PAX Aus 2017 – speedy review
February 16, 2018 by Athena Thompson
So last Friday my boss took the whole team to PAX Australia…not many people are as lucky as I to get to say their boss let them play games all day. For those of you who don’t know what it is, its an annual event celebrating celebrating video and tabletop gaming and culture ,open to industry and the public. It is sandwiched in Melbourne International Games Week 2017.
Why did we go?
Well, there is an inclusive, vivacious and innovative indie game industry burgeoning in Victoria and quite a few are TechLever’s clients. Since they were showcasing their games, we thought it most reasonable to see how they played out.
Mike & Ben taking work very seriously
What did we think?
Seeing that we have been the previous years and found that it previously a little over stimulating, we had limited ourselves to a 1 day pass for Friday. Seemed busier then past years if you were basing it on the size of the crowd in the main hall, however it seemed that they hadn’t spread themselves out across the entire convention centre.
The indie section was well spaced, and allowed you the room to play without having your back sandwiched with other players.
The Aussies are becoming more sleek with their marketing, upping the notch with well thought out and designed stands decked with merchandise ranging from records, sun glasses, plush toys and pinnys.
Sadly we missed the VR section due to lengthy lines. Our lesson for next year is to check in early and reserve a time slot.
Quick thanks to Dan @ Dime Studios for our Shark Pin, to Stu @ Loveshack for our new sunglasses (PS. loving Framed 2), and to the 1-2 combo of Mighty Games & Hipster Whale for the new plushy purple penguin.
Team’s favorite games of the day
Athena’s (mine) was The Gardens Between. It is beautifully illustrated, instinctive, puzzling, interesting and accessible challenge.
Mike’s was the Heist, “I enjoyed the music (Smoky jazz sax) and dark visual aesthetic of heist, creating a noir atmosphere for the cat-burglar game.”
Ben’s thumbs-up went to Swinburne’s Game Lab, “I always enjoy speaking with undergrad students from Swinburne’s Games Lab and seeing what they are working on and their plans for the future.”
If you missed PAX, not to worry, you can find many of these developers in the aptly named Arcade Melbourne.