Penny Arcade Expo doubles in size

First details for August celebration of all things gaming revealed; 30,000 expected to converge on downtown Seattle for the show; Freezepop and Jonathan Coulton to perform.

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Jerry Holkins (Tycho from Penny Arcade) talks about the new home of PAX.

Popular Web comic Penny Arcade has a number of spin-offs, from customizable card games to books to video games, but perhaps the most successful of its ancillary ventures has been the annual Penny Arcade Expo, or PAX. Developed as a celebration of all forms of gaming, from pen-and-paper role-playing games to the latest video game consoles, the convention has grown in size each year it has been held.

Today Penny Arcade revealed the first details of the fourth annual PAX, the largest one to date. Slated for August 24-26, the expo has outgrown its old venue and will be moved to the Washington State Trade and Convention Center in downtown Seattle, Washington. The extra room afforded by the move will make the 200,000 square feet of floor space at this year's PAX more than twice the size of last year's show. More space means more people, and the organizers are "conservatively" expecting 30,000 attendees at PAX 2007.

That doesn't quite match the attendance of last year's Electronic Entertainment Expo, which had more than 60,000 visitors. However, it might not be long before the growing expo rivals E3's largest attendance figures; PAX attendance has doubled with each new show.

In addition to a show floor filled with contests, tournaments, and unreleased games, PAX 2007 will play host to the annual Omegathon three-day gaming competition, as well as a number of musical acts. Penny Arcade writer Jerry Holkins told GameSpot today that Jonathan Coulton ("Code Monkey," "Re: Your Brains") and Freezepop (whose music can be heard in games like Amplitude and Guitar Hero) will be performing at PAX 07.

To register for the show, visit the official Web site.

52 Comments

  • GrlGmr

    Posted Jan 30, 2007 12:54 pm PT

    I went to PAX last year, had a blast. Here's some of the pictures that I took:

    http://s10.photobucket.com/albums/a126/Arklier/PAX/

    It was very, very crowded though. Waiting for some of the panels, you were definitely getting to know your neighbors in line.

  • Caduceus06

    Posted Jan 30, 2007 6:17 am PT

    I don't think PAX should fill the void of E3, it is a gamer's show. That's the point.

  • Phayble

    Posted Jan 29, 2007 2:18 pm PT

    Guess im going to have to go register for this since i live like 20 minutes away.

  • vf21x

    Posted Jan 29, 2007 1:24 pm PT

    NERDS!!!!!!!!!!!

  • skrutop

    Posted Jan 29, 2007 12:40 pm PT

    datniccah187 wrote:
    I've heard of penny arcade but i haven't checked it out yet. Maybe i will right now?


    Hey, man. Welcome to the Internet.

  • dyaballikl

    Posted Jan 29, 2007 10:50 am PT

    already got my tickets for pax!!!

  • chrisdojo

    Posted Jan 29, 2007 5:53 am PT

    dang.... those PA dudes are gettin rich....

  • rudyHG

    Posted Jan 28, 2007 8:17 pm PT

    Zomg! Freezepop at PAX, most excellent

  • Dirk13

    Posted Jan 28, 2007 4:15 pm PT

    with these comparisons now being drawn to E3 i really hope that PAX doesnt also stast to suffer the same bloat that E3 did. While it isnt a trade event and is actually about play over business, it still could find unique ways of stinking as it grows larger and larger......i for one hope it doesnt though (even though i am not close enough to ever attend)

  • Reetesh

    Posted Jan 28, 2007 10:09 am PT

    Hope we can have a whole PAX thing in GS with all videos and stuffs like for CES and Previous E3s.

  • datniccah187

    Posted Jan 28, 2007 7:56 am PT

    I've heard of penny arcade but i haven't checked it out yet. Maybe i will right now?

  • Cloud737

    Posted Jan 28, 2007 2:56 am PT

    I really like Penny Arcade, and I didn`t know they had an expo. Seems pretty promising, and I hope they can fill up the gap left by E3.

  • nappan

    Posted Jan 27, 2007 8:45 pm PT

    I'm all for competition in virtually all things, game shows included. With the complete d**k move that the E3 people made, other shows trying to fill that void is important. Lets see how it all shakes out.

  • grizam

    Posted Jan 27, 2007 4:34 pm PT

    last year was awesome.....
    go if you can it was the best 3 days of my summer.......sounds pathetic but it really was heh

  • comthitnuong

    Posted Jan 27, 2007 2:32 pm PT

    thats good news. we need bigger gams shows

  • GrayHalo

    Posted Jan 27, 2007 12:31 pm PT

    @ okassar, E3 got downsized after last years its not going to be a public event like it used to be, so like DarkSoldier56 mentioned gamers, and developers may replace E3 with PAX to preview and show case new games respectively.

  • okassar

    Posted Jan 27, 2007 10:29 am PT

    Meh,if PAX ever does get 60,000 people,E3 would go up to like 90,000-ish.E3 is huge,but ya dunno,Pax can break the E3 tradition as the last E3 was full of crazy fanboys that ruined everythng and made it a bad experience.

  • DarkSoldier56

    Posted Jan 27, 2007 10:18 am PT

    so...........PAX is the new E3?

  • lobobizarro

    Posted Jan 27, 2007 9:59 am PT

    E3 is no more, PAX now reigns! I think they can handle it. E3 made a bad move, and PA just said 'We will just become the next E3 and more!'

    Good for them, I hope I can go to this year's PAX.

  • HuxleyHobbes

    Posted Jan 27, 2007 9:31 am PT

    Well crap, I gotta get to Seattle now, don't I?

  • The_Weekend

    Posted Jan 27, 2007 6:10 am PT

    PAX imperia !

  • Doolum

    Posted Jan 27, 2007 5:11 am PT

    good to hear such kind of good news.

  • nevereathim

    Posted Jan 27, 2007 3:15 am PT

    Good for Penny Arcade, they're a great company

  • RaiKageRyu

    Posted Jan 27, 2007 1:52 am PT

    Hmm, maybe I should pick up where I left off in Penny Arcade..

  • ScreamDream

    Posted Jan 27, 2007 1:44 am PT

    I'd go if I was close.

  • MasterOfDarkCow

    Posted Jan 27, 2007 1:23 am PT

    Javier, you got my number on that one. TimmyB's CAD ftw!
    PAX = still good idea. hope it doesn't downsize anytime soon.

  • surferboy2177

    Posted Jan 26, 2007 11:07 pm PT

    A little too far for me to go, but I'm excited none the less.

  • Zoomer30

    Posted Jan 26, 2007 11:06 pm PT

    So has PAX TV sued them yet for using the name?

    Just kidding, dont even know if PAX TV is still around.

  • Re_ensurer

    Posted Jan 26, 2007 9:42 pm PT

    Interesting.

  • digitalguardian

    Posted Jan 26, 2007 7:30 pm PT

    I wanted to go last year, but wasn't able to. Hopefully I'll be able to make it this time. The problem is going there without a chaperone.

  • Cantius

    Posted Jan 26, 2007 7:26 pm PT

    "Chief_Kuuni
    hmmm"
    "Ever_Ab
    shh, he's thinking "

    Lmao...

  • Outlawlaw

    Posted Jan 26, 2007 6:54 pm PT

    Poor Tycho, he's such a wuss he bought the burning crusade *shakes head sadly, dies a little inside for the poor little addict * hehehehe.

    Yeah I read the site regularly

  • samuraismurf

    Posted Jan 26, 2007 6:39 pm PT

    quote:
    Generic_Dude     "Am I the only one who believes Penny Arcade to be a cheesy hack operation whose moderately popularity can best be described by the theory that modern conveniences have turned us, the human race, into jelly-bellied, lazy-minded simps who collect their data regarding the world around them via sitcom and internet forwards?"

    If you call four million plus readers moderately popular and make gross generalizations about the human race, than yes; I would say you are alone.

    Penny-Arcade is well written, well illustrated, and funny. While I will not speak for or about everyone like you do, I personally do not get any of my news from that site. All the comics are always about news I have heard/read about elsewhere.

    Are you the only magnificently naive person on this site? No. Are you one of the few magnificently naive people on this site who likes to garner attention to themselves by criticizing something everyone else enjoys?

    I hope.

  • Dirk13

    Posted Jan 26, 2007 6:30 pm PT

    i've always thought pax would be cool but it's kind of a moot point if you dont live in or perhaps near seattle, kind of a bummer.....wish there were sattelite versions or somesuch closer to home

  • glitchgeeman

    Posted Jan 26, 2007 6:19 pm PT

    More room for PAX? Sounds good to me!

  • vaejas

    Posted Jan 26, 2007 6:02 pm PT

    Only PAX could make me consider having my shoes x-rayed and fingerprints taken to get there.

  • Inu7

    Posted Jan 26, 2007 6:00 pm PT

    Penny Arcade is the sickness

  • EverAB

    Posted Jan 26, 2007 5:51 pm PT

    "Chief_Kuuni
    hmmm"

    shh, he's thinking

  • Chief_Kuuni

    Posted Jan 26, 2007 5:39 pm PT

    hmmm

  • kenesu96

    Posted Jan 26, 2007 5:20 pm PT

    Am I the only one who believes Penny Arcade to be a cheesy hack operation whose moderately popularity can best be described by the theory that modern conveniences have turned us, the human race, into jelly-bellied, lazy-minded simps who collect their data regarding the world around them via sitcom and internet forwards?"

    I AGREE!! this thing is so stupid, and generation Y will be the downfall of society because of it. than afterwards i am sure there will tons of weblogs webcomics and chainmails of how stupid society was before we got rid of it

  • Ryvvn

    Posted Jan 26, 2007 5:14 pm PT

    Generic_Dude says:
    "Am I the only one who believes Penny Arcade to be a cheesy hack operation whose moderately popularity can best be described by the theory that modern conveniences have turned us, the human race, into jelly-bellied, lazy-minded simps who collect their data regarding the world around them via sitcom and internet forwards? "

    Maybe not the only one but I certainly disagree with you sir. Good day.

  • Gigas_Yuu

    Posted Jan 26, 2007 5:14 pm PT

    It will be awhile before PennyArcade forum fanboys come and start text fighting Generic_Dude and hitting for 4 hps.

  • Bigmac573

    Posted Jan 26, 2007 5:13 pm PT

    LAWL @ 360

  • TheExiledOne13

    Posted Jan 26, 2007 5:05 pm PT

    Uhh ohh... comment attack of the webcomic fan boys.

  • Javier

    Posted Jan 26, 2007 4:58 pm PT

    In my opinion Penny Arcade sucks; Ctrl+Alt+Del is funnier.

  • I_Stole_the_Tv

    Posted Jan 26, 2007 4:57 pm PT

    I agree completely Generic_Dude, you summed up Penny Arcade very well.

    And I live in Seattle and there's too many scary nerds here as it is.

  • Bio_Spark

    Posted Jan 26, 2007 4:50 pm PT

    It really is amazing that their little get-together has grown into a huge convention in only a few years. Good for them, it looked to be crammed full last year. They'll need the room.

  • Generic_Dude

    Posted Jan 26, 2007 4:45 pm PT

    Am I the only one who believes Penny Arcade to be a cheesy hack operation whose moderately popularity can best be described by the theory that modern conveniences have turned us, the human race, into jelly-bellied, lazy-minded simps who collect their data regarding the world around them via sitcom and internet forwards?

  • Seven_Is_Darker

    Posted Jan 26, 2007 4:44 pm PT

    Sounds cool, too bad I don't live in the Seattle area

  • EverAB

    Posted Jan 26, 2007 4:39 pm PT

    3RD COMMENT

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