PAX Prime 2013 – top 5 things I’m looking forward to

Tomorrow is the start of my favorite weekend of the year: PAX Prime. For the last several years, I have been attending PAX here in Seattle and will probably continue doing so until tickets finally sell out too quickly for me to get them. The rate at which fans of the show rabidly snatch up these highly sought after badges is a testament to the growing role of video games in modern society. Sure, it’s not all about video games and Jon is obviously looking forward to the table top stuff, but I’m in it mostly for the soothing electric glow of my monitor. I, like many, look to PAX with the kind of anticipation often associated with children on Christmas morning. It’s hard to sleep beforehand and it’s hard to think of anything else for days (closer to weeks) before the event. So with PAX Prime 2013 starting tomorrow, I’d like to share the top 5 things that I’m looking forward to this year.

5. Next Gen consoles

While I’m sure this tops the list of many PAX bound gamers, I’m only pretty excited about the consoles. I’m primarily a PC gamer, but consoles are always a fun break from time to time. Besides, after E3 and the weeks of complaints about one console or the other, I’m interested in finding out if there’s really that much difference between the Xbox One and the PS4 anymore. I’m probably not going to buy either one when they’re released (mostly because I didn’t pre-order, so that’s how that goes), but getting a feel for them might help inform future buying decision. Besides, new hardware is cool, right?

4. XCOM: Enemy Within

2K Games officially announced XCOM: Enemy Within about a week ago and unveiled it at gamescom in Germany. I loved playing Enemy Unknown! I’ll be more than happy to run back through XCOM with a whole new set of added powers (through genetic and cybernetic modification), maps, enemies, and story. This is probably going to end up being one of the first things you hear out of me once the convention starts.

3. The indie megabooth

Yep, I’m putting the whole megabooth in the #3 spot. All the indie games! Frankly, it’s hard to pick any single title out of the lineup there, but I’m sure I can pick out a couple for your entertainment. Always Sometimes Monsters is the kind of story driven game that really gets my attention; down on your luck and no good choices to make. Contrast looks like an innovative take on one of my favorite genres: platformers. Solving puzzles by switching between solid and shadow form is really darn appealing. And then there’s another 80 or so titles that are worth checking out, but I’m not about to list individually here.

2. The Gearbox panel

Holy smokes, these guys are fun. It’s true that they also gave away a free pre-order copy of Borderlands 2 to everyone in attendance at their 2011 panel and then a free season pass to everyone attending their 2012 panel. So of course there are going to be people trying to get in hoping for some kind of free game this year as well. BUT the crew from Gearbox are genuinely funny and have great chemistry on stage. In addition, their panel has been moved to the main theater over at the Paramount this year, so hopefully seating over 2000 people will let most of us in this year. Besides, they have a reputation for handing out pizza as well and I’m a sucker for free grub. The Inside Gearbox Software will be Monday at 2:30, so plan to be there early if you want to go.

1. Oculus Rift

Duh! Come on, I haven’t tried out any kind of significant in-home 3D gaming gear since the Virtual Boy. I have been seeing this thing hyped all over the place, but I’m a little scarred by previous VR experiences, so getting a chance to try out this hardware is at the top of my list. Pair that with the Omni being demoed up on the 6th floor and you’ve got a serious nerd magnet that I cannot resist. Yes, I want to go for a morning jog through Skyrim! Immerse me in a video game world that I may never want to leave. Player one is ready.

So that’s it for my top 5. I’m well aware that the LOL and Halo competitions don’t appear on here as well as any official Penny Arcade panels. They really have nothing to do with why I go to PAX. I love being around that giant community of gaming, cosplay, and overall geekery. Most of all, I love getting out and checking out new games, chatting with devs, and sharing it all with my friends. I really wish that we could have given away more badges this year because it sucks that gamers who want to go are stuck on the outside. We’ll do our best to overload our RSS with updates from the floor and get you guys as much coverage as one small group can do.