Still working on getting stuff up for JengaJam! If you're at all interested in Halo Reach, you should join us Tuesday at 10:30 Eastern as we play some Reach for the show. You might even get to play with us!
Also, here's our brief talk with Valve's Erik Wolpaw about the upcoming Portal 2!
Showing posts with label pax. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pax. Show all posts
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Random Thoughts #10
- Scott Pilgrim vs. The World premiered this weekend, and promptly got STALLOW3D!1 (thanks Davey!) Why did this happen, when SPvTW was clearly the better pic? Despite the marketing machine that was churning up to the release, I think that movie-goers as a whole didn't quite know what they might get with Scott Pilgrim. Both The Expendables and Eat, Pray, Love make it very clear what kind of movie you're in for, mediocre as they may be. Hopefully, as word-of-mouth spreads, the returns for Scott Pilgrim will improve. I for one plan to take my friends out to see it next weekend, and hopefully you will too.
- PAX is quickly approaching. The schedule is out and I'm looking forward to covering the event for Late Nite JengaJam along with my partner in crime, Lauren AKA OboeCrazy. Along with covering the event as nearly legitimate media, I'll also be cosplaying for the first time at a convention. To say I'm a little nervous would be an understatement, but I'm fully committed to this and am looking forward to the experience. I'll be going as the Demoman from Team Fortress 2, and I'll be wielding his ubiquitous scrumpy bottle as well as the newer Eyelander. I won't be alone as several of my friends are also joining me as an Engineer, Heavy, Medic, and Pyro. Stay tuned for more updates!
- That's all for now. Hopefully I'll have something more substantial for Friday.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Late Nite JengaJam Live @ PAX East: SurfaceScapes & Blawndee
Hey guys! Just thought I'd let you in on some new clips from our PAX East Edition of Late Nite JengaJam! First up, we have our chat with the SurfaceScapes team from Carnegie Mellon concerning their work with bringing Dungeons & Dragons to a Microsoft Surface...
Next up, we have a conversation with the always awesome Barbara AKA Blawndee! Watch as she shares her experience working the Rooster Teeth booth at one of the biggest cons of the year!
Also tonight on Late Night JengaJam, we interview Venture Brothers and Dr. McNinja colorist Carly Monardo! 10:30pm Eastern, right after Lost!
Next up, we have a conversation with the always awesome Barbara AKA Blawndee! Watch as she shares her experience working the Rooster Teeth booth at one of the biggest cons of the year!
Also tonight on Late Night JengaJam, we interview Venture Brothers and Dr. McNinja colorist Carly Monardo! 10:30pm Eastern, right after Lost!
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Post-PAX Post - Sunday, March 28th
After the epic Live Late Nite JengaJam, we stayed for a while to hang out in the lobby of the Sheraton Boston. There was an after-party atmosphere that was extremely cool to be a part of, as we continued to visit with old friends and get to know some new people as well. The night was well-spent, and afterward we broke down our make-shift studio and headed back to our hotel.
Our night wasn't quite finished. See, we'd been playing around on ChatRoulette a couple of nights before, and now that we had the stunning Barbara with us, we couldn't resist trying again. Our little prank was simple. Barbara would be the only one of us visible on the camera, and the rest of us would be out of frame. Barb would chat the unwitting mark up, and then would ask if they would like to see some boobs. Now, even though Barb would imply that it was her boobs that would be seen, this was obviously not going to be the case. Barb would then ask the mark if they were ready, count down, reach for the bottom of her shirt, and then...
John would pop out with his shirt up. The rest of us, including our cameraman Joe, would pop into frame and surprise the victim. Surprisingly, all of the guys that we did this to were very good-natured about it. It made the whole thing very fun and worthwhile. After repeating this about a dozen or so times, we called it a night.
The next day was somber. Don't get me wrong, it was still fun and all that, but it had an air of creeping finality to it that was kind of sad. We didn't get to the convention center until much later than we had originally intended, and once there I skipped all of the panels that I'd planned on going to. I figured the best use of my time was to hang out with my friends as much as I could. That said, I did spend some time waiting in line for the Closing Ceremonies with Joe and Ian, and I wouldn't have traded that for anything. As luck would have it, the line ended up taking way too long, and they were forced to leave for their drive back to Canada. We said our good-byes, and I left to return to the RT Booth.
Once at the expo hall, I got to see Jesse, Mary, and Chantell before they headed out. Again, today was mostly about saying good-bye and it was starting to take its toll. I did get to see a mosh pit started by the MEGA 64 guys before the expo hall closed, which was a riot. After the hall closed, we returned to the Sheraton lobby to have one last meal as a group. Everyone was there, games were still being played, and we even ran into Gabe and Tycho while we were hanging out. My focus was firmly on this motley group of people that I'd spent the last 72 hours with, and how leaving them was going to be harder than ever. Right before dinner, Jack, John and I decided that it would be best to hit the road before it got too late. The 5 hour drive back to Philly was arduous enough to warrant an early exit.
We said our farewells, and each one got harder than the last. I'm not sure how we pulled ourselves away, but before I knew it we were on our way to Philadelphia. All the while I was still messaging and texting my friends that I'd just left. These kinds of things are always bittersweet, because I'm leaving one group of friends to return to another. Speaking of which, I even got to call one of my buddies to clarify a Dominion rules question. The guys playing Dominion in the lobby were impressed that a boardgamegeek admin would take the time out of his busy day to answer there question, which apparently I had gotten wrong. :D
At about 1 am, we arrived in Philly for the night. About 10 hours after that, I was at the airport getting ready to fly back to OKC. There were more hard good-byes, but there was also a growing sense of appreciation for the experience I'd just had. Though I was tired and though having to leave was most difficult, I was happy to be returning home to my family and friends, and to share my stories with them. I was getting the notion that I was extraordinarily lucky to be able to do something like this, and I was already looking forward to doing it again.
That's my PAX East story, and I'm sticking to it.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Post PAS Post: Saturday, March 27th Part 3
The concert was epic, and before we knew it the time for my first live Late Nite JengaJam was upon us. I say “my” first live Late Nite JengaJam, because it wasn’t quite the shows first live taping. Regardless, everyone was still nervous and the generous amount of booze that we were steadily consuming was finally starting to help us out.
Joe was kind enough to help me haul equipment, and Jack came with us on our final run. The subway was much slower and more crowded than during the day, so the trip took a little longer than normal. Also I got hit in the face by some old guy trying to ask for directions. As his errant hand accidentally smacked me, I think the native Bostonians expected me to jump his shit. I had no such inkling, as we were on a schedule and I’m not as tightly wound as these East Coast types. I gave him the death look, as moved on. We had to move and we were fast approaching our midnight start time.
We got to the Sheraton Boston Hotel, where Lauren had already secured us a corner of the lobby as well as a small crowd. As I set up, I got more and more nervous. This was really about to happen. We did a quick sound check, and we were off. It was one of the fastest and yet longest hours I can remember. We had some quality guests and some great conversation. Some of the guests we had were people that had noticed us doing our thing, and yet others were people we’d actually just met at PAX. It was amazing, and what was even more amazing was the impromptu after-party that we had right then and there. We MIGHT have been drinking a little, who knows? The point was that fun was had by all and it was a magical night.
After the party, we took down our equipment and caught a cab back to our hotel. After getting up to our room and setting down all of our stuff, we realized that we were quite hungry. It was 3am in downtown Boston, so surely something was open. Not so much, as we quickly found out. We wandered around for a good 15 minutes trying to find us a good or even decent downtown diner. Nothing. The late night pizza place we went to Friday? Closed. The 7-11? Also closed. We were bummed to say the least. So we went back to the room, did some chatroulette, using the lovely Barbara as bait, and then called it a night.
…
Wait, you actually want to hear about our chatroulette session? Really? Well first off, there are lots of penises. I hear that they’re looking to fix this, but for now there are LOTS of penises. Every once in a while you’ll see someone and chat, and occasionally you’ll even talk to a pretty girl. Well we had our own pretty girl and we aimed to misbehave a little. The gag went something like this. Barb would smile and wave our new chat partner, assuming they were not showing us their junk. Barb would ask if they wanted to see some boobs, and when she got a YES and acted as if she would flash the camera, the rest of us who were hiding off camera would hop into view. John even took it upon himself to provide some man-chest flashing. Surprisingly, most of our marks ended up finding our gag funny, which was incredibly cool.
Joe was kind enough to help me haul equipment, and Jack came with us on our final run. The subway was much slower and more crowded than during the day, so the trip took a little longer than normal. Also I got hit in the face by some old guy trying to ask for directions. As his errant hand accidentally smacked me, I think the native Bostonians expected me to jump his shit. I had no such inkling, as we were on a schedule and I’m not as tightly wound as these East Coast types. I gave him the death look, as moved on. We had to move and we were fast approaching our midnight start time.
We got to the Sheraton Boston Hotel, where Lauren had already secured us a corner of the lobby as well as a small crowd. As I set up, I got more and more nervous. This was really about to happen. We did a quick sound check, and we were off. It was one of the fastest and yet longest hours I can remember. We had some quality guests and some great conversation. Some of the guests we had were people that had noticed us doing our thing, and yet others were people we’d actually just met at PAX. It was amazing, and what was even more amazing was the impromptu after-party that we had right then and there. We MIGHT have been drinking a little, who knows? The point was that fun was had by all and it was a magical night.
After the party, we took down our equipment and caught a cab back to our hotel. After getting up to our room and setting down all of our stuff, we realized that we were quite hungry. It was 3am in downtown Boston, so surely something was open. Not so much, as we quickly found out. We wandered around for a good 15 minutes trying to find us a good or even decent downtown diner. Nothing. The late night pizza place we went to Friday? Closed. The 7-11? Also closed. We were bummed to say the least. So we went back to the room, did some chatroulette, using the lovely Barbara as bait, and then called it a night.
…
Wait, you actually want to hear about our chatroulette session? Really? Well first off, there are lots of penises. I hear that they’re looking to fix this, but for now there are LOTS of penises. Every once in a while you’ll see someone and chat, and occasionally you’ll even talk to a pretty girl. Well we had our own pretty girl and we aimed to misbehave a little. The gag went something like this. Barb would smile and wave our new chat partner, assuming they were not showing us their junk. Barb would ask if they wanted to see some boobs, and when she got a YES and acted as if she would flash the camera, the rest of us who were hiding off camera would hop into view. John even took it upon himself to provide some man-chest flashing. Surprisingly, most of our marks ended up finding our gag funny, which was incredibly cool.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Post PAX Post: Saturday March 27th Part 2
After the RoosterTeeth panel, there was much hanging out with the RT guys before they kicked us out of the main theatre. The people that I’d been seeing in discrete little packets were all of a sudden in one place, and it was awesome. After chatting, and doing some stage dives into the sumo chairs, we adjourned to the expo hall. There was much to do before dinner, the Video Game Orchestra concert, and the live Late Nite JengaJam.
I had a different plan in mind. See, there was a group of Carnegie Mellon students that were at PAX to show off their school project. This project happened to be a Microsoft Surface, which was used to play Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition. The SurfaceScapes Team had been on the radar since about November, but this would be the first time since then that their project would be on display. I stopped by the room where the demo was going on throughout the day, and was immediately stopped by PAX East personnel. Apparently the small room was at capacity and people needed to leave before more could be admitted. I waited patiently before being let in, and was awed by what I saw. The table was surrounded by players, while the SurfaceScapes team looked on. One of the students was at a laptop controlling the action, while a team of four players fought off goblins and then a dragon.
After a few rounds, the session was reset and I got to sit down and play a Goliath Barbarian. Since we knew that our “encounter” would only last for a few rounds, we nova’d immediately, blowing all of our available dailies and encounter powers on the initial group of goblin minions. If nothing else, it was cool to see the different powers being animated. After about 4 rounds, the dragon showed up and our session ended. I got to briefly talk to the team and even invited them onto the Late Nite JengaJam recording, but more on that later. For being in a beta state, the animations present in SurfaceScapes were polished and the controls flowed rather smoothly. One notable omission was the Charge action, which had yet to be implemented. Another issue was less with the SurfaceScapes and more with the Surface itself. The touchscreen required a very specific amount of pressure to activate. Too hard or too soft, and your input would not be recognized. The future of this project is also in doubt. Once the team graduates in May, it’s unclear just how much more work will be put into this, or whether or not this might become a product that Wizards of the Coast would make available to Surface owners in the public. If nothing else, we’ve seen the truly geeky side of the Surface, and it looks rad.
After the demo, we tried to go to dinner as a big group, but we found that almost every where had 3+ hour waits for a group our size. Defeated, we eventually ended back up at the Sheraton lobby, eating hotel food. I managed to order a pizza, and we ordered some s’mores as a desert with Chantell and Casey (Jeff William's precocious daughter) . Hanging out was fun, and was a welcome rest after a long day that was not even over. I got to see some wonderful friends that I’d missed dearly (Martha!!) and before I knew it, it was time to go to the concert.
If you’d listened to the last episode of Late Nite JengaJam, you’d know that The Video Game Orchestra was not to be missed. I for one love hearing my favorite video game soundtracks performed in an orchestral format, especially the 8-bit and 16-bit stuff. We were in for a treat, from Mario to Chrono Trigger to Final Fantasy and even a metal version of Castlevania! We even got a bonus orchestral metal version of the Final Fantasy boss battle. This was totally awesome, made more awesome since talking to Shota and Jeff.
After the show, we couldn’t rest for long. Finally, at long last, it was time to do my first live audience recording of Late Nite JengaJam…
TO BE CONCLUDED. Well, the Saturday part will be concluded. :)
I had a different plan in mind. See, there was a group of Carnegie Mellon students that were at PAX to show off their school project. This project happened to be a Microsoft Surface, which was used to play Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition. The SurfaceScapes Team had been on the radar since about November, but this would be the first time since then that their project would be on display. I stopped by the room where the demo was going on throughout the day, and was immediately stopped by PAX East personnel. Apparently the small room was at capacity and people needed to leave before more could be admitted. I waited patiently before being let in, and was awed by what I saw. The table was surrounded by players, while the SurfaceScapes team looked on. One of the students was at a laptop controlling the action, while a team of four players fought off goblins and then a dragon.
After a few rounds, the session was reset and I got to sit down and play a Goliath Barbarian. Since we knew that our “encounter” would only last for a few rounds, we nova’d immediately, blowing all of our available dailies and encounter powers on the initial group of goblin minions. If nothing else, it was cool to see the different powers being animated. After about 4 rounds, the dragon showed up and our session ended. I got to briefly talk to the team and even invited them onto the Late Nite JengaJam recording, but more on that later. For being in a beta state, the animations present in SurfaceScapes were polished and the controls flowed rather smoothly. One notable omission was the Charge action, which had yet to be implemented. Another issue was less with the SurfaceScapes and more with the Surface itself. The touchscreen required a very specific amount of pressure to activate. Too hard or too soft, and your input would not be recognized. The future of this project is also in doubt. Once the team graduates in May, it’s unclear just how much more work will be put into this, or whether or not this might become a product that Wizards of the Coast would make available to Surface owners in the public. If nothing else, we’ve seen the truly geeky side of the Surface, and it looks rad.
After the demo, we tried to go to dinner as a big group, but we found that almost every where had 3+ hour waits for a group our size. Defeated, we eventually ended back up at the Sheraton lobby, eating hotel food. I managed to order a pizza, and we ordered some s’mores as a desert with Chantell and Casey (Jeff William's precocious daughter) . Hanging out was fun, and was a welcome rest after a long day that was not even over. I got to see some wonderful friends that I’d missed dearly (Martha!!) and before I knew it, it was time to go to the concert.
If you’d listened to the last episode of Late Nite JengaJam, you’d know that The Video Game Orchestra was not to be missed. I for one love hearing my favorite video game soundtracks performed in an orchestral format, especially the 8-bit and 16-bit stuff. We were in for a treat, from Mario to Chrono Trigger to Final Fantasy and even a metal version of Castlevania! We even got a bonus orchestral metal version of the Final Fantasy boss battle. This was totally awesome, made more awesome since talking to Shota and Jeff.
After the show, we couldn’t rest for long. Finally, at long last, it was time to do my first live audience recording of Late Nite JengaJam…
TO BE CONCLUDED. Well, the Saturday part will be concluded. :)
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Post PAX Post - Saturday, March 27th Part 1
Previously on Lost The Wandering Gamer:
PAX was met.
Lines were waited in the cold, but yielded awesome results like being practically first.
Wil of the Wheatons spoke.
Allies were gathered.
Songs were sung.
The sun rose on Saturday, and as I woke I realized that because I could see the sun, I was already running late. I was first into the shower and first out the door. I arrived to the convention center to find it open to the media, but not to the public. Note to self: get a fucking media badge for next time. I managed to score some extra concert wristbands for my compatriots, and left to get some breakfast.
While wandering around, I caught one of my friends in her Harley Quinn costume and let me say that the girl can really rock the slutty, insane nurse look. After saying FUCK THAT to sitting in another line, I followed another line into an area of the convention center that was originally closed off to me. I found the D&D area, and lounged in a Sumo bag for a while, until I was told by an event official that I needed to get the fuck out. It was a little more diplomatic than that, but not by a lot. FINE. I continued my wanderings, and eventually found some friends at the Sheraton. After hanging out for a bit, I headed back to the convention center for my preview of the D&D Dark Sun Campaign Setting.
One of the few things that I absolutely refused to miss was this little adventure in a new world. This new world of Athas is actually not new at all, but simply the update of an old 2nd Edition setting. The revised setting seems just as brutal and while my group that I played with survived the adventure, it seemed like we were constantely on the verge of total destruction. Fortunately I was assisted by the utterly relaxing shoulder rub given to me by the lovely OboeCrazy, who stopped by to see what all the D&D fuss was about. Also, the other guys at the table were totally jealous. :D Overall, it was quite fun, and I can't wait to get my hands on the full campaign this summer.
I'd also like to say that the guys I played with, including the DM, were refreshingly cool guys. I was a little worried that I might get stuck with a manical PC-kill-happy DM, or that I'd get a few unsociable types on my team as PCs. Fortunately everyone was extremely chill, and it was an absolute pleasure to play with those guys. Also, the quality of the guys I normally play with clearly has rubbed off on my, as I was able to answer and correct just about every rules question that we ran into. Obviously I was double-checked several times, but my accuracy was always there. Props to my home-town D&D group for helping to bring my game to a very high level. The players at the table were also very skilled, as we not only won the adventure but did it in the fastest time to that point.
After rocking the Dark Sun adventure, I met up with my group in line for the RoosterTeeth panel. Once again, we were near the front thanks to some selfless efforts. Also, people were playing Magic: The Gathering, as all of the swag bags had a different color starter deck in them. So I played M:tG for the first time in a while. The decks were pre-built, and the cards were actually reasonably powered. It was a fun destraction while having little else to do. Hanging out with everyone was also fun, and that's really what made waiting in line bearable. I tried to avoid it, but queuing up with friends was always worth it.
Getting into the RT panel, we got the choicest seats in the packed Main Theatre. Getting in, we finally got to chat with some of the staff, and Barbara who'd been busy tirelessly working the booth in the Expo Hall. It was really cool, and we even got invited to sit in the VIP Sumo lounge area just off the stage. Truly awesome! The panel was entertaining, but the highlight was finding out that Monty Oum, creator of Haloid and Dead Fantasy was now working on Red Vs. Blue as a CG motion capture artist. His work on RvB has so far been outstanding, and I can't wait to see more of his stuff.
TO BE CONTINUED...
PAX was met.
Lines were waited in the cold, but yielded awesome results like being practically first.
Wil of the Wheatons spoke.
Allies were gathered.
Songs were sung.
The sun rose on Saturday, and as I woke I realized that because I could see the sun, I was already running late. I was first into the shower and first out the door. I arrived to the convention center to find it open to the media, but not to the public. Note to self: get a fucking media badge for next time. I managed to score some extra concert wristbands for my compatriots, and left to get some breakfast.
While wandering around, I caught one of my friends in her Harley Quinn costume and let me say that the girl can really rock the slutty, insane nurse look. After saying FUCK THAT to sitting in another line, I followed another line into an area of the convention center that was originally closed off to me. I found the D&D area, and lounged in a Sumo bag for a while, until I was told by an event official that I needed to get the fuck out. It was a little more diplomatic than that, but not by a lot. FINE. I continued my wanderings, and eventually found some friends at the Sheraton. After hanging out for a bit, I headed back to the convention center for my preview of the D&D Dark Sun Campaign Setting.
One of the few things that I absolutely refused to miss was this little adventure in a new world. This new world of Athas is actually not new at all, but simply the update of an old 2nd Edition setting. The revised setting seems just as brutal and while my group that I played with survived the adventure, it seemed like we were constantely on the verge of total destruction. Fortunately I was assisted by the utterly relaxing shoulder rub given to me by the lovely OboeCrazy, who stopped by to see what all the D&D fuss was about. Also, the other guys at the table were totally jealous. :D Overall, it was quite fun, and I can't wait to get my hands on the full campaign this summer.
I'd also like to say that the guys I played with, including the DM, were refreshingly cool guys. I was a little worried that I might get stuck with a manical PC-kill-happy DM, or that I'd get a few unsociable types on my team as PCs. Fortunately everyone was extremely chill, and it was an absolute pleasure to play with those guys. Also, the quality of the guys I normally play with clearly has rubbed off on my, as I was able to answer and correct just about every rules question that we ran into. Obviously I was double-checked several times, but my accuracy was always there. Props to my home-town D&D group for helping to bring my game to a very high level. The players at the table were also very skilled, as we not only won the adventure but did it in the fastest time to that point.
After rocking the Dark Sun adventure, I met up with my group in line for the RoosterTeeth panel. Once again, we were near the front thanks to some selfless efforts. Also, people were playing Magic: The Gathering, as all of the swag bags had a different color starter deck in them. So I played M:tG for the first time in a while. The decks were pre-built, and the cards were actually reasonably powered. It was a fun destraction while having little else to do. Hanging out with everyone was also fun, and that's really what made waiting in line bearable. I tried to avoid it, but queuing up with friends was always worth it.
Getting into the RT panel, we got the choicest seats in the packed Main Theatre. Getting in, we finally got to chat with some of the staff, and Barbara who'd been busy tirelessly working the booth in the Expo Hall. It was really cool, and we even got invited to sit in the VIP Sumo lounge area just off the stage. Truly awesome! The panel was entertaining, but the highlight was finding out that Monty Oum, creator of Haloid and Dead Fantasy was now working on Red Vs. Blue as a CG motion capture artist. His work on RvB has so far been outstanding, and I can't wait to see more of his stuff.
TO BE CONTINUED...
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Post PAX Post - Friday, March 26th
Friday started like most mornings. I was tired and I didn't want to get up. Then I remembered that I was in Boston, PAX was about to start, and I had to get to the liquor store for some flask booze. Also, I was going to scout the initial line to get into PAX.
First off, it was fucking cold. Also, it was snowing. LOUSY SMARCH weather! I swung by Bauer's Wine and Spirits on Newbury St. to find that they were closed. BOO, I thought. I figured since I was there, I might as well check out the line. I'm so glad that I did, because thanks to this early venture in the cold New England morning, I was able to get me and my friends a spot close to the front of the line for the PAX Opening Ceremonies.
Speaking of my friends, I would not have tolerated the wait in line had it not been for them. It was a chance to do nothing but talk and hang out with these wonderful people. John, Jack, Casey, David, Jozef, Ian, and Travie: you guys made the wait in line, and the whole experience worth doing.
As it turns out, Friday was a day of contrasts. After doing nothing but waiting in line for hours in the morning for the keynote, you were suddenly hit with the entirety of the pax experience. All of a sudden, you had all options available to you, and it was almost overwhelming. I for one explored, caught up with the RoosterTeeth guys, found the D&D area, and played some Rock Band with friends!
Speaking of the Keynote, it was awesome. Wil Wheaton talked about how gaming builds friendships, and I could not agree more. What brought my core group of friends together in college was gaming, and it continues to be the thing that we like to do most when we get together. The crowd was phenomenal, and although I didn't get picked to be an Omeganaut, fun was had by all and tweeting from the front of the line has its moments.
After my first exhaust day PAX, we met up with a bunch of friends and headed to The Golden Leaf for karaoke and bento boxes. On the way, I grabbed a hot dog at a joint called Spike's, and subsequently had the best hot dog of my life. OM. NOM. NOM.
After gathering everyone and walking to Golden Leaf, sake and BAD singing ensued. Props to everyone who came and hung out! After hiking back to the hotel, a few of us ventured into the chilly Boston night, and got some cheap ass pizza from the most shrewd pizza place I've ever been to. Seriously, they had no seating, only two kinds of pizzas, and their floor was very dirty. Still they were the best 2am munchies game on the block.
Finally we returned to our hotel to find the cops had blocked off our street. Forunately we were able to get back into our hotel, but it seemed like there was always some sort of drama on that street every night of the weekend.
First off, it was fucking cold. Also, it was snowing. LOUSY SMARCH weather! I swung by Bauer's Wine and Spirits on Newbury St. to find that they were closed. BOO, I thought. I figured since I was there, I might as well check out the line. I'm so glad that I did, because thanks to this early venture in the cold New England morning, I was able to get me and my friends a spot close to the front of the line for the PAX Opening Ceremonies.
Speaking of my friends, I would not have tolerated the wait in line had it not been for them. It was a chance to do nothing but talk and hang out with these wonderful people. John, Jack, Casey, David, Jozef, Ian, and Travie: you guys made the wait in line, and the whole experience worth doing.
As it turns out, Friday was a day of contrasts. After doing nothing but waiting in line for hours in the morning for the keynote, you were suddenly hit with the entirety of the pax experience. All of a sudden, you had all options available to you, and it was almost overwhelming. I for one explored, caught up with the RoosterTeeth guys, found the D&D area, and played some Rock Band with friends!
Speaking of the Keynote, it was awesome. Wil Wheaton talked about how gaming builds friendships, and I could not agree more. What brought my core group of friends together in college was gaming, and it continues to be the thing that we like to do most when we get together. The crowd was phenomenal, and although I didn't get picked to be an Omeganaut, fun was had by all and tweeting from the front of the line has its moments.
After my first exhaust day PAX, we met up with a bunch of friends and headed to The Golden Leaf for karaoke and bento boxes. On the way, I grabbed a hot dog at a joint called Spike's, and subsequently had the best hot dog of my life. OM. NOM. NOM.
After gathering everyone and walking to Golden Leaf, sake and BAD singing ensued. Props to everyone who came and hung out! After hiking back to the hotel, a few of us ventured into the chilly Boston night, and got some cheap ass pizza from the most shrewd pizza place I've ever been to. Seriously, they had no seating, only two kinds of pizzas, and their floor was very dirty. Still they were the best 2am munchies game on the block.
Finally we returned to our hotel to find the cops had blocked off our street. Forunately we were able to get back into our hotel, but it seemed like there was always some sort of drama on that street every night of the weekend.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
PAX East run-up
PAX East is coming up, so keep it here for the latest news and info! I’ll be doing my best to cover new D&D products, board game releases, and any other geeky goings on. Don’t forget to follow my Twitter for the latest, and tune in Tuesday night to Late Nite Jengajam for our first PAX interview with Shota Nakama and Jeff Williams of The Video Game Orchestra.
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