GameCritics: I don't know about anyone else, but this year seemed a little weird to me. The crowds seemed a little harder to push through, people seemed a little crankier and a little more rude... It wasn't terrible by any means, but the vibe felt a little off. Maybe it was just me, but there you go.
Weird vibes aside, PAX offered the same set of problems that it usually does. Even with three full days, there's not enough time to see and play all of the games, and there's definitely not enough time to sit down and have a cup of coffee or a meal with all of the people that I wanted to see. Although I did manage to catch up with a good number of people and I coincidentally bumped into many that I knew on the floor, it's still depressing to think that there were plenty of folks that I couldn't successfully connect with, and that I likely won't get a chance again for at least a year.
Chris writes:
"At a party on the Thursday night before PAX started, I had a chance to chat up the community managers for Neverwinter, Star Trek Online, and RaiderZ. As a Trekkie, I needed no selling on Star Trek Online. As a massive fan of Neverwinter, I was already eager. It was with the RaiderZ community manager that I started getting excited for my Saturday morning appointment. Sit back and let me tell you a tale; a tale of heroes, monsters, and the world they live in."
Chris writes:
"I have no qualms about free-to-play games. I am immediately wary of free-to-play games that are supported by micro-transactions, however. When the appointment for Loadout was pitched to me during my PAX planning period, I flat out said, “You do not want me covering a micro-transaction supported free-to-play game. I will not be kind.” I was guilted (like a boss) into taking the appointment, and I’m glad that I am such a compassionate and caring friend, because I actually quite enjoyed my time with Edge of Reality’s upcoming team shooter."
Chris writes:
"Rise of the Triad has always held a special place with me. It was one of the few things that I connected with other people on in a social environment, and it was simply a brilliant game (and better than DOOM). I had become so comfortable with Rise of the Triad, that when I was in shock at my grandmother’s passing, the only thing I could think to do was sit at my computer and continue the HUNT. Even before its return was announced, it was a title that I held up as a cornerstone of 90s gaming. At QuakeCon, it was announced that Rise of the Triad was returning, and that it would be everything we remembered and more. At PAX, I got a chance to put part of that to the test."
