Gamertell

As I write this, I am waiting in line for the keynote speaker, Ken Levine (not pictured). This picture above shows what the line to the keynote looks like from my point of view. I’ve already written about his keynote, but I will do my best to summarize what I have seen at PAX so far.

• Bioware has the most unusual booth. It is this completely enclosed, and it makes you feel like you have stepped into a medieval dungeon.  They will only let people in on certain intervals to preview their latest game, Dragon Age: Origins.
• Left for Dead by Valve and Fallout 3 from Bethesda are huge attractions. I can barely see the game with all wannabe players swarming about.
• NCSoft’ s booth isn’t attracting many visitors, and no one is playing Guild Wars.
• Both Harmonix and Activision are using the same plan, as they each have PAX attendees performing playing their respective games, Rock Band 2 and Guitar Hero: World Tour. Their stages look remarkably alike as well. It is nice to see that gamers can be rock stars.
 
• Ubisoft got into the musical act as attendees take to their stage and dance along to the Wiimote action of the new Rayman Raving Rabbids TV Party game.
• The big three consoles all have one game on display that is a big crowd magnet. Nintendo has the Wii Music, Sony has Little Big Planet, and Microsoft has Gears of War 2.
• Renegade Games has one of the most original displays. It is a set-up that looks straight out of MASH, where an attendee can receive a temporary tattoo or get a buzzcut in exchange for a copy of the Brothers in Arms: Hell’s Highway (when it is released). Kudos to the marketing department!
• Stardock has the Gamer’s Bill of Rights, which is easily worth another article. Fortunately, Jeremy Hill has written one.

All of this is all going on at once in the midst of crowd that I can barely pass through.  I am loving all this action. 

Site [PAX 2008]