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Boston PD and the security guards at PAX East left a really bad taste in my mouth. But also the security was not as intimidating. Not just in that tickets were easy to get, and the accommodations in San Antonio were way cheaper than Boston. No PAX South after that felt as large and impressive. I've been rewarded handsomely over the years.
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I instantly knew different, and invested thousands into NTDOY. At the time, people though the Switch would fail, and Nintendo should get out of hardware. I played Breath of the Wild for 20 minutes, and I knew right away this was the real deal. I waiting in line (or around the line) an entire day to lay hands on it. The first time I went, it was the first time anyone in the public got to put their hands on the Switch. Losing Twitch was a big problem that Mixer went away for other reasons didn't help things. I think a less ambitious pax is a welcome change from the big spectacle that is West (and I assume East is) but they clearly wanted more out of South, but didn't really put the effort into it. While I am not going to refuse to attend pax in the future as a result of this, this did dampen my enthusiasm for the events significantly. The way they did South this year (completely ignored with Online and they at least attempted to have East, they made no such attempt with South, not even a "lets see if April can work" to then abandon it) was a huge red flag and indication they were pulling the plug. I blame mainly the timing- its too early in the year and too soon before East (which seems to have a wide flux of dates but it's big enough that it can be accommodated). didn't want to think they'd eliminate it but here we are. Fewer vendors in the exhibit floor was noticable in 20. I have to admit I was in denial in 2020 because South felt smaller that year and in 2019. I'm sorry San Antonio, you were far too pretty to host a major gaming convention. In the end, PAX South is dead and short of its miraculous resurrection PAX is dead to me. We might not have gotten to see game demos, but there wasn't much of that happening by the end anyway, just janky flea market vendors as far as the eye could see. By the end, we were leaning towards pooling our PAX (pass, hotel, gas, food) funds and renting a lake house for a weekend and playing games. Actually, I take that back, they capitalized in one way - prices grew by leaps and bounds.Ī lot of Penny Arcade folks are really loyal to the comic, the writers, and PAX, but for me it was really just a convention that was a nearby chance to play games with friends over a dedicated weekend.
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They struggled to capitalize on increased attendance and didn't really support the ancillary community that grows around the PAX. Reed/Penny Arcade struggled to adapt to the expanding Convention Center space and the end result was frustrated attendees. This year might have been exciting, but I'm not surprised that it's dead. Had covid not killed 2020, I don't know that I would have bothered. Each year the crowds got a little bigger, the exhibitors got a little weaker, the Enforcers got a little crankier, and the overall event got a little worse-r. I missed the inaugural, but made it an annual event afterwards. It reminded me of early years of PAX, but I couldn't justify going again. The "low key vibe" people have referenced is true and good in a way. So, we got to see NXT Takeover, the Royal Rumble at the Alamodome, and play the Switch early. In 2017, WWE was in town the same weekend. I had a good time, but the only reason I went was because it was a perfect storm of events for my friends and I.