PAX Australia為Penny Arcade品牌於2013年在澳洲墨爾本拓點舉辦的展會,也是迄今少數於南半球舉辦的年度遊戲大展。官方並未公布參觀人數,但依現場情況推估,單日應至少有三、四萬人,氣氛可說是相當熱絡。
PAX Australia is an expo started by Penny Arcade in Melbourne, Australia, since 2013 and is one of the few yearly game events held in the Southern Hemisphere. Although no official figures have been released, the showcase is estimated to have attracted up to 30,000 to 40,000 visitors per day.
該展會今年共有超過80家來自各地的獨立遊戲團隊參展,以及十數家跨國遊戲軟、硬體大廠同台較勁。不過PAX系列展會最有別於一般商展的,除了參展廠商之外,主辦單位更準備了各式各樣的主題區,不單純只是強調單向的宣傳推廣商品,而是鼓勵民眾主動參與,並創造場域來培養「遊玩的文化」與發揮「遊戲」這種載體才有的特色。
This year, over 80 indie game development teams from the world participated in the showcase, and dozens of international gaming software and hardware vendors pitted against each other. However, besides the participating vendors, what makes the PAX series of expos unique are the different areas set up by the organizer. PAX expo does not only unilaterally promote products but also encourage public participation, and create the environment to cultivate “gaming culture” and bring out the special characteristics of the gaming medium.
除此之外,本趟行程也連帶參觀了ACMI「澳洲動態影像中心」,當中有一常設展覽「螢幕世界」,蒐羅電影、電視、電腦、電子遊戲乃至於網際網路等,所有近代文明與螢幕相關的硬體科技演進,以及隨之發展的軟體內容,可見當地政府相當重視相關科技的文化資產歷史保存。
In addition to PAX Australia, the ARF also visited ACMI (Australian Centre for the Moving Image). Its permanent exhibition “Screen Worlds” showcases the evolution of all modern and screen related hardware technology, and the software contents that developed from it, encompassing movies, television, computer, electronic games and the Internet. It is evident that the local government values the preservation of the cultural history of such technologies.