PAX is ... interesting.

It's 6:45 AM, and I've been woken up by my dog twice this morning. Apaprently the upstairs neighbors just haven't learned to keep their dog out of our yard, something to which Casey is finely attuned.

PAX has been an interesting experience. The first year, PAX was small enough (though larger than was expected) that many of the little hiccups that happen at a show like this went unnoticed by most of the crowd. I missed last year due to a scheduling conflict, but this year's PAX has taken a really interesting turn, and is starting to show some of the growing pains.

First, the show is being recognized by many as the "E3 for the rest of us", but it's most definitely not. First, it'll never replace E3, but the fact that this show is geared more towards the gamer than the other people in the industry makes it very different. Sometimes I have to keep reminding myself that things are the way they are because of the intended audience. Unfortunately, that means that the games that are available on display might not be all that impressive or inspiring, and that's certainly the feeling I'm coming away with. Second, the stars of the show aren't the games, but the animated hosts who are treated like royalty everywhere they go. The organizers knew all of this ahead of time, of course, specifically using terms like "gaming festival" and "celebration of gaming" to describe the event.

Nintendo was on hand with roughly 10 Nintendo DS titles, but no Wii. Want your first indication that this isn't E3, there you go. Nintendo really missed an opportunity to put their console right into their core fanbase (there were roughly 20 DS's to every one PSP in the crowd). At the same time, I recognize that if the Wii had been there, the Exhibition Hall would have been absolutely unbearable. Still, while the Nintendo DS had massive representation at the show, the DS area was no where near as busy as the section for America's Army (which had a training simulator on display), or RedOctane's single display for Guitar Hero II. Which rocks. Neither line was as large as the line to see a Penny Arcade strip being made, or the line to get into the concerts (nerdcore rap with MC Frontalot, video game themes done rock style by The Minibosses, and the game-themed raps of Optimus Rhyme). I will say this, though ... Elite Beat Agents is every bit as good as the internet buzz led me to believe.

Ubisoft had the largest space, complete with a giant projection screen and small lounge area, but when the most exciting thing that happens in their booth is the Guitar Hero throwdown with the Fragdolls after hours, it illustrates the problem nicely. Yes, it's fun to get your hands on pre-release games, but for the most part, the games we all wanted to get our hands on weren't there. This was exacerbated by one of the sessions in which Ubisoft showed off the new Splinter Cell, as well as Dark Messiah of Might and Magic. Apparently not realizing that PR speak doesn't work on gamers like it does on "journalists", the non-answers given to the fans on questions as simple as, "Will we ever see a real Might and Magic XI?" (the answer was a wishy-washy statement about rebranding and amounted to a "No") went over just about as well as you'd expect. They don't pull any punches, either, with one person blurting out, "Well, you really can't tell us much of anything, can you?"

This is the problem with PAX, if there is one ... media and others in the industry are far more tolerant towards unfinished games and PR non-answers than the average gamer. If you're going to bring something to the table, it had better be ready for intense scrutiny. Companies used to showing off titles at E3 or GDC are going to have to learn to both tighten up the titles being shown, as well as be ready to give us the answers to questions you know are coming.

By far, the MMO (massively multiplayer online) genre was over-represented at PAX, and while several of them looked very good (most notably a game called Fury, which is apparently PvP (player verus player, as opposed to player versus environment) only, but has amazing special effects), I just can't be bothered to care. I've lost enough of my life to World of Warcraft, and now that I've managed to get that monkey off my back, I'm not interested in jumping back in there. Besides, if I'm not spending my gaming time earning Achievements, I feel like it's time wasted. Microsoft really has me by the balls there. Besides, you really don't have the time to delve into an MMO on the floor of a show the way you can with more "pick up and play" style games.

Speaking of Microsoft, they've been a strong supporter of PAX since the beginning, and this year was no different. They had a strong selection of Xbox Live Arcade titles, as well an impossibly difficult Splinter Cell: Double Agent demo, Saint's Row, Enchanted Arms, Madden '07, and Moto GP (as well as some "Games for Windows" titles). Interestingly enough, Enchanted Arms is getting a universal "Meh" from the assembled gamers, a crowd that should really be eating up a title like that. Of course, the one thing I really wanted to see was more information on Xbox Live Anywhere, even if just on video. Again, very much a missed opportunity. I did get to meet Trixie finally, and brought her an air freshening device to help fend off the overwhelming "Gameroma" that is permeating the show.

The panels have been great, as usual, but unfortunately, the panels have been very much the same as the first PAX I attended, with a few small additions. It's fun watching Mike and Jerry (Gabe and Tycho) do their thing and soak up the adulation of their fans, but I've seen them do this before, and while always entertaining, I'm looking for new things to do. It seems like a lot of others are, too. Again, new panels and discussions are something I think PAX is more than ready for, but they're held back by the size of the venue, forcing them to do only the most popular discussions. Scheduling is making the problem tough for those of us who want to see major tournaments like the "Omegathon", as well as attend some of the discussions.

Next year, PAX is moving from the small Meydenbauer Center in Bellevue to the big time ... the Washington State Convention Center. With the corpse of E3 not even cold yet, I expect that PAX will expand rapidly to fill it's new container, as publishers and developers look for new ways to reach consumers outside of that usual mid-May timeframe. More exciting is that there will be two new consoles on the market by the time that happens, and hopefully the realization will sink in that PAX is an opportunity to really interact with the most passionate fans in the most direct way possible. What will be interesting is to see how the rest of the game industry handles that opportunity and the inherent issues where even the biggest console game will be outshined by the vibrant personalities of their two "rock star" hosts.

Today is the last day, and I'm looking forward to meeting Major Nelson during the panel on blogs and podcasting (community building), and of course, the final round of the epic "Omegathon", which is always entertaining. The final game in the tournament is always a closely guarded secret, but with the ultimate gamer chariot at stake, the energy in the theater will be absolutely unbridled. I'd never heard as much raw energy as was unleashed during the finals the first year over a game of Pong.

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