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.
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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