The gaming convention circuit is coming to a close. It started with the Game Developers Conference (GDC) in San Francisco then moved to Boston, Mass. for PAX East. The next stop was Los Angeles for E3 and unless you leave the US for Gamescom, ChinaJoy or the Tokyo Game Show, PAX Prime in Seattle is the last stop for the year.
If you’ve been to any gaming convention, you’ll know what to expect – games, games and well, games. But there’s more including panels that talk about various aspects of the gaming industry with topics that range from How To Run a Successful Blog or The Struggles of Indie Development. Or maybe you’re going for the Pokemon Tournaments. Or maybe you’re a music fan and are planning to check out the available concerts.
While this may seem boring to some, it still comes back to the core of gaming. For the companies in attendance, it’s a great opportunity to showcase the progression of the game development throughout the year and unveil new features that haven’t been previously announced. Playing a game you saw at PAX East will have undergone further development by the time the same game is shown at PAX Prime because it’ll be closer to release and has undergone further development.
The holidays are the peak of the gaming season. For some companies it will start in August with a key release (have you bought you copy of Madden NFL 13 yet?) and quickly accelerate from September to November with the release of blockbuster franchise from Call of Duty, Assassin’s Creed or Halo.
A show like PAX Prime is always bittersweet. You will easily get swept up in the excitement of seeing the games you’ve been reading so much about and enjoy time spent with a dedicated, enthusiastic community. But because it’s usually the last show of the year, there is an unspoken sadness that comes with knowing you may not see these friendly faces until the cycle starts over again the following year.
But as I like to tell people, “Don’t fret, it’s what multiplayer is for.”
Be sure to check out pictures from the show on our Facebook page. If you see yourself, tag it!
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