PAX is not the new E3. E3 failed. If someone else wants to be the new E3 they are welcome to it. They can even set up shop in the carcass of the giant and claim his power, but E3 is dead and it died for a reason. If I were them I wouldn't be in such a hurry to stuff myself in that coffin, and I certainly wouldn't boast about it.
One of the biggest events at PAX is the Omegathon. Over the course of three days, twenty random contestants compete in six gaming events. These competitions cover everything from tabletop gaming to the latest "next gen" consoles. In every round contestants will be eliminated until we are left with only two. Then, on the last night of the convention these champions battle each other in front of thousands of cheering attendees. In the past the winner of the Omegathon has received massive collections of hardware and games worth thousands of dollars.
This year the winner will get an Xbox 360.
and a brand new 2006 Scion to play it in!
We literally doubled the price of the car with all the extras we tacked on.
It will be on display in the wireless lounge at PAX.
That’s a 15” flip down screen with a built in DVD player hooked up to an Xbox 360.
But who are the lucky twenty gamers with a chance to drive this baby home? I give you your PAX 2006 Omeganaughts:
Will Garroutte
Jonathon Whooley
Rob Pimentel
John Heistuman
J Warrington
Mike Rose
Ruston Van Lue
Matthew Forrest
Anna Kindelan-Taylor
Brent Robinson
Zach Cullen
Scott Bruce
Andria Schwortz
Aaron Gaguine
Lisa Pellerin
Kyle Spradling
Sam Robnson
David Davis
Brad Porter
Adam Balaz
The final round of the Omegathon is always a secret. No one will know the mystery game until it's revealed on stage during the last match. However the road to the final round is something we can discuss. These are the games in the order they will be played:
Round 1 - Dice Land
Round 2 - Geometry Wars
Round 3 - Quake II
Round 4 - Guitar Hero
Round 5 - Mario Kart DS
Round 6 - **TOP SECRET**
Another event you wont want to miss at PAX this year is the very first Penny Arcade panel. As usual we'll field questions from the audience for about and hour but then we have a surprise. At the end of our first Q&A we will make a huge announcement. If you're in the audience you'll be the first to hear what's next for Penny Arcade. Trust me, if you're a PA fan this announcement will kick your ass.
One final bit of PAX related news. DJ Mike Realm has decided to pull out of the show. He wouldn't tell us why but I'm sure he has important DJ business to take care of. I was disappointed for a split second until I realized it just means one of our other incredible bands gets to play longer. Don't think about it as losing a DJ, think about it as gaining more Minibosses.
-Gabe out
