Cary and Jeff’s PAX Adventures (Day 3)
The final day of PAX was just for some last-minute meetings and tying up loose ends, as we had to leave a little early for the trip home. So here are some final thoughts on the last day of the show. Boy am I tired! Oh yeah, over on the right, that’s a picture of our view of Seattle from our hotel room. Pretty nice, huh?
The only meeting I had on Sunday was with Demiurge to check out Shoot Many Robots. It’s a downloadable console title published by Ubisoft and will be available early next year. Shoot Many Robots plays a lot like Metal Slug but it adds RPG elements like hit points and equippable and upgradable items and clothes. One of the characters is a crazy guy living in a trailer waiting for the robot apocalypse to come. So when it does happen in the game, your character is all ready to blast the robots. Shoot Many Robots is a multiplayer game, too, and is very challenging. So if you like Metal Slug games, you’ll really want to check this one out.
Speaking of robots, I also checked out a game from a studio called Robot, which I learned is located VERY near to where I live! In fact, I probably drive close by their offices on the way to my regular job! Anyway, the game they were showing off is a downloadable console title called Orcs Must Die. It looks like a third person action shooter, but also has strategy elements. For instance, you can place traps on the playfield as you run and gun.
PAX gets bigger and bigger every year, and this time they expanded to the sixth floor to exhibit more indie game developers. I think they even called it Indie Alley up there! But it was always crowded, so that’s a good sign. Up there I checked out the sequel to Joe Danger, a popular PSN title from Hello Games. The sequel has stuntman Joe Danger doing stunt double duty for movies, and he drives more vehicles than before. He’ll ride mine carts in Indiana Jones spoofs, race skiers on a snowmobile, and collect donuts on a police motorcycle. Fans of the original Joe Danger will definitely want to keep an eye on this obstacle course action sequel.
I was surprised to see Atlus at PAX, but they were only showing off one game, the newest King of Fighters title. I think fans will like it better than the last one, though, and Atlus is really doing a good job with the special edition extras. Speaking of fighters, I have to say that I was disappointed with Capcom at PAX this year. At last year’s PAX, they had one of my favorite booths at the show with a wide variety of games and plenty of room to play them. Capcom showcased a lot of games at this year’s PAX as well, but I couldn’t get into the booth to see them because they were always so crowded! You’d think they could invest in a larger booth space, knowing how popular they are!
E3 vs. PAX
This year I went to both E3 and PAX, so naturally I have to compare the two. I like both shows for different reasons. I really like how E3 is for the media, so it’s easier for me to play more games there. Plus E3 is a little flashier, and while that’s not always necessary, it is a lot of fun.
Only problem with E3 is that it’s in a pretty dumpy part of downtown LA. But PAX is in Seattle, which I think is a nicer city (it was great to escape the 108 degree temperatures in Texas anyway). Plus, PAX gives out more freebies and swag than E3 does, but it wasn’t always that way.
But really, the best part of PAX is that, since it’s open to the public, you can really feel the enthusiasm from all the gamers at the show. I know that head editors of big video game sites may disagree, but I think the game industry needs the enthusiasm of smaller fan made Web sites and reviewers and bloggers (such as myself). We’re what makes the games industry go ‘round.
Cosplay Gallery
One of the ways that gamers at PAX can show their enthusiasm is by dressing up as their favorite video game characters. So to honor those folks, here’s a small sample of some of my favorite costumes at PAX. I think it would be fun to dress up at one of these shows, but I think that ship has sailed for me. I think I’m too old for that! But if I did dress up at PAX, what do you think I should dress up as? Let me know! Anyway, here are some neat costumes:
Here’s someone dressed as a plastic toy army man. Actually it was a lady.
This was a fantastic costume of Bayonetta, and a perfect example of the differences in the video game world and the real world. In the video game, Bayonetta can slink along quietly and smoothly while being agile as she shoots guns with her toes. But in the real world, I’m not sure how this poor lady could move at all. And she certainly couldn’t sneak up on anyone. I was in the middle of the loud show floor and I could still hear her heels going ‘clomp, clomp, clomp’ right behind me!
Here’s a costume of a Big Daddy. I’m not sure if the person in this costume was a daddy, but the outfit sure was BIG!
Speaking of BioShock, I’ve heard it’s a game that can really ‘grab’ you, but this is ridiculous!
Here’s a funny take on Gears of War.
I caught Mega Man playing the video game based on Magic: The Gathering
This young lady was dressed as Gwendolyn the Valkyrie from Odin Sphere, one of my favorite PS2 games.
This lady was dressed as the main player character from Portal. A lot of people at PAX were dressed as companion cubes, probably because that’s a pretty easy costume to do. If I had to dress as a Portal character, I would be Wheatley, because he’s awesome!
This lady was modeling at Sega’s booth. But I don’t think she wanted me to take her picture! See? She aimed her gun at me! Yikes!
I think these characters were from Plants vs. Zombies, and they were disco dancing the whole time! I think they were stalking me, too, because I saw them EVERYWHERE I went!
And my favorite costume? It’s Steve! And…BLUE?!?
And that’s really all I did at PAX. I’d like to give a special thanks to ‘momGamer.’ She used to write reviews here at GamerDad, and at PAX she ran the media room and did a great job. I was really glad to get to see her again.
You know, the best part of PAX wasn’t the games or getting free stuff. My favorite part of PAX was getting to spend time with my brother Jeff, which I don’t get to do so often now that he’s in college. I don’t care if you think I’m weird, but I still enjoy spending time and doing things with my brothers!
September 6th, 2011 at 10:34 am
It was great to see you and Jeff, Cary. I loved your writeup. It was a lot better than what I managed.
Oh well, you know how it goes. No rest for the wicked. Not even the extremely wicked. 😉