When I was younger, I remember one of the best times of the year was when the Consumer Electronics Show was going on and top notch publications like Nintendo Power would bring me news about what was in store for my video game future.  Then later on down the road E3 came about, and there was even more news.  Once the internet was in full swing, then it became the best week of the year.  Now we have streaming press conferences, game play videos and even daily podcasts recapping what went on each day of the show.  Of course one thing that is missing from this wonderful line up is that we non-journalist folk don't get any hands on time with these games.  Until PAX came around, that is.

Now I'll admit, I never went to PAX until their Boston incarnation this year, and when I went I was a little bummed at first.  I ran into the expo hall right away and saw pretty much nothing I had interest in.  Yes, I know there were plenty of indie titles there too, but let's be honest, when you're dropping around a grand on a trip, you hope to see some of the big guns out.  

It didn't take me long to appreciate what the show was really about:  the culture.  I was quite alright with that, too, because to me, that is the best part of gaming.  I have advocated before on this site that there should be more writing about the culture of gaming rather than just regurgitating press releases and having people tell us what they think about new games.

Going into PAX Prime, though, I still expected a mini-E3, and I got way more than that.  According to some of our friends lucky enough to get into the LA Convention Center this year, publishers like Disney just used the same displays they had at the big show for PAX.  

So you'd expect that those same friends, mostly journalists, would be happy that common folk like me finally get closer to their dream of going to an E3 than they ever have before, right?  Nope.

There wasn't a single panel that I attended where someone didn't mention that they "feared" for the future of PAX.  Then I got home and some of the crews on podcasts I listen to had the same feelings.  Sites started putting up editorials about the "commercialization" of PAX.  My mature response to all of you:  shut up!

This is what those of us who stared at tiny pictures of CES back in Nintendo Power have been waiting their entire lives for, the simple privilege of playing a game before it comes out.  This isn't hurting PAX at all.  It's still the same atmosphere that the smaller PAX East had, but with a mini-E3 thrown down in the middle of it.  The indie games are still there, the bands are still there, the Magic matches and D&D tables are all set up.  This isn't the end of PAX, it's just the beginning.  

Don't complain about lines, if we didn't want to wait, we wouldn't.  Don't complain about the lack of crowds around indie titles, if we want to see one, we'll go to it.  

In fact, if it bothers you that much, just don't go.  Let's make it a real community event, and we'll cover it for you instead.