“Where are you going?” ~ David John Matthews, songwriter
With a fresh coat of white stuff on the ground, and a bevy of new games on display, the feeling is just right in jolly old New England for the annual Penny Arcade Expo East. This year, we have our young, talented writers running around the show floor actually working, while the old beige man will be spending the bulk of his time representing Destructoid on not one, not two, but four panels (listed below). If you have any questions, comments, or sassy criticisms for me, these panels are the place to make them happen.
As for parties, Laugh Boston’s 3-day event is at least one sure thing. I’m planning to be there tonight, as are a couple of the guys who do the music for Steven Universe, and a bunch of game developers that you may have heard of. Laugh Boston is located right in the convention center, by the hotel lobby, so if you’re bushed and floppy, it’s a good place to flop.
Some call me Boston’s favorite son. This weekend, I will make good on that name. Tell us where you’re going and what you’re doing at PAX East 2017, and I will do whatever it takes, within the confines of the law, to find you, and make you love me.
A Panel Moderated by AI
Friday, 3:30pm-4:30pm, Condor Theater
What if Microsoft Word’s “Clippy” and Max Headroom had a baby and it’s name was Krenshaw. And that AI baby ended up growing up inside a computer to one day moderate an interesting panel at PAX East 2017 with game devs, streamers and members of the games press. That’s what this panel is, it’s contents are completely created by Artificial Intelligence being named Krenshaw that will be joining us on stage in an engaging conversation about video games, live and whatever else it wants to speak about.
PANELISTS:
Will Brierly [Game Development (Soda Drinker Pro), Snowrunner], Jonathan Holmes [Writer (Destructoid), Destructoid], Vinny Sauce [Streamer (VineSauce), Vinesauce], Sean Baptiste [Game Development (Adult Swim), Adult Swim], Nick Murdy [Game Development (Harmonix), Harmonix]
Going Retro in 2017: The Challenges of Yesterday and Today
Saturday, 12:30pm-1:30pm, Arachnid Theater
What do we think of when someone in 2017 says “retro”? Square pixels, low-fi sound effects, and primary colors? We don’t often think of those things as a once unavoidable limitation. So where do modern tools come in when trying to recreate a retro experience? Lets go back to a time when the words “anti-aliasing” didn’t exist.
In this talk, developers discuss their design approach to their games, and how they balanced “going retro” with the advantages of today’s technology to achieve their vision.
PANELISTS:
Richard James Cook [Game Developer, Filmmaker, Gamestar Arts], Randy Greenback [Executive Producer – Friday the 13th: The Game, Gun Media], Mike Herbster [Level Designer – Shovel Knight, Yacht Club Games], Mark Essen [Developer – Nidhogg, Nidhogg 2, Messhof Games], Greg Johnson [Creative Director – Toejam and Earl, Human Nature Studios], Jonathan Holmes [former Editor in Chief – Destructoid, Destructoid.com]
Podcasting: From Amateur to Pro-Caster
Saturday, 8:00pm-9:00pm, Arachnid Theater
You have a lot to say about games, television, film, and nerd culture, but making the leap from occasional commenter to powerhouse podcaster is daunting! Learn how to continually push yourself to produce the best podcast, find your audience, produce your show, and learn when to switch it up! Serious advice mixes with hilarious tales from creators at Destructoid, TheSwitchCast, the Hadron Gospel Hour, and the PokeProblemsPodcast.
PANELISTS:
Malima Wolf [Host, PokeProblemsPodcast], Rydia Q Vielehr [Host, PokeProblemsPodcast], Jonathan Holmes [Writer / Host, Destructoid / Sup, Holmes?], Kevin Harrington [Actor, The Hadron Gospel Hour], KC Smithsen [Host, TheSwitchCast], Khamseng Varipath [Director, seng2kx Entertainment]
+1 to Journalism: Becoming a Better Writer
Sunday, 3:00pm-4:00pm, Bobcat Theater
What do you need to know to make it as a games journalist? What pitches do editors love to get, and what tropes have been done to death? Whether you’re helping consumers make informed purchasing decisions, unearthing the history of a franchise, or critiquing video games as art, you have to convey a lot of meaning in just a few words before the reader clicks away. Come hear veteran writers and editors share the best in games journalism and our own mistakes we’ve made along the way.
PANELISTS:
Susan Arendt [Executive Editor, GamesRadar+], Jonathan Holmes [Writer, Destructoid & Nintendo Force], Ken Gagne [Digital Content Developer, Gamebits], Alexander Sliwinski [COO, Bithell Games]
