While it is unfortunate that some of us will be unconscious in a hospital having their wisdom teeth extracted while this annual event is occurring, Australian video game publishers have begun confirming what those attending PAX Australia 2019 in Melbourne will be able to experience at their respective booths. While more announcements are bound to come out in the next couple of weeks, below is a taste of what you can expect on the show floor and panels from these publishers.
Ubisoft Australia
Stand: #1820 (Main), #1840 (Store)
Ubisoft Australia is a staple you would expect to see at any gaming convention, and will be bringing six of their upcoming titles to the show floor, in addition to a charity initiative and pop-up store. The following are the games Ubisoft have confirmed will be present at their stand:
Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint
Hands-on Opportunity
Watch Dogs: Legion
Hands-Off Theatre Presentation
Ubisoft have highlighted that this presentation will have some focus on the ‘Play as Anyone’ feature, a system new to this instalment allowing you to control any Londoner with their own skillsets and personalities.
Roller Champions
Hands-on Opportunity
Just Dance 2020
Hands-on Opportunity
Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege
Hands-on Opportunity
Brawlhalla
Hands-on Opportunity
Something which they have done since their very first outing at the EB Games Expo, Ubisoft will be offering fans the chance to nab themselves gaming posters for some of their major IPs for a gold coin donation. Ubisoft’s chosen charity for PAX Australia 2019 is Feel the Magic, a not for profit whose purpose is to create a world where children who are experiencing grief and supported to reach their full potential. A worthy charity in my opinion, so definitely donate for a poster or two if you can.
For those looking to (temporarily) mark themselves with something iconic from their favourite Ubisoft title, the booth will also be home to a temporary tattoo parlour offering 50 designs from a number of games.
Planning to attend PAX with money to spend? Ubisoft Australia will be bringing back the Ubisoft Store, which they claim will offer “a selection of merchandise from Ubisoft’s most popular titles including Assassin’s Creed, Rainbow Six, Ghost Recon Breakpoint, Watch Dogs and more”. This store will be part of the wider Pinny Arcade program and offer Rainbow 6 pins to anyone who spends more than $40.00 AUD in the store.
Bethesda Australia
Another staple at many of the major Australian gaming events over the years, Bethesda Australia will be attending PAX Australia 2019 with a focus on three of their current and upcoming titles.
Doom Eternal
Through a partnership with AMD, attendees at PAX Australia 2019 will be able to have a hands-on experience with Doom Eternal at the PAX AMD Booth. This will be the first time anyone in Australia will be able to have hands-on experience with the game.
But Bethesda is not limiting the experience to just a game demo. There will also be a range of DOOM themed areas, panels and events taking place. These include the Hell on Earth Queue Hall, a hand-painted 28m long ‘History of DOOM’ mural on Knox St, interactive photo opportunities, a kick-off party and a Pinny Arcade Pin.
On Friday 11 October 2019, Bethesda Australia’s Community Manager Jonny Roses will run through a DOOM Eternal tips and tricks panel with live gameplay. Not only might this be a good opportunity to get some hints before tackling a game demo, but they are also hinting at special guest(s) popping in.
The Elder Scrolls Online
There will be a lot of community opportunities for current players of The Elder Scrolls Online, including interactive photo opportunities, cosplay meetups and a community meet-up at the Common Man. Rich Lambert will be attending as a special guest, and be on a host of Bethesda and general industry panels/events including Trivia with Bethesda, Writers Anonymous and MMORPG’s: Moving Backwards to Go Forward.
To mark the 25th Anniversary of the wider Elder Scrolls series, an Elder Scrolls Panel will take place on Sunday 13 October 2019 @ 12.30 pm in the Ibis Theatre. Hosted by Rich Lambert, ANZ Community Manager Noel Wheatley and the Australian Twitch Streamers Tamriel Down Under, this sets out to be a discussion about how The Elder Scrolls has evolved over the generations of games, and the generations of gamers.
Fallout 76
Arguably less featured than the other two, Bethesda Australia will be holding an Official PAX Australia Fallout Cosplay Meetup on Sunday. More details will be coming soon.
Promenade Takeover
For the second time, the PAX Promenade will be turned into Bethesda Lane. This area will be themed around Fallout, DOOM and Elder Scrolls series; and be home to a number of photo opportunities, community meetups and more. Of particular note are the restaurant takeovers, with Common Man, Meat Market and Tessie Pearl all featuring bespoke menu items, themed giveaways and more.
Final Fantasy XIV
Separate from anything that Bandai Namco Entertainment might be doing as the main publisher of Square Enix titles in Australia and New Zealand, Final Fantasy XIV will have a presence at PAX Australia 2019. Across all three days, attendees will be able to take on a Battle Challenge against Eden Prime (The normal, rather than savage version), with victorious parties of eight players nabbing themselves an I BEAT T-Shirt. Australia has a strong track record for completing these challenges, so here’s hoping we do our country proud this time around! For fans of the game, there will also be a fan gathering held on Thursday 10 October 2019, more information on which can be found HERE.
If you have never played Final Fantasy XIV before, there will also be a Spouts Corner. Here, staff will introduce new adventurers to the realm of Eorzea, the jobs players have access to and will run them through some Guildheists to get started. Even if you are just curious about the game, everyone who partakes will receive a free Starter Edition of the game – providing 30 days of playtime, and access to all A Realm Reborn content.
Bungie
It has been confirmed that Bungie and The Periodic Table of Awesome will be attending Pax Australia 2019, with a focus on Destiny 2 and its expansion Destiny 2: Shadowkeep. The Periodic Table of Awesome will be hosting a Destiny showcase panel at 5.00pm on Friday 11 October 2019 – which will also be livestreamed so anyone who cannot attend can still tune in. Hosted by David “Quinny” Quinn and Dion Brooks, the panel will feature community guests, Morla Gorrondona (Eris Morn) and Victoria Dollabaum (Design Director, Bungie). The panel will also include a community survey, giveaways, and a Destiny charity auction.
About PAX Australia 2019
PAX AUS will be held from Friday 11 October 2019 to Sunday 13 October 2019 at the Melbourne Convention Centre. This is one of six PAX events held worldwide each year, and is exclusively tailored towards the gaming community. Tickets range from $65.00 AUD for a one day pass while the three day passes (now sold out) run for $170.00 AUD. If you are attending and want to know what panels are being held on your chosen day(s), or you just want to know what is taking place in full, you can access the current PAX Australia schedule HERE.
