Something went wrong. Try again later
    Follow

    PAX East 2012

    Concept »

    The third annual PAX East took place from April 6-8, 2012 at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center in Boston, Massachusetts.

    What should I know before going to PAX?

    Avatar image for deactivated-6157afb2b3c07
    deactivated-6157afb2b3c07

    1026

    Forum Posts

    2483

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 2

    User Lists: 4

    So for the first time in my life, I am leaving the south (on my own) and heading to the other side of the country. As I have decided to be adventurous and go to PAX East this year. What exactly is PAX? I understand that it is basically E3 but for the public. What kind of things should I expect to see and do and is GiantBomb having a panel there? Or are they only going to PAX West? I'd love to go to PAX West and see those guys, but it's far cheaper to go to PAX East. So I have to go with the one that won't affect my wallet as much.

    Avatar image for alwaysbeclothing
    alwaysbeclothing

    2077

    Forum Posts

    6765

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 2

    User Lists: 4

    #2  Edited By alwaysbeclothing

    If I recall Giant Bomb typically has a panel at Pax East and Pax West, or at the very least they attend Pax East. Pax is more like a convention so you'll find companies there demoing stuff but also public stages for people to play Rock Band and just a bunch of like minded people together playing games. Any kind of game, handhelds, board games, card games, you can even rent consoles and such.

    Avatar image for yi_orange
    YI_Orange

    1355

    Forum Posts

    8359

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 5

    User Lists: 0

    #3  Edited By YI_Orange

    If there's a panel you want to go to that you think might be popular, get in line half an hour early at least, especially if you want a good seat. Expo Hall lines are fucking long. GB had a panel at the last 2 PAX Easts so I imagine there'll be another.

    If you wanna get to know some people bring some card or tabletop games(or pick them up there) and hang out in the gaming areas, there's always people playing games. Some are there for that purpose.

    Don't be afraid to talk to people, including people from the games industry. I bet you could get a good chat out of anyone.

    The atmosphere is pretty friendly, don't be a dick.

    As for what PAX is, it's a place to have fun. There's people showing off games, there's informative and entertaining panels, there's tournaments, but the main purpose is for people to have a good time. If you enjoy "Nerd Culture" and are going with friends or are looking to meet people there you should have a good time.

    Avatar image for hailinel
    Hailinel

    25785

    Forum Posts

    219681

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 10

    User Lists: 28

    #4  Edited By Hailinel

    @YI_Orange said:

    If there's a panel you want to go to that you think might be popular, get in line half an hour early at least, especially if you want a good seat. Expo Hall lines are fucking long. GB had a panel at the last 2 PAX Easts so I imagine there'll be another.

    If you wanna get to know some people bring some card or tabletop games(or pick them up there) and hang out in the gaming areas, there's always people playing games. Some are there for that purpose.

    Don't be afraid to talk to people, including people from the games industry. I bet you could get a good chat out of anyone.

    The atmosphere is pretty friendly, don't be a dick.

    As for what PAX is, it's a place to have fun. There's people showing off games, there's informative and entertaining panels, there's tournaments, but the main purpose is for people to have a good time. If you enjoy "Nerd Culture" and are going with friends or are looking to meet people there you should have a good time.

    • All of this is true. It also wouldn't hurt to bring a portable gaming device of some sort with you to help pass the time in longer lines (the line for Skyrim at PAX Prime last year took over an hour to get through, and some games have had longer lines).
    • Be sure to take a good look at the schedule and plan out what panels you'd like to attend in advance. As YI_Orange said, lines for popular panels fill up fast.
    • At my first PAX, I was pretty overwhelmed with all of the things to see and do. On the first day, I had no clue what to do, and so I just headed straight into the expo hall and stopped at the first thing that caught my eye, once I got my bearings, I started touring around and looking for the booths on the map I felt I'd be more interested in.
    • If you ever have any problem, find an Enforcer. They should help straighten things out.
    • That being said, if an Enforcer asks you to do something, then please do it. They're working to make PAX a fun experience for everyone.
    Avatar image for natetodamax
    natetodamax

    19464

    Forum Posts

    65390

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 32

    User Lists: 5

    #5  Edited By natetodamax
    @YI_Orange

    If there's a panel you want to go to that you think might be popular, get in line half an hour early at least, especially if you want a good seat. Expo Hall lines are fucking long. GB had a panel at the last 2 PAX Easts so I imagine there'll be another.

    If you wanna get to know some people bring some card or tabletop games(or pick them up there) and hang out in the gaming areas, there's always people playing games. Some are there for that purpose.

    Don't be afraid to talk to people, including people from the games industry. I bet you could get a good chat out of anyone.

    The atmosphere is pretty friendly, don't be a dick.

    As for what PAX is, it's a place to have fun. There's people showing off games, there's informative and entertaining panels, there's tournaments, but the main purpose is for people to have a good time. If you enjoy "Nerd Culture" and are going with friends or are looking to meet people there you should have a good time.

    All good advice, but depending on the popularity of a panel, half an hour might not be early enough unless you don't mind sitting in the back. At PAX East 2011, for example, I got in line for the Giant Bomb panel 2 hours early and there were already a dozen people waiting. 30 minutes later, it was several dozen. Eventually there was like, 100 people with still 45 minutes to go before it started.

    Also, bring a backpack or something else to carry stuff in. Even if you don't plan on buying anything, there's a lot of free stuff you can accidentally end up with.
    Avatar image for deactivated-6157afb2b3c07
    deactivated-6157afb2b3c07

    1026

    Forum Posts

    2483

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 2

    User Lists: 4

    I will only be there for two of the three days. Will I still be able to enjoy the brunt of the convention. I decided I would stay a couple days longer than the duration of the show and take a bus from boston to New York and go see some of the things there I have always wanted to see. Who knows when I will be on that side of the country again.

    Avatar image for natetodamax
    natetodamax

    19464

    Forum Posts

    65390

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 32

    User Lists: 5

    #7  Edited By natetodamax
    @PainGod89

    I will only be there for two of the three days. Will I still be able to enjoy the brunt of the convention. I decided I would stay a couple days longer than the duration of the show and take a bus from boston to New York and go see some of the things there I have always wanted to see. Who knows when I will be on that side of the country again.

    Two days should give you plenty of time to see the brunt of the convention.

    This edit will also create new pages on Giant Bomb for:

    Beware, you are proposing to add brand new pages to the wiki along with your edits. Make sure this is what you intended. This will likely increase the time it takes for your changes to go live.

    Comment and Save

    Until you earn 1000 points all your submissions need to be vetted by other Giant Bomb users. This process takes no more than a few hours and we'll send you an email once approved.