It’s hard to say goodbye, but we finally bid farewell to PAX East 2024. Our seven-person team went down to six as David had to fly out early. The rest of us took to the floor one last time as we explored the final day of PAX East 2024 on Sunday, March 24, 2024.
This year, Boss Rush Network has expanded its coverage with a seven-person team: Corey (Chief Executive Officer), Ed (Vice President), David (Editor in Chief), Stephanie (Chief Content Officer), Pat (Podcaster), Courty (Podcaster / Streamer), and Mary Helen (Senior Copy Editor). Each day, we’ll share our highlights from all the action at PAX East; you can also find more PAX East coverage of news, games, and culture here.
Corey (CEO)
The last day of PAX East was bittersweet. Saying goodbye to everyone was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do. The big goodbye hugs, the tears, the airport texts–all of it was excruciatingly difficult not to feel emotional. But the time we did have that last day, sadly without David, was full of capturing our memories together with fun poses, cheesy smiles, and taking one final moment to capture our friendship and what we set out to accomplish.
We made significant progress as a team this week, not only in coverage, videos, and podcasts but also in cohesion, communication, and understanding each other as individuals. Not having to see my team in tiny Discord or Zencastr boxes and being able to bounce ideas off of them in person instead of through text was crucial. I also want to mention that I made progress in being more in tune with what David has built with the writing team, which is helping me make sure what we do moving forward stays connected and not separated.
Day four was full of happiness, love, and support from everyone. We all keep each other close, and now, we’re closer than ever. Thank you to everyone who believed in the first two words we ever wrote down as a company: Be Better. I am so proud of what we accomplished at PAX East 2024, and I hope everyone has a chance to read and watch our coverage.
Ed (VP)
What an experience. Not only did I get to play some amazing demos and talk to various developers and publishers, but I got to do all of this with my friends! All the laughs and learning we had just blew my mind on how great this team is. The food was great but having dinners with the team made us bond more.
I did get to experience G.I.Joe on my final day which was fun and felt like a SNES. I returned to the people I interviewed and showed them our articles and was super happy to see the team received some free Red Bulls when leaving Pax East.
Sadly, it came to a close, and we all had to go our separate ways, but this Pax East is something I will always cherish. I got a chance to put myself out there without being nervous and courageous instead. Every interview was fun and engaging, and it was something I never did, but for the first time, I hope I can continue to engage people in this manner in the future. To Pat, Mary, David, Courty, Stephanie, and Corey, thank you for this memorable moment that I needed.
Stephanie (CCO)
The final day of PAX East 2024 was a much more low-key experience. The lines were less oppressive, and I focused on saying goodbyes, taking photos with my team, and swinging by a few last booths. We took numerous pictures with our Boss Rush family and others that we have grown close to over the years.
One of those booths I visited was A Corgi’s Cozy Hike. I spent a few minutes catching up with the devs and tried the updated demo. I was pleasantly surprised at how much the game improved since last PAX. I am thoroughly excited to see this game grow closer to completion, and we hope to have the dev team back at Boss Rush for a Spotlight interview soon.
Pat (CGO)
Today was the final day of PAX, and like last year, the final day was a lot quieter than Friday and Saturday. It was a good time to check out any last-minute titles that stood out. I made my way to the Pax Rising show floor and a developer (100 Stones Interactive) invited me to try out his game Memory’s Reach. This game is like Metroid Prime, except instead of fighting, its gameplay consists of puzzles and finding gear that will allow you to explore new areas.
After also playing Sorry, We’re Closed at the Akupara Games, I went around and said my goodbyes to all my friends. I’m going to miss them, as they were the best part of my PAX experiences. Overall, I had a lot of fun. There wasn’t a whole lot that I was expecting, but I made some good memories.
Mary Helen (Senior CE)
Today was honestly bittersweet. PAX East was my second con since the pandemic, and it was a different experience than the one I went to in 2021. After the craziness of yesterday, I was grateful for the smaller crowds and a chance to wander the floor one last time. Of course, the hardest part of the day was saying goodbye to the Boss Rushers who were heading to the airport.
But there was a lot of fun to be had. My favorite demo of the day was the last one I played on the floor this year. Everafter Falls at the Akupara Games booth was a cute farming sim that has new mechanics that I can’t wait to experiment with more.
Another highlight for me was getting to walk with a friend who flew in for the day around the floor for a bit. Despite it being day four for me, it was their one and only day and to experience that fresh excitement again helped fuel me to cross the finish line at PAX East 2024.
Courty (podcast/streams)
What a great way to end PAX East! I had to support my friend DannyB and the gang at the Nintendo DS panel. After that, I made my way back to all the booths where I talked to the creators and demoed their games–I wanted to make sure they knew I enjoyed their game. Then, to fully conclude this trip, parting ways with the team all the way to the airport was awesome. This experience was amazing, and I hope to do it again soon.
Boss Rush Media thanks you for following our journey at PAX East 2024. Please reach out to share any of your experiences at PAX East or if you have any questions about the conference. Share your reactions in the comments below. You can also join in the conversation on Boss Rush Network’s Discord, Twitter, and Facebook.
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The Boss Rush Podcast is the flagship podcast of The Boss Rush Network and Boss Rush Media. Each week, hosts Corey Dirrig, Stephanie Klimov, LeRon Dawkins, and Pat Klein come together with their friends, colleagues, and fellow creators to talk about their week in video games, discuss industry topics, conduct interviews, answer listener questions, and more. New episodes every Monday. Get each episode one week early and more perks over on the Boss Rush Network Patreon page.
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