Tags
Travel The Final Checkpoint Raw Game Play Prodigy X Pax East PAX Nintendo DS Gamer's Outreach GAEMS G4 Facebook Evil Controllers events Duke Nukem cosplay Boston AbleGamers

This weekend, I was lucky enough to have the chance to attend PAX East in Boston. It was my first gaming convention and I have to say, I had a blast.

From the beautifully designed booths (and the ones that obviously had been put together very last minute to say the least), to the intriguing panels to the cosplay that probably took months to design, to the worst sandwich I think Ive ever eaten (that cost me $12!!!), everything about PAX was new and exciting to me.

The convention experience started on Friday with me basically just exploring and getting a feel for the area. I met with Paige and Summer from Fandomania.com (who were so friendly!), and our good friends Mark, Steve, and Ben from AbleGamers, and started off filming an interview with The Final Checkpoint that will be up within the next month or so. From there, I went from booth to booth, taking in everything I could to learn about all the great things coming out in the gaming industry, and looking for cool features to maybe get some ideas for Evil for future conventions. I was really impressed with the Duke Nukem booth, which had set up an entire set, and I really wish I would have had the chance to do more at the Nintendo 3DS booth but it was so packed the entire time it was pretty much impossible, especially since I was in six inch heels the first day and didnt really want to stand around too long.


I spoke with a few more game writers and then headed to the AbleGamers and Gamers Outreach Panel, Gamers Do Good, where both organizations discussed their passion for using video games for the greater good. It really is amazing the dedication both organizations have, and the ideas and action plans they have are very impressive.

The second day, I immediately ran into Prodigy X at the front doors of the convention center, and he was nice enough to show me around a little and take me to the GAEMS booth he was playing a tournament at. I filmed a few more video interviews (the one with Raw Game Play is on our Facebook currently), spoke with some other writers about Evil Controllers, and best of all made a lot of new friends in the industry. I took a ton of pictures of the booths and cosplayers to keep for my own memory as well. Later that day, I attended G4s Live Feedback panel, which was especially great to see the people Ive been following for quite a while now in person, and have the opportunity to ask questions. I really enjoyed a feature where they were discussing how great the video game industry is, because we all, in a way, come from the same place, and have more in common that any fans of any other industry (such as movie fans or sports fans). They even went so far as to say that we all understand each other, because we all were those nerds in high school, or those kids that waited all night long for a new release, and have ties that bond us.

All in all, PAX was a great experience, and Im definitely looking forward to the next convention I end up making my way to!