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Everyone knows about Penny Arcade–the gaming webcomic that is somewhat responsible for the legitimacy of gaming webcomics–but for as big and important as Jerry Holkins and Mike Krahulik’s online comic is, it’s really their convention that has, more recently, become an astounding success. Starting in 2004 with a relatively strong showing that included the likes of Rooster Teeth and Microsoft, the convention has grown exponentially, with each year adding new exhibitors, new guests, and thousands of new attendees. By 2011, PAX Prime had 70,000 attendees–not bad, considering tickets were sold out weeks in advance.

The reason we said “PAX Prime” up there is because, now, there are actually three PAXs. There’s Prime in late August, the Seattle-based show that is, as of now, the largest of the conventions, as well as April’s PAX East in Boston, which has also grown by leaps and bounds over the past few years. In 2011 it was also joined by PAX Dev, a developer-exclusive pre-show to PAX Prime that continued in 2012.

What makes PAX different from things E3 is the emphasis on community and, of course, gamers. Press is allowed in to cover the expo, but it’s far from an industry show like GDC or Tokyo Game Show–instead, everything has to be playable on the floor, meaning there are no secret behind-the-scenes demos where developers show off early builds to members of the press. Because of this, it fosters a much different community. There are cosplayers, there are parties, there are after-parties, there are giant LANs, there are tabletop gaming rooms, and there are entire lounges filled with SUMO pillows to lounge about and play handheld games in. PAX isn’t about a bunch of people seeing games, it’s about a bunch of friends hanging out together. 70,000 friends.

That’s not to say that gaming isn’t a huge emphasis at PAX. Dozens of publishers show up every year, eager to show off their unreleased games to thousands of gamers. There are also other elements to the show, like the PAX 10, that make it unique. Independent developers could submit their games for consideration, and a panel of judges would select 10 games to highlight (that would then be voted on by the public at the show).

The PAX 10 has made PAX one of the only conventions that actually puts a spotlight on indie devs, earning the show good will with some of the most well-respected indie developers out there. There’s also the Omegathon, which is a massive gaming tournament where dozens of contestants compete in a slew of different games for a huge prize. Each of these events is focused on the community and the fans, making it a fun, inclusive show.

PAX is like Disney World for gamers. It’s full of flashing lights, fun games, and awesome people. It’s the happiest place on earth, so long as happiness, for you, is a table to play D&D at after playing an unreleased video game with 70,000 friends you’ve never met. We have a feeling that, for many of you, it is.

The post What is PAX (the Penny Arcade Expo)? appeared first on Game News.

You have no doubt heard of Virtua Fighter as a revolutionary, genre-defining series, but odds are that, even if you’re a major fighting game fan, you’ve never really sat down to dig into why reviewers and fans of the game extol its virtues at every opportunity. Indeed, it can be very hard to jump headfirst into VF’s very distinct brand of combat when other fighting games offer immediate familiarity. But Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown is going to give you some damn good reasons to take the plunge and explore the fierce, technical combat the series has to offer.

Players might be saying, “wait, didn’t Virtua Fighter 5 already release quite some time ago?” You would be correct – the PS3 version released in early 2007, while the online-enabled 360 version released later that same year. Between then and now, however, the game has seen several major revisions in Japanese arcades. Virtua Fighter 5 R released in 2008, and not only added a new character, silver-haired karateka Jean Kujo, but also featured the return of sumo wrestler Taka-arashi, who had been MIA since VF3.

Final Showdown released in 2011 and featured substantial combat engine overhauls designed to create a more accessible and interesting game for new players and vets alike. Commands for throws and throw escapes were simplified, confusing systems like throw clash were eliminated, movelists and attack properties were further revamped and tweaked for all characters, animations and subtle effects were given more emphasis to help played judge and react to hits, counters, and blocks, and additional priority was put on flashy, highly damaging combos.

Final Showdown is a game changer, to say the least, and even veterans of Virtua Fighter 5 will be surprised at just how drastically different and fresh the game feels. Newcomers, meanwhile, will find a title that blows away the stereotype that VF is beautiful and technical but wholly inaccessible to normal players.

Sega brought a pair of specially modified Final Showdown arcade machines – the only ones outside of Japan – to PAX for showgoers to test, and they drew a crowd of curious players eager to see what all the fuss was about and just how different the game felt. Sega representatives were also on hand to answer questions about the game and the console version, which will be available to download in summer of 2012 with online versus play on both PS3 and 360.

While specifics about what sort of game modes besides the obvious single-player and local/online versus modes will be in the port were sparse, Sega expressed a keen interest in hearing what fans of the series would like to see. Many players at the event expressed a desire to see an in-depth tutorial akin to the excellent mode seen in Virtua Fighter 4 Evolution, while others were keen on seeing a fully fleshed out single player campaign. One of the big draws to Virtua Fighter is the extensive character customization and the ability to earn items and baubles to dress up your fighter of choice with, so some players expressed a concern that Sega might go too far with paid item DLC – concerns which were quickly put to rest by the staff on hand. And while the game may yet see a few more balance tweaks and revisions in Japan before its console release, Sega assures us that the game we get will be the most up-to-date version, and will feature the capability for further upgrades if need arises.

In-depth reveals of gameplay modes and bonus features are scheduled to be rolled out gradually over the title’s promotional period, akin to what you see happen with other fighting games on the horizon. In the meantime, however, the VF5FS machines will be finding a home base at Sega’s San Francisco headquarters, and will be making special appearances at various events and promotions between now and the game’s release next year – so fear not if you missed them at PAX, as you may likely have an opportunity to try them out in the near future. Sega is also keen on hearing what you want to see in the port, so if you have feedback or ideas for VF5FS, get them out there – post in forums, Twitter, Facebook, wherever – because your voice is being listened to. 2012 is already a banner year for fighters, and now with one of the genre’s kings making a reappearance, the hype is only going to flow even harder.

Aug 30, 2011

The post Virtua Fighter 5: Final Showdown first look preview appeared first on Game News.

Why throw a PC press conference at PAX? Like PAX, collaboration and community are at the core of PC gaming, and unlike the consoles, no one gets on a big stage at E3 with smoke machines and lasers and jumps around telling us why we should be excited about it. So what about fans of that vibrant, unique, outlandishly creative thing called PC gaming? Who speaks directly to them? Well, PC Gamer does. And did. And we’ll do it again, so watch the video, because it’s the start of something big. (And if you don’t think it’s relevant to you, mister “I’m not much of a PC gamer,” just wait until you see Hawken. Holy crap.)

But PC Gamer’s conference isn’t the only reason my words are snuggled up with you under GamesRadar’s lovely orange glow, because um yeah, hi! I’m Tyler, and you may remember that I used to write stuff here. A few months ago, I packed up my toys and strolled twenty feet down the hall to join PC Gamer as associate editor. When asked why, all I could say was that I was given a very exciting opportunity. Now I can finally tell you: that opportunity was PC Gamer Digital.

Above: New media just got newer

Digital is fearlessly new – a downloadable application with unique, interactive features that completely transform the way we cover games. The magazine and website aren’t going away, but their new sibling is due on Steam soon, and there’s nothing else like it.

Logan Decker, PC Gamer’s electrifying editor-in-chief, announced Digital about half-way through our conference. To paraphrase Logan (read: steal even more stuff he’s said), I could talk all day about Digital, but I’d rather just show it to you, so watch the conference, and stay tuned to www.pcgamer.com for further announcements.

So now you know: I’m working with an immensely talented team to help create the future of media. Exciting enough for you? Oh, not that websites are the past or anything. Websites are awesome. Especially this one. Soo… gotta go!

(I am honored to have contributed to the radiant, unstoppable electromagnetic force that is GamesRadar, and privileged to continue working in the vicinity of its super-human staff. Except for Brett Elston. What a jerk!)

(Have fun at Capcom, Brett.)

Aug 30, 2011

The post Watch PC Gamers first annual PC Gaming Press Conference appeared first on Game News.