That could also have something to do with BGG Con happening in Dallas the same weekend. I also heard there were a lot more newcomers to the hobby than veteran board gamers. What I’ve heard from more than a few publishers was that there was a lot of interest in trying out games, but not as many buyers. However the people there still seemed interested in visiting the booths and demoing games. The crowds were manageable throughout the show. In fact, on Friday, one BGQ Reviewer was able to stand in the middle of the aisle and spin around with his arms out, something that’s just not going to happen at Gen Con or Origins. Overall I had little issues navigating my way up and down the rows as the crowds weren’t too demanding. By my unofficial count, there were close to 200 booths (you can see the full expo hall map here) in about a dozen aisles. So let’s talk the Expo Hall (or dealer hall, or exhibit hall, whatever your preference). I think growing pains for a first year convention are inevitable, but overall I’d say that PAX was a success. PAX has been able to rock the video game scene for a long time, but tabletop games are a different beast. The inaugural PAX Unplugged convention wrapped up this past weekend and I think most of us were really unsure as to what to expect.
