SEATTLE – Feb. 19, 2009 – The wait is over! The organizers of PAX 2009 proudly announced today that pre-registration is now open for the sixth annual gaming festival to be held Sept. 4 – 6 at the Washington State Trade and Convention Center in Seattle. Pre-registration pricing will be available at www.paxsite.com until Sept. 3, allowing purchase of a three-day attendee badge for $50, a 10% discount on the day-of rate. Pre-registrants are also eligible to participate in the Omegathon gaming competition, where one attendee will win an all-expenses-paid trip to the Tokyo Game Show and other fabulous prizes.
New for this year, pre-registration will continue until Aug. 15 or until pre-paid attendee badges sell out. “Every year, we essentially double our attendance, but let me say right now that’s not happening for 2009,” said Penny Arcade’s Robert Khoo. “We’ve rented every square foot in the center and it still won’t be enough. The facility has requested that we not exceed capacity, so we’re going to be closely monitoring the number of badges we sell this year. But, fear not. Our goal is the same as ever: to offer a world-class show to all attendees, focusing on amazing content and experiences for the truly hardcore.”
Last year’s impressive program of over 70 exhibitors, a keynote address from noted industry professional Ken Levine, awesome music concerts and inspiring industry panels drew 58,500 attendees to the expo. Further information on PAX 2009 exhibitors and events will be available later this month.
Game industry professionals interested in exhibiting at PAX 2009 should contact Bill Butler atpaxsales@paxsite.com.
About PAX: PAX is a three-day celebration of games and gamer culture. The festival includes an exhibition floor filled with playable builds of upcoming tabletop, console, and computer games; a conference program of game industry speakers; music concerts; freeplay areas; industry parties; game tournaments and more. Since its inception in 2004 the show has doubled in size year-over-year, growing from 4,500 attendees to 58,500 in 2008, making it the largest gaming festival in North America. For more information, visit www.paxsite.com.
About Penny Arcade: Equal parts online comic and commentary, Penny Arcade (www.penny-arcade.com) keeps its finger on the pulse of the gaming industry, prompting conversation and controversy alike from community members and industry experts. What started as a hobby in 1998 for Jerry “Tycho” Holkins and Mike “Gabe” Krahulik has grown into an online phenomenon serving over 70 million page views a month to millions of readers worldwide. In addition to the comic strip and PAX, Penny Arcade has expanded its reach to include a growing line of merchandise, a video game and management of Child’s Play (www.childsplaycharity.org), a gamer-driven charity for children that spans the globe.
