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Mythic's Paul Barnett and Jeff Hickman coming to PAX08
If you happen to find yourself up in Seattle Washington on August 29th-31st, then you may want to check out the Penny Arcade Expo. Chances are that if you do, you'll be able to find both Paul Barnett and Jeff Hickman roaming around the convention halls yammering on about waaagh! and other juicy bits of information. Warhammer Online has always had a good booth presence at PAX but now we'll all get to experience the one-two punch of a Hickman-Barnett combo. If you ask us, that alone is worth the price of admission for any nearby WAR fan. Did we mention juicy info bits? With this news, Penny Arcade Expo 2008 is shaping up to be a real treat for anyone interested in MMOs. Mythic Entertainment, Electronic Arts, Blizzard, Cryptic Studios, Flying Lab Software and CCP are all going to be there with games and/or content to show off to attendees. So don't miss it if you can go!
ArenaNet to host 2nd annual PAX afterparty
Once again, NCsoft and ArenaNet will be making an appearance at Seattle's Penny Arcade Expo this year. The NCsoft booth (#642) will be packed full goodies during the weekend of August 29th through the 31st, and they will be showing off some of their new and old favorites, including Exteel, Dungeon Runners, Guild Wars, City of Heroes, Tabula Rasa and the brand new Aion.As they did last year, ArenaNet will be holding contests where participants can win valuable prizes. Developers will also be on hand to meet and greet with the players. Possibly the most exciting news is the fact that ArenaNet will hold another after-party at the Game Works across the street from the Washington State Convention & Trade Center, as they did last year. This is your chance to meet the folks at ArenaNet in a more casual setting and even challenge a few to an arcade game or two!
Neopets founders announce a new MMO
Started in 1999, Neopets was one of the first kid-friendly online virtual worlds on the web, and is still fantastically popular today. Hoping to bring their success with Neopets into the MMO world, founders Adam Powell and Donna Williams started Meteor Games in 2007 to make a game targeted at a slightly higher age bracket than Neopets. Their still-unnamed MMO, due to be shown at this year's Penny Arcade Expo (PAX), will be a seamless, 3D world with elements drawn from today's top MMOs -- World of Warcraft is specifically mentioned.Their new game will be a drastic departure from Neopets. Not only will it be a 3D world instead of a collection of minigames, but it won't be free to play. The founders believe they need a subscription in order to produce the highest quality game, but the price will be less than WoW, and there will be an item shop of some sort where new outfits, furniture and other non-unbalancing items may be bought. Meteor Games is also looking into ways to integrate cellphones into their game. Due out in some fashion in 2009, their MMO will enter a market already dominated by Runescape and will be competing directly with SOE's Free Realms, which promises to be free to play and run also on the Playstation 3.Neopets is famous for its huge amount of content, involvement with players and accessibility. Can Meteor Games grab that same sort of success with a more traditional MMO? CEO Adam Powell explains their strategy in this interview with Gamasutra.
PAX 2008 exhibitor list is quite large
We think "large" is quite a fitting description of all aspects of this year's Penny Arcade Expo, whether it be the list of exhibitors, the physical space to be occupied in the Washington State Trade and Convention Center in Seattle, or the incredibly impressive words spewed from the mouth of Tycho's fleshy counterpart. We can't wait.Attendees of the show, which runs from Aug. 29th to Aug. 31st, will be able to lay their appendages on plenty of upcoming games from Microsoft, Sony, Nintendo, Ubisoft, EA, Activision and many more (read the full list after the break). In addition to panels, tournaments and the traditional (and traditionally outrageous) Omegathon competition, event organizers plan to captivate you with "two nights of music that will almost certainly change your life," an independent games showcase and, err, the ECTO-1 from Ghostbusters. It says here.In another part of the press release, Penny Arcade's Robert Khoo says, "We nearly doubled our exhibition hall and added another 80,000 square feet of content overall, so the show is going to be pretty amazing this year. You should come. I think you would like it." We believe this man.
The Daily Grind: Planning to attend any conventions?
Tis the season to be traveling! As the summer ramps up, more and more companies are planning different outings and fan events. Blizzard has announced that not only will they have their (now sold-out) Worldwide Invitational in Paris, but also will be hosting another Blizzcon this October. Sony Online Entertainment has announced the next in a long line of highly successful Fan Faires coming to Vegas this August. CCP is expected to host yet another "party at the top of the world" as their EVE Online fan fair returns this year. Funcom will have a great showing as part of the MMO track at Dragon*Con where they've been partying with fans for years. And who can forget all the gaming goodness that goes on at PAX, GenCon, and other related conventions happening all around the world! For today's Daily Grind, we thought we'd ask you what kind of plans you have for traveling this year? Are there any conventions that are absolutely must-see events for you? Which events, if any, are you excited to check out? And if it's a general event like Dragon*Con or PAX, what are your "must see" games while you're there?
Cryptic has something to ask you
You probably already know that Cryptic Studios plans on coming to Gencon Indy and PAX this year. What you may not know is that Cryptic would like you all to tell them what you want to see. What team members do you want to meet? What panels do you want them to attend and discuss? All of your questions can be asked in the discussion thread.Our personal suggestion is definitely related to PAX, where we'd love to see Jack Emmert, Randy Mosiondz and John Layman. Last year at PAX there was a very interesting "Future of MMOs" panel that we would love to see get some Cryptic input. Although truthfully we just want to find a bunch of you guys and chat about all things superheroes, MMOs and pen and paper RPGs. Oh and of course if we could get some crazy demoing of Champions Online, that'd be super awesome too. It's probably asking a bit too much, but it's nice to dream isn't it?
Cryptic Studios coming to PAX and GenCon Indy this August
It's no lie, Cryptic will be at GenCon Indy from August 14th through the 17th and then not more than a couple weeks later, they'll be at the Penny Arcade Expo from August 29th until the 31st. A more important piece of news is that they plan on bringing all sorts of prizes, demos and games along with them. Sounds like we'll get a chance to score a ton of Cryptic-related real-world loot.Don't worry if these events aren't ones you attend, as Cryptic is quick to point out that they will be announcing other appearances.
Warhammer Online tours America, unites people
It's not stating the situation too excessively to remark that people are excited about this game. Many are anticipating it with the same fervor mustered by religious zealots. Some use the phrase 'WoW Killer'. And all of this without even having played the thing at all.Well, there's news that might mitigate that last little bit: If you can't wait for the eventual open beta download, you can play WAR at a few events across the country! The list of events, with locations and dates, after the jump!
Penny Arcade Expo 2008 dated, returns Aug 29-31
Is that two month old PAX07 t-shirt started to look slightly worn or wrinkled? (If so, may we recommend occasionally wearing other clothing.) Save the date and start booking your flight for Seattle, as the dates for the 5th annual Penny Arcade Expo have been unveiled: August 29 through 31, 2008.This year's event drew in approximately 37,000 attendees into the Washington State Convention and Trade Center. According to the press release (PDF file), "attendance for the 2008 event is expected to reach forty-seven million bajillion people." A venue for the 2008 expo was not specified; exhibitor packets are now available and attendee registration opens in January. Okay, folks, you can now officially start placing your bets on what will be next year's Omegathon.
Penny Arcade Expo exhibitor list unleashed
The exhibitor list for this year's Penny Arcade Expo has been made, checked twice, and finalized. While the past exhibitors are all still present (including favorites Pink Godzilla), the major publishers have signed up en masse. Joining Nintendo and Microsoft this year on the super-sized list of 53 exhibitors are Sony, Electronic Arts, Ubisoft, Sierra and Konami, among many others. Indie representation will be provided Gamecock, Telltale, and more. Is that the shadow of E3 we see before us? Full list after the break.
U rappin' good? Go to Penny Arcade Expo for free
U Gotta Believe!Sony is hosting a new contest, encouraging wannabe rappers to perform their best PaRappa rap. It just takes some ambition, a camera, and some YouTube know-how to enter. Choose one of three songs provided on Sony's official contest page, and swallow your pride.There are some awesome prizes: PaRappa PSP skins, PaRappa PSP charms, PaRappa's signature beanie and a copy of the game. The first 100 entrants will get the awesome PaRappa tee. Finally, one winner will get to go to Penny Arcade Expo with a friend ... absolutely free. If you're thinking of entering, definitely show us. We'd love to see your moves!
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Hardcore gamers have a soft spot for the DS at PAX
Recently, we provided hard evidence that to children, the DS is far, far greater than that other handheld. Now, dear readers, we're ready to offer incontrovertible truth that the same standard holds when one looks to the few, the proud, the hardcore gamers. They're everywhere in the photos from PAX -- the Nintendo DS is just insidious like that. But hey, when you're waiting around, what better way to pass the time?Another picture after the jump.
Joystiq's own Chris G. sweats it out at the PAX new media panel
Our own Christopher Grant filled in today for an arguably hotter, but sadly absent, Frag Doll in PAX's "new media" panel on blogging, podcasts and other fancy publishing formats on them there Internets. He sat down with Kotaku's Brian Crecente, Julianne Greer from The Escapist, and MC Wilson from the Broadcast Gamer podcast, while Major Nelson moderated, gracefully playing the role of "corporate shill" (we're just playin'). The Web 2.0 buzzwords flew, Google Ad-Words were firmly promoted, NDAs were promptly scoffed, and Chris and Brian managed to leave the stage without resorting to fisticuffs. (Sad, yes.) E3 was a hot topic of debate -- even Major Nelson called it a mystery for Microsoft -- and all the panelists were unsure about the methods of coverage that will be available to them next year. An audience member mentioned that the Consumer Electronics Association (producers of that little Vegas show known as CES) are considering filling the gap, as we mentioned earlier this month, but it was still clear that future gaming shows are quite the mystery other than this weekend's obvious hit: PAX. We hope you can forgive this bit of utter meta vanity -- we'll now return you to your regularly scheduled programming -- but first, Chris would like to thank his Mom and his insatiable hunger for brains for making all of this possible. Oh, and if you'd like to hear the full discussion, Major Nelson should be posting it as a podcast soon, in true new media fashion.
Nintendo's PAX booth tour
Just like Microsoft, Nintendo was a tad cramped in the PAX exhibition hall -- their full setup could've squeezed into a small corner of their Wii extravaganza at E3. But they're making the best of things with an all DS all the time booth, and quite a few new games on display such as Yoshi's Island 2 and Final Fantasy III. We can't deny we're a bit disappointed by the Wii's absence, and the resulting lines would've been fun to see as well, but it's not hard to see why Nintendo opted to keep their little mysterious console off the floor. Of course, with no plans by Nintendo to show the Wii at the Tokyo Games Show, we're starting to wonder if it'll show up in "public" at all before its still-undefined launch, but we suppose we'll see it when we see it.
Microsoft's PAX booth tour
Yeah, we're kicking it here with our Joystiq pals in beautiful Redmond, Washington for a weekend of rubbing shoulders with the game-nerd elite. PAX's 17,000+ attendees this year are bursting the Meydenbauer Center at the seams, which means exhibitors like Microsoft can't quite have their usual sprawl of a booth. Luckily, they're moving the show -- which is now the biggest games show in North America thanks to the demise of E3 -- to downtown Seattle at the Washington State Convention Center next year, so hopefully the claustrophobic among us will be able to manage a step through a booth in '07. Keep reading for pics of the setup, and start saving your pennies for next year's extravaganza.
PAX: Alex St. John's keynote of infamy
Alex St. John breaks Washington State laws by smoking onstageAlex St. John, the creator of Microsoft's DirectX API and founder of Wild Tangent, delivered a bizarre, and borderline unbelievable, PAX keynote yesterday. With equal parts alien spaceships, hostage negotiations, enormous 10' vaginas (courtesy of GWAR), Bill Gates embarrassing promotional video career and, of course, Microsoft's Julia Child's Wine Guide CD-ROM, I'd be doing a serious disservice to Mr. St. John if I attempted to encapsulate his performance.What a performance! The keynote began with St. John tossing out large balls (that later took on an infamy all their own), mini glow-in-the-dark frisbees, and ping pong balls before he began his sordid tale. St. John began playing with decaptitated moose heads in Alaska as a child and ended up being the creator of DirectX at Microsoft as they entered the increasingly lucrative video game space. Of course, this journey was wrought with crazy situations (see aforementioned 10' vagina) and a fair amount of trepidation on the entire software community's part (a Windows blue screen at a developer's event was met with chants of "DOS, DOS, DOS!"). Despite these difficulties, the successful launch of the DirectX-Box means that Alex St. John has left an indelible impression on the gaming industry.Here's our question: instead of doing keynotes and running software companies, why isn't this guy writing a tell-all book to prove that gaming has its own wild, rockstar tales?[Thanks to Philip Palermo for the classy pic]
Overheard at PAX: because "OmegaDethlord" sounds so formal
Overheard at PAX: "Hey... umm, uhh... What's up? Like, do I use your real name or your internet name?"
First Art of new Penny Arcade game: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness
We're sitting here in the "big theater" at Meydenbauer as the clock strikes 7 PM, signalling the end of an embargo on the teaser image shown here. Now, normally we're not ones to post teaser junk, but we'll cut the Penny Arcade boys some slack given that they're new to this whole game thing and we tend to always root for the underdog. One thing we won't let slide is that tagline. Is this like a new Leisure Suit Larry game or summat?
Penny Arcade pilgrims play blue ball game
While sitting outside the main hall of Meydenbauer waiting for the first live panel with Penny Arcade's Gabe and Tycho to begin, the crowd grew restless. Someone produced a blue ball. Someone else started a chant. The ball was crowned king. The ball was worshipped. The ball was bounced from the ground level to the first balcony, and a game was born: bounce the ball up, way up to the top of the atrium. It was all good until some nubcake bounced the ball too high, and it got lost. Boos rumbled through Meydenbauer, but you can't keep gamers down. Bean bags were quickly brought into the mix, and festivities resumed. There's a good vibe here at PAX, and this little emergent game demonstrates it better than any press release. This crowd came ready to play. [Update 1: Image credit to Miles from Tacoma. Thanks, Miles!]
Got any questions for the PAX panels?
Penny Arcade's resident bidness man, Robert Khoo, is asking the PA forum posters to think of stock questions to keep the Q&A panels going. Here's the list of events: Girls? Games? Hah! The Growing Role of Women in the Game Industry The Domination of Online Games Breaking into the Game Industry How the Industry is Busted and What's Being Done to Fix It. Make a Game For Under 10 Grand: Indy Games in the Hardcore Space I'm Getting Old: When Life Cuts Into Gaming Blogphotopodcasting: New Media in the Game Industry Rolling the Saving Throw: Why the Tabletop Genre Isn't Dead Go to the linked PA forum page and add your questions via the format "#. question" (e.g., 6. What's more important -- baby sitting or Geometry Wars?).
