I went to PAX in 2013 and 2014. I loved my experience the prior year - tons of free swag and I actually got to go from stand to stand with ease. I got a MOGA controller, Plants vs. Zombies plushies, high quality posters, cute keychains, lanyards, reusable bags, T-shirts, and way more! I got to participate in CS GO and Marvel vs. Capcom tournaments. And of course, I got to try out new games and play games on cool PCs and the NVIDIA Shield (it was cool at the time.. er there is currently a recall in case you were unaware).
Unfortunately, I cannot say I had a good experience the latter year. Holy crap, the amount of people... There were so many more cosplayers. While that is to the delight of some folks, there were so many of them. People kept stopping to take pictures/selfies with them, so they blocked the paths. As a result of this increased capacity, the lines were capped! There was masking tape to create lines to avoid clusterf***s of people (*cough* the LoL exhibit - I am a DoTa person)... Hungry to try Oculus VR, I hovered like a creep to wait for an opening. I got scolded at over and over for standing aoound, but I did not give up. I probably had to shove someone to get in line, but I made the cut after many failed attempts. For a two to three minute demo of Couch Knights, I had to wait thirty to forty minutes. Worth it? Surprisingly, yes... But that was one of the few exhibits worth such a long wait. I waited an hour to try out Wolfenstein at Bethesda. Being a PC person, I waited one hour to struggle to use the XBOX controller to aim without a Logitech or Razer mouse. At least I made the crowd laugh? Everyone was watching me die over and over until I rage quit. The most disappointing part of my experience that year had to be the fact that I could not even get in line to see what Blizzard had to offer. I freaking circled the area at least ten times, no joke. I COULD NOT get in line even though I was there from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. The amount of free stuff was SO disappointing. I either had to fill out of a survey or go through some stupid tour (which required a thirty minute to one hour+ wait). And for what? A freaking lanyard. I think I got fifty lanyards this year, and some XXXXXL shirts that are designed for Jabba the Hutt. Alright, you get the point. PAX is just far too crowded now. I did not go in 2015 due to some bad planning, but I heard first-hand experiences from friends and it certainly seemed to be disappointing. Look, a lot of people want to go to PAX and I know the managers want to fulfill as many of those needs as possible, but the overcrowded WTC makes it a mediocre experience for all PAx-goers!
Advice for noobs, be prepared by bringing pitch forks, charged portable phone chargers, and food! The food there is SO overpriced. An italian sausage with a soda and bag for chips is nearly $15... You are allowed to go in with a backpack and purse (though you have to lug them around with you all day), but it is worth saving money! Wear your lightest running shoes because you will need to RUN to get in those capped lines. read more