This is Farva. I’m a little drunk, and by a little I mean so drunk that I think I’m dictating these words to my hands and somehow they’re able to keep up. Why am I so drunk? What did I do to deserve this? What the fuck is with the Platypus? I’ll answer some of these soon.
I love being an American. I work hard, pay my taxes, support my family and earn enough money on the side to take a vacation or two. I’ve not had one in a while, so my current choice is to vacation at PAX (Penny Arcade Expo). For those of you not in the know, it’s a convention in Seattle, Washington that focuses on the latest in gaming, tech, and nerdisms. PAX runs from Friday to Sunday. Today is Thursday. Why am I drunk? Well, it was a very exciting Thursday.
It started off with a six AM wake up in Ft. Worth, Texas. After a few flights and a nap or two, I arrived at Case-de-Fisherman. He currently resides outside of Seattle with his lovely bride-to-be, and they opened their homes and their pets to me. From there I napped, settled in, and got ready for the evening. Our plan: arrive at the Blue Skittle Party (hosted by Oopy) and meet some of the Sarcastic Gamer Staff in person. What really happened. We arrived, recognized no one, ate some food, Dave from SG arrived, we shook his hand, finished our food, went to join him, he was leaving to go to a private party, we left. Pretty much a disappointment. Don’t you worry though, my little ones, this Farva’s Tale is not yet over.
After this setback, we went to the Fox Sports Grill. This is where the Paxtra life Party is being held tomorrow to raise money for kids with cancer (Extra Life). We’d received a tweet that Doc and 8-bit Bass from the SG where at said bar, and we wanted to meet them. Alas, when we arrived and ordered our drinks, we received a text stating that they had just arrived at the very bar we had left. Feeling bamboozled we finished our drinks (and an ice cream sundae) and headed back to the original bar. Now, you must understand that I’m out of shape, and this city is built on a series of hills and peaks that give guys like me minor strokes, myocardial infarctions, and generally make my life miserable. I’m in town, I’m not drunk, I keep missing those I want to meet, and I’m exercising, I am not happy.
Finally, we track down 8-bit and Doc (Along with Oopy and Venus Envy from Blue Skittle). After shaking hands and blowing kisses (this was behind their backs) we walked them to a very exclusive party. It turns out that Crysis II was being displayed and a select few were invited to an all expenses paid party to try the game and enjoy the gaming experience. The SG crew weren’t sure if they’d be able to get us in, but they were willing to try. Thankfully, Dave from SG was there and he pulled some strings and talked us past the guest list and the guy holding the keys to this gamers paradise.
Once inside, it was amazing. Drinks were free, food was free and, most importantly, I got to play a game that few gamers have played to date. I got all the hands-on I wanted with Crisis II. They set up 14 separate Xbox 360’s (my personal favorite console) and linked them for a multiplayer match. The game was a blast, but it was the joining of multiple sites, multiple peoples all there to have fun, enjoying the game and enjoying each othern that really made it fun. I got to meet people who’s articles I’ve read for over a year, and it’s funny but most of them are nothing like I imagined. Darkwonder’s and Havok Saunders, from Sarcastic Gamer, especially blew my mind. Doc and Lono are much taller than I imagined, while Dave was just about right. My impressions of the game are that it’s a perfect mix of what made Halo and Modern Warfare great games, but tonight it was about the experience. Getting to PAX, getting into an exclusive party, meeting people I’ve looked up to, and realizing that my beloved hobby is more than that….it’s a community.
This is why I love gaming.
