Part I in a series on the "heart" of the Penny Arcade Expo
There's something inherently magically about being in a place with thousands upon thousands of like minded souls. While waiting in line (which I have and will be doing a lot of) I met a guy from Boston here to get his hands on the latest games, a Mom from North Carolina here with her son and interested in the PAX panels on Women in Gaming and Gaming in Culture, and a pair of guys dressed up as ODST troopers who have just come to revel in the atmosphere. People probably as different in politics, values, and origins as you could get, but all brought together under the same banner: gaming.
People here just click. It's like we're all part of the same secret club and anyone who's a member is friend. Pundits and politicians have talked about the woes of gaming and the kinds of antisocial tendencies it promotes. Today, already I've seen timid-looking junior high school kids step up to a microphone and ask questions in front of an audience of ten thousand. PAX is living proof that gaming and gaming culture can bring out the best in people and awaken confidence in those whom pop-media have branded the "awkward outcasts of society." Maybe they should send some cameras here and see the real story rather than letting us become talking points during the next act of youth gun violence.
There's something I like to call "spontaneous smile syndrome" that goes on with the people at PAX. You can be waiting in line to play a game or attend a panel, meet someone's eye and you both smile. In asn instant you both non-verbally express the same idea. "I'm so glad I'm gamer and so glad I'm here." The underlining current of giddy joy and game culture love is palpable and contagious. If you've never experienced a moment like this, it's hard to give it justice, but it's impossible to forget that feeling.
It's hard to put into words the joy of attending PAX. The closest thing I could even attempt to relate it to is like being in the rowdy fan section at some major sporting event. It's a social high and I'll know is every time I walk into the Seattle Convention Center I have the exact same thought:
"These are my people."
Stay tuned for more.