Opinions May Vary

It's easy for me to get defensive when it comes to reading negative reviews of PAX. It's my favorite show and it's easily the thing I look forward to the most every year. I'll admit it: I'm biased as hell. And really the negative reviews seem to be few and far between and almost everyone I've talked to said they had yet another year of great times. But there's one thing that I see every now and then that bugs the hell out of me.

"PAX was boring."

I don't get it. I can't help but think "were you at the same PAX I was?" because with everything that's available to you over the course of three days I find it very hard to believe that "boring" is a proper adjective to describe the show. I have a theory, though. It's pretty simple:

People expect PAX to happen to them.

It might come as a shock to some but even at a show as enormous as PAX you might have to get your hands dirty when it comes to finding that next big "thing" you're looking for. I feel like there are people who walk into the show and are disappointed the second they don't have all of their expectations shoved directly into their face and I feel bad because those people are going to have a bad time right from the get-go. I don't want people to have a bad time. I want them to have a good time. So if you ever find yourself bored at a big show filled with all of your favorite types of things here's a simple solution: Grab a program, take a seat, and find something new that seems interesting to you. At the very least it'll give you a goal and something to look forward to. If it wasn't your cup of tea try it again and move on to the next thing. You're bound to find something you dig.

Enough ranting, though. Part 2 of our 2017 PAX East recap is here and while last week we focused on the panels and people this week we're talking about games. We played everything we could get our hands on from console to tabletop and now we're here to tell you all about it. Huge thanks to all the crew and staff of the BCEC and Penny Arcade for putting on yet another great show. Let the countdown until next year begin. Thanks for listening, everyone.

-Jr.

Direct download: 3.18.2017_Episode_262.mp3
Category:Comics Movies & Videogames -- posted at: 10:05pm EDT
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I'm not going to lie here: I have no idea where to start with this one.

Saying the last week has been rough would be putting it lightly. We've talked at length about the post-con depression that some people experience when they get home from a weekend of fantasy and entertainment. It doesn't happen at every show and sometimes it's not a terrible thing to cope with...but this one was tough. Going back to the real world after three days of being with my best friends, in a beautiful city, surrounded by the things we love is borderline torture. But so far I've managed.

It turns out the four of us had a lot to say about PAX so our coverage this year is going to be split up into two neatly organized episodes for you. This week features our thoughts on the panels we saw, the people we met, and the shows we witnessed. We had the pleasure of catching some of the most entertaining and intriguing events this year and I can't wait for you to hear about them.

Check out the photo album HERE and be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter so you can stay informed on future updates.

See you next week for part 2 of our PAX East coverage where we focus on one thing and one thing only: Games. You won't want to miss it.

-Jr.

Direct download: 3.17.2017_Episode_261.mp3
Category:Comics Movies & Videogames -- posted at: 8:05pm EDT
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Hey!

So it's time for your yearly dose of nostalgia while we celebrate doing 5 years of a podcast. I'm keeping this super short this week because we're leaving for PAX in less than 10 hours and I have yet to pack/charge/shower/sleep. And all of those things need to be done. Cuz I don't want to have no clothes/kill my batteries/smell bad/fall asleep at the wheel.

Makes sense, right?

Enjoy!

-Jr.

Direct download: 3.9.2017_Episode_260.mp3
Category:Comics Movies & Videogames -- posted at: 9:22pm EDT
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It took an extraordinary amount of willpower to pull myself away from Breath of the Wild tonight. My shiny, new Switch arrived yesterday just as my vacation started in a timing coincidence that could only be described as "really, really awesome". I've only put about 6 hours into BotW so far but those 6 hours have been very good. It's been some time since I've gone adventuring in Hyrule but I'd be hard pressed to find any other fictional world that I always feel so immediately familiar with. The next 8 days of my life should be pretty rad...especially the last 3 of them.

Because PAX East is almost here.

In what could be possibly the most logistically informative hype up episode we've ever done our friend Jeff Kalles from Penny Arcade returned this week so we could partake in one of my favorite pastimes: Talk about PAX.  And who better to talk PAX with than someone who plays a major part in making sure it even continues to exist. If you missed our last chat with Jeff check it out here to learn all about the world of Dungeons & Dragons played in front of a massive live audience.

We're gearing up for our 4th trip out to the BCEC and with every passing year I get even more annoying with my level of excitement. This year in particular is cause for even more excitement than normal because our very own Alex is making his return to the Expo. After taking the last 2 years off we finally wore him down with stories of games, panels, and people to the point where he could resist no longer. This makes me happy. And while the thought of being in Boston in early March near the water might deter some folks from wanting to make the trip for fear of freezing temperatures I, on the other hand, am well aware that I'm going to be spending three days with three of my best friends playing games, watching shows, and meeting people. Absolutely worth it.

Huge thanks to Jeff for carving out time to chat with us during what we assume to be an insanely busy time for him. Be on the lookout for tons of PAX related coverage in the coming weeks and if you're heading to Boston for the show be safe and have fun. And play the games. All of them.

-Jr.

 

Direct download: 3.2.2017_Episode_259.mp3
Category:Comics Movies & Videogames -- posted at: 10:31pm EDT
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