This year’s Penny Arcade Expo East (PAX East) is right around the corner, taking place on Boston from April 22-24. The event, which has been sold out for months, will feature a number of companies that include Sony, Gungho Online and several others. However, it will also be home to various indie developers who will be showcasing their latest video and board games for thousands of fans to see.
PAX has always had a strong focus on community, and while that draws in a number of big-name companies, these events have also been tremendous opportunities for up-and-coming developers to reach out to audiences.
The original Penny Arcade Expo (which takes place in Seattle, and is now referred to as PAX Prime) first got its start in 2004, with 3,300 people in attendance. That number has grown with each passing year, which has led the convention to expand it to other venues, including PAX East in 2010, followed by a debut of an overseas show, PAX Australia, in 2014, and PAX South, which took place last year in San Antonio, Texas.
With each location, local independent game developers came out to support its fans. For example, Boston is the home of Harmonix, a team that made a big splash last year with the release of Rock Band 4. Meanwhile, Gearbox Studios, based in Texas, found a huge presence in last year’s PAX South event, with thousands of fans attending panels based on the company’s franchises, such as Borderlands and Homeworld.
Each show brought out developers big and small to celebrate its newest projects. Even the smaller booths at the show house up-and-comers that are eager to talk to fans about upcoming projects, such as GalaxyTrail’s side-scrolling platforming game Freedom Planet and Devolver Digital’s line-up, including oddball favorites like OmniBus and Enter the Gungeon.
Essentially, PAX is a convention that appeals to broad groups of fans, instead of focusing on just a single theme. For instance, cosplay fans can come together and celebrate their dressing up as favorite characters, be it from Japanese animation, video game or other entertainment. Board gamers can get together and challenge each other at everything from Dungeons & Dragons to Cards Against Humanity. And then, of course, there are video games, with both AAA releases and indie titles being enjoyed across the board.
In addition to community-driven parties and concerts for fans to enjoy, PAX is also home to panels that both educate and entertain attendees. These run across a range of topics, like how to find a career in the game industry and how to create better online content.
It’s been a viable show for up-and-comers and major game publishers alike, finding key opportunities to connect with people. Anyone who has been a part of the show, no matter which location, has usually come away with a strong connection to its community.
Don’t look for this trend to change. This year’s Seattle event looks to sell out quickly as soon as tickets are available, and plans are already in the works for next year’s show. When it comes to drawing a community together, PAX still looks like the golden ticket.
