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In 2010, Penny Arcade came to town and brought their idea of a convention to the East Coast gaming community. One year later, they were back in town for Pax East, a three day festival of gaming, panels and keynote speeches that showcased the latest games and innovations whilst also finding time to discuss the important issues in the wider gaming world.
This event was so popular last year that the organizers took over the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center (BCEC) instead of the Hynes Center and for the 67,000 attendees, the change of venue just meant that there was more floorspace to explore. Many of the big names in Gaming were in attendance and (as last year) Boston was well represented in the form of Harmonix, Turbine, Irrational Games, Demiurge Studios Firehose – whose game is finally out on the PSN on March 15 – and MIT Gambit all taking up space at the BCEC.
As per the previous Pax East, Boston Indies got their chance to show off what makes this side of the country so appealing to developers. Three companies were chosen (reduced from six last year); Owlchemy Labs (Smuggle Truck), Retroaffect (Snapshot) and Team Uncertainty (Blinding Silence) and there was a steady flow of traffic throughout all three days. Smuggle Truck drew a lot of interest, mainly due to the recent press attention but the chance to play the full game was eagerly grasped by those who just wanted to play an excellent side-scrolling, physics-based game.
Away from the crowds of gamers patrolling the Expo, there were rooms devoted to classic consoles and retro gaming whilst the chance to engage in online battles meant that there was normally a significant wait. Pax also prides itself on bringing in industry experts and the lines of people patiently waiting to hear those in the industry speak was testament to the quality of talent on stage.
There was even a chance for some to see actual game footage from 38 Studios’ eagerly awaited RPG “Kingdoms of Amalur: The Reckoning”. Curt Schilling made sure that he threw out the first ‘must-see’ pitch of the conference on Friday but demand was so high for this presentation that many gamers had to be content with just getting the stickers.
Special mention must go to Scott McMillan of McGuffin Games who sadly closed their doors in December. His presentation entitled “Death of An Indie Studio” was a lesson to all those who believe that just getting a game on Facebook will guarantee financial success. By telling his story and by sharing his experiences, Scott showed a side of the industry far removed from the queues of gamers lining up to play LA Noire or Star Wars:Old Republic.
At the end of the day, the industry needs developers to provide product and to make sure that the gaming revival continues to attract the best and the brightest minds. Pax East was a huge success again but it is the independent companies that provide the inspiration for those that aspire to gaming fame and fortune.
