The first PAX Unplugged convention is over. The exhibitors have gone home, the doors have shut, and the last guests have gone back to their normal lives. How was it? That's the big question a lot of people are asking. With so many game conventions out there dedicated to board games already, how did Penny Arcade handle adding their hat to the ring?
For a lot of people, including myself, this was the very first board game convention they had been to. It was their first exposure to having rows and rows and rows of people sitting down with strangers to play games together; with many events like GenCon feeling a world away, or a convention like Essen in Germany an impossibility for most, having a convention on the east coast like this was a breath of fresh air. For many who were fans of previous PAX conventions, this was a way to try something new. It's no small secret to the people here that Eric has found their new favorite event to go to every year, the more laid back atmosphere agreeing with what he likes.
There were many people who were veterans of the board game community there as well, all with their own opinions and thoughts. Some thought the lay out could use some work; others were not sure if they should have just demoed games, or brought more stacks to sell. This was an experiment, blending groups of the gaming community together in ways they hadn't been before...and from where we stand, the experiment was very successful.
Recorded right after we got back from the convention, myself and Eric quickly took time to blurt out the first things that came to mind about this event, whether it was having a great time trying a megagame with Ironmark Games, trying out games that haven't been released yet like Dice Forge, or just taking time getting to know all the wonderful game designers and developers that were there. PAX Unplugged was a fantastic time for us, and we hope that as you listen to us trying to keep our voices during this episode, you get that impression too.
