Was your July Busy? We're just warming up!
After preparing 5 demos of our latest games for Adelaide’s AVCon and having a crazy but fantastic AVCon weekend, Mighty Kingdom’s director Philip Mayes and Senior Artist Rhys, went off to PAX Aus the very next weekend.
Talk about busy! Phil and Rhys had a great time at PAX, here’s what Phil had to say about his weekend.
// begin phil mode
After being an exhibitor at AVCon it was great to just be an attendee at PAX and be able to walk the show floor. It seemed that every second person I saw was an old colleague, potential partner or another developer that I really respected. I spent a lot of the weekend talking, and spent maybe just as long standing in queues!
This was the first PAX event run outside of the US, and there were a few teething problems. On the first morning the queue to get in stretched so far I ended up standing in a carpark in the next suburb. The miserable and cold Melbourne weather didn’t really help matters either! That said, I got to see some great panels, including ones on innovation in games, how to grow an Indie Developer business, and my personal favourite, Pitch Your Game Idea. In fact, if you look closely in this video you will see me in the front row!
If you forgot what Phil looks like, that’s him on the left, with Rhys on the right and Ron Gilbert in the middle…. yes THE Ron Gilbert!!
Perhaps the highlight of the whole weekend was going to the Double Fine BBQ and getting to hang out with Ron Gilbert (creator of Monkey Island and so much more) and talk about eating all the indigenous animals of Australia. Well, okay, maybe not all of them!
No indigenous animals were harmed in the making of this food.
Despite the miserable weather and long lines, everyone was incredibly polite, especially the PAX Enforcers, who seemed to be woefully underdressed for the weather. I also felt sorry for the cosplayers who wore skimpy or tight outfits. At least I was able to layer up to beat the cold.
The warmest place at PAX was the Big Top, where people were crowded around the space heaters near the entrances. The place was filled with games to play, from retro games, to board games, to modern consoles. The retro gaming section really took me back to my childhood. I would like to say that was because these consoles took a long time to make it to NZ, but the sad reality is that I am just getting old!
PAX was a great experience and I would wholeheartedly recommend everyone to attend next year. Just remember to pack a warm scarf and umbrella!
// end phil mode
This was actually Rhys’ second PAX conference. He had previously attended PAX East in Boston when he was travelling in the US. So what did Rhys think of PAX Australia?
// begin rhys mode
It was cool.
// end rhys mode
Thanks Rhys!
Now you know a bit about Mighty Kingdom’s experience at PAX, will you go to the next one? Did you go this year or have you been previously? Tell us about your experience in the comments below or drop us a line on our Facebook and Twitter!
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