PAX 2009 Programming Details Emerge

Man, I thought they'd never put any details up. PAX is the most wonderful time of the year for a gamer. I'd probably die of shame if I ever missed it. Any word on when registration starts yet?

@ClaudioIphigenia: Well they seem to be allowing a crazy number of industry reps to this year's E3, akin to the #s invited back when E3 was the media spectacle it used to be.

So that's hopeful.

@Deus-Ex:

You've never actually been to E3, or PAX, have you?

butterbandit

@LllusionX has a fanboy clone!!: Yeah but E3 you can watch games being played by other people, so its better than that...

I mean there is less stress on my part to w00t.

Deus-Ex

@Zallin: Well E3 could be good this year. I would reserve judgement until this year's is over. After that, we can condemn it if it sucked.

ClaudioIphigenia

While many of us would attend the Penny Arcade Expo 2009 even if it were one guy in an auditorium playing Metroid music on a harmonica...

i am SO THERE.

(i'll be there regardless, though, so this works out nicely.)

geekgrrl

While everyone knows PAX is awesome, we also know that it is dangerously getting overcrowded....

I love that we can get such a great community together and it's really a great time. But the sheer amount of people will start to make things go downhill.

@Deus-Ex: every saturday night when my friends come over to play games is better than e3.

I'd say everyone needs to go to PAX, but last year it was too crowded. About 60,000 packed into an expo center that was designed for like 40,000. More of you people need to go to PAX Boston!

@Zallin: Internet's serious business.

BarbeQueQ

@Deus-Ex: Kidding right?

e3 is better.

Deus-Ex

PAX only every other year now?!

@Deus-Ex:
yeah he's right. Just because they screwed up once or twice doesn't mean it sucks.

@exkon:I thought they moved to a much larger place to deal with the overcrowding?

*sigh* My first year where I can't go :(

@Deus-Ex: Agreed.

MDX

The Expo floor was pretty lame last year. Though GDC's was worse.

Altima NEO

PAX IS THE BESTEST! Where else do you get to see a real life juice making Fruit Fucker?

@Slust:
They're actually using a bigger space this year, so it'll be less stuffy.

Bryce Clifton

is Pax coming to the east coast this year

EnRAgeDd3M0n

@Rebochan: Welcome to the wonderful world of having a job.

Cloral

Still no GOOD hip-hop acts I see..... Oh well. Maybe I'll go next time...

Tmills2002

@Foxstar is in love with Kotaku's two Brians.: Nope, same place as last year. They're getting slightly more of it though, so the exhibition space is 30% bigger (according to their website). But if its already way overcrowded, 30% more space isn't going to make a huge difference.

Cloral

@AncientUnknown1: Oh, wait. It's September now instead of August.

AncientUnknown1

@Deus-Ex: I'd rather go to E3 myself. I'd rather play demos of Holiday 2009 releases in June than play those same demos in August when their release date could be just weeks away and the demos are already available on Live.

AncientUnknown1

@KillerBee: Wouldn't that create a rip in the space-time continuum?

Cloral

@Bryce Clifton: It's the same building, they just have more of it rented.

@Kenny: Needs more people in a concentrated area. Plus farmers tend not to play video games too much.

Cloral

@Cloral: They're also limiting the number of attendees this year, although I don't recall them stating what the limit will be.

@Tmills2002: Better than Front? Who would you suggest?

@EnRAgeDd3M0n: Next year. End of March if I remember correctly.

@NeoStarr: Registration started a couple of months ago.

@Deus-Ex: I have been to both E3 and PAX the last 3 years and I can say without a shadow of a doubt that PAX is 100x better than E3.

PAX is about geek culture while E3 is about business and bullshit. Big companies like Blizzard were exclusively at PAX. They aren't part of the ESA any longer and won't be at E3.

In a couple of years, developers will be using PAX exclusively instead of PAX for their big announcements.

@Zallin: Yeah, because they are going to alternate between east/west of the Mississippi. Not sure why Kotaku can't say anything as PA has said it multiple times already.

spannu

@Deus-Ex: Disagreed.

I'll go to a gaming convention when they decide to have one in the Midwest. C'mon guys, why no love?

Some of you guys who are claiming that events like E3 or GDC is better than PAX don't really know what you're talking about.

PAX, E3, and GDC all have their purpose and are each geared toward specific areas.

As a general gamer, E3 is the most exciting because that's where all the great announcements come.

GDC is a great place for developers that know each other to get along and swap stories.

PAX is just an awesome celebration of games and their fanbases... and I wouldn't have it any other way. (More room would be awesome though :))

Some of you guys who are claiming that events like E3 or GDC is better than PAX don't really know what you're talking about.

PAX, E3, and GDC all have their purpose and are each geared toward specific areas.

As a general gamer, E3 is the most exciting because that's where all the great announcements come.

GDC is a great place for developers that know each other to get along and swap stories.

PAX is just an awesome celebration of games and their fanbases... and I wouldn't have it any other way. (More room would be awesome though :))

@Bryce Clifton: HALLELUJAH! Now if they'll only address the issue of panels being so full I can't attend them..!

@Bryce Clifton: HALLELUJAH! Now if they'll only address the issue of panels being so full I can't attend them..!

@candlej4ck: Atmosphere. Sage Francis. Aesop Rocks. Eyedea & Abilities to name a few. . . .

@candlej4ck: Atmosphere. Sage Francis. Aesop Rocks. Eyedea & Abilities to name a few. . . .

@Cloral: Word. The only "real" concentration of people is in Chicago, IL.

I wish they would hold one there!

@Cloral: Word. The only "real" concentration of people is in Chicago, IL.

I wish they would hold one there!

@Mcmax3000: Yep. It will be in Boston, MA at the John B Hynes Veterans Memorial Convention Center.

stupid_mcgee: would prefer an astronaut

@MindPrints: Screw that. Give me Saul Williams.

stupid_mcgee: would prefer an astronaut

@Slust: I'll be going to PAX Boston. I can't take the time or expenses to go out to Seattle, since I live all the way far away in Virginia. Boston is a reasonable 12 hour trip. Seattle is 43 hours, and that's a bit much. And I don't really feel like tacking on a bunch of extra money for a plane ticket.

stupid_mcgee: would prefer an astronaut

I wish they'd bring some of these events over the pond. Ireland sucks for conventions.

-MasterDex-

@geekgrrl: I don't get the 2012 reference. Do you geekgrrl?

@spannu: I thought it was still going to be every year, but one year is West, next is East. Why skipping 2011?

stupid_mcgee: would prefer an astronaut

@MindPrints: Chicago is only 5 hours from me! Hooray!

Planning something this year for PAX... *cough*bringnerfguns*cough*.

Mooglepinoy22

@-MasterDex-: All in good time. They're just now getting to the East Coast in 2010. It will be a while before they go international, I think.

stupid_mcgee: would prefer an astronaut

@Cloral: HAHA WTF did I type there? Good catch.

It should read "using PAX exclusively instead of E3 for their big announcements"

WTB edit button.

Need to work on this logo. The name and the angle of the X give it some pretty strong Christian undertones.

Thut

@Deus-Ex:
If charts and graphs is your idea of excitement, more power to you.

@stupid_mcgee: would prefer an astronaut: I think he was um...what's it called...making a joke? The PA guys have been known to do that.

monkeysaresilly

@MindPrints: While I would enjoy seeing any of those bands live, how exactly do they fit into the PAX culture of games / comics.

@candlej4ck: They don't. But I would enjoy seeing PAX and any ofthose artist in the same spot. . . . Games, Cosplay chicks, and great hip-hop. . . .

@Thut: Oh fuck, you're right.

Hey, Kotaku, the T in your name gives some pretty strong Christian undertones, too. Please change it. I'm offended

@monkeysaresilly: Oh, never mind. Sheesh, I feel dumb now. I was over thinking it... :p

stupid_mcgee: would prefer an astronaut

@candlej4ck: They don't. At all.

However, Optimus Rhyme is great, and used to come to PAX. But, uh... do they even exist anymore?

You go to PAX for the people, E3 for the games, the way I see it. And boy do I want to go to both so badly. Penny Arcade has been my top game-oriented webcomic for about 5 years now, but I've read all 10 years and counting. As for E3, what gamer DOESN'T want to experience that?

You go to PAX for the people, E3 for the games, the way I see it. And boy do I want to go to both so badly. Penny Arcade has been my top game-oriented webcomic for about 5 years now, but I've read all 10 years and counting. As for E3, what gamer DOESN'T want to experience that?

Awesome, both Freezepop and Jonathan Coulton were extraordinary last year. I missed MC Frontalot though, may stop by this time.

Kraznor

@Slust: from PA: "we've got the entire Washington State convention center this year. That has allowed us to increase the size of the Expo Hall by a mind flaying 30%!"

Doesn't mean 30% more walking space but it should help some.

Smidget

@メリル: It's honestly at a point now where you get the games at PAX too. I went to E3 in 2005 and have been to the last 2 PAX's and although E3 is(read:was; hopefully will be again as they are saying) a mindboggling spectacle, PAX is at a lvl now that its getting all the games. Just maybe not in the quantity that you'll see at E3. And not as "big." E3 blew my mind when I went. But now that I've gone to E3, I would honestly rather go to PAX from here on out because, like you said, its for the people. There's just so much always going on and so much to do, into the wee hours of the morn. E3, all you have is the game booths.

Smidget

@Mcmax3000: Hadn't heard that. They def. haven't that number into the wild yet if that's the plan. Smart thing to do though since the numbers from last year created other problems as well, along with the overcrowding.

Smidget

@Kenny: Gen Con says hi.

@Slust: It was super packed. But it was awesome. it was best when they were doing stuff for Fallout 3, because every other booth opened up.

Also, I was in the very front before they opened the first day and gamestop got a picture of me flipping them off, because the media likes to be dicks and laugh at all us poor, paying saps. And I got Crecente, too. Nobody escapes the wrath of my finger when tired and bitchy.

NO ONE!

Mua ha HAA...*cough cough*, stupid cold.

I_Like_Rabbits

Nice, I like the little VGXPO dig.

Nice, I like the little VGXPO dig.

Nice, I like the little VGXPO dig.

@Cloral: Nah, it's not the job that's the problem. It's starting grad school :P I've gone the last two years entirely because I *had* a job where I could afford it and get the time off.

@Cloral: Nah, it's not the job that's the problem. It's starting grad school :P I've gone the last two years entirely because I *had* a job where I could afford it and get the time off.

@Cloral: Nah, it's not the job that's the problem. It's starting grad school :P I've gone the last two years entirely because I *had* a job where I could afford it and get the time off.

@Cloral: Nah, it's not the job that's the problem. It's starting grad school :P I've gone the last two years entirely because I *had* a job where I could afford it and get the time off.

@Cloral: Nah, it's not the job that's the problem. It's starting grad school :P I've gone the last two years entirely because I *had* a job where I could afford it and get the time off.

@MindPrints: Sage Francis owns, but has nothing to do with what goes on at PAX. If you don't respect Front, record a few nerdcore tracks of your own. Maybe you'll be on stage next year.

@Thut: No, even worse! If you unsquint your eyes, remove your thumb from your butt, and look at it with your head level, you'll see that it kinda looks like an X! And also a D-pad, giving it strong undertones of both language and videogames.

L2Make logos, Penny Arcade! You're giving people the wrong impression.

@MindPrints: Chicago would be perfect, I'm in the Minneapolis area and I've always wanted to visit Chicago.

@Thut: God forbid there are Christian undertones.

Nobody would give two shits if there were Muslim, Jewish, or Hindu undertones.

@Thut: God forbid there are Christian undertones.

Nobody would give two shits if there were Muslim, Jewish, or Hindu undertones.

@Smidget: Yeah, it's pretty impersonal at E3, whilst at PAX it seems like a more...welcoming environment.

Oh, P.S.: You're extremely lucky to have gotten to expeirence PAX firsthand, along with E3. *thumbs up*

@Babelfish: Optimus played an amazing show with Front, Beefy, and ytcracker the night before PAX last year. Unfortunately, it was their last show. :(

@Zallin: My kitchen.

wezelboy