KIDDER's take on PAX EAST

As a late 30's first-time attendee of one gaming's largest gatherings, I'm not sure I knew what I was getting into. I knew there would cosplay, table-top gaming, MTG, and, of course, lots and lots of video/PC games, but I had very few other preconceptions. I wanted a "these are my PEOPLE!" type of moment, a feeling of deep kinship and camaraderie that only comes from long-held beliefs and shared interests. I was not disappointed, but the moment didn't happen at PAX proper, it happened during a meal out a Mexican restaurant. Sitting around a table full of people who all knew, in intimate the details, the story line of GRRM's "Song of Ice and Fire" and could talk knowledgeably about the differences between the novels and the excellent HBO show. These were my people and I felt like I had stumbled into a little piece of nerd heaven.

What I encountered at PAX proper was a wonderland of bright lights, interesting outfits, and long lines. It felt part suburban travelling carnival, part Disneyland over-the-top polish. In my excitement to be part of my first gaming event, I bought a three-day pass and booked a hotel for the duration. I didn't end up going back for the third day and I was probably PAX'ed out after half the first day. This isn't to say that I was bored or regretted a moment of the experience, more that I'd had my fill and knew it was time to move on.

Paradoxically, my most salient memory of my PAX weekend had nothing to do PAX at all. On our last night in Boston, our gaming group went out for dinner and drinks. That night culminated in memory gaps, near brawls, and plenty of poor attempts to hit on moderately attractive women. It was epic in every sense of the word and a reminder that events like PAX might be more properly thought of as excuses to let loose with friends in a safe environment. Also, fun happens.

I didn't actually play any of the really big games at PAX - things like Borderlands 2, Max Payne 3, League of Legends...the lines for those booths exhibitions were too long. I hate lines and waiting. I'm an impatient person (years of gaming did this to me!). For the most part I know that I will eventually own each of those games. They will sit on my gaming shelf collecting dust, part of  my growing queue of games to play. Games that will patiently wait for me to find the time and energy to enjoyably plow through them.

The three games I did play, War of the Roses (I have a fancy red tabard!), Shoot Many Robots!, and World of Tanks, were all great fun and left me wanting more. I bought Shoot Many Robots! as soon as I was home and have enjoyed many nights of side-scrolling shooter goodness since.

One the biggest surprises of the weekend came to me while waiting for our group to gather, standing around near the entrance to PAX. I witnessed countless fake weapons, backpacks, food, etc..going in and out of PAX without so much a question to their legitimacy, never-mind a proper search. Something about this felt unusual, but also exhilarating. Here was a community of people that is often demonized in the mainstream press (see here, here, or here) operating in very large numbers with minimal security and no incidents. You could bring your own food and water, you can't bring your own water to Fenway because then concession couldn't sell you a $5 bottle water. With no one searching backpacks, people with giant knives, swords, guns, and hammers -- all just walked around as if this were completely normal. You know what? It should be, but it isn't, and this is what struck me. Most events we attend have become exercises in paranoia and exploitation.  The contrast at PAX was amazing. Here, people who are often considered semi-sane loners (so wrong BTW, everyone in PAX traveled in packs), could attend an event where first-person shooters are a 'thing' and no security was necessary.