Do you have a passion for gaming? Have you ever wished to attend an event exclusively for video games? If yes, then PAX is where you need to be, since it is the ultimate destination for gamers where thousands line up to partake in many exciting activities including arcade gaming and tabletop gaming. This spectacle offers great fun for everyone and features a tournament called Omegathon where a group of attendees compete against each other for a grand prize. Some of the games selected for the final round of Omegathon includes, Halo 3, Tetris, Skee-ball and Pong.
PAX is an annual affair which takes place in San Antonio, Texas (PAX South), Melbourne, Victoria (PAX Australia), Seattle, Washington (PAX West) and Boston, Massachusetts (PAX East). The show is now returning to Boston in 2018 with more surprises, so grab your PAX East tickets and experience this one of a kind event live in person.
The History of PAX
PAX was introduced as the Penny Arcade Expo by two avid gamers, Mike Krahulik and Jerry Holkins. The show was held for the first time in 2004 at the Meydenbauer Center in Bellevue, Washington, where it ran for two days and attracted approximately 3,300 people. PAX later took place at the same venue for the next couple of years and slowly, it started to generate buzz in the gaming community.
Judging by its growing popularity, the creators of PAX decided to move the show to the Washington State Convention and Trade Center in 2007 which was twice the size of the event’s previous venue. Each year, more people began to attend the spectacle which led the duo thinking of hosting their show outside of Washington.
The Dawn of PAX East
In 2008, Mike Krahulik and Jerry Holkins announced that PAX will be held in Boston. In February of 2010, the lineup for the panel discussions and exhibitors were revealed and after a couple of months, the event took place at the John B. Hynes Veterans Memorial Convention Center. The event turned out to be a big success and was attended by more than fifty thousand spectators.
That year, PAX was highlighted by the musical performances by, MC Frontalot, Anamanaguchi, Jonathan Coulton, Metroid Metal, the Video Game Orchestra and The Protomen. In addition, the event also included a keynote speech by an American writer, blogger and actor, Wil Wheaton. Since that show, it was unveiled that the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center (BCEC) will host the future PAX East conventions.
What to Expect From PAX
Over the years PAX has evolved into one of the biggest video gaming conventions in the world. So, what makes it so special? Well, have a look at some of its features.
Exhibit Hall – At the Exhibit Hall, where different AAA publishers and talented developers of video games can be found at their stalls, you can not only interact but also have your photograph taken with them.
Musical Performances – The event also includes musical performances. So far, many stars have performed live at the event including, The Doubleclicks, Bit Brigade, Those Who Fight, Sam Hart, the Video Game Music Choir and Paul and Storm.
Tournaments – To make PAX fun, a number of gaming tournaments are held where players compete against one another in different games from all genres and platforms.
Pin Trading – The show features Pinny Arcade where you can collect as well as trade pins with PAX’s staff members, attendees and Enforcers.
PAX Arena – At the PAX Arena you will get to watch some of the best gamers from different parts of the world competing for your amusement.
Handheld Lounge – PAX includes an area called, Handheld Lounge where you can relax and take a break by sitting on the bean bags and chairs. You can also entertain yourself by playing different handheld games there.
PAX East Indie Showcase – The event consists of a dedicated area for indie games where you can find out all the necessary information regarding the latest or upcoming titles.
PC Area – PAX features a PC Area where you can use computers to play your favorite games. Plus, you are also allowed to bring your own personal computer to the show.
Tabletop Freeplay – Apart from video gaming, you can also play tabletop games with your family, friends or attendees as there are hundreds of tables available at PAX for this purpose.
VR Freeplay – If you are a fan of virtual reality then get excited because at PAX, you will be able to enjoy different VR games.
PAX East: In the Past
There have been many memorable moments in PAX East’s history. One of them is when the Blizzard Entertainment revealed their latest game, ‘Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft’ at the 2013 edition of PAX. During the same event, the players got to try out the console version of Diablo III for the first time.
PAX East Tickets 2017
The 2017 edition of PAX East turned out to be extremely successful. Gaming fans from around the globe rushed to get their PAX East Tickets 2017 and attended the event where they got to play different games including, Mortal Kombat XL, Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 and Minecraft. In addition, they got to meet and greet famous gamers like LordMinion777, Jpw03, Garuku Bluemoon and PatrckStatic.
PAX East 2018
The PAX East’s schedule for 2018 is now out. Scheduled to be held at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center from April 5 to April 8, 2018, the event is currently registering attendees. If you want to see some of the best gamers in the world exhibit their mindboggling skills then don’t miss out on the greatest gaming convention this year and grab your tickets here today.
