PAX forum/invited guest

[+Andrew Davie]

I have been invited to be a guest 'celebrity' / panelist / speaker at a PAX event coming up soon. In relation to perhaps "the worst game ever written". A personal nightmare and one which caused me no end of grief embarrassment and stress over the years. I'm hoping to put a demon to bed and put the whole thing behind me - a healing of sorts - perhaps if people knew the story then I'd have sympathy and understanding. But I know nothing about PAX - nothing at all - nor how these panel sessions actually go. I thought I'd ask if anyone has been on one of these events and would have any advice. I don't want to be a sacrificial lamb to the slaughter and the insider joke.

[Metal Jesus]

I have had my own panels at different gaming expos for a couple years now, and I was part of a Pax Prime expo a few years ago. PAX Prime is a 4 day event in Seattle and my panel was at NOON on a Sunday (day 3) and I was certain that nobody would show up! It's during lunch...it's the 3rd day...

 

 

 

....we had tons of people. I was shocked.

 

People lined up afterwards to chat with me personally, high five, etc.. It was awesome. You'll have a great time!

[omegadot]

For the uninitiated that's a post that really provokes curiosity...

 

For what it's worth, I've never attended a PAX event but I've followed the coverage and my coworker has been a few times. My understanding is that they are pretty upbeat events. I've never seen anything out of those guys that seemed to be cruel like that.

[StopDrop&Retro]

I've attended three PAX expos and I think a panel could be really cool if you want to do it. But if it's your first time out you might want to go in with a partner. Last year at PAX South I went to a panel where there was a guy who was talking about the process of writing FAQs for GameFAQs. He told us it was his first panel ever and you could tell he was a little nervous but the panel was pretty interesting to me. I could tell others were losing interest and a few people left in the middle of the presentation. It just seems like it was a difficult subject because he had a hard time connecting it to the audience. In other words- his presentation was sort of like a day-in-the-life-of a GameFAQs writer but not really a guide to help others get into it or how you should approach write one. Not having a partner to have some banter during the talk probably hurt as well, I can imagine if he at least had someone there to lean on and get a little bit of stage input it would have kept things interesting and relax him a bit. One of the highlights was when he went into how he was writing strategy guides for games before the internet even existed and he brought some examples to show us what they looked like back when everything was typewritten out and literally cut (with scissors) copy (with Xerox) and pasted (with glue) together, that was really cool to see and hear from a first hand source you can't really get anywhere else.

 

I could tell he got a little distracted by people leaving in the middle and I can see why, but he really shouldn't have. I had to leave a few minutes early during his Q&A because I wanted to get in line early for another panel that was coming up, I wish I could have stayed and meant no offense by it.

 

You probably have something cool to talk about so I say go for it. But make sure you have a plan, that you're comfortable, and that you have fun stories and cool things to show and tell. But you should take a partner if they let you so you can keep things lively, IMO.

[RARusk]

I've attended three PAX expos and I think a panel could be really cool if you want to do it. But if it's your first time out you might want to go in with a partner. Last year at PAX South I went to a panel where there was a guy who was talking about the process of writing FAQs for GameFAQs. He told us it was his first panel ever and you could tell he was a little nervous but the panel was pretty interesting to me. I could tell others were losing interest and a few people left in the middle of the presentation. It just seems like it was a difficult subject because he had a hard time connecting it to the audience. In other words- his presentation was sort of like a day-in-the-life-of a GameFAQs writer but not really a guide to help others get into it or how you should approach write one. Not having a partner to have some banter during the talk probably hurt as well, I can imagine if he at least had someone there to lean on and get a little bit of stage input it would have kept things interesting and relax him a bit. One of the highlights was when he went into how he was writing strategy guides for games before the internet even existed and he brought some examples to show us what they looked like back when everything was typewritten out and literally cut (with scissors) copy (with Xerox) and pasted (with glue) together, that was really cool to see and hear from a first hand source you can't really get anywhere else.

 

I could tell he got a little distracted by people leaving in the middle and I can see why, but he really shouldn't have. I had to leave a few minutes early during his Q&A because I wanted to get in line early for another panel that was coming up, I wish I could have stayed and meant no offense by it.

 

You probably have something cool to talk about so I say go for it. But make sure you have a plan, that you're comfortable, and that you have fun stories and cool things to show and tell. But you should take a partner if they let you so you can keep things lively, IMO.

Wow.....you're one of the few people that attended that panel. And the first to give some detailed criticism that I can learn from. As stated it was my very first panel. However, I had asked around GFAQs to see if any others had done something similar and all I got was blank stares so I had to "blaze a trail" so to speak. I knew it wasn't going to be prefect but I felt I did okay for a first timer despite some of defections. Unfortunately, I did not get much in the way of "reviews" to see where I did right and wrong and to learn from it. But I got just enough to make some tweaks for a second panel I did for RTX later that year (if you thought my panel crowd was small for PAX I only had three people show up for my RTX panel). I wasn't able to do a panel at PAX South 2016 because they declined my application. But there was a new group that formed out of one of the panels there that I have now affiliated myself with - the Greater Gaming Society of San Antonio. They've been working closely with PAX South for stuff for next year and hopefully I can get to do another panel through them. As for partners, there was a second panel I submitted that was also declined that involved Godzilla in gaming and that was going to involve me and a comic book artist (the panel was his idea btw). If things go right later in the year I may get to do both panels for '17.

[StopDrop&Retro]

NO WAY!!! That was you!!?

 

Yeah, like I said, I did enjoy your panel. Especially the pre-internet stuff. I started gaming with the C64 and NES but once I was old enough to start taking gaming seriously and wanted to fully explore and complete games the internet had already arrived in classrooms. So my friends and I would finish our work early and use the rest of the time to look up strategy guides. Therefore I've never really experienced gaming in the pre-internet era, it's always just been there when I needed it. Because of that (and maybe because I'm just a history nut) I love hearing about how things we take for granted today were done in the pre/early internet era. It's endlessly fascinating to me. Because of the age demographic I see at PAX expos I would hope others share my experience and interest in that stuff.

 

That also leads to some advice to give to the OP. We don't have a lot of details but I'm sure that you being on a classic gaming forum and being invited to speak might have something in common. So if you're going to talk about classic gaming stuff and you were active in the pre-internet era, then I'm sure there's some interesting stories to tell about what was going on back then.

 

Oh and back to RARusk, I would have TOTALLY gone to that Godzilla panel. I'm a huge fan and I hope the powers that be grant your application some time in the future.

[EdwardK]

Andrew, If you handle it a bit like an interview of you that I read (which mentioned the game that shall remain nameless ) I'm sure you'll do fine.

 

Also for what it's worth, a friend and I rented the game when we were young, and thought it was odd, but didn't think it was the worst we played. We did however think part of the problem was us not having the right controller (We were 5, we didn't know any better).

 

All joking aside though, I think the flack the game catches on the net is a bit undeserving, especially considering the details you mentioned in the interview I read. I think you giving them the back story should go over decently well, and I seriously doubt anyone will say anything negative on the subject, unless it's a hilarious joke they've been sitting on since the 90's.

[RARusk]

I have been invited to be a guest 'celebrity' / panelist / speaker at a PAX event coming up soon. In relation to perhaps "the worst game ever written". A personal nightmare and one which caused me no end of grief embarrassment and stress over the years. I'm hoping to put a demon to bed and put the whole thing behind me - a healing of sorts - perhaps if people knew the story then I'd have sympathy and understanding. But I know nothing about PAX - nothing at all - nor how these panel sessions actually go. I thought I'd ask if anyone has been on one of these events and would have any advice. I don't want to be a sacrificial lamb to the slaughter and the insider joke.

Which game is this by the way?

[+Andrew Davie]

Thanks all. I did not get a notification on replies, so have only just seen this.

The game is... the game that shall remain nameless!

 

I am to talk for about 15 minutes. I'm going to give a history of the game, why it is as it was, why it brings back bad memories.

But I'm going to take ownership of it, and hopefully out of that I can get some serenity. I also plan to have a WHOLE BOTTLE OF WINE with me, which I shall proceed to drink during my talk. I am not big on speaking in front of audiences.

 

What I thought I'd do, though, is focus on some interesting points - like, for example, the internals of the sprite system and why, actually, it's pretty cool. I'm planning to recreate the optimisation tool that minimised the number of sprites used to overlap an arbitrarily sized matrix, and show that in action. That should be cool.

 

Finally, I'll include some of the feedback that I've gotten from "my fans", including the following....

 

"I hope you have suffered in life because i have suffered hundreds of hours of yours shit turd Games. Andrew fuck you!””

 

And, lastly, I will I think be donating my own personal copy of the game to an auction for charity which I will, depending on the winner's desire

 

a) smash with a hammer while onstage, and hopefully exorcise the memory, or

b) sign and give to the winner.

[carlsson]

It seems that hate on the Internet is not limited to major celebrities and teenage girls with their own blog or Instagram feed, everyone have a chance to get a slew of it.

 

Anyway, your game is not even listed on Wikipedia among the "list of video games notable for negative reception" as they put it. I went through another 4-5 lists of top 10/30/100 worst games. Yours is present on ONE of those lists, which at its extreme might make it the 250th "worst" game through time.

 

Now if your claim of fame had been the infamous E.T. for the 2600 or for that matter Superman for the Nintendo 64, you would've had far more "blood on your hands".

[timtoon]

This wouldn't happen to be PAXAus, would it?

[+Andrew Davie]

This wouldn't happen to be PAXAus, would it?

 

Yes. I accepted invitation and will be presenting in a week or so. Working on what I'm going to say/show now!

[timtoon]

Very cool. I'm attending and will look forward to your presentation!

[+Andrew Davie]

Presentation went well! I wasn't nearly as nervous as I thought I would be, and the audience (about 200) laughed in all the right places

[+Gemintronic]

I hope this presentation is recorded somewhere. Whether a game is lauded or slammed hearing about the techniques and ingenuity in its making is always great!

[+Andrew Davie]

I hope this presentation is recorded somewhere. Whether a game is lauded or slammed hearing about the techniques and ingenuity in its making is always great!

 

It wasn't formally recorded, no. However, I'm aware one of the audience did do a phone-recording of the thing, and I'll be trying to track him down. He came to talk to me afterwards (Richard) and asked if I might be interested in doing some stuff with him. I know he lives near me, but don't have his contact details. So, fingers crossed.

[+Andrew Davie]

Finally, someone has put up a recording of my presentation. Here it is - I start around the 17 minute mark.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kh1drqSLzPM

[RARusk]

Well, PAX South is this weekend but, unfortunately, my panels were declined again. I hope to get some behind the scenes info from the new group I am affiliated with (which has a booth at the con). Can't wait to see what they do with new convention space this year.

[RARusk]

I will be doing another FAQ Writing panel at San Japan (anime/gaming convention) this weekend. It will be held in Room 210 at the Convention Center on Saturday at 10 AM when the con opens. Unfortunately, I was not able to submit the Godzilla in gaming panel because Matt is doing another con in another state the same weekend. I will do another round of PAX South submissions when the window opens later in the year.

[StopDrop&Retro]

YES!! I would totally attend your Godzilla in gaming panel if it gets approved for PAX South!

 

This year was noticeably smaller than last year's so while that isn't good news for PAX South as a whole, I figure it might improve the chances of these offbeat panels getting approved. I always plan around the panels and I'll be sure to look out for yours. Best of luck.

[RARusk]

There's also the new and much larger convention space too and I hope they open up more of the new rooms this go round.

[RARusk]

Day one of San Japan is done and I got my panelist ribbon and instructions on what to do tomorrow since I will need to set up before the con opens.

[StopDrop&Retro]

Good luck! Tell us where to find it if someone records it.

[RARusk]

San Japan X is now complete. As for my panel I only had one person show up, similar to what happened to me at RTX. But he stayed the whole way through, asked good questions, and talked outside afterwards. But, you know what? That's okay. That was better than having no one show up or have a room full of disinterested people. So, no complaints there. Besides, I can now say that I have done panels at three major cons in the South Texas region. As for the con itself, there was a very good turnout despite the recent hurricane and gas shortage crisis. Being that this is a major anime con (in addition to gaming) there is a whole lot more cosplay - about three quarters of everybody I saw were doing some form of it.

[RARusk]

Got word from PAX South tonight. Finally, after three tries, the Godzilla in gaming panel is on! It will be on January 13th at 4:00 PM at the Bobcat Theater. Now things get interesting.