Over 100 exhibitors will be at this year’s show, including 2K Games, Activision, BioWare, NCsoft, Capcom and Turbine. If you’re into tabletop games, don’t worry — exhibitors like Wizards of the Coast will also be on hand.

As far as activities go, Microsoft is hosting Halo Fest, concerts are happening every night, competitions will be held and there are constant panels. (Really, you’ll probably find something interesting in every timeslot.)

PAX Prime is scheduled for August 26-28 at the Seattle Convention Center. If you don’t have a pass yet, you’re not getting one, because they’re completely sold out. None of this last-minute stuff this time. They’re all gone for real.

When we arrived I started to see familiar faces from the ODST truck events and others. We were about 30th in line at noon. By 2:00pm the line made it around the building, and the growth was accelerating. Another friend of mine joined us and now we where four strong. At 5:00pm Rooster Teeth was kind enough to buy the line pizza. The boxes where passed down as people would pick a slice and pass it on. Soda was also distributed this way. There was an overwhelming feeling of brotherhood among us. Friendly, chatty group of people that we all had halo in common and once again had brought us together, this time in real life.

About 5:30pm the Bungie bus arrived, and posters started to be distributed to the line, along with lanyards and Reach dog tags. Bungie developers started going down the line, signing anything you gave them. Some of the fans brought controllers, 360 faceplates, Master Chief helmets and more to be signed. The swag boxes were delivered, and instead of been distributed to the line in order, they were tossed. A large part was taken to the back of the line, which was nice of them to do, but most felt annoyed as being in line early didn’t seem to matter as to what you would get or not. Instead it was all by luck and how tall you were.

The line started to move and some went to the Halo panel, some of us went up the stairs where the game was set up. The 1st room had a small, secluded, area to play the campaign; this way people could avoid spoilers if they didn’t want to see the first mission. A bigger room was set up and divided in four. Lower right corner had Free For All with about 8 spots, possibly to fit 16. Upper right corner had Firefight with 3 sets of 4 tvs/xboxs playing 3 different maps. Upper left corner had Forge with 2 sets of tvs/xboxs. Lower left corner had 2 sets of 4 tvs/xboxs playing Team Death Match. In the center, there was a stage with a big projection screen and a set up of 4 tvs. The tvs were mirrored on the projection screen for all of us to see.

When we entered, we were given raffle tickets to win Halo toys, books, Red vs Blue dvds, the new Halo comic book, Halo: Reach controllers, and more. They were also used in order to pick 4 sets of 4 people to play against each other in Firefight. The highest score won an Xbox Reach edition with game. The more you played on the different set ups, the more chances you got to get tickets to win prices. The developers hung around with us for a while and they were more than happy to answer questions, take pictures or sign anything you wanted them to sign. Kat from Halo: Reach came out to mingle with us, and take pictures. There was also a Spartan with a jet pack and an Elite. I played Firefight most of the night. I saw a filming crew out of the corner of my eye, but I payed no attention. Then I felt a pat on the back and when I turned, I see Spartan Kat shaking her head in approval and giving me thumbs up! I smiled back, and kept going in my grunt massacre ending the game in 1st position.

The New York party was been simulcast downstairs, meanwhile Firefight and Forge Missions were being played for prizes. Between each game prizes were constantly been called out and people continued to party. The atmosphere in the room was of awe and anticipation for getting the game and playing it at our pace, and not 10 minute matches.

The night closed with more prizes given away and a big thank you for all coming out. Almost everyone left with at least a little bit of swag. Some of the crowd went to line up at one of the two Game Stop locations where Bungie had promised to continue the party if possible. It was a truly amazing night, and even though we were all excited about Halo: Reach; the same feeling I felt at PAX, was at the party. That sadness of this being the last Halo game. The best way I can describe it would be the last day of high school as a senior. Even thought the road might not have been perfect, the journey was monumental.

I will repeat myself and say that I cannot wait to see what Bungie has up their sleeves and what surprises they are probably already working on for all of us to fall in love with. For now, lets all go play REACH!!!!

Right through the main entrance is what we came to see first: the TopatoCo booth. Though more of a fortress or small city than a booth, and severely lacking in Nedroid, TopatoCo was overflowing with amazing webcomics, including Kris Straub, Jeff Jaques, and Kate Beaton.

After this landmark was seen, it was time to find art we didn’t know we wanted yet. One of the booths close to where we were already was the Monster Commute setup, offering this Emerald City Comic Con Exclusive. If you’ve ever been lost in downtown Seattle, you’ll appreciate the love they’ve shown for this north star-esque landmark. The friend and I picked up some adorable pictures of angry miso soup and headed on to the next booth.

She, a lover of sea creatures, me, a sucker for raccoons, we homed in on the cute/creepiness of Kraken Studios. There my compadre was able to amass a small arsenal of octopus buttons and the most adorable picture of a happy dragon you’ve ever seen, more of which can be found on artist Katy Hargove’s blogspot. Next to them was the super-colorful Josh Ellingson, with a picture of a raccoon that I had to buy. It’s hanging on the wall in my bedroom, near the window.

There was, of course, much more to see. However, this Con is special to us because of the art. Annual conventions have become the best place to see what else the online comic or indie artist world has to offer. Spread the love, share what you like with those around you, and constantly look for more!

Fugazo is still a young company – How did it get its start?

I think to answer this question properly I need to get into my background a little bit. My first real job in the games industry was at Sandlot Games back in 2004. I started in QA but quickly became a Designer and Producer. In 2006, I was the Lead Designer on Cake Mania which went on to become the best selling casual game of 2006. I decided to take a break from casual games and joined a company called Handheld Games where I produced DS and TV Plug N Play games. I had a great time building games for kids but missed working on casual games. So in late 2007 I partnered with my computer programmer friend Jonah to start making casual games again.

What kind of games do you make?

We’ve made all sorts of games at Fugazo. Here are a few examples: Cooking Academy 1 and 2 (Cooking Simulation), Flower Paradise (3 Match), Fashion Fits, (Clothing Time Management), and World Mosaics 1 and 2 (Logic Puzzle). We’ve tried to experiment making casual games in as many genres as possible.

What kind of impact does the current economic climate make on a business like yours?

To be honest, I think casual games are mostly unaffected by the recession. I think the low price point makes them even more attractive in bad economic times. For example, it’s cheaper to buy a casual game then go out to see a movie.

Coming from an area so thick with game developers (Seattle), do you see it as a hinderance or help to your own company?

I think it’s been quite helpful. It’s nice to be able to get other developer’s feedback on our games and it also makes it easier to find new hires when we’re looking.

 
Do you have plans to move from PC games onto other platforms, like consoles?

Actually, we’ve already started working on our first console game: Frobot for WiiWare! It’s a cross between the Legend of Zelda and Wii Play’s Tanks with a funky 70s robot theme thrown in for good measure. The game should be released on WiiWare in the first half of 2010. You can learn more about the game or try the PC demo on our site. 

Fugazo seems boast several cooking games – Will they make me a better chef? 

Sadly, probably not. While the cooking games have very accurate ingredients and preparation steps they still can’t replace real cooking. However, you might get a few ideas for some recipes you’ve never tried before.

Do you have any advice for anyone looking to start their own gaming company?

 
Start small, be quick, and remain independent! I’m happy to say that Fugazo has never taken a dollar of outside funding and that has allowed us to remain independent and work on what really motivates us.
 

What can we look forward to from Fugazo?

We started working on our first Hidden Object Adventure game last October. Look for it to arrive onto major casual game portals in March 2010!

Fugazo Inc., based in Seattle, Washington, is an independent developer and publisher of casual and indie games. Fugazo’s portfolio includes popular game titles such as the Cooking Academy series, the World Mosaics series, and Kitchen Brigade. Fugazo reaches millions of game players worldwide through multiple distribution channels including Online, PC, Mac, and Retail. In 2010 Fugazo, will release its first console title Frobot for WiiWare, PC, and Mac. For more information about Fugazo visit www.fugazo.com

Fugazo Giveaway!

As I mentioned earlier, the company sent me home with a bunch of games to give away to my wonderful readers. If you’re looking to snatch one up, just play one of the many free games on their site and e-mail me a quick comment about it. Super easy! Send your submissions to zoe@gamingangels.com . Games are limited to the first few people who send me a message, so act quick!

Zombies are kindof a big deal. It seems that any book, movie, or video game that features zombies is an instant hit. Well that is what industry Veteran Jeff Strain is banking on with his new development studio, Undead Labs in Seattle. The studio’s sole focus will be on creating a massively multiplayer online zombie game for console gamers.

Strain knows the mmo space as he left NCsoft last summer to create Undead Labs. He also worked at Blizzard Entertainment on Starcraft and Diablo.

“Every time I see a good zombie movie with friends, we spend days debating our strategies for surviving the zombie apocalypse,” said Strain. “The police station, or the supermarket? Garden rake, or staple gun? Bach, or the White Stripes? I’m a game developer, so I’d probably be useless for anything other than ghoul bait, but I’m excited to have the opportunity to build an MMOZ that lets us put those strategies to the test and find out for sure.”

Follow Undead Labs on Twitter to watch for future details.

PAX

Tickets are now on sale for PAX East 2010. The infamous Seattle games conference is now heading to Boston. The show itself will take place on March 26 – March 28 at the Hynes Convention Center.

PAX East will feature the sort of things that PAX is known for such as pen-and-paper tabletop games, CCG, PC and video games as well as concerts, panels and new games on the show floor.

“We’re bringing the craziness the fans have come to expect from PAX, but with an East Coast twist,” said Robert Khoo of Penny Arcade. “Most of all this will be a place where you can be yourself with fellow gamers.”

The three-day pre-registration cost is $45. It’s $10 more at the door. You can find all the information on registering here.

This is like a DM’s craziest dream right? I’ve come in contact with a Microsoft Surface table once in Seattle during PAX. For those who haven’t, it’s a table with an interactive surface that can be used via touch. It can show pictures from a device placed on it, display data, and can be used for games. But I didn’t even think of this usage which seems the most practical!

The Surfacescapes team at the Entertainment Technology Center at Carnegie Mellon University came up with a real Dungeons & Dragons demo. This is a tech work in progress but this is pretty cool to see. The video shows character registration, dm scene setup, and the interactive world map.

While this mode is probably way more expensive than most DMs can afford, the breakdown and ease in the menu system may be what Dungeons & Dragons needs to bring in new gamers.

Surfacescapes Demo Walkthrough from Visual Story TAs on Vimeo.

Dungeon Fighter Online

Penny Arcade Expo in Seattle, Washington is coming up next week! Nexon has revealed what games, contest giveaways, and exciting events are happening at their booth (No. 122).

Gamers can get a hands-on with two new titles, Dungeon Fighter Online and Dragon Nest. Players can also check out the Quarantine Mode in Combat Arms. Every day, Nexon will be giving away new Alienware TactX brand keyboard and mouse and Dungeon Fighter Online Merchandise.

Our friends, Robert Welkner and Hailey Bright, the hosts of Coin-op TV Live, will be doing daily presentations at 11am and 4pm. At each presentation, they will be showing gamers details about Dungeon Fighter Online and giving away free t-shirts at the end of each presentation.

Nexon’s Min Kim will be sharing That Arcade Feeling with PAX attendees at 1:30pm on Saturday in the Wolfman Theater. Kim will also be discussing how they used traditional arcade-style gaming in Dungeon Fighter Online.

Start planning your PAX calendar now! Have fun and say hi to our friends at Nexon!

How to you promote your brand new eco-friendly car? Well my combining three of our favoritate things:  Wifi, Eco-friendly solar Power and free electioneer for your gadgets! Toyota is placing 18 foot tall solar flowers in a few major cities around the US in order to promote the 2010 Prius.  What Toyota is trying to promote is the Prius theme of  “Harmony between Man, Nature, and Machine.”  by putting up a eco-friendly way to juice up your gadgets.
The daisy shaped flowers  stand 18 feet tall, and provide seating for up to ten people and by featuring laptop and cell phone recharging stations and access to free wireless internet service.
For those who wish to try this out, Toyota has launched this campegin in Boston’s Prudential Plaza with sites to follow in New York, followed by Chicago, Seattle, San Francisco, and Los Angeles.

I mean how can you go wrong? Free charging of our fave gadgets on the run? I’d sit under a huge flower if I can charge my ever drying cell phone.  Also, if you get to try it out, please drop us a comment at GA for you can tell us what you think.

Source: http://www.autobloggreen.com/2009/07/21/toyota-uses-18-foot-solar-flowers-to-market-2010-prius/

Halo 3 ODST

A month ago, many gamers noticed tweets from Nathan Fillion about him taking a trip to Seattle to check out Halo 3: ODST.

“Just got a call from Bungie. Going to Seattle to play HALO ODST! Hope they don’t check my pockets when I leave for game shaped booty.”

Turns out Nathan had more of a reason to be at Bungie than just a celebrity fan wanting to get a preview. MSNBC caught up with Nathan in the video below where they talk all things Halo 3: ODST including the fact that Nathan will be doing the voice for Sergeant Buck in the game.