The first annual PAX East 2010 rolled into Boston, MA this weekend at the Hynes Convention Center. Perhaps 50,000 attended over the weekend. This was the first east coast event of its kind. Seattle will host it's nth PAX in September. The event was sold out and just a massive gamers event across the board. It will move to the huge Boston Convention & Exhibition Center in 2011, and again in 2012. Check online for some rich articles and galleries.
Fantasy Flight Games was not there. Call of Cthulhu Card Game was not to be found on the vendor tables I saw. We'll get them next year FFG, right!
Arkham Horror I did see. I played a new mythos dice game. Catan and Warhammer and Magic all had a whole thing going, three days, big schedules on bulletin boards, rooms of players. Many different games were similarly represented too. Every table top tournament game room was active. Multimedia events were everywhere, and signings by designers and artists, and lots of lines. It was more computery than I could imagine. Huge beanbag area hang out areas were jammed, power cords running everywhere. There were bands in the evening at the arena. Way cool.
I strolled in with my girlfriend apparently with our season ski tags on our jackets for cover. There were all types of colored lanyards - press, three day, one day. We looked for passes, didn't see a ticket booth, just walked on in past the guards, and later found out it was sold out. "These aren't the droids we're looking for. You may go about your business. Move along. Move along."