March 24 marks day two of PAX East 2023 in Boston, Massachusetts. Exhausted from day one fun, David, Stephanie, and Pat from the Boss Rush Network arrive at 10:30 a.m. to continue their journey covering various indie games and merchandise. The team also enjoyed some of the many sponsored talks and panel discussions offered at PAX East.
DAVID: Editor In Chief
I took my Fitbit to PAX East and logged 16,000 steps during my 10-hour first day covering the convention. Getting out of bed today was . . . a struggle. Nevertheless, once I hit the convention floor, I felt a rush of energy and excitement. From an impromptu interview with the writer and editor of The Psychology of Zelda: Linking our World to The Legend of Zelda Series to snagging a good seat at the Zelda timeline talk from Zelda Universe, today was a great day at PAX East.
Today I decided to try C Bao: Asian Buns & Bubble Tea, one of the food trucks at PAX East which consistently has the longest line. Now I know why. As a vegan, it’s often difficult for me to find food I can eat at these types of events. Finding food that takes me to flavor Valhalla is nearly impossible. But today the food gods smiled upon me as I enjoyed my fried tofu veggie bun. If you get a chance to try C Bao: Asian Buns & Bubble Tea, I highly recommend.
I won’t dive in too deeply now (I have a full story coming tomorrow), but the highlight of the day was meeting with Anthony M. Bean, PHD; Dr. Bean is the aforementioned author and editor of The Psychology of Zelda, and I was fortunate enough to have him grant me a spontaneous interview when he offered to sign my copy of Integrating Geek Culture Into Therapeutic Practice: The Clinician’s Guide To Geek Therapy. Dr. Bean is a compassionate clinician, researcher, and lifelong gamer, who has founded several non-profits and trains professionals around the country on the importance of video games and how they can help us grow and transform as human beings. Powerful stuff.
PAT: Co-Host of EXPCast
Today was an exciting day. I got sorted into a gamer house called Courionaut, home of the inquisitive players. The awesome folks at Crit-Rate (critrate.io) showed us a new videogame review site that recommends games based on your type of play style and tastes. The more you review on the site, the better the recommendations come.
We had some time after that interview to go wonder the show floor and saw some interesting titles like Slay the Princess among other titles at the PAX Rising showcase.
After lunch, Steph and I checked out a line of booths that had a variety of hand made knickknacks, role playing accessories (not those kinds . . . tabletop games!), and card games. One game, Side Effects, particularly intrigued us, and we immediately made a purchase. Soon, we visited Prideful Sloth’s booth and tried out their newly announced game: Go-Go Town. The very first comparison you’ll make is that this game looks and feels like Animal Crossing. It’s cozy, stress free, and not overly complicated, so I think a lot of people will like it.
I’m sure David will talk more about the showcase about the Zelda timeline, so I won’t go into much detail there. My highlight today was at the end of the day when I got to see the What’s Good Games Live at PAX. This was one of the few podcasts about video games that I listened to on a weekly basis as their news and game previews were current, their chemistry flows, and they have a good mix of professionalism and banter. After the show, I got to talk to one of the legacy members, Brittney Brombacher. After introductions, we started geeking out on a game series we both treasure: The Yakuza series. It was so neat to hold a conversation about this game series that makes the rest of my podcast co-hosts eyes glaze over. During this conversation, we started trying to convince another person who was at the What’s Good Games panel to start playing those games. Seriously, the connections like this are what make going to these conventions worth it. Even if I end the day with massive blisters on my feet.
STEPHANIE: Copy Editor, Co-Host of Boss Rush Podcast
After a full first day, I entered the Boston Convention Center for PAX East with a skip in my step after a good night’s sleep. I knew a little more about how I wanted to approach my schedule, Expo hall and panels—day two did not disappoint.
My highlights include speaking with the founders of Crit Rate, meeting the team behind Slay the Princess, and attending three panels. The Crit Rate team (I will write more about their product in a forthcoming article) were approachable and more than happy to explain the process behind their game recommendation platform. It was more community focused by sorting you into “houses” based on your gaming preferences. Such a personal touch while building a positive community is something that can make the industry better.
Slay the Princess is a psychological horror game that is narrative and choice driven; however, what stopped me in my tracks was the hand drawn art style. I spoke with the composer and voice actress of the princess, and I took a photo with the artist. Traditional art to game is a precious gem, and it provided a bright spot in my day.
Lastly, I attended three panels—one on the Zelda Timeline hosted by Zelda Universe, Video Game Trivia hosted by the Left Behind Game Club, and a live show by What’s Good Games. Each panel generated great discussion and provided a bonding moment for all who are passionate about video games.
Oh, and shot out to tonight’s dinner. Pat and I snagged seats at Elephant Walk in the South End. It’s a cozy Cambodian and French fusion restaurant with chill vibes and friendly staff. It was a wonderful way to reward myself after another long day.
Tell us what you think! Will you be attending PAX East in the future? Are you here now? Share your reactions in the comments below or join the conversation on Boss Rush Network’s Discord and Facebook.
The Boss Rush Podcast – Mondays at 7AM ET
The Boss Rush Podcast is the flagship podcast of Boss Rush Media and The Boss Rush Network. Each week, Corey, LeRon, Stephanie, Edward, and their friends from around the internet come together to talk their week in games, entertainment, and more while also bringing topics for conversation, answer listener and community questions, and cover major news and events happening in the video game industry. Watch The Boss Rush Podcast Monday mornings at 7AM ET on YouTube and listen on podcast services everywhere. Thanks for listening!
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Nintendo Pow Block Podcast – Wednesdays at 7AM ET
Nintendo Pow Block
Nintendo Pow Block is Boss Rush Media and The Boss Rush Network’s Nintendo podcast. Each week, Edward, Corey, and their friends from around the internet come together to talk about the week in Nintendo, including news, rumors, new games, questions, and the fan-favorite Snacktendo segment. Check out Nintendo Pow Block Live on Twitch every Monday night at 8:30PM Eastern / 5:30PM Pacific or on Podcast Services and YouTube Wednesday mornings at 7AM. If you enjoy the show, consider leaving us a five-star rating on iTunes and Spotify. Thanks for listening to Nintendo Pow Block!
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Cross Roads: The Video Game Podcast – Partner Podcast of The Boss Rush Network with Exodus803 – Thursdays at 7AM ET
Cross Roads: The Video Game Podcast
Cross Roads: The Video Game Podcast is the premiere partner video game news podcast from Exodus803. Each week, LeRon, Stoy, and Andre bring the latest in the world of PlayStation, Xbox, and PC gaming, including news, rumors, new games, and topics of conversation. If you want to hear more, watch or listen to Catch Cross Roads: The Video Game Podcast at 8PM ET on the Exodus803 YouTube live on Tuesday, or on YouTube and Podcast Services on Wednesdays. Thanks for listening to Cross Roads: The Video Game Podcast. Partner of The Boss Rush Network. Subscribe to the Exodus803 YouTube channel for podcasts, great content, streams, and more.
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One V One: The Creator Interview Series and Talk The Walk: The Walking Simulator and Cozy Game Conversation – Tuesdays at 7AM ET
One V One is the creator interview series led by Celeste Roberts and Edward Varnell. This series is intended to spotlight lesser known creators who offer something interesting and unique in our community and hopefully help grow theirs as well. Also available on this feed is Talk the Walk: The Walking Sim and Cozy Game Discussion Series intended to explore the wonderful stories told in these great genres. If you enjoy our One V. One Interview Series and Talk The Walk, consider leaving it a five star rating and a nice review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can catch these series on YouTube, the One V One podcast feed, and The Boss Rush Podcast main feed Tuesdays when available. Thank you for listening!
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