I forgot my toothbrush. I always forget something when I pack for trips like this, and this time it's my toothbrush. That's not a big deal, I can always run out and pick up another one. It's not like the time when I forgot to bring shirts to Japan, a country that is not set up to sell shirts that even resemble something I could wear. That was way worse. So I'm going to write this post about our PAX East schedule and then hit the streets of Brooklyn in search of a toothbrush (and some floss and lip balm, because hey, let's go all out).

I tend to enjoy myself at PAX and PAX East, it's a good time to get out, meet some people, see a few games, and hang around. We also get to get up in front of a crowd and talk garbage for multiple hours, which is pretty much my second-most-favorite thing to do in the whole wide world. We're doing it again this Saturday, and some of us have thrown in for multiple panels this year.

Also, for the first time ever, our PAX panel is scheduled to be livestreamed. We're not producing the stream, but the plan is to embed the official PAX Twitch player in our chat on Saturday night and Sunday so those of you not attending the show live can see it. But if you're on site, you should come see us in person! Say hi! Touch Brad! Kiss Alex!

Everything kicks off on Friday with a pair of events...

FRIDAY, 4PM
DRAGONFLY THEATRE
"Why Internet Jerks Aren't Going to Win, And You Can Help"

This panel will feature Patrick and Zoe Quinn, both of whom have experienced some total bullshit on the internet, and they've got some ideas about why it happens and how we, as a society, can move on from at least some of this negativity. I suspect no actual internet jerks will be in attendance, which is unfortunate, since they probably need the most help in realizing that they're garbage people made of actual garbage. Human garbage, basically. I want to see this panel!

FRIDAY, 8PM
Atlantic Beer Garden, 146 Seaport Blvd.
THIS EVENT IS 21+

We're going to a bar for a couple of hours and GameSpot's footing (some of) the bill. Come by and say hi! Talk F1 with Danny and Drew! Hey, if you think you're going to come out for this, do us a solid and RSVP on this Facebook page, if you can. You don't need a ticket to attend, they just want to get a general sense of how many people are coming out for this. This overlaps with part of the Cards Against Humanity panel, which sounds pretty amazing this year, so weigh your options carefully, friends!

OK, that's Friday. Saturday is pretty quiet for us during the day, but then there's this...

SATURDAY, 9PM
ALBATROSS THEATRE
The Giant Bomb Panel That We Do At PAX

This is why we're here. What will be on this panel? I have no idea. We'll be there for a couple of hours, talking mess and dragging up some of our friends to cause all sorts of new trouble. Last time out, Johnny V and John Drake almost got into a fist fight! Can we make them go at it for reals this year? Will we call Adam Boyes and make fun of him for getting sick and skipping PAX this year? You're going to have to come and see for yourself.

Sunday is another busy day, with a few of us scattering to appear on a handful of additional panels.

SUNDAY, 10:30AM
ALBATROSS THEATRE
The Royal Rumble

Alex and I will be here along with Rich Gallup, Eric Pope, Max Temkin, Dave Lang, and about 24 more people to play the Royal Rumble mode in Wrestlemania 2000 for the N64. Alex has been practicing. I have not. Who will come out victorious!?!?!?!?? Perhaps it will be this surprisingly awake gentleman...

SUNDAY, 1:30PM
ALBATROSS THEATRE
404ing It: Breaking (Down) the Internet

Myself, Eric Pope, and Max Temkin will be appearing on this special PAX edition Pat Baer's long-running UCB show. We will discuss the internet, videos that can be found on the internet, and the best ways to watch said videos. Don't miss it!

Or, actually, maybe you want to miss it... I won't be hurt, but only if you're skipping out on us to see this panel...

SUNDAY, 1:30PM
BUMBLEBEE THEATRE
PRODUCED

Vinny Caravella and Rich Gallup have produced various productions both in and out of the video game business for years and years and years. They'll swap stories and attempt to dispense a little wisdom about how you (yes, you!) can produce. Ask Rich to see his special "produced" hand motion, it's really something else. I want to see this panel! Maybe we can get a feed of this panel piped into the 404ing It panel and we'll just goof on them. I already know Rich's secret hand motion, how hard could this "production" stuff be, anyway?

OK! That's it for PAX, I need to get out and find this toothbrush. See you guys in Boston!

DON'T KISS ALEX

You should totally rock this one, Jeff.

Muacks

Wolf-senpai...

Pucker up Alex.

I really want to go to PAX sometime. Maybe next year...

@alex: :(

Is there any indication if the Vinny and Richie G show, The Royal Rumble and the Kleptok+Zoe are going to be archived in any way, shape or form?

Brooklyn? You mean Brookline?

There better be a Kiss-Cam going for Alex. Make it happen people!

Please come to my panel. Albatross seats like 900 people or something crazy like that!

Does anyone know which of these panels will be streaming? I'd love to see pretty much all of them!

Royal Rumble will be live streamed on Twitch so that will definitely be archived. Patrick said that he's going to most likely record his panel. And Vinny sounded non-committal about recording his panel so I'd put that at a "maybe."

Well, I would imagine the panels in the Albatross Theatre would be live streamed?

@mattf2312: I kept thinking, "Huh, I guess they moved PAX East to NYC this year instead of Boston. Wonder why." Turns out, it's just Jeff being a silly West Coaster well traveled gentleman.

Atlantic Beer Garden: Throwing up in the harbor is never patriotic (even if you had tea that morning).

@krataur: No, I'm in New York right now.

@mattf2312: No. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/giant-bombs-jeff-gerstmann-tickets-11071022727

@jeff: Yeah, just saw your Twitter. Sorry for the mistake.

So much stuff to look forward too! Now behave yourself.

@krataur:

Jeff is going to an event in NYC at which he is speaking or something before PAX. So he is in fact in Brooklyn.

@jeff: It is a really nice day outside - after you get your toothbrush head over to the Brooklyn heights promenade (a few blocks away from where you are). It has great views of Manhattan and lady liberty :)

Also, check out DUMBO (Down under the Manhattan bridge overpass - also a few blocks away)

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60827-d262130-Reviews-Dumbo-Brooklyn_New_York.html

@alex: Just try and stop me!

@jeff: You might have misplaced the parentheses here:

We're going to a bar for a couple of hours and GameSpot's footing (some) of the bill.

That should have probably been "(some of) the bill"

Will there be any coverage of the Patrick and Zoe Quinn talk on Giantbomb?

damm, i really wanted to see vinny and rich's panel

Do those rules change if drinks are involved?

Are the last 3 panels listed being live streamed?

This is your weakness. Someone is going to exploit your weakness to defeat you in the Royal Rumble. This is why you never show weakness!

sounds awesome, have fun you guys!

Have fun to all who's going!

Will all of these be recorded in some form?

@alex Kiss Alex.

Shame the panel's at 4am here. Hopefully it'll be up for viewing in the morning. I think I remember watching last year's 404 internet thing on Youtube so hopefully there are some recordings of these panels

@nmckee503: I would too, but I think the only one being streamed is the Giantbomb panel. Patrick may be attempting to make his panel into a podcast they can archive- we'll see how that goes, though.

@alex: I think Jeff kind of screwed you there, duder. You know you're getting a fountain of kisses now, right? I recommend you prepare for that. =P

@turboman: Anything in the Albatross theater I believe will be streamed, and thus probably archived.

At least I hope so because I won't have a chance to see everything.

Nothing says a panel about internet peace like calling people human garbage.

@alex: LIES

I'm only gonna be there Saturday, and I have plans during the panel, but I'll be sure to keep an eye out for you guys on the show floor! PAX rules! I got to chat with Brad, Alex, and Patrick back in 2012, and got a picture with Ryan last year, which I still treasure to this day.

So when does the #kissalex hashtag start making the rounds?

I'm really hoping the wrestling panel is recorded and archived. Not making it to PAX this year :(

All rules change when drinks are involved.

I wonder what sorts of blanket statements and sweeping generalizations are going to come out of that panel on internet jerks.

All bets on Alex for Royal Rumble.

I don't get the point of that panel. Internet jerks have already won, long ago.

@kanerobot: Well, Ben Kuchera was sacked and Eric Kain is still around. So there's that.

There's a very simple reason why you get the kind of blow back on Patrick that you do: Critical Mass.

It starts with the simple notion that Patrick sucks as a writer, entertainer, and overall critic of anything with his half-thought points (often glaringly ignoring any possible counterpoints). That's not to say he isn't a wonderfully nice guy (at least through the visor of the Internet), can often add great perspectives to a discussion, can be pretty killer at games, and honestly cares about his work. It's just those first negatives that initiate the next step.

You have a build. One person points the above out, another agrees, another yet further concurs, and then it starts to be a game of telephone where points originally made start to get more outlandish, whether due to hyperbole or due to an inability to more solemnly express and explain, until it balloons into something just stupidly absurd (SJW PANDERING SHILL BLAH BLAH BLAH), and now there are so many people wrapped up in this that you've got a giant mob mentality until it eventually reaches:

CRITICAL MASS

And here we are today. The reason it persists is that Patrick still exhibits the original issues as a writer and public figure, so they can easily continue to balloon and carry on. Is it his fault? Not entirely, but I personally don't like his writing and ham-fisted opinions that almost always carry a one-sided tone that has already decided what's right. It's not for me, and it's not for a lot of people as has been clearly evidenced, but there are definitely a fair amount of people who are into it, so there's no reason he can't continue doing what he's doing if that's what floats his boat (and yours).

No one has to change, or should be forced to, but occasionally public figures do have some of the power themselves to curb their detractors.

See you at the Bumblebee Theater!

Looks like the Internet Jerks (IJs?) have at least found this thread...