September 2, 2008September 19, 2008

Here’s What I Learned From PAX …

Here’s what I learned from PAX: Gamers love their caffeine and sugar. And prizes.

Well over 125 of you showed up to our PAX PlayStation.Blog Meet-up last Saturday at Top Pot Donuts; making it a packed house and a big success. We quickly ran out of our allotment of 100 swag bags (with T-shirts and PS3 travel mugs), then raffled off copies of WipEout Pulse for PSP, vouchers for Bionic Commando: Rearmed for PSN (thanks, Capcom’s John D!), and a PSP Core System. Vince won the grand prize, a Limited Edition Grey Metal Gear Solid 4 PS3, following a thrilling final round of WipEout competition on PSP.

It was great meeting many of you for the first time, and seeing industry tastemakers from Joystiq, Sarcastic Gamer, Destructoid, Gamervision and Gamerscore Blog in person.

For those of you who weren’t able to make it, take a look at our pics, and the PS3 Fanboy gallery (Jem snapped the best hi-res donut pics). And YES, we’re planning on doing more of these, and not just on the West Coast.

Finally, if you’re ever in Seattle (or live there), don’t wait for us to return to try Top Pot Donuts – best I’ve ever had … ever.

Comments are closed.

68 Comments

12 Author Replies

THATPSPGUY
September 2, 2008 at 2:35 pm PDT

here’s another pic: http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb265/uzair21/pacman.jpg
TFHAppo
September 2, 2008 at 2:40 pm PDT

Hey, Jeff. I’m just curious. How come my post got deleted? I didn’t do anything to go off topic. I talked about how PAX is awesome and I told Camo that HOME was coming and that he shouldn’t worry.
- Jeff Rubenstein
  September 2, 2008 at 2:50 pm PDT
  
  The comments were quickly taking a way off topic direction, and I deleted the thread. Nothing personal, just cleaning up the comments as the majority of blog readers have asked us to do on a number of occasions.
MrCamo
September 2, 2008 at 2:43 pm PDT

I got the invite today for Home…. That is what i posted… 30 seconds till we get deleted again…
blingblong
September 2, 2008 at 2:47 pm PDT

@willacuz

My original post was not offensive, nor was it off topic, it just was not praising. On the contrary, there have been a few offensive posts directed toward mine…they remain. And well, deleting someones post, especially when they follow the rules, is well…offensive. Jeff, I so sorry, please dont delete me, please, oh god NO!
thegreatpablo
September 2, 2008 at 2:53 pm PDT

Jeff! Nice to have met you, I was close to having won that PS3, maybe next time.

Of course, leave it to the crazy gamer with the mario star shaved into his head to win the game. ;)

Keep up the good work and hope to see you next time.
TFHAppo
September 2, 2008 at 2:59 pm PDT

@Jeff: I see. That’s totally understandable.
krae_man
September 2, 2008 at 3:03 pm PDT

I dont believe your “we’re starting to crack down on off topic comments” expalantion.

You’ve specificly replied to off topic posts several times in the past. The subject of these ‘off topic’ posts was why they were deleted.

One answer to them would have ended it. But instead you decided to act in a completely unacceptable manor, and delete the posts.

You should be ashamed of yourself Jeff.
MrCamo
September 2, 2008 at 3:07 pm PDT

@Jeff, thanks for the clarification, i guess the monster post i set could have started a small frenzy… It is communication like this (and the way you deal with it) that counts. I appreciate that you did reply to my rant after being deleted.
- Jeff Rubenstein
  September 2, 2008 at 3:34 pm PDT
  
  It\’s cool, just trying to do what the readers ask… though it gets complicated when a lot of people are asking for conflicting things.
  
  I hope that you continue to comment on the Blog.
thingg
September 2, 2008 at 3:11 pm PDT

lol. It looks like jeff is officially “The Man.”

OT: Wow. 125 people? man I wish I could have been there, but it’d be waaaaay too expensive for me to go out there. (I live ~200 miles from New York City) I hope everyone who went had fun…
safil
September 2, 2008 at 3:27 pm PDT

What’s up Jeff? Glad to have you back! I wish we had a PAX event out here in the NYC area. Us east coasters need an event so that we can meet up with you and sony. Anyway, please don’t delete my post. We aren’t asking for a specific answer but instead, an estimate as to when you can give us an update as to what’s going on. Kind of like, ” there will be an announcement on Wed. afternoon concerning your questions on ___…” Nobody wants to get off topic but, there isn’t any other thread where you are answering questions. We all appreciate the hard work you do and believe me, nobody wishes you any ill will but, people are just tired of being told something and then the date comes and goes without a single response. It would just be easier to not get a date then to receive a date and not come thru! This is not your fault by no means but, since you are pretty much the spokesperson for Sony through this blog, we try to communicate with you so that you can communicate with the right people. We are and will be LOYAL SONY owners but, we think we deserve a lil better for sticking up for Sony and having patience! And what we deserve is just a lil common courtesy. Please don’t delete my post. I understand when someone goes off topic and on top of that, they use vulgar language and are not positive in anyway but, if you just answer us by giving us a date when we will here something (not when home is coming out) or what’s going on, then this problem will be pretty much swept under the rug. Again, my regards for doing an outstanding job and for putting up with our B.S.!!! I know if it was me, people would be getting banned and tortured, lol…
X1rtam
September 2, 2008 at 3:37 pm PDT

C’mon now, it’s not a “big success,” it’s a HUGE SUCCESS. :D If anybody here doesn’t get that, please go play Portal and then you’ll understand.
MrCamo
September 2, 2008 at 3:38 pm PDT

@PS Fanboy, yes we received them.
MrCamo
September 2, 2008 at 3:40 pm PDT

@Jeff, you couldn’t keep me away with a stick….
IceCold
September 2, 2008 at 4:02 pm PDT

Anyways, I’m so disappointed I didn’t get to meet the Blog members. But I did get to play LBP at PAX and talked to the guys over at http://www.theweeklyblend.com . I know they got eh opportunity to pick Jeff brain about some things.
izeyah
September 2, 2008 at 4:04 pm PDT

we showed up but just a little too late (damn bus) and missed the swag bags :(
FritoZ
September 2, 2008 at 5:21 pm PDT

please don’t delete this!

lol

glad you guys had a good time! ah, to have a job that allows you to travel, play games, and eat donuts..

Jeff, you have it made. Tell yourself this every time you have a crappy meeting with execs or awkward conference calls and you just want to tell your boss to take a hike..

plus you get to wield a mighty banhammer!

:)
MegaClank
September 2, 2008 at 7:38 pm PDT

So lucky to win a PS3!
LeonBlade
September 2, 2008 at 9:57 pm PDT

@Jeff

Damn it!
I wish I was there :(
Am I even old enough lol, I’m 17.

Anyway, any events in NY coming up at all?
Also, how was teh doughnuts? Better then cake?

Oh, and good job deleting all those spam comments, I HATE those people. You can just beat the crap out of them lol… nobody will care.
MidnightBlues
September 3, 2008 at 3:38 am PDT

Sorry but I am the one who has the top “pot” I got some FIRE!!

Novastrike patch?
fadet0black
September 3, 2008 at 9:44 am PDT

Congrats Vince you bum!
All those sleepless nights have finally paid off.
TwinsDad
September 3, 2008 at 9:48 am PDT

@BZKlint

Where you there? We actually joked about that with Keence who won the last round of Wipeout. Yea, you won a picture, get Jeff to sign it.

@THATPSPGUY

Madden Blue and GOW Red in almost equal numbers.

@ Everybody who wanted girls. The woman in a red t-shirt is the won that won the raffel for the PSP.

@Jeff
T-SHIRT???? I only got a travel mug in my PS3 bag, what was the t-shirt?
TwinsDad
September 3, 2008 at 9:59 am PDT

@LeonBlade

Pax has a low age limit for no adult. I saw several teenagers, maybe even under 13 with no adult. It’s is family friendly, Brian Crecente brought his kid on sunday (7). Teh panels I considered pg13+, mostly for cuss words. The exhibit hall, there was a few 17+ games, but I don’t recall if they enforce that.

And your lucky, PAX NYC is coming on or before 2010. You can now enjoy PAX in NYC if it works out.

Teh donuts were full of win. Best donut evar. I had the strawberry, and the choclate with chocolate. Wow.
rothbart
September 3, 2008 at 11:54 am PDT

I have to say, the DS to PSP ratio at PAX ’08 was MUCH nicer than PAX ’07. I saw hardly any PSP’s last year and I saw a LOT of them this year (even outside the PS Blog breakfast!)

Thanks Jeff for arranging the breakfast and getting us geeks to venture out of the two square block bubble we were in for PAX… the walk for the doughnuts was worth it! The PS swag was a nice bonus too! Man I sucked at Wipeout Pulse… *hangs head in shame*

At least I had fun trying! :)
Starstew
September 3, 2008 at 8:45 pm PDT

I just missed winning that PS3. Great match of WipEout though, we were neck-and-neck until the end. My heart was pounding. You can see the adrenaline coarsing through my hair in the foreground of the photo of the winner.
Kuraine
September 4, 2008 at 12:04 am PDT

Whoa! Now that’s amusing, checking out the blog here only to see a huge close-up of your hands. That’s my PSP front and to the left :) It was great meeting all the folks there! I was that redhead wandering around. Good times~
weeence
September 4, 2008 at 1:01 am PDT

@TLSBill
Thanks I had tons of fun playing with everyone. I have to appologize for not properly introducing myself. I was nervous about the tournament.

@thegreatpablo
hehe thanks, well I tried to make it a tradition to shave some thing in my head that was game related. I did the Mario invincible star back at PAX 06, lots of people thought it was a tattoo on my head by the way we made it.

@fadet0black
Thanks! Yeah I was too excited for the whole weekend in general that after winning everything else kind of fell at the waist side in comparison.

@TwinsDad
zedOMGWTFBBQ was what went through my head when I won that photo. JK for a second there I was that caught up in the moment that I did believe I won a picture of the PS3. :D It was early and I was still sleeping. So Much fun though, can’t wait for next year.

@Starstew
HAHA, how do you think I felt? I think my hairline went back about half an inch right after that.

@Jeff
Thanks again for the doughnuts and free swag. I Love my PS3 MGS 4 Ltd. Ed. Gun Metal Grey photo…. I forgot to get to you sign it actually :)

Can’t wait for Wipeout HD :) Maybe we’ll see some of you on PSP if I ever get time for it or Wipeout HD. Just look for “PSN: Weeence”
weeence
September 4, 2008 at 1:09 am PDT

What I’d also like to add is that it was great to see the huge turnout for the meet up at PAX. I wanted to apologize for not making rounds and meeting some of you if not all of you that came out. (my mood is set to cranky with out food in my stomach in the morning) Maybe we’ll game sometime soon. :) Take care all :)
Cathryn
September 4, 2008 at 6:05 pm PDT

I was amazed with the turn-out! It was awesome to get a chance to chat it up with fellow Playstation fans and PAX goers. I truly hope you do something like this again next year. I promise not to hide in the corner by the donuts most of the time..

And hey.. Thanks for the PSP! (oh, and the coffee mug too) ;)
M88ESIr
September 7, 2008 at 3:11 pm PDT

A good way to start a day at PAX. Thanks to all that represented Sony at the Blog meet & greet.

Is it to early to say whether the blog meet & greet will happen at the next PAX?
weeence
September 11, 2008 at 12:44 pm PDT

Sweet! The PS3 came in today :) Thanks again Jeff and the PS Blog PAX crew.

Hope to see you guys at PAX 2009!