Going to PAX as a newbie? Have no fear! | Gaming Chronicles

Perspective gained; fun had
by Holly Nearpass

As a casual gamer I had my doubts that PAX East was for me. Did I really want to spend an entire weekend surrounded by thousands of people playing video games? Eh, not my cup of tea, but I was assured there is something for everyone and it would be an experience I? wouldn?t want to miss. So I packed up all the nerdy shirts I could muster and headed to Boston.

As we stepped through the doors of the? expansive convention center, what is the ?rst booth we see? AbleGamers. ?The AbleGamers Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping improve the quality of life to the disabled community through game play.? The booth itself was really neat. They had a four stations set up demonstrating new technologies, such as the Adroit, a controller developed by Able Gamers to help disabled gamers engage in gameplay more easily. Well done PAX! This immediately put me in good spirits knowing that PAX not only supports game development for the disabled community, but that they support them so strongly that they would place them front and center at the main entrance to get as much foot traf?c as possible.

The weekend continued on in a blur of lights and sounds. For a PAX newbie, to say I was overwhelmed and wonder-struck would be an understatement. After experiencing my ?rst Gabe and Tycho Q+A panel, I could tell you how normal and down to earth the guys are, or how they can turn a dumb question into the most memorable response of the day, or how much they have truly touched the lives of thousands of gamers and rede?ned the gaming community, but I?ll just tell you I knew was in good hands.

Where were we off to next? To the expo hall! To me the expo hall could be compared to a great novel, every time I went back to it, I discovered something new I didn?t notice before. There was always more to see and experience.

If you talk to any of the GC crew you?ll quickly learned that the indie showcase stole the show; and I am no exception. Containment: The Zombie Puzzler, Girls Like Robots, Lawnmower Challenge, and Retro/Grade were by far my favorites. The indie games struck a chord in me not only because I didn?t have have to wait on a three hour line to play a game for ten minutes, but because ninety-?ve percent of the time the guys at the booth are the actual game developers and designers. They want to talk to you about their creation, and they want your feedback. The games are also so creative. For the most part, the indie game developers get to start with a clean slate. They are not adding new enhancements to a preexisting game, its new rules, new art, new story lines, and walking through the indie showcase you saw the creative diversity.

The table top room was great too. Did I say room? Sorry I meant hanger deck. While I never sat down to engage in an actual table top game, it was great to see that PAX really was for ALL gamers. Gamers come in so many shapes and sizes I loved how PAX thought of all of them.

With so much to see and do at PAX there is something for everyone. Between the panels, expo hall, classic arcade room, hand held lounge, console room, or Fried Dough and ice cream, you will ?nd yourself at home somewhere.

I can?t give a true evaluation of PAX without mentioning one constant that made PAX great. My crew. I was always in good company. Whether it was seeing how much one of my friends was enjoying something or hearing about this game I ?absolutely must play?, it was a great comfort to know we were all enjoying this together.

So what do I have to say to all you ?casual gamers? out there?

Who?s coming with me next year?

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