Penny Arcade Expo (PAX) is the annual gamer’s gathering that happens in Seattle, Wash. It’s an outgrowth of the popular webcomic dedicated to gamers, Penny Arcade. The organizers of the event have announced this year’s keynote speaker — actor Wil Wheaton (who, coincidentally, is also a Mac user and past speaker at Macworld Expo). PAX 2007 happens Aug. 24 – 26, 2007 at the Washington State Trade and Convention center in Seattle.
Wheaton’s best known for his stint on Star Trek: The Next Generation as Ensign Wesley Crusher. He’s authored two books and is an active blogger; he also contributes to game, media and tech Web sites.
PAX 2007 organizers also revealed the prize for the Omegathon competition, which pits players of tabletop, video games and computer games together in fierce competition: This year’s winner gets a trip for two to the Tokyo Game Show, along with $5,000 in spending cash.
This year’s headlining band is called The Minibosses. They’re known for their instrumental rock covers of video game music. They’ve covered themes like Ninja Gaiden, Metroid and Super Mario Bros. 2. Other musical guests scheduled to appear include The OneUps, MC Frontalot, Jonathan Coulton, Freezepop, The Neskimos and Optimus Rhyme.
More than 50 companies, including Microsoft, Sony, EA, Sierra and Rockstar will exhibit at PAX 2007.