This week in gaming: PAX East 2015

Thursday, March 12th, 2015

Welcome back to another issue of “This week in gaming.” As you may have noticed we weren’t around last week, and there was a good reason for that. Some of us were a little busy getting ready for PAX East 2015.

I’ve been going to PAX East since the first time it came to Boston in 2011. If you weren’t there for the first year, it was actually held at the Hynes Convention Center located on Boylston St. in Boston. If you complain about the limited space on the exhibit floor now, it was crazy back then when the convention was at the Hynes.

There also wasn’t much of a tabletop area as well. With the exception of the exhibit hall, it seemed like everything was jumbled. The year it was announced that everything was being moved to the BCEC was a great welcome. The first year at the BCEC was also first year that Battleground had gone as a vendor and has been there ever since; each year getting bigger and bigger.

If you’ve never been to one of these events before, then I highly recommend it. From 10AM – 6PM you can browse some of the major AAA titles that have already come out or a slated to come out. Afterwards, as a thank you, the company will give you some free swag in the form of a T-shirt, stickers, or even another game. Sure, 10AM – 6PM doesn’t seem like a lot of time, but have no fear. From the exhibition hall to the tabletop area, this place doesn’t close until midnight. So learn a new game or play one you’ve always loved.

This was my third year doing media coverage. The past few years I had been so busy for me conducting interviews and other activities that I had become too busy to stick my face in the tabletop area. However, I was lucky enough to keep a light schedule. I got to learn a few games I’ve been wanting to learn and hang out with the BG crew most of the weekend. One of those games I learned was Splendor. First thing, don’t be fooled by the look of this game. It looks pretty simple, but there is quite a bit of thinking involved in the game. Additionally, the mechanics of the game randomize it to the point that each game will be a little different – so different that there is no set strategy.

There is probably some bias in this statement, but one of the best sights at PAX East has to be the Arena that Battleground Games breaks out for this special occasion. It was so popular one year that it made it’s way into Penny Arcade’s own gaming publication. What makes it so popular, besides the sight of the Arena, has the to be those who host the games throughout the day and night. It’s completely free to enter. You can participate by either using one of the beginner level figures or purchasing a Dungeons and Dragons booster pack and using one of the figures you pull from the box.

I feel that this year’s PAX East was one of the most successful years for the store. Although, ultimately, you’ll have to ask Derek that question. Still, you can’t deny that there were a lot of people (probably the most I have seen in all of the years Battleground Games has been there) demoing games from the time the doors opened up until the enforcers reminded you that there was only 30 minutes left remaining in the tabletop area. If you still haven’t been to one of these yet, what are you waiting for? You’re lucky that the convention has committed itself to Boston until 2023, so there is plenty of time. Until then enjoy some photos that were taken at the convention. Hope to see you all there next year!

About the author

Simeon is now the Community Manager for Battleground Games & Hobbies. If you have any questions or inquiries, then you can reach him at Sims@battlegroundgames.com. He is also an avid gamer who loves to play board games and video games. He graduated college with a degree in Political Science, and now serves the public by writing about games. You can check that out here. Don’t forget to “like” him on Facebook as well. It’ll update you on all of his newest content. Best of all, you can follow Simeon on Twitter (@SimeonCortezano) for some real time hilarity. Thanks for reading!

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Tags: pax east, PAX East 2015, Simeon Cortezano
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