For a personal second year in a row, Penny Arcade was a very, very enjoyable weekend that would no doubt make any gamer smile. Indeed, it is a gaming convention done by gamers for gamers and continues to be an excellent product focusing on the consumer as opposed to the manufacturers and developers. The Expo this year occupied around three times as much apace as last year due to the venue being moved to the Washington State Convention Centre. The most visible change brought around by the size increase was a greater tabletop presence and a significantly larger exhibition floor. Although last year I found myself rather bored at some points later on Saturday and on Sunday I was almost always occupied with something for the entire three days.
As I already mentioned, the expanded show floor was the most notable change. Three times larger than last year, it was a place where one could definitely spend a lot of time trying games and getting free stuff. I had a few interesting experiences which has left me seriously considering what console I want to purchase this coming generation. Although I had pretty much given up any idea of buying a PS3, there was a game that changed my opinion. Lair was playable at the Sony booth and was an absolutely enjoyable game. Anyone who has played a Factor 5 game will no doubt enjoy this game. Although my play time was limited, what I did play felt exactly like a Factor 5 production...think Rogue Squadron only with dragons. Not only is the game gorgeous, but the use of the six axis controller was truly brilliant. While on the ground, the controls switched to using the analog controls.
Sony's boot also had a karaoke contest for SingStar. Although I never played it, I did spend a fair amount of time laughing at people who had no tonal abilities attempting to sing.
Microsoft put forward a very strong foot. Their efforts were grounded in an amazing presentation of Mass Effect which just may be a system purchaser for me. Around the floor there were other Xbox products like the upcoming Rock Band, which easily had the longest lineup.
However, the PC offerings were by far the most impressive. Anyone who feels that PC gaming is dying is really fooling themselves. Bioshock, the Pirates MMO, Hegemony Philip of Macedon, America's Army, World in Conflict, and many others had a good showing at the game. World in Conflict was taken to the point of having its world premiere at an after hours party across the street from the main convention centre.
Finally, what would a show like this be like without the mention of Nintendo? Although their booth was of limited size, it was devoted to a noteworthy game: Metroid Prime 3. It was fun to play, but the Wii-mote was not calibrated very well. I was trying to aim one direction, but kept heading in a different direction. Despite this problem, it was still a fun game, although I was disappointed by its graphics. I wish Nintendo had taken a bit more of a graphical upgrade with the Wii, but at this point that's just crying over spilt milk. There were quite a few enjoyable DS games on the floor as well, although nothing really stood out for me.
