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PAX: Big E3 Won't "Steal Our Thunder"

Kris Graft's picture

By Kris Graft

October 23, 2008

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"Just yesterday we accidentally left some of our thunder in our pants and then they went into the washing machine and the thunder got ruined. It wasn't a big deal to us, though, because we have plenty more thunder."

After the arena rock glam version of E3 died in 2006, other prominent gaming events were able to gain even more notoriety amongst gamers and the industry.

One of those events, Seattle's annual consumer-focused Penny Arcade Expo, or PAX, has seen tremendous growth since it launched in 2004. PAX 2008, held in August, hit record high attendance of over 58,000.

PAX 2004 drew a crowd of 3,300.

But with the big industry-centric E3 back on the table, Edge asked Penny Arcade's Mike "Gabe" Krahulik (left) if the Entertainment Software Association's monster would "steal some of PAX's thunder" next year.

"I ... can't imagine it stealing any of our thunder," said Krahulik. "We have a ridiculous amount of thunder and honestly if they were to steal some of it we probably wouldn't even notice."

He elaborated further: "Just yesterday we accidentally left some of our thunder in our pants and then they went into the washing machine and the thunder got ruined. It wasn't a big deal to us, though, because we have plenty more thunder."

In less thunderous terms, he replied, "I don't see it having any effect on PAX, no. E3 has always been and looks like it will continue to be about the industry. PAX is about the community around games as much as it's about the games themselves."

While rumors had suggested the renewed E3 2009 would be open to the public, the ESA shot down speculation, with president Mike Gallagher telling us, "E3 has never been a consumer show. We're not competing with PAX or Comic-Con."

The most ironic part about the E3 announcement is that it could potentially become the big noisy mess that led publishers to neuter the event two years ago. Gallagher has assured that it'd be a much "smarter"-run show than in E3's most bloated years.

It leads to the question of whether or not publishers really know what they want out of a games event.

"I'm sure they know what they want they just don't know how to get it," Krahulik said. "I assume what they want is publicity for their games and a chance to get the word out about what they're working on. I just think they're coming at it from the wrong angle."

So will Penny Arcade's "Gabe" and "Tycho" (a.k.a. Jerry Holkins, right) be making it out to the new E3?

Krahulik responded, "No I don't think so. We've been to E3 and I feel like we know what it's about. I think it's worth seeing once. I mean, it really is a spectacle, but ask any gamer who has been and they'll tell you that E3 is a terrible place to play games."

Digital-Hero's picture
On October 23rd Digital-Hero said:

PAX doesn't appear to be much better than E3. It gets more crowded every year and the swag count is becoming less and less. The cycle is repeating just in another place with a different name. I'm for different publishers holding their own events throughout the year.

Fireballof3's picture
On October 24th Fireballof3 said:

Does the amount of swag you recieve at an event actually relate in any tangible way to the quality of the event? Having worked many events over the years (GenCon, ComicCon and a variety of trade and consumer shows), as a presenter I'm always much more interested in dealing with the folks who are there to interact with me and my games, not just asking for what free stuff I might be handing out.

John Petersen's picture
On October 23rd John Petersen said:

Y'know, I threw some idea's out to'em (another E3 article) about things I thought was a good idea, but they didn't really take a liking to them much. So I'll throw'em out to you and maybe, just maybe, y'all get the drift, and I'm being serious.

I say set it up like a sporting event/concert, hold contests and all that.

Gamestock
Gamespalooza

Get ya some Bloggers (roadies) and some Clans (Groupies) and some Redbull (-----) and hit the road.

Or you could set it up like the Fair circuit.

It doesn't all have to be electronic, I love pitching dimes into a little circle to try to win a prize for my lovely. I like the big slide, and the haunted house and the virtual reality games, all that stuff... It's in a fun and relaxed atmospshere.

It just seems to me that the old world mixed with the new technology would work... It would have this aura to it. The smell of popcorn, cotton candy, elephant ears, roasted candied walnuts and pecans and all the good junk food and HDTV screens and projectors, higher tech rides and the heckler in the dunking cage... I'm ready, "Have controller and mouse and rubber suit and willing to travel".

It really is about the games and the gamers in the end, but developers and publishers are welcome.

A few years ago, the South Florida Fair had over 6 million visitors in less than a month... I think it's a great opportunity on many fronts.

I would invest in it.

NickgamertagO1's picture
On October 23rd NickgamertagO1 said:

John,

No one is, and I'm putting this nicely, asking for your ideas. Its great you're giving them as offering opinions are great. I think the admin just asked you to watch the AMOUNT of posts you were putting up. There were about four 1-2 sentence posts that you could (as you did in this one) have put together into one post. He wasn't saying your ideas were bad, he was just asking you to not spam, regardless of intention.

John Petersen's picture
On October 23rd John Petersen said:

Oh, is that what that was...
That's just how my brain operates, I get one notion one second, then another notion another second and it just keeps on going... That's what goes on inside the head of this gamer.

Idea's are idea's to me, it doesn't matter how I get'em just so long as I get'em. I have to write'em down real fast or I'll forget'em. And sometimes it's one after the other, after i've already hit the "Post comment" button.... Alot of editing too, I do alot of editing. (Sort of like having a conversation with myself)

But I still really like the "Fair" idea's. Lot's of thunder there.

It's all about the idea's... No idea's, no growth.

And I don't mind being pulled on the carpet, if people don't like my idea's, I'm ok with that. I've gotten alot of pink slips.

It's great to be free...And a little Alienschizo