Every new PAX brings with it the opportunity for fans to not only go hands-on with upcoming games, but also dive headfirst into PAX culture. Panels and events are happening constantly, not to mention tons of people in full cosplay gear wandering the halls and the chance for everyone to socialize in any number of lounges and other areas. Each PAX is a festival of gaming, not just video- but also board, card, and any other type of tabletop adventure people want to get up to. It’s the kind of place that tries to be welcoming to all types of players, and for those with a bit of extra pocket change there’s the ever-crowded merchandise booths. Every new PAX has its own theme and designs, and PAX East this year is going with a retro 80s flavor.
The bulk of the goodies are in apparel, including several t-shirt designs, a jacket, hoodie, cap, beanie, and scarf, all decked out in the colorful semi-geometric designs that somehow were what was cool back when videogaming was in its infancy. A couple of shirts pass on the 80s style, with one instead going for the classic PAX logo and the other commemorating that this year’s PAX East is the 50th (by a very specific type of counting) PAX event, but nice as they are the PAX Microcomputer one is clearly the star of the t-shirt show. It’s hard to explain why advertisers used to think people would read all that text, but somehow it worked at the time.
In addition to apparel there’s also the playmat, bottle, cup, and a drawstring bag, but it’s the pins that make up a whole sub-culture of the PAX experience. This year’s four-pack is a set of two PAX logos, one the traditional PAX East 2023 and the other in an 80s style, plus a Good Game and Steven Tyler-esque Kemper. The blank VHS-style LE pin is only found at the merch booth in the main lobby, though, so it may be worth a stop there before heading out into the show. Additionally, a couple of free(ish) pins are available at all merch booths for people who throw down the cash, with a second 80s-style Kemper design for any purchase $85 and up plus a Merch pin for the big spenders at $120 or more. For non-PAX-merch related, there will also be six Splatoon pins at the merch booths, plus an additional nineteenPinny Arcade pinskicking around the show for those who love to track them down and trade. It’s surprisingly easy to get sucked into the pin trading aspect of any PAX you end up at, so exercise caution or go nuts at the trading boards, depending on your inclination. Whether you want to deck yourself out from head to toe in a PAX-themed outfit or just show a bit of color with a subtle pin, the show starts on March 23 and the vendors are ready for business.
