Greetings all Australians!
By now you’re getting yourself ready to head down to Melbourne, Victoria, and attend the biggest and best video game convention in the country: PAX Australia! While you’re packing for the trip, let me give you a few updates on what is going on at PAX Australia and some recommendations on booths to check out while you are on the expo floor.
Keynote Speaker Announced!
Shuhei Yoshida, Head of PlayStation Indies and one of the most beloved faces in gaming, will be delivering the 2022 Storytime Keynote in Main Theatre on Friday, October 7th at 12:00 PM (AEDT).
Over the course of his illustrious career, Yoshida’s vision has brought to life iconic games such as Crash Bandicoot, Ratchet & Clank, God of War and so many more.
Stepping down from his role as President of Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) in 2019, Yoshida has been leading an initiative looking after and nurturing external, smaller independent studios in his role as Head of PlayStation Indies.
Yoshida’s announcement is a welcome addition to a schedule that already boasts some of the best names in gaming, spanning three days and practically taking over the whole of the MCEC.
AMD: score incredible prizes, play against ANZ’s most popular streamers, and chow down on some popcorn!
Head to the AMD booth at any point during the weekend to try a range of games on the best PCs on the show floor. Play games against streamers such as PandaTV, ZiggyD, and PiG, and check out World Boss: the new title from Aussie streamers Fresh and Lazarbeam. For the more adventurous, head to the VR section or take part in AMD trivia with massive prizes! If you’re still hungry for more after all that, drop by the popcorn cart to fill up!
Booth: 3420
Aussie Broadband: Challenge your mates, get help at the Aussie Gamer Helpline, meet your favorite streamers, and go in the running to win yourself a PS5!
Immerse yourself in the Aussie Broadband Arcade, and challenge yourself or your mates on any of the 25+ arcade machines to see who gets the ultimate bragging rights! If you’re looking for gaming help, don’t forget to submit your question and watch the live Aussie Gamer Helpline manned by Back Pocket who will do their best to solve your everyday problems.
Meet, greet, and play with top streamers including GeekGG, SarahJane, and listen to Jon Ong play some video game tunes with cool giveaways throughout the show. So, charge your phone up, scan the code to enter the draw to win a PlayStation 5, and find out more about how Aussie Broadband is getting behind gamers!
Booth: Aussie Broadband Arcade
HyperX: Celebrate HyperX’s 20th anniversary this year and you could take home some of the best gaming peripherals around
Have your photo taken at the HyperX booth, perfect your PAX look with an airbrush tattoo, take out the top time in the Speedrun, and make sure you grab your tickets for the HyperX lucky draw. You can also watch the HyperX stage at the booth, take part in a Valorant competition, come up against a CouchWarrior in the CouchWarriors Champions challenge presented by HyperX, or Just Dance 2022. Make sure you’re around to meet some of the HyperX family of content creators; Lachlan and PWR, Berticuss, Crayator, 1UpEmily, and JackGFreak. Most importantly check out the latest range of HyperX products and the amazing deals with up to 50% off.
Booth: 2240
Square Enix brings Final Fantasy XIV Online (FFXIV) to PAX AUS with Battle Challenges, exclusive merchandise, and your favorite FFXIV creators!
Test your mettle at the FFXIV booth by facing off against Eorzea’s toughest foes with two different Battle Challenges for the chance to win exclusive FFXIV merchandise, including water bottles and coasters! Then test your intellect with FFXIV trivia running twice daily with even more prizes to score.
For those looking to start their adventure, the Sprouts’ Corner will take new players through character creation, and show off the world of Eorzea with a little combat. You’ll also be able to experience the immersive quality of the Panasonic SoundSlayer Neck Speaker, exclusive only to the Sprouts Corner.
Once you’ve experienced the challenges for yourself, stand back and watch your favorite creators including HexSteph, SarahJane, GalaxyAus, Fangetta, and Panda TV take to the stage for some exciting FFXIV action.
Booth: 1640
Wacom: See the game professionals at work as they create concepts and characters
Studio leads and freelance professionals should make sure they head to the @WacomANZ stand at PAX AUS each day to see the concept and character artist Pablo Munoz Gomez and concept designer and artist Simon Scales at work as they demonstrate the best tools to use for game design and studio workflow. Media or professionals can request a private demo of the latest product any time during PAX. Wacom will also have a special deal for PAX: 20% off Wacom Intuos small and medium and 20% off Wacom One.
Booth: 2400
Play indie games like Lucie’s Potager!
Indie Showcase Pod: 33
Lucie’s Potager is a shop simulation game based around plants.
You play as Lucie, a young squirrel who has chosen to set up a shop to spread her love of plants. But in order to make her shop a success she’ll need to forage, grow, harvest, and craft the best products she can!
Managing your time efficiently and taking advantage of the seasons is key to bringing in the most customers and the biggest yields. Time is money after all and you only have so much of it!
PAX Australia schedule and Show Floor Map are now online!
Featuring the most comprehensive insight into the festivities, the official PAX Aus schedule is now available online, through the PAX app and website, allowing attendees to map out their entire itinerary including insightful talks, free play opportunities, tournaments, signings, meetups, community events and so much more.
With 3-Day and Saturday Badges sold out and limited single-day badges available, plus PAX Aus getting so close it’s starting to affect Earth’s gravity, you better get in quick if you haven’t already got your badge and gear up for the biggest celebration of gaming in Australia!
PAX Aus 2022 takes place October 7-9th at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. The PAX mobile app is available for download here. For more information and badges, visit the official website or follow PAX Aus 2022 on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Discord.
