Maybe you've heard of this Penny Arcade Expo thing. It's kind of a big deal. In fact, people won't stop talking about it. Every site, Pax Pax Pax. Every Cblog, Pax Pax Pax. Every condom machine at the gas station, Pax Pax Pax. It's a big, big deal. Well, you would think so considering how much it would cost for me to go.

I live in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois. Nice community and I love it. Volition is based here and I even found a job in my field here (although not at Volition). Grand total costs for me to go to PAX this year? Estimated $1400 without swag. Now, that's if I go alone. What if I could get others to join me? Then it still goes to around $900. Can I ask friends to join me for $900 each? One just bought a $1700 TV, the other just got back from a trip. And truthfully? I know much better things to spend $900 on.

So the question rises, what about Pax East? Same problem, different coast. That's actually a big problem really. Observe this map.


See the problem? The games industry and even it's fanbase really set up tents in certain locations. The concept being, of course, if you build it, they will come. It's a cute sentiment from an industry that wants our money. Instead, the more appropriate response is usually "If you build it, they'll say fuck it and stay at home playing Warhawk instead." Look at the cost estimate above for my trip to Pax. Do you realize, with that money, one COULD track down the entire domestic library of Dreamcast? It's true. Travel somewhere and visit with strangers who are likely not going to give three pigeon squirts about you a month later OR collect the entire Dreamcast library. Kinda of a no brainer, huh?

So until these functions start acknowledging the people who live outside the hotzones on the map above, I've just grown apathetic. So what are my plans for Pax? A case of Strongbow Cider, a copy of Dragon Valor, and a genuine notcaring on what I'm missing.