My PAX Prime Schedule

PAX Prime is almost here, and y'all know what that means: TIME TO STOCK UP ON DEODORANT, YOU SMELLY SLOBS! Err, no. What I meant to say is: It's time for the best gaming convention in the universe, and I can't wait to see you all!

We don't have an official PopCap booth this year, but we will be there in the form of DANCING ZOMBIES who will have free stuff to hand out. So look for 'em! There is also a PopCap party on Sunday afternoon at the show, to which you are all invited, and at which we will have a Bejeweled Blitz tourney with some cool prizes! Note that there are over 60K people attending PAX, and our party venue holds 500. So plan accordingly. The party details can be found on Facebook, right here:

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=137930262965485

In addition, after taking a break from being a blabbermouth at PAX East in Boston, I am back in full overexposed form at PAX Prime, appearing on 5 panels (and possibly 6, if the Giant Bomb dudes let me crash!) Fortunately, they are all on different topics, so I shouldn't have to repeat myself too much, except for the whole "I'm so old I tell the same stories over and over" thing I've already had going on for years.

Anyway, if you care, here is the full list of all my PAX panel appearances, stolen directly from the official PAX site:

UP Presents: Retronauts vs. Your Fondest Memories

Kraken Theatre
Friday 3:00pm - 4:00pm

Retronauts is all about reliving our fond memories of classic games as we stroll through the medium's history, but sometimes we let our rose-tinted glasses get in the way of objectivity. Well, this episode of 1UP's live podcast is designed to rectify that. For one hour, we'll be asking our reader to name their favorite games ever and clinically (albeit lovingly!) explaining exactly what's wrong with those games. Fair's fair, though; we'll be opening the session by talking about our own personal favorites, so there'll be plenty of time to excoriate our own poor taste. No cow is sacred! Please join us for this cathartic session of objectivity and perspective.

Panelists include: Jeremy Parish [Editor-in-Chief, 1UP], Nich Maragos [Atlus], Chris Kohler [Editor, Wired], Jeff Green [PopCap]

Can Mommy & Daddy Come Over to Play? - The Truth About Being a Gamer Parent

Raven Theatre
Friday 6:00pm - 7:00pm

Can I please play for just a little bit longer?" This is a familiar sentence uttered in households around the country. But what if it's the PARENTS saying that and not the kids? Does having kids REALLY change your life THAT much? And what if video games ARE your job? How do you balance both? Come join our panel of precocious parents as we share our stories of being gamer parents and how we learned that having kids doesn't mean the games have to stop. Being a parent just means we've reached a whole new level of gameplay. (Plus, kids mean we have built-in co-op players!) Our Gamer Parent panel will include: Jeff Green of PopCap Games, Justin Korthof of Robot Entertainment, Jessica Shea of 343i & others with Stephanie Bayer of Microsoft Game Studios moderating.

Panelists include: Jessica Shea [Community Manager, 343i], Justin Korthof [Community Manager, Robot Entertainment], Jeff Green [Director of Editorial & Social Media, PopCap Games], Stephanie Bayer [Customer Engagement Lead, PopCap Games], Jamileh Delcambre [Free Agent of Awesome, Underemployed], Christa Charter [Freelance Marketing/Community Manager]

GameTrailers.com Presents: Hello Fellow Babies! - Pach-Attack! LIVE

Kraken Theatre
Saturday 4:30pm - 5:30pm

Michael Pachter. Yes, he's real. Yes, he's here. And yes, you can ask him your burning questions at this exclusive panel! Pach-Attack! has taken the web by storm, and since it was debuted on GameTrailers.com, the smarmy seer has become a household name, with video views over 5 million. Here at PAX, this is your chance to challenge the analyst's legendary wit and have your game industry questions answered live at this exclusive interactive panel. Plus, what's this about special guests dubbing themselves the "Grumpy Old Men of Gaming"...? Find out! [JEFF SEZ: YEAH GUESS WHO. THAT'S ME AND GARY WHITTA. THERE, I SPOILED IT!]

Panelists include: Michael Pachter [Host, Wedbush Security / GameTrailers]

Weekend Confirmed

Unicorn Theatre
Saturday 8:00pm - 9:00pm

Weekend Confirmed returns to the PAX Prime stage to record a special show in front of the live audience. Join Garnett Lee as he hosts his fifth year of podcasting from PAX with Jeff Cannata, Xav de Matos, and special guests including John Davison, Jeff Green, and other esteemed friends. Get your PAX "confirmed" with a PAX edition of "Whatcha Been Playin?" and bring your questions for an open mic version of the
Warning. Start your Sat night at PAX off in style with Weekend Confirmed.

Panelists include: Jeff Canata, Garnett Lee, Luke Smith, Xav De Matos, Jeff Green, John Davison

Gaming as a Lifestyle

Serpent Theatre
Sunday 4:00pm - 5:00pm

Flying in the face of criticism against video games and their ruination of lives, this panel will address the topic of living a life made richer by playing games. From how to keep your job while supporting a game-playing habit, to making your game-playing habit your job. Graham Stark, Jeff Green, Ian Dorsch and James Portnow will share secrets and personal stories, deflate hype and participate in a detailed Q&A. Moderated by Russ Pitts, Editor-in-Chief of The Escapist.

Panelists include: Russ Pitts [Editor-in-Chief, The Escapist], James Portnow [CEO/Developer, Rainmaker Games], Ian Dorsch [Musician - Zero Punctuation, The Escapist], Jeff Green [Journalist/PR, PopCap], Graham Stark [Writer/Actor, LoadingReadyRun]

Good lord.