Where You Can Find Us At PAX Australia

Hello! Are you going to PAX Australia this year? We are! We’ll be doing some panels over the next few days, so if you’d like to know where to find us, here’s what we’re up to.

This year Amanda, Hayley and myself will all be popping up in various places. You can see the full schedule of PAX events here, but here’s the panels we’ll be on each day.

Friday

How Should Games Make Moral Choices Matter? (Alex, 1330-1430 AEDT)

Many games have tried to make morality matter. We’ve seen systems measuring karma (Fallout 3), alignment (Mass Effect), reputation (Tyranny), and opinion (Dragon Age). But no system is perfect. Join Stephanie “Hex” Bendixsen, Outside Xbox’s Jane Douglas, Kotaku’s Alex Walker and game devs Morgan Jaffit (Hand of Fate) and Nick Pearce (The Forgotten City), as they ask the big questions: Why should morality matter in games, and if it does, how should games make moral choices meaningful?

Switched Switched On: Mental Health Representation in Video Games (Hayley, 1400-1500 AEDT)

Switched On delves into the world of how mental illness is portrayed in the gaming world. Do games help or hinder in reducing the stigma surrounding mental illness? Can games assist in therapy via escapism? From the good, the bad and the downright ugly – from Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice to Heavy Rain, join our panellists in tackling the realities of powerful plot lines involving mental illness.

Saturday

The Great Debate: Should All Games Be Battle Royale? (Amanda, 1230-1330 AEDT)

Two teams of comedians, game developers, Youtubers and journalists are thrown into a PAX Aus Battle Royale to determine the truth – should all games be Battle Royale?

We Rate Video Games Dogs (Amanda, 1630-1730 AEDT)

Watch as we review some of the best (and worst) dogs in gaming. They’re good video game dogs, Brent.

Queer Coded: A History of LBGT+ Gaming (Hayley, 1700-1800 AEDT)

Queer Coded is an entertaining look at queer characters in video games throughout history, focusing on what we’ve done right and how far we’ve come. Covering everything from Danganronpa to Dream Daddy, your hosts will be taking a look at our favourite LGBT+ characters and how the industry has changed it’s outlook on representation and queer diversity.

Game Reviews: The Review (Alex, 1800-1900 AEDT)

From outlets employing professional journalists, to enthusiasts creating their own platforms, to countless user reviews; people can find more reviews for a game than they have time to read. Consumers look to reviews to make informed purchasing decisions, though the landscape is constantly changing, for better or for worse. Find out from journalists, a YouTuber, and a games publishing industry veteran, what has changed and what the future of game reviews looks like. They will also tackle issues including the responsibility of outlets and those with a platform, how reviews impact the consumer and those that make and publish games, and what sources can ultimately be trusted for quality reviews.

Let’s Play Some More Bad Dating Sims (Amanda/Hayley, 2130-2300 AEDT)*

Did last year’s bad dating sims leave you aching for more? Do you have a thirst that cannot be quenched by any ordinary game?

The only PAX panel where you can date a military tank returns for another year, where we will pursue hot Brothers who also happen to be printers, try to bump uglies with the most eligible ogres, flirt with clever girls (of the velociraptor variety), or experience love like only Oedipus can. And no, we’re still not making any of these up.

Join us as we look for love in the unlikeliest places, and hopefully get some partially-animated action along the way.

Sunday

Accessible Excellence: What Does Accessibility Mean for Gaming in 2018? (Amanda, 1630-1730 AEDT)

2018 has been a good year for accessibility in games, through mainstream titles such as Insomniac’s Spider-Man featuring a wealth of accessibility options, to the increasing array of accessibility-focused games in the indie space, to Microsoft’s release of the Xbox Adaptive Controller. Join our panel as they discuss the state of play for accessibility in 2018, and ask how things are really looking! What are developers doing to make games more accessible to everyone, and what is the future of accessibility in games?


So that’s where you can find us this weekend! Note that Bad Dating Sims is being streamed as well, for those who can’t make it. I’ve heard some of the games that might get played this year … it’s gonna be a cracker.

See you at PAX!

*Technically I’ll be on the Bad Dating Sims panel as well, but I’ll be the bloke behind the laptop hitting SPACE every 30 seconds, so that doesn’t really count.


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