Following in the footsteps of the DC FanDome announcement, PAX, or Penny Arcade Expo, piped up about their own online gaming festival that will be free for all to access. The convention houses multiple offshoots: PAX East, South, and West, but all cardinal directions will come together for one digital gaming event.
PAX’s central draw was the showcases that they hosted in 2019, including the highly-anticipated Cyberpunk 2077. The same game demo was previewed at E3 of that same year and had caused plenty of excitement after Keanu Reeves made his appearance at the convention.
In order to enforce social distancing, PAX 2020 will present its gaming exhibition as a free, public event that can be attended through their website. For those who had plans to attend the convention, its panels, and of course, taking home some merchandise to commemorate the event, PAX makes that a possibility. Digital content will be streamed “nonstop and each day,” and will sell convention memorabilia through their online shop.
Those who choose to tune in will still be able to virtually demo the games and experience gameplay from the comfort of their homes. PAX aims to render downloadable content in place of physical gaming spaces. In addition to trying out new games, online tournaments will be offered, as well as interactive chats, to specific community forums.
Game developers rely heavily on video game conferences such as PAX West 2020 to allow feedback from their fanbases. Fans will be able to get the most of the hands-on experience vicariously as physical events are set to the wayside, in hopes that interactive online spaces can mitigate the loss of in-person events.
Story by: Annie Banks
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