My Gadget, Game & Gizmo Obsession

The Penny Arcade Expo East 2010 is rapidly approaching, the weekend of March 26-28. We are letting you know that MyGGGo (basically just Shawn) will be there with friends and family enjoying as much as possible.

More importantly for you, I will be doing everything I can to get you the best view of the entire show.  While at the panels, demos, competitions, concerts, and all around, I will be Live Tweeting as much as I can (assuming AT&T doesn’t crap out on my BlackBerry Bold).  I will also be sporting a Kodak Zi8 HD 1080p for video captures, which I will blast up here to the site as soon as I can. Once the show winds down, I will put together some more insightful blog posts about what it was like.

Some things to know ahead of time.

1. I’ve never been to a gaming conference before, so I will be a kid in a candy store.
2. More than 60,000 tickets have been sold and many of the Hynes Convention Center rooms only hold 400 people.  Lines will be long, and I can’t promise I will get to see much.
3. The schedule is overwhelming, and there will be no possible way for me to see every event.
4. I’ve never video blogged before, so this should be fun.
5. I am a Harmonix fanboy, and will most likely spend every second I can hanging with the Rock Band developer, other fanboys, and the like.

If there is something specifically you’d like to see covered at PAX East from a panel, a concert, or a personal interview…let me know.

In preparation for PAX East, what should you do?

1. Follow @MyGGGo on Twitter.
2. Leave comments to this post, so I know what to cover for you.
3. Subscribe to my sites RSS feed, so you can get regular blog updates.

PAX East is coming up soon.  If you missed my earlier post on “What Is PAX East and Who Is Going?“, just read the post for an intro.  Since the official PAX East site still does not have an official schedule posted (plus there will be many unofficial events), I’m starting to organize events in (and around PAX East).  I will continue to update this as we get closer to the event, which is in Boston, MA March 26-28 twenty-ten.

UPDATE: Events in red are confirmed. Events in black are 90% accurate, and I ‘m in process of confirming with various schedules.

Friday March 26

2:00 PM – 3:00 PM – Journalists vs. Developers: The Ultimate Grudge Match- Manticore Theatre

Game developers can’t stand those damned journalists, the way they pick apart your three years of hard work with a review they wrote in an afternoon. And journalists don’t understand why game developers won’t listen to all of their great ideas! What happens when we force some of the industry’s most opinionated writers and developers to hash out their issues in front of an audience? Will they finally see eye-to-eye, or kill each other in public? Watch as writers Chris Kohler (Wired.com) and Patrick Klepek (G4) square off against game creators John Drake (Harmonix) and another guest from the industry.

Panelists Include: Chris Kohler [Editor, Games, Wired.com], John Drake [Publicist, Harmonix Music Systems], Patrick Klepek [News Editor, G4] SOURCE

2:00 PM – 3:00 PM – Grassroots: Why Gamers are Getting Involved and Why You Should Too- Naga Theatre

Over the years we as a community of gamers have had our fair share of nemeses ranging from politicians, activists, and…ahem…lawyers. And make no mistake, as one discredited opponent fades away there will be more to fill the void. Find out how we’ve been fighting back, where we’ve found success (and failure), and how you can help the cause. SOURCE

2:30 PM – 3:30 PM – Radio Free Nintendo: A Live Nintendo Podcast for Grown-Ups- Wyvern Theatre
Radio Free Nintendo has delivered a weekly discussion on all things Nintendo since mid-2006, in a convenient podcast format. This outspoken and funny group of Nintendo experts comes from the oldest and largest independent Nintendo website in the world, Nintendo World Report. We love Nintendo games, except when we don’t, and we appreciate/criticize Wii and DS games in the context of multi-platform gaming. We know the best Metroid upgrades, the worst Zelda dungeons, and what makes Sin & Punishment sublime. We own more WiiWare games than you knew existed. And we’re not afraid to compare Mario with Ratchet & Clank or Prince of Persia.

Panelists Include: Jonathan Metts [Contributing Editor, Nintendo World Report], Karl Castaneda [Contributing Editor, Nintendo World Report], James Jones [Features Editor, Nintendo World Report], Jon Lindemann [Director, Nintendo World Report], Karl Castaneda [Contributor, Nintendo World Report] SOURCE

3:00 PM – 4:00 PM - PAX East 2010 Keynote - Main Theatre
Best known for his role as Wesley Crusher on Star Trek The Next Generation and Gordie in Stand by Me, Wil Wheaton has since become one of the most prominent and vocal bloggers of our culture with topics ranging from his personal growth as a geek, to Star Trek, to naturally gaming. We are super excited to have Wil present the very first PAX East keynote. It’s going to be awesome.

Speaker: Wil Wheaton SOURCE

3:30 PM – 4:30 PM - It’s Got A Good Beat, And I Can Kill Zombies To It - JamspaceSince the first kid heard the four-note Space Invaders theme blasting out the arcade doors, music has played a powerful role in the history of digital games. Join panelists Aubrey Hodges (Doom, King’s Quest, Spy Hunter, Madden NFL), Jim Bonney (Mortal Kombat, John Woo’s Stranglehold), Tom Salta (H.A.W.X, GRAW 1 & 2, Red Steel), Gene Rozenberg (Henry Hatsworth, Madden NFL) and Duncan Watt (League Of Legends, Brothers In Arms: Hell’s Highway, Need For Speed: Undercover), for an audiovisual trip celebrating great videogame music – from the past, to the present… and into the future. Audience discussion encouraged.

Panelists Include: Duncan Watt [Founder/Creative Director, Fastestmanintheworld], Tom Salta [Composer], Gene Rozenberg [Composer, 38 Studios (Maynard, MA)], Aubrey Hodges [Audio Director/Composer, 38 Studios (Maynard, MA)], Jim Bonney [Audio Director/Composer, Irrational Games] SOURCE

3:30 PM – 4:30 PM - Online Gaming Communities and “Real Life” Relationships- Manticore Theater
Are you are a member of one or more online gaming website communities? Perhaps the friendships and relationships you formed online have made their way into your everyday “real life”. You are certainly not alone. We will discuss the communities we have created and support, and how they impact real life relationships for gamers of all types.

3:30 PM – 4:30 PM – Puppet Masters – The not so Invisible Hands of Video Game PR- Naga Theater
Four masters of video game PR talk about the role of public relations in the video game industry. They’ll cover the buying and selling of souls, crafting and controlling messages, the rise of community, and how social media is changing how they do business.

Panelists Include: Charles Husemann [Editor in Chief, Gaming Nexus], Arne Meyer [Senior Manager, Marketing Communications, Naughty Dog], Aram Jabbari [Manager of Public Relations, Atlus], Stephanie Tinsley Schopp [Owner, Tinsley PR], Chris Paladino [Promethium Marketing, Director of Community Relations] SOURCE

4:00 PM – 5:00 PM – Penny Arcade Panel #1 - Main Theater
Make sure to get there early for this one, as its one of the most well attended panels of the show. Two mics on stage, two mics in the crowd. Line up for your questions and Gabe and Tycho will do their best to accommodate! And god, please no “who would win in a fight” questions. If you can’t make this particular Q&A, be sure to catch the second Penny Arcade Panel. SOURCE

4:00 PM – 5:00 PM – Design an RPG in an Hour - Wyvern Theater
We’re making a pen and paper RPG, and you’re invited to the design meeting! During the panel, you’ll address the problem-solving and analytical questions required to design a successful game. During the discussion, we’ll cover the basics of game theory and how to outline, centered around an example you’re participating in.

Panelists Include: David Hill [Game Designer, Machine Age Productions], Filamena Young [Game Writer, Machine Age Productions] SOURCE

4:30 PM – 5:30 PM – IWADON: A Tribute to an Unsung Hero of Game Music- Jamspace
Game composer Hiroyuki Iwatsuki (Iwadon on Twitter) has been writing game music for 20 years, but now for the first time his work is gaining international recognition. Game Music 4 All, a videogame-inspired music and nerdcore news site, is collaborating with artists from all over the world in arranging Iwatsuki’s remarkable and often overlooked music for the 8-bit Nintendo, Game Boy, Super Nintendo and Xbox Live Arcade in assorted musical styles. The tribute compilation will be made available online for free in time for PAX East, along with lengthy liner notes in English and Japanese. In this panel you’ll learn all about Iwatsuki’s unique history in games and the making of the IWADON tribute from site founder Genoboost (Anthony Ruybalid) and research organizer Jeriaska.

Panelists Include: Anthony Ruybalid [Founder, Game Music 4 All] Jeriaska [Correspondent, GameSetWatch] SOURCE

5:30 PM – 6:30 PM – Storytelling in the world of interactive fiction- Wyvern Theater
Text adventures have been quietly experimenting with narrative gaming for thirty years. Five authors from the amateur interactive fiction community discuss the design ideas in their games — reordered storylines, unreliable narrators, deeply responsive NPCs — and how they apply to other kinds of games. (Rob Wheeler (mod.), Robb Sherwin, Aaron Reed, Emily Short, Andrew Plotkin) SOURCE

6:00 PM – 7:00 PM – NVIDIA Presentation – Main Theater
Come see NVIDIA unveil the next generation of PC gaming. Want to see what’s hot and what’s next? If you’re even vaguely a fan of PC games and miss this special event, you’ll likely be spending the next few months kicking yourself. Line up early as seating is limited. ‘Nuff said. SOURCE

9:30 PM – 11:00 PM – GET LAMP Panel/Screening- Naga Theatre
Premiere of Get Lamp!
The current plan as approved by the PAX organizers is the showing of the main GET LAMP episode at 9:30, followed by a panel on stage of people interviewed for the film, and then some showings of a few more features of the DVD after that, including the Infocom and Bedquilt episodes.

Saturday March 27

 8:00 AM – 8:45 AM – The First Annual Joystiq Blueberry Muffin Tops Breakfast BAND PICK-UP – location not announced
Due to the overwhelming number of people coming to PAX East and the fact that the room can only hold 300 people at a time, we’ve decided to implement a bracelet system for entry. To obtain the bracelet, we’ll post Alexander Sliwinski’s location and picture here at Joystiq.com on Facebook and on Twitter @JoystiqBBMTat 6 a.m. on Saturday morning. He’ll be in very close proximity to the convention center. To obtain a bracelet you’ll need to show your PAX East badge to him when he arrives at 8 a.m., as the breakfast will occur within the convention center. (Alexander Sliwinski) SOURCE

9:00 AM – 11:00 AM – The First Annual Joystiq Blueberry Muffin Tops Breakfast SOURCE

1:30 PM – 2:30 PM- Memes, Microcultures, and 2D Chicks: Our Future in the Otaku Gamer – Wyvern Theatre
Alex Leavitt (Comparative Media Studies, MIT) explains how a new generation of entertainment is succeeding in a market which chooses to de-emphasize the games in favor of the characters. And as the Japanese fans influence the industry through their own amateur initiatives, what will the future of American gaming hold when online fandoms adopt similar appetites? (Alex Leavitt) SOURCE

8:00 PM – 1:00 AM – Gamers Gone Wildhosted by SFX-360 & 2old2play – Lir, 903 Boylston Street
Rock Band tournament, Cosplay contest, Xbox 360 raffle, prizes. 21+ and no cover charge.

9:30 PM – 11:00 PM – The Joystiq Podcast LIVE! – Manticore Theatre
Alexander Sliwinski & Justin McElroy gaming journalists of Joystiq.com.

UPDATED!! 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM – Major Nelson Radio Podcast LIVE!- Wyvern Theatre
Larry Hryb (Xbox Live’s Major Nelson) and the podcast team (e, Stepto, and Laura L0llipop) will record their regular podcast, in front of a live audience.

Sunday March 28

11:30 AM – 12:30 PM – Panel on security for Xbox Live- Stephen Toulouse, Director of Policy and Enforcement for Xbox LIVE, location not announced

2:30 PM – 3:30 PM – Game Journalism Panel – location not announced
Kyle Orland of Crispy Gamer, Gus Mastrapa (Wired, Crispy Gamer, The Onion AV Club, Past, X-Play, Edge), Susan Arendt of The Escapist, Chris Grant of Joystiq (Editor in Chief), Lev Grossman of Techland and Time Magazine SOURCE

More Announcements, not yet dated/timed/located:

• day/time not announced – Bringing Up the Next Generation of Geeks – location not announced
  • (Dave Banks, Natania Barron, John Booth, Doug Cornelius, Michael Harrison, and Corrina Lawson) SOURCE
• Music acts:
  • Anamanaguchi
  • Jonathan Coulton
  • MC Frontalot
  • Metroid Metal
  • Paul and Storm
  • Protomen
  • The Video Game Orchestra
• Exhibitors:
  • 2K Games
  • Dell
  • EA
  • Harmonix
  • Microsoft
  • Nintendo
  • NVIDIA
  • Rockstar Games
  • Sega
  • Ska Studios
  • The Behemoth
  • Turbine
  • Twisted Pixel Games
  • Ubisoft
  • Wizards of the Coast SOURCE

Did you get your 3-day pass for PAX East before they sold out this week?  If not, there are still a few single day badges left.  Are you wondering who is going to PAX East?  Go here for a partial list.  Are you wondering what events are going to be at PAX East?  Go here for the up-to-the minute unofficial schedule.

Are you interested in what games are expected to be demoed (and possibly playable) at PAX East?  Now we have a possible list that has been posted on the PAX East forums.  Sure, it’s rumormill at this point, but I’d put it in the very probable category.

The games are listed in order of current release date. Soonest at the top. SOURCE

• 2K Games:
  • Mafia II
  • Spec Ops: The Line
• EA
  • APB
  • Battlefield: Bad Company 2
  • Dante’s Inferno: Trials of St Lucia
  • Skate 3
  • Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11
  • Medal of Honor
  • Crysis 2
  • Dead Space 2
• Harmonix

  • Green Day: Rock Band

• Microsoft
  • Super Street Fighter IV
  • Lost Planet 2
  • Alan Wake
  • Dead Rising 2
  • Fable III
  • Halo Reach
  • Micorsoft Game Room
  • Natal
• Nintendo
  • WarioWare D.I.Y.
  • Monster Hunter Tri
  • Super Meat Boy
  • Sin and Punishment 2
  • Metroid: Other M
  • Epic Mickey
• NVIDIA
  • Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2
  • Dark Void
  • Resident Evil 5
  • Alan Wake
  • Crysis 2
• Rockstar Games
  • GTA IV: The Lost and Damned (PS3)
  • GTA IV: The Ballad of Gay Tony (PS3)
  • Red Dead Redemption
  • Max Payne 3
  • Agent
• Sega
  • Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Rise From the Ashes
  • Mega Man 10
  • Yakuza 3
  • Iron Man 2
  • Valkyria Chronicles 2
  • After Burner Climax
  • Alpha Protocol
  • Resonance of Fate
• The Behemoth
  • BattleBlock Theater
• Turbine
  • Turbine Next-Gen MMO Project
• Twisted Pixel Games
  • Comic Jumper: The Adventures of Captain Smiley
• Ubisoft
  • Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon 4
  • Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Conviction
  • Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands
  • Tom Clancy’s HAWX
• Wizards of the Coast
  • NEW! Dungeons and Dragons on Microsoft Surface!!

The question “What Is PAX East?” can be summed up in a paragraph on the creators website:

PAX East is a three-day game festival for tabletop, videogame, and PC gamers. We call it a festival because in addition to dedicated tournaments and freeplay areas we’ve got nerdcore concerts, panel discussions, and an exhibitor hall filled with booths displaying the latest from top game publishers and developers. Even with all this amazing content the best part of PAX East is hanging out with other people who know their shit when it comes to games.

If that doesn’t give you a clear enough picture, then go here for a video overview. WARNING: That video is NSFW.

The weekend of March 26-28 twenty-ten, will have downtown Boston overrun with tens of thousands of gaming geeks. More than 22,000 60,000 tickets have already been sold with the entire event expected to sell sold out during February. So, if you will be in the Boston area the last weekend of March, and want to see what the fuss is all about, get over to www.paxsite.com now and buy some tickets (3-day passes are all gone, only single days for Friday and Sunday remain).

Who will be there is an interesting question. There will be some gaming famous people, some well known gaming competitive types, some game developers, gaming journalists, related musicians, and unknown enthusiasts like myself.

To give you a sense of people and events I have confirmed, I’ll post some people on Twitter and their relationship to the event. Some details are below, or you can follow my Twitter list (http://twitter.com/MyGGGo/paxeast) to get a more intimate view of who’s who in the PAX zoo.

@MyGGGo – That’s me! I run this blog, play lot’s of Rock Band (and a few other games), and mess with gadgets in my spare time. I’ll be at PAX East because it’s cheap, close to home, and a great way to blow off an entire weekend doing something that interests me.
@majornelson – Larry is the face of Xbox Live. You see him on Inside Xbox videos, he hosts the weekly Major Nelson podcast, and is a spokesman for all things Xbox. Yes, he is an employee of Microsoft.
@thevowel – e, or Eric, also a Microsoft employee, co-hosts the Major Nelson podcast. He works on the network behind Xbox Live. Based in WA, the Xbox team will be flying into MA for the weekend.
@Stepto – Again, another Microsofter from WA. Stephen is the Director of Policy Enforcement for Xbox Live. He is the guy who heads up the team that shuts down cheaters, and overall bad people on Xbox Live. He will be leading a talk at PAX East.
@XanderSliwinski – Alexander is a gaming journalist from the Boston area for www.joystiq.com. His focus is on Xbox 360 games and co-hosts The Xbox 360 Fancast (a weekly Joystiq podcast about Xbox 360 news and banter).
@HMXCasey – Casey a game designer at Harmonix, the company based in Cambridge, MA known for all the Rock Band goodness we write about here.
@RockBandAide – Tommy is the person behind the “unofficial” all things Rock Band web site and Twitter account. He’s traveling to MA for the event.
@RG_Studios – Rock Gamer Studios, is a team of Rock Band lovers that have started one of the Rock Band Network authoring companies. Much of the team will be traveling from NY and PA for the event. This team also hosts a weekly Rock Band event at a pub in NYC. Members of the team include @SaikoSakura, @S1ckH4nds, and @smeeguel.
@WCG_Prod1gy_X – Robert is a professional gamer, who landed in 2nd place on the reality TV show Ultimate Gamer. He will likely be participating in any gaming event in (and around) PAX East.
@ElectraFi – Tiffany is a gamer who leads up some online gaming clans in first person shooters, and does some design/development work too. She’s trekking up the East Coast for this.
NEW! @wilw – Famed actor and gaming geek. Leading the kick off session for PAX East, as he has done for previous events.
NEW! @lauralollipop – Developer on the Xbox Live team, also a co-host of Major Nelson radio.
NEW! @mc_frontalot – The epitope of white nerdcore hip-hop.  Has a couple songs in Rock Band DLC, and will be playing live at PAX East.

Also, I’d expect CONFIRMED a much larger Harmonix presence at PAX East. I’d guess that CONFIRMED we will get to see (possibly play) Green Day Rock Band too. I don’t expect a Rock Band 3 announcement though.
As far as musicians, I wouldn’t be shocked to see CONFIRMED the likes of Johnathan Coulton, MC Frontalot, and some of the Harmonix bands show up to play the event. There is an orchestra known for some of the popular game scores too expected.

If you are not on this list (and want to be uberfamous), leave me a comment or a Tweet and I will update it.

From Joystiq:

by Alexander Sliwinski { Dec 10th 2009 at 12:37PM }

MTV Games has confirmed to Joystiq that 39 positions at developer Harmonix were eliminated today. The move was part of a restructuring to “better align [the] staffing to best suit [Harmonix's] product development plans and schedules moving forward.” The publisher claims that “those affected were primarily in QA. The others affected ranged from administrative to other various roles within the company.” At least one staff designer seems to have fallen under the “other” category.

Although Electronic Arts has a partnership with Harmonix, these layoffs are “totally and completely unrelated” to EA’s issues.

Ok, so the long rumored merch tie-ins to Rock Band are now official.  From our friends at IGN:

MTV Games and Harmonix have announced a new merchandise store at Rockband.com where Rock Band 2 players can create customized merchandise that features their in-game characters and bands.

Here’s the pricing breakdown on the custom merch, in US dollars:

Bandmate figurine (6″ in height): $69
T-shirt: $29
Poster: $14
Stickers (sheet of 6): $5
Bumper Sticker: $4
Key Chain: $3
Button: $2

I must admit, I’ll probably fall victim to this side of the Rock Band universe.  Am I the only one?

Engadget is reporting that the standalone instruments are going to be offered much sooner than originally thought.  Pricing looks to be around the amounts expected.

Anyone in or do you a) already have your necessary instruments; or b) feel strange continuing to buy varying versions of plastic instruments?

“Previously, the ship dates for Rock Band 2 instruments ranged from “sometime within the next few months” to “sometime.” Now, however, we’re hearing that the standalone wireless drums ($90) and guitar ($70) will begin to ship out next week (at least for the Xbox 360). Additionally, Mad Catz’s Fender P-Bass wireless guitar controller ($70) and the wired ION Drum Rocker set ($300) should clutter up floor space around the same time. RB2 party to celebrate the Q3 close? Sign us up.”

This really hurts since Cambridge is only 30 minutes from home….but I have to be Mr. Mom tonight with the kids.  Please, if you are in the area, go for me…if not for yourself.

HMXDungHeaver

Rock Band 2 Tonight at River Gods in Cambridge!

For me, the guys at Harmonix have been on a roll for three weeks straight.  The DLC has been good, if not great, in my opinion.  And it is continuing again this week.

Let’s recap, two weeks ago we got System Of A Down (SOAD) and a 2nd edition of Crue Fest tracks.  I picked up the SOAD stuff, and am loving it.  They are one of my favorite bands in recent years.  Last week, we got a heavy metal pack by RoadRunner records, containing the likes of Dream Theater, Megadeth, Killswitch Engage, and more.  I picked up the Dream Theater track, and OMG it is freakin’ hard on drums.  I’ve only played it once, and failed on hard.  I will be working on that one over the next few days.  BTW, Dream Theater is in my top 10 favorite band list of all time.

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Now, to this week.  Five new tracks to be released, by three bands new to Rock Band.  Reviews are calling it a “new wave” pack of singles, but I’m just calling it awesome.  Duran Duran, Devo, and the Janitors show up on Rock Band DLC this week.  Now, see a recent post on my love/thoughts of Duran Duran making into RB2.  We get Girls On Film and Rio from “double” Duran this week (two of my favorite Duran songs… and an old band of mine used to jam Rio during practices).  The Devo stuff doesn’t include the famed Whip It, so I will give it a listen to determine what I think.  The Janitors is new to me, so I will give them a listed too on Tuesday.

• “Girl U Want” by Devo – 160
• “Through Being Cool” by Devo – 160
• “Girls on Film” by Duran Duran – 160
• “Rio” by Duran Duran – 160
• “Get Your Rock On” by The Janitors – 80

Three weeks in a row of some of my favorite bands/songs (SOAD, Dream Theater, and Duran Duran), equals me needing more MS points.  I’m loving this!

Let me think for a second, what would I love to see in future weeks?   Hmmm.

• Dream Theater (6:00, Metropolis)
• Dave Matthews Band (Too Much, So Much To Say, or something from a live album)
• Guns N’ Roses (You’re Crazy, It’s So Easy, Double Talkin’ Jive, Pretty Tied Up)
• Skid Row (Slave to the Grind)
• Green Day (American Idiot entire album)

What about you?  Will you be buying this week?  Are you still bitter and holding out for Nevermind, or hoping for something else in the near future?