Friday morning I woke up before the crack of dawn to jump into a small convertible with three guys to drive down to Boston to go to PAX East. PAX is the Penny Arcade gaming expo.
PAX started in Seattle, Washington in 2004, and because of its growing popularity expanded to the east coast in the form of PAX East. This is the third year PAX East has been in Boston and my second year attending. The convention covers everything from video games to table top gaming systems. It is known for its panels and friendly convention-goers. The creators of Penny Arcade (Mike Krahulik and Jerry Holkins) are kind, approachable, and have been known for casually walking the floor and taking the time to stop and speak with fans. As the convention grows larger it becomes harder and harder to spot its creators, but when they do appear they are always willing to give a smile.
One of my favorite parts of PAX, weirdly, is waiting in line for panels. The staff (known as Enforcers) keep things very organized and the crowds under control. Once the convention goers get in line the fun starts. Everywhere I look there are people chatting with each other, and if you ask a question out loud and someone in the area will be nice enough to answer. Groups of people gather to play all different kinds of games including Zombie Dice, Magic, or any other variety of card game. If you don’t feel like talking to someone new you can always hop onto a DS or other mobile gaming device and find an electronic friend to play with. The convention centre provides free wifi, which keeps all these electronic happy attendees happy.
So far, my second year here is as good as the first year. If you’d like to hear my tips on how to have an awesome time at a con. Make sure you check out my previous post, “How to Survive a Con”.
I will be posting some cosplayer pics soon, so be sure to keep an eye out for that. If you have ever thought about coming to Boston for PAX and have any questions or comments please ask!
