Gears of War

This post is coming a little late, mostly because I forgot my camera bag in Stephen’s car and didn’t get it back until a couple of days ago. In any case, you might remember that I was in Seattle last weekend for PAX Prime 2011, one of the largest gaming culture expos and events in the Pacific Northwest.

Last year, I was a team of one to cover PAX Prime 2010, but this year, we had a team of four. That made my workload a lot easier and it was a little more organized in terms of seeing all there was to see. I didn’t have a chance to sit in on any of the panels this time around, but I did get to explore the trade show side a little more.

Sixth Avenue Inn Hotel Room Video Tour

Whereas I only made a day trip to Seattle for last year’s Penny Arcade Expo (PAX), we spent a couple of days in Seattle for this year’s event. So, the MEGATechNews and Futurelooks co-team nabbed a couple of hotel rooms.

The Sixth Avenue Inn in Downtown Seattle is anything but glamourous and the in-room Internet left something to be desired, but it got the job done. Here’s a quick hotel room video tour:

I’d like to thank NZXT for picking up the tab on our rooms.

Plants vs. Zombies Playing Dance Central 2

Easily one of the bigger highlights of the weekend was when a group of friends, all dressed up as the zombies from Plants vs. Zombies, decided to storm the Dance Central 2 stage over at Harmonix. Yes, we have dancing zombies.

This is anything but a big gaming announcement, but it was still a lot of fun to watch.

Street Fighter X Tekken

Street Fighter X Tekken

There are games for all kinds of gamers at PAX. Myself, I’m a fighting game fan, so I was immediately drawn over to the Capcom and Mad Catz booths to check out Street Fighter X Tekken. I’d seen videos and screenshots, but it’s another thing altogether to get my hands on a playable demo.

You can check out my Street Fighter X Tekken impressions over at HadoukenOnline.com. I’m pretty stoked about it.

GAEMS Portable Xbox 360 and PS3 Gaming Case

There are still a couple more videos being processed for my MEGATechNews coverage of PAX, but one of the cooler innovations already covered is the GAEMS portable solution for Xbox 360 and Sony PlayStation 3 Slim.

It’s not terribly expensive at $299, considering you get an all-in-one protective case, HD LCD, and all the other doo-dahs you need to game on the go.

Gaming and Cosplay

Green Ranger vs. Mortal Kombat

While most of the attendees at PAX Prime wore street clothes, there were more than a few who took the opportunity to dress up as their favorite characters. These cosplayers put a lot of effort into making their costumes and it shows. Here’s the cast of Mortal Kombat taking on Green Ranger from Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers. Is this the next crossover game from NetherRealm Studios?

Psylocke + Buzz Lightyear = ?   Bioshock Cosplay (PAX11)   Princess Peach Cosplay (PAX11)   Just Dance 3 (PAX11)   Kinect and Baby Mario (PAX11)

Above are a series of clickable thumbnails with some other cosplayers and gaming highlights from PAX. The Scorpion cosplayer is particularly impressive. He even did the angry scowl for me.

Corbin Doing His Thing (PAX11)

On the Futurelooks side, you can check out their PAX Prime video coverage from a number of PC-related companies, including AMD, Cooler Master, and Asus ROG. That’s our videographer Corbin doing his thing.

Putting My Quarter on the Ledge

It was a very busy weekend, but it was also a lot of fun. These kinds of events are best attended with a few friends who can share the joys of gaming and gaming culture with you. More likely than not, I’ll be back for PAX Prime 2012.