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Introducing the Joystiq PAX East Loyalty Program (or: hang out with us for prizes!)
Your BFFs at Joystiq have a busy PAX East, hosting two live podcasts, moderating two additional panels, and even inviting everyone over for breakfast on Saturday morning. If that sounds like a lot of nerve-wracking work, well ... it is. But there's only one thing more terrifying than that: the size of the rooms at the Boston Convention Center, PAX East's embiggened new digs. We'll level with you: We can't fill 'em. They're too large! But we've never been above stone cold bribery. Seeing as how bribery is such a pejorative term, we're going to call it the Joystiq PAX East Loyalty Program, and here's how it works. Attendees of Friday night's Joystiq Podcast LIVE!: The Reunion – 7:30 to 8:30pm in the Wyvern Theatre – will get a raffle ticket while waiting in line. We'll have some prizes to hand out during the podcast, but we'll have way more to hand out over the course of the show. Bring that raffle ticket to Saturday Morning's Blueberry Muffin Tops breakfast at 10AM in room 052 and redeem it for a prize. You'll probably walk away with a free game! (Warning: There's one copy of Fighters Uncaged floating around in our huge collection, so ... watch out.) On Saturday evening, you'll want to be seated in the Naga theatre at 8PM for the live X3F podcast. There'll be interesting prizes too -- and some will be, shall we say, unique. (Now you have to find out!) Finally, you can attend the "Ten Games You Need to Play: The Digital Game Canon" panel at the IGDA Dev Center on Sunday, at 2PM, or "It's Not The Length or the Mirth: Game Length vs. Value" on Sunday in the Wyvern theatre at 4:30PM. The prizes? Uh ... the discussion generated by the esteemed panelists, of course. Yeah, let's go with that. Just like last PAX East, we're taking the opportunity to unload all of our stuff – this includes games, clothes, swag, hardware, you name it. We don't keep anything we're sent (here's why) and giving it all away can be hard work. In other words: help us to help you!
PAX East 2011: Free Realms coming to the PS3 on March 29th
Apparently 17 million registered PC and Mac users are the tip of the iceberg for Sony Online Entertainment. The company's family-friendly Free Realms MMORPG is heading to the Playstation 3 on March 29th in an attempt to bring massively multiplayer enlightenment to the unwashed console masses (and reel in a few million new users in the process). Free Realms originally took a bow in 2009 on Windows PCs and has since seen its pirates, ninjas, pets, and genre-bending gameplay appear on Apple's OS X operating system as well. The title is initially free-to-play, with premium account options available to gamers who want to access an additional 400 quests and level all their jobs up to 20. Free Realms also features a cash shop that will be available via the Playstation Store. "Free Realms continues to break new ground in the gaming industry -– it will be the first free-to-play MMO to hit any console, the first family-friendly MMO to hit any console, and the second MMO, after our recent release of DC Universe Online, to hit the PlayStation3 to date," says SOE president John Smedley. Head past the break for an exclusive interview with Free Realms lead designer Stephen Bokkes and producer Nick Parkinson. %Gallery-118920%
Take a JPEG tour through the PAX East 2011 show floor
If you're not kicking it Good Will Hunting-style in Boston for the Easternmost, 2011-most edition of the Penny Arcade Expo, we can easily take you there through the magic of internet. Check out the gallery below to see some of the biggest productions on this year's main expo hall, from the gigantic Child of Eden preview display, to the equally gigantic Pikachu, hovering mere feet above attendees' heads, patiently waiting for his moment to strike.%Gallery-118906%
PAX East: Hi-Rez Studios unveils new Tribes: Ascend title
Way back in October of 2010, we broke the news that Atlanta-based Hi-Rez Studios would be revisiting the Tribes franchise in an upcoming online persistent-world shooter. At the time, Hi-Rez was focused on Tribes: Universe, and our interview with CEO and lead designer Erez Goren shed a bit of light on the company's followup to Global Agenda. Today at PAX East, Hi-Rez officially took the wraps off a second Tribes game, and Tribes: Ascend is set to re-introduce the venerable franchise to gamers all over the world. "Before Halo, before Modern Warfare, and before Battlefield, there was Tribes," says Todd Harris, Hi-Rez Studios COO, before going on to reveal that the new game will be available in late 2011. Hi-Rez will distribute Tribes: Ascend as a digital download and is targeting Windows PCs as well as the Xbox 360 for the initial release. Why a second Tribes title? "We've had tremendous fun play-testing and realized the potential of a multiplayer-focused title ahead of Tribes Universe. The community has been waiting for a multiplayer shooter that is the modern successor to T2. Tribes: Ascend is that game," Harris said. Massively's on the ground in Boston during the weekend of March 11-13, bringing you all the best news from PAX East 2011. Whether you're dying to know more about SWTOR or Guild Wars 2 or any MMO in between, you can bet we'll have it covered!
Chiptune festival bleepin' and bloopin' at PAX East
Boston8Bit has teamed up with Magfest to bring three days of chiptune concerts to this year's PAX East. Notable chiptune artists (Animal Style and The Engadget Show's own Zen Albatross, among others) will be performing daily in PAX's "Jamspace" area daily from 11AM until 2PM EST -- we've been told the space is not full of jam, despite previous reports to the contrary. Interested parties should head to the event-within-an-event's Facebook page to confirm attendance, or simply to find additional information. The entire list of performances broken down by day can be found after the break.
PAX East: BioWare reveals new Old Republic trailer
Fans were expecting a big showing out of Star Wars: The Old Republic at this weekend's PAX East. BioWare didn't disappoint, as the renowned RPG maker released the newest (and best) trailer for its upcoming Star Wars MMORPG opus. The two-minute short consists entirely of in-game footage and is titled Fate of the Galaxy, an appropriate moniker given that the video is crammed full of epic Star Wars moments from start to finish. Whether you're into space combat, Jedi combat, or pleasingly retro sound effects from the Lucasfilm library (we dare you not to crack a smile at the signature sound of a tauntaun or the squeal of a Jawa as he's shown the business end of a Sith lightsaber), there's something here for just about every fan. Check out all the pyrotechnics after the cut and let us know what you think in the comments.
Fez playable at PAX East, visible in this trailer
If you're at PAX East this weekend, you'll finally get the opportunity to play Polytron's perspective-shifting XBLA platformer, Fez, in booth 1118. We're guessing there's going to be a line. But even if you don't get to play it, you can enjoy a new trailer released for the occasion.
We're live from PAX East, in not-so-sunny Boston
Given that so, so many of us Joystiq writers call the American Northeast our home, it shouldn't surprise you that we're in Boston en masse for the second annual PAX East. Rather than returning to the Hynes, PAX is expanding this year into the larger Boston Convention Center, though it doesn't appear to have had a huge impact on the event's ability to sell out of tickets well ahead of time. If you haven't already planned out your entire weekend with the free Conventionist App, allow us to suggest a few notable, 'Stiq-centric panels over the next few days: the second annual live Joystiq Podcast recording this evening, tomorrow morning's delicious (and free) Blueberry Muffintops Breakfast meetup, the first annual live X3F Fancast recording tomorrow evening, and two separate panels with our fearless leader, Chris Grant. Follow our Twitter accounts (listed after the break) for up to the minute info on what's going on. And if you see us, say hello! Update: We're totally soaked. If you say "hello" to us at the show, please pardon our moistness. Update 2: Actually Ben, us smart guys took a cab from the hotel, so we're dry as a popcorn fart.-Justin
The Daily Grind: What are you hoping to hear at PAX East?
We're just barely out of GDC coverage, but this week kicks off another big convention for the gaming community. PAX has become an event on both coasts, and this year's PAX East promises to be a notable event for all in attendance within the gaming community. With Guild Wars 2 and Star Wars: The Old Republic both promising new playable content, it might seem like the newer games will steal the show, but older games such as City of Heroes and Lord of the Rings Online are on deck with new content and new announcements for fans. Of course, we've got some of our staff on-hand to cover all of the news coming out of Boston this weekend, but the real question is what you're hoping to hear. Do you want to see more of the new Guild Wars 2 demo? Hoping to hear more on Turbine's free-to-play games? Or are you hoping for something unexpected to emerge from the convention, perhaps even (gasp) non-MMO news? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
Slam Bolt Scrappers punch out launch trailer, PAX East giveaway details
Slam Bolt Scrappers is all set to drop, build and fire off next Tuesday, March 15, on PSN. The manic genre mash-up is celebrating with PAX East giveaways this weekend at the sold-out show (the Fire Hose Games team will be at booth 1133, which it's sharing with indie darling Spy Party). If you're wearing a crazy hat that out-crazies one of Fire Hose's own crazy hats, you could even win a free copy of the $15 title. So that's the going rate for your shame, eh?
Toy Soldiers: Cold War revealed, coming to PAX East [update: now with video!]
Remember that XBLA game Toy Soldiers? With the ... umm ... toy soldiers? Well, apparently it's getting a sequel set in the 1980s. As revealed in an email missive from Microsoft regarding the publisher's PAX East showing, "Toy Soldiers: Cold War" features the same blend of first-person action and strategy of the first game, albeit with a new '80s angle. A press release that we received this afternoon further detailed the upcoming sequel, specifically noting that it'll feature co-op and new minigun-based mingames. The publisher also revealed that Toy Soldiers: Cold War will be included among other playable titles at PAX East this coming weekend. Which is when PAX East goes down, in case you didn't know. To date, the original Toy Soldiers has moved over 500K units, meaning that it'll make the jump to PC at some point in "late spring/early summer." Update: We've added the game's trailer after the break and some more info to the post above.%Gallery-118731%
Serious Sam gets serious indie cred with new Indie Series
Normally, when a developer farms out one of its franchises to a smaller team, the groans are justified. But this time, the outsourcing is seriously appealing. Croteam and publisher Devolver Digital have announced the Serious Sam Indie Series, in which known indie developers remake Croteam's famous shooter in their own styles. The first three devs to take on this Serious task are Mommy's Best Games, Vlambeer, and Be-Rad Entertainment. Mommy's Best is doing what it does best, a "frantic side-scrolling shooter" for PC and consoles called Serious Sam: Double-D. Super Crate Box creator Vlambeer mashes up genres to create the turn-based RPG Serious Sam: The Random Encounter for unspecified platforms, and Lame Castle's Be-Rad Entertainment interprets the series as an auto-running game about guiding Headless Kamikazes out of the path of Sam, called Serious Sam: Kamikaze Attack! Platform specifics about Random Encounter and Kamikaze Attack have yet to be revealed, though Kamikaze Attack sounds like a candidate for a mobile release. If you're at PAX East this weekend, you can find out for yourself -- Double D and Kamikaze Attack will be playable at booth I-16. If there's one flaw to this plan, it's that these indie games sound way more interesting than the actual Serious Sam sequel they're intended to promote.%Gallery-118687%
PAX East 2011 sold out
PAX East 2011 is sold out. For the second year in a row, despite the larger venue of the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center, there will be no tickets available at the venue. PAX organizers have also made a list of small, but significant, changes regarding this year's show. Joystiq has something planned for every day of the event. Check out the live recording of the Joystiq Podcast on Friday, our Second Annual Joystiq Blueberry Muffin Tops Breakfast and live recording of Joystiq's Xbox 360 Fancast (X3F) on Saturday, or a couple of the panels hosted by Editor-in-chief Chris Grant on Sunday.
Hyperspace Beacon: Sithing up for PAX East
If you haven't been paying attention, then you wouldn't know that Star Wars: The Old Republic is going to make a huge appearance at PAX East this year. However, unlike past appearances, this presentation is all about giving the fans a first-hand experience with the game. The SWTOR community team has promised Flashpoints, Jedi classes, and origin worlds that the fans can see, hear, touch, and feel. For a fan who has been following the game since before October of 2008, this is far more exciting than any on-stage performance. With all of the hoopla, it may be difficult to know every single thing that is going on. And as your guide through the vastness of hyperspace, I should give you a guideline so you do not miss a vital piece of the event. Follow me after the cut for a breakdown of the planned events and some suggestions for things to do while attending PAX.
Bungie offshoot Moonshot Games sets off for the Fallen Frontier
There's good reason to pay attention to Moonshot Games. The operation, which spans two studios in Boston and Seattle, is helmed by some prolific ex-Bungie stars. Three members of the Moonshot crew have hand their hands on Microsoft's FPS: Managing Director Michel Bastien worked as a producer on the first three Halo games at Bungie, Director of Technology Damián Isla worked on developing AI for Halo 2 and 3 and Creative Director Rob Stokes was the Design Lead of Halo 3. The studio's first title, Fallen Frontier, will be making its debut at PAX East this week and it promises to "leverage the very best design principles" from the team's combined experience on the Halo franchise. The arcade action of the game's first trailer certainly makes it seem like "Halo in 2D." We'll find out more when we get our hands on the game this weekend.%Gallery-118558%
WRUP: Hello PAX East, bye GDC
We're wrapping up GDC 2011 coverage, so check out all of that. Next week is PAX East 2011 and Joystiq has something going on every day of the event. Friday night we kick things off with a live recording of the Joystiq Podcast. Saturday we bookend the show day with the Second Annual Joystiq Blueberry Muffin Tops Breakfast in the morning and a live recording of Joystiq's Xbox 360 Fancast (X3F) that evening. On Sunday, we slow it down with a couple gaming panels hosted by our Editor-in-chief Chris Grant. Be sure to follow us on Twitter (all accounts listed after the break) for all our Boston legal exploits. What's everyone playing?
New Guild Wars 2 video gives info on PAX East demo, more glimpses of the Thief
Now that the cat is out of the bag regarding the Guild Wars 2 Thief, ArenaNet is opening the information doors starting with a new video and blog post today. The video is brief -- 34 seconds total -- but packed with information. There are glimpses of at least two races of Thief characters as well as booth information for those who are eager to try the class for themselves at PAX East. The teaser video is accompanied by a short blog post telling fans all about the great information planned for next week: "We've already told you that the guardian profession and norn race will be playable, but next week we're going to get into detail about three other major features in the new demo – crafting, our revamped attribute system, and our new profession, the thief!" Check out the new information on ArenaNet's blog, and keep your eye on Massively all next week for the latest Guild Wars 2 news.
SWTOR says BAM! is the word for today's update
Big news exploded from the Star Wars: The Old Republic camp today. We knew BioWare was going to be at PAX East this year, but we knew nothing of the team's specific plans. In today's updates, the SWTOR devs not only revealed more about the Bounty Hunter profession as we predicted from yesterday's IGN video reveal but also told us that visitors to their PAX booth would be the first of the general public to play the Taral V flashpoint. The Bounty Hunter page has been overhauled to reflect the advanced classes of Powertech and Mercenary. On the starships page, catch the detailed specs of the Kuat Drive Yards D5-Mantis Patrol Craft -- or the D5-Mantis, for those who think KDYD5MPC is a silly acronym. Mako, the Nar Shaddaa slicer, was officially revealed as a companion for the Bounty Hunter. Also, don't forget the Rattataki species on the inhabitants page. SWTOR fans who were waiting on endgame reveals will hopefully be going to PAX East this year. You will be able to play a Trooper, Smuggler, Jedi Knight, or Jedi Consular in the Republic Taral V flashpoint, with Lead Designer James Ohlen and Lead Writer Daniel Erickson in the booth to answer all your questions. While you're at booth 912, don't forget to ask for your invitation to the Community Meet and Greet, which starts directly after the booth closes Saturday night -- the event's at the Westin Boston Waterfront hotel right next to the convention center. %Gallery-118438%
PAX East guides added to free iOS and Android convention app
Attending PAX East 2011? There's an app for that. Proxima Labs' Conventionist, an app designed expressly for staying organized during conventions, has been updated with a guide to PAX East's panels, exhibitors and pretty much anything you'd need to know about the show. The app for free for iOS and Android, and has some handy features, such as reminder messages (so you don't miss panels) and maps (so you know where they'll be). It sounds pretty indispensable. Might we suggest adding the Joystiq Blueberry Muffin Tops Breakfast once you've downloaded it?
City of Heroes offers an Issue 20 overview and development journal
PAX East is just around the corner, and it marks the second east coast appearance of the Paragon Studios team. Last year the developers had an upcoming expansion to preview, but this year nevertheless promises to still have plenty of revelations for the City of Heroes fans, starting with the new Issue 20 overview page available today. Aside from the two known Incarnate Trials, the page also previews two new task forces for characters in the 20-40 range as well as more respec trials available for heroes or villains who change alignment. If the overview alone isn't enough to get you fired up for the upcoming Issue 20, the latest installment of the Intrepid Informer previews one of the new areas designed for the patch: a fortress made of lashed-together ships. Gilbert Martinez, one of the game's art leads, explains the process that led to creating an evocative new piece of scenery. City of Heroes players have plenty to look forward to in the near future, not the least of which being an upcoming patch with some pretty interesting content.
