As I write this, I am waiting for the Video Game Orchestra to begin their set at Saturday night's concert – yes, this blog is as live as it gets, since I'm sitting on the theatre floor with my laptop out. The in-between set playlist included DJ Party Ben's “Galvanize the Empire,” a mash-up that any Star Wars fan would almost certainly enjoy, so props to the sound guys for seeing to it that the wait is no chore. I can't wait to end my day with rocking out and flip-camming this concert (files will be delivered to you lucky Laser Orgiasts in short order) -- but first, a re-cap!
My day began at Kotaku and Croal: In Search of the Best Games Ever. My attempts to record the panel were waylayed by extensive audience participation and rowdiness – and sadly, I think this was a panel that would be better experienced in person, shouting along with gusto. Stephen Totilo and N'Gai Croal presented a game that they had invented to determine the ten best games of all time (yes, a game to talk about games -- the joke was not lost on them). They began with the top ten games according to gamerankings.com, and then asked several industry experts to help tweak the list. In the latter third of the panel, the audience began to participate, and all hell broke loose – it was, in short, a Nerd Fight. No battle came to blows, but there was a lot of spirited yelling. The panel did not appear to actually determine the ten best games of all time, but it certainly invited boisterous debate.
Meanwhile, my co-Laser Orgy writer Shaula Clark waited in line and recorded Penny Arcade's Make-A-Strip event in the Main Theatre, and we'll be getting that flipcam footage to you soon … maybe even before the strip that they created for Monday goes up! OK, never mind, I shouldn't make a promise that I can't keep.
That afternoon, I recorded the PAX Musical Guests panel, which included MC Frontalot, the Protomen, Anamanaguchi, Metroid Metal, a member of the Video Game Orchestra, Paul and Storm, and Jonathan Coulton (the last three of which will be performing in this very theatre, for me, tonight!). MC Frontalot made a Lost reference, so I'm hoping we can convince him to join Laser Orgy's Lost live-chat. I can't promise he'll agree, but I can promise that the recording of this panel came out excellently, so be on the look-out for the lilting voices of these nerdcore artists. The panel includes advice about how to break into the industry, the recording programs they prefer, how to use 8bit and midi effects, and plenty of miscellaneous music-nerd jokes.
I spent the rest of the day (until this concert) wandering the con, including the presentations in the Expo Center, plus a bunch of excellent people-watching. I noticed:
1.) The Gears of War cosplayer pictured at the top of this post
2.) A shirt that said "If this T-Shirt doesn't smell, I'm not gaming hard enough"
3.) An abundance of Pokemon pedometers
4.) More opportunities to win free laptops and other swag than I ever would have expected
5.) Not noticed by me, but: the Overheard at PAX East thread.
I didn't spend as much time with the new game demos as I would have liked, though I had a good time watching others fall down painfully in Skate 3, use the "shanks" button in Shank, and kick it old-school at the multiple booths offering Counter-Strike matches. The entire room was so packed that it was hard to play the games I wanted to get at most, and anyone with the slightest ounce of claustrophobia would've had a long string of panic attacks in there. However, I hope to brave the beast again tomorrow and hit up the Nintendo booth. Wish me luck!
For now? I'm gonna go enjoy the Saturday night concert, thanks! Wish you all were here ... and I think some of you are.
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