We’ve previously talked about the Penny Arcade Expo shows – PAX, for short – and how this year’s Seattle event, PAX Prime, would be beneficial for all parties involved, including attendees, fans and companies alike. Well, after going through all four days of the event throughout the entire Labor Day weekend, I can easily say that it’s an event that lives up to the hype.
PAX is the sort of event that thrives on its community. You have developers and publishers eager to get its products into the hands of gamers, including Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft, as well as “indie” publishers that don’t often get exposure in those circles, giving them a chance to talk to the fans directly. This weekend’s event definitely had plenty of people around to chat with.
Perhaps the biggest highlights from the show were the new announcements. During a lively PAX panel (in which president Randy Pitchford accepted the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge and doused himself with water on-stage), new downloadable content for Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel was announced; Deep Silver announced the newest entry in its comical action series Saints Row, with this chapter taking place in Hell’s dominion; and Harmonix presented a new music/rhythm shooter for PC called A City Sleeps.
Those who weren’t attending PAX also got to partake in plenty of gaming action. Nintendo hosted a special event for its Legend of Zelda combat game Hyrule Warriors, coming later this month for Wii U, that brought fans out in droves. Harmonix also hosted a special Disney’s Fantasia: Music Evolved area at the Manchester Hyatt, where different songs and play styles could be explored.
And, again, smaller developers found plenty of exposure in the spotlight at the event. James Silva’s new game, the action-based side-scrolling Salt and Sacrifice, looks to be one of the PlayStation 4’s most promising titles. Devolver Digital’s Titan Souls could easily be an adventure game that reminds players of the Legend of Zelda games of old. And the space shooter Galak-Z could be a real head-turner when it debuts in early 2015.
PAX Prime was certainly a success, and fans won’t have to wait long for the next show, as PAX South is set to debut this January in San Antonio, Texas. Bring on the community.
Source: PAX
