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En Masse bringing TERA and sci-fi surprise to PAX East
PAX East 2012 is swiftly approaching, and that means that it's about time developers start announcing their plans for the show. Today, En Masse Entertainment joined that steadily growing roster with an announcement that the studio will be showcasing its upcoming action-based MMO TERA at the convention. Attendees will be able to get a look at a never-before-seen area of the game, so fans of the title would do well to stop by En Masse's booth to have a go-'round in the world of Arborea. To top it all off, the studio ends the announcement with the cryptic remark that it "will also have some new details to share that are sure to excite fans of modern sci-fi." We're not sure whether this means that TERA is going to be getting some sci-fi flavor or En Masse has a new project to announce or what, but we can't wait to find out. Of course, Massively will have its own presence at the show (including yours truly!), so even if you can't make it to Boston for the con, you can bet that we'll be bringing you all of the delicious, juicy TERA news that you could possibly ask for. In the meantime, though, just hang tight for a couple of weeks. We're sure it'll be worth the wait. [Source: En Masse Entertainment press release]
Massively's own Eliot Lefebvre will tell your site how not to suck at PAX East
Are you planning on heading to Boston, Massachusetts for PAX East 2012? If you are, then boy have we got a treat for you. On Sunday, April 8th, our very own Eliot Lefebvre will be joining members of Guild Wars Insider, Darth Hater, ArenaNet, and Vox Games on a panel informatively titled How To Make Gaming Sites That Don't Suck. It is what it says on the tin, folks. So if you've got a blog lying around and you're not sure what to do with it, let this panel of experts tell you how to turn it into the next big thing. Or at least let them tell you why Papyrus and Comic Sans are not legitimate font choices. Please? If nothing else, just show up, ask questions, and show our favorite cynical curmudgeon some love.
PAX East tickets on sale now
Convention-goers, start your engines. PAX East 2012 tickets are now on sale, and if you're planning on attending, you better get movin'. Single-day tickets should last for at least a little while, but three-day tickets are always the first to go. Do take note that the convention does fall on Easter weekend this year, so if you've got plans for the holiday, you better start planning your excuse. And remember, this year's PAX Prime saw extreme numbers of fake badges being sold at the sold-out convention, so if you want to be sure to escape the scammers, buy your ticket early so you don't have to rely on scalpers later. To get your tickets, head on over to the PAX East official site.
[Updated] Meet up with the Massively staff at PAX East, win prizes
If you're in Boston next week for PAX East and you suddenly find yourself shirtless, we may be able to help. We'll be giving away Massively t-shirts at the expo throughout the weekend of March 26th - 28th, and you can bet we'll be having some fun while doing it. We'll have two contests involving Twitter: one as a scavenger hunt for swag (appropriately named the Swavenger Hunt) and one as a hide-and-seek contest based on tweeted photos around the expo floor. Plus, we'll be sure to have a small informal meet-up with readers while we're there. Follow along after the jump for a schedule of events and details on how you can win yourself a Massively t-shirt. Shirtlessness not required.
PAX East posts panel schedule, secret breakfast not detailed
PAX East organizers have posted the panel schedule for the practically sold-out inaugural edition of the Boston event. The sessions cover the gamut of game culture, including ... well, the gamut of game culture. Development, PR, marketing, journalism, studio culture, machinima, online etiquette -- it's all in there. Faithful followers of Joystiq will likely want to check out Get Ready For Love: The Joystiq Podcast LIVE! at the Manticore Theatre on Saturday at 8:30pm. All your favorite podcast hosts (and several less-liked Joystiq editors) will be in attendance, including the African -- who will ride in on a cheetah (unconfirmed, as of this writing). Then, on Sunday, our very own Editor-in-Chief Chris Grant will participate in the Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Game Journalism panel at 2:30pm and moderate Sequelitis Snake Oil: Quack Medicine for the Video Game Industry around 4pm -- some guy by the name of Ken Levine will also be part of that one. Other guests include Obsidian's Chris Avellone, Harmonix's Dan Teasdale, and Giant Bomb's Jeff Gerstmann. Has your head exploded yet? Just wait ... Not listed on the schedule is the super-secret First Annual Joystiq Blueberry Muffin Tops Breakfast (@JoystiqBBMT), which will occur Saturday morning. Space is limited, so be sure to prepare by checking out "the plan." We're also happy to announce that ... oh, not yet? Okay.
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 480 and GTX 470 Fermi cards launching March 26th
It's okay, we understand your confusion, but the news here isn't that NVIDIA uses CoTweet as its Twitter client. What's exciting is that the GeForce GTX 480 and GTX 470 -- the company's first to use the new Fermi architecture -- are just over a month from release. Friday, March 26th, and given that also happens to coincidence with the kickoff date for Penny Arcade Expo (PAX) East 2010 (of which NVIDIA is a major sponsor), we tend to think that's not just some convenient coincidence. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Over 60,000 PAX East attendees expected, around 1,000 tickets remaining
Following up on the warning that PAX East will sell out, Joystiq has learned that the inaugural East Coast edition of the show will have over 60,000 attendees. Robert Khoo, President of Operations and Biz Dev for Penny Arcade Inc., tells us that they can't release final figures until the show is over, but are "looking at more attendees than the last PAX in Seattle." PAX 2009 sold out and had 60,750 participants. PAX East organizers plan to make an announcement this week that the show has fewer than 1,000 3-day badges remaining. At this point, PAX East has no announced speakers, music guests nor sponsors. It seems like everyone is buying into an expectation that the show will deliver an experience similar to PAX West -- and you don't want to disappoint an audience this huge.
PSA: PAX East early bird special ends tomorrow, need more 'enforcers'
Attention East Coasters: The chaps at Penny Arcade have miscalculated the size and scale of the first-annual PAX East event and have announced a need for more volunteers -- aka "Enforcers." While the name would suggest selected individuals would be granted the ability to bust skulls with full immunity, "Enforcers" are tasked with helping the event run as smoothly as possible (while wearing the same shirt for three days). Also, for those interested in attending the event -- and let's face it, you are -- early registration ends on December 31, 2009. So, if you're keen on saving money and know that a Boston trip in March 2010 is in your future, make sure to get your paperwork in before the clock strikes midnight.
PAX East open for panel, speaker submissions
The team behind the Penny Arcade Expo's journey to Boston has announced an open call for panel and speaker submissions that will run until January 11, 2010. In order to qualify for an open panel or speaker slot, submissions need to both entertain and inform. "We're looking for the kind of presentations that invoke intense reactions and discussion in the community," said Penny Arcade's Robert Khoo. Have a crazy or interesting idea of something you'd like to see at PAX East? Submit it. With plans to fill the event with up to 90 hours of content, there's plenty of room for submissions (provided they don't stink). PAX East is setting up shop in Boston, Massachusetts, from March 26 to 28, 2010. Make sure to register if you plan to join the party.
Early bird special on PAX East tickets
Although registration has been open since April, it appears that PAX East tickets are now discounted until the end of the year. The day pass currently costs $25, while the three-day pass is $45, which is a $5 savings off the previous pre-purchase price -- and a $10 cut off the door prices.It appears that hotel information is also up on the PAX East site. Although several of those hotels are definitely within tolerable "Boston in late-March walking distance," the Holiday Inn in Brookline, which appears to be the best value on the list, is a straight shot on the C line to the convention center.[Via Kotaku]
