visiting for Friday and Saturday that I simply had to sleep in on Sunday. PAX is amazing but also incredibly exhausting.

The inexhaustible Robert Khoo inspecting Dark Link's black contact lenses. 

So, Sunday. I decided that this would be photo taking day, so Jacki and I wandered into the hall around 1:30/2 feeling well fed, well rested, and ready to take some fun pictures. That morning I had seen an update from Felicia Day via Google+ indicating that she was at PAX. I think Felicia Day is awesome and incredibly inspiring. I love The Guild and her blog and it would be really amazing to meet her. So I told Jacki that I wanted to see if she was still hanging around. I had been told earlier in the weekend that Wil Wheaton's booth was near the skybridge, and usually she's near him at conventions. As we made our way toward his booth, we were almost immediately distracted by intensely awesome cosplay.

Their costumes were so good, and they were very nice.

One girl dressed as Link, another dressed as Dark Link. Both excellent costumes, neither knew each other. They came separately and ended up finding one another and then hung out for the rest of the day. We waited patiently to ask for some photos of them, and were rewarded with pleasant conversation and a lot of fun images.

That's when something amazing happened.

I stood between the two Links, feeling excited at their costumes and pleased to be participating in such a great experience. Jacki snapped the picture, then started laughing and pointing at a person behind us who had photobombed the shot. I went to look at the camera, which is when someone said, 'Photobombed by Wil Wheaton, that's the best kind!' I was absolutely floored. My first time photographing cosplayers, my first time BEING photographed with cosplayers, my first time being photobombed, and it is Wil Wheaton.

Having the time of my life sandwiched between two Links. The cherry

on top of the best day ever could only be Wil Wheaton.

We all have a good laugh about it, then get the names of the Links so I could send them pictures, then Jacki and I go on our own way. It is then that I go, 'I want to meet Wil Wheaton and get a REAL picture!' So we head back to where we started. The line to meet him was pretty long, but we had friendly people to chat with, and the two Links ended up getting in line behind us as well. I wasn't feeling nervous at all, just excited. I read Wil Wheaton's blog and I follow him on twitter and Google+. He's entertaining and interesting, and seems like a truly nice guy.

I've been feeling particularly happy toward him ever since he posted a video (shown below) of TheBloggess (if you don't read her blog, you really really should) giving a talk about preparing for the zombie apocalypse.

Please watch it. You won't be disappointed.

Did you watch it? OK good. I am that third person. Sometimes I flat out don't feel like doing things, but other times I'm too lasjdflijaldjfljadf to do the things that I want to do. It's a thing that I've been working on lately, and I have had a lot of help and encouragement from Andrew (he's wonderful). This video was one of those moments that resonated with me. I wanted to thank Wil Wheaton for his interesting blog and also for posting this video and helping me to do the things I wanted to do.

When it was my turn to meet him and say hello, I was suddenly incredibly nervous. I approached his table and stared wide eyed, a smile on my face. He looked up at me politely, waiting for me to say something.

"Hello. ... It's really nice to meet you. ......................My name is Miranda."

I am so sorry for my derpy face.

From there Jacki took a photo of us together, and then a few more of us talking. I have to apologize for my face in the picture, apparently it forgot the memo that I was supposed to look happy. I can't control my face, it just does whatever the hell it wants. But anyway, I told him how much I enjoyed his blog and that him posing that video of TheBloggess really helped me, and that I probably wouldn't have even gotten in line to meet him otherwise. He was very gracious and kind. Among the books, posters and shirts he was selling, he also had prints that you could get signed. I decided that I needed to have the image of him collating paper that he sent to TheBloggess (hilarious).

This is getting framed and put above my bed.

He signed it for me, remembered my name (and spelled it correctly!) and then sent me on my way. The man next to him told me "$20" and I go, "Oh I thought signatures were free!" and he says, "They are, but the prints are twenty", and I go, "Oh. Oh oh oh! I'm sorry!" I was completely bewildered and star struck and overwhelmed and not paying attention, and then Wil Wheaton goes, "It's OK, you can have it" and smiles and I go, "Really? Are you sure? Thank you thank youthankyou!!" and then stumble away with Jacki asking if I was going to cry. I almost started to cry, so we left.

A photographer from the Seattle P.I. was taking their photos,

so I snuck a few of my own in while they posed.

Friday and Saturday are such a mis-mash in my head still, I can hardly pick out individual instances. I remember playing Skyward Sword at some point, and that was pretty cool. I don't currently own any wii motion plus games, so Zelda was my first experience. It's so much different from what I expected. The motions are incredibly specific, which I am not used to. At the end of my ten minute demo my arms were beginning to feel slightly fatigued from all of the slashing and punching motions. I fully anticipate developing Zelda arms once the game is released in November.

There were some really great new aspects of gameplay, a welcome change from how familiar Twilight Princess felt even as a new title. I was thankful for the long forgotten feeling of total confusion in a Zelda environment. I chose to play the dungeon demo and there was so much to get accustomed to. One of the first things I noted was the ability to shoot down the giant spiders. In previous titles you simply had to wait for them to turn their bellies toward you, then you could slash them. In Skyward Sword you can use the bow and arrow, or the new flying beetle item, to cut their strings. Once the spiders are on the ground they are completely invulnerable except for a gem spot on their undersides. Getting to their soft spot requires specific upward sword slashes, which I found difficult to perform. If you get them on their backs you can then pull off a rather awesome finishing move that involves jumping and stabbing. I was impressed.

Jacki holding our cotton candy from the Kirby room!

I think it really adds to the ambiance here.

My extremely long wait time to experience Skyward Sword and subsequent stumbling around in a level rewarded me with a Skyward Sword/25th Zelda Anniversary lanyard. I do so love good swag. I also had an opportunity to play Mario Kart 7 as well as Super Mario 3D Land. Mario Kart felt the same as the previous DS offering, except the addition of optional 3D. It was fun enough, but I'm not sure it'll be a title I feel the need to buy. Super Mario 3D Land was amazing though. A beautiful cross between Mario 64 and Super Mario 3, the environments were puzzle laden and challenging, comfortingly familiar at its core, but still very fresh. I played the demo level with the raccoon tail present, a power up that I have always loved and sorely miss from recent iterations of the series.

I found it peculiar that the power-up item is the brown leaf again, but it turns Mario into the whole suit, much like the Tanooki suit. But, you don't turn into a statue, or at least I couldn't figure out a way to do it. Sort of perplexing. If it were just the raccoon suit then it would only be ears and a tail, right? Oh Mario, you'll never stop making me think about you. Either way it is a definite buy once it is released.

Two of my three purchases from Sanshee. Jacki and I bought these both (we 

really enjoy matching one another <3 ). The right image is earrings, by the way.

As a closing thought, I'm going to mention Sanshee, a really excellent company that has been in business for about two years. They started on the east coast and now do conventions all over the US. Their products are incredibly awesome and clever, and their designer and (one of the) owner(s) are super nice and thankful! Jacki and I went back to this booth four times I believe. The first time we just wanted to look at the wares, but upon closer inspection we realized that we needed the items. This shirt in particular I fell in love with. Hard. And then my heart was ripped out when I was told that it was a preview and the shirt would be for sale on the website in about a month. My credit card is quivering with anticipation. 

Rockin' it. Although wearing it makes me

drink more soda. Hm.

Instead, I opted for this excellent Nuka Cola shirt. I love it I love it. Considering my long-standing affection for the series, and the fact that I finally started playing Fallout 3, I am beyond thrilled to have a garment to reflect my feelings. Jacki and I purchased multiple items from them and had a few very pleasant conversations with Arty, the designer and one of the owners. What a pleasant fellow! When asked if they would be returning to PAX next year, he said yes. We were very happy about that. I encourage people to check out their website, the shirts are really grade A. Also, any Pokemon fans will be thrilled to see these. I can't wait to see what new products they release!

Oh, one more thing. We all know that I love Minecraft, and Mojang (the company that does Minecraft) was present at PAX this year. What's more is that Notch (creator of Minecraft!!) was at PAX as well! I had a pipedream of getting to meet him and thank him for his game. I also wanted to tell him how Andrew and I used it as a way to 'hang out' while I was in Ireland for three months. It really helped the distance to feel less... huge. I checked at the Mojang booth multiple times each day, but no luck in finding him. On Sunday I ended up at the booth one last time before closing and happened to meet a guy that works for Mojang as a business something-or-other. I chatted with him for a few minutes expressing my appreciation for Minecraft and my woes at not finding Notch. He then ever so kindly directed me toward Jeb, a developer for the game! I happily bounded over to him and asked him to sign my badge, all the while telling him the same story that I would have told Notch if I had had the chance. 

Jeb, a developer for Minecraft.

I don't know what other people's experiences were for this year, but this was definitely my best PAX ever. Hopefully after reading my posts you'll share the same sentiments :)

-MJ

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