PAX AUS 2013 | Day 2 Officially a Success

No slowing down for PAX Australia.

Saturday at the Melbourne Showgrounds proved that PAX Australia wasn’t about to slow down. The strong Friday opening was matched by Saturday’s turnout — the crowds, the  long queues, this definitely was starting to feel a lot like PAX.

Microsoft presented their Xbox One for the first time on Australian soil with an on-stage presentation. They’re strategy: talk a little about the new tech, show some flashy game trailers, and a few live demos.

Kinect enhancements included, low light motion tracking, heart rate monitor, motion capture of human fingers,  an advanced ‘boxy’ skeletal rig for capturing accurate rotations, and pressure sensitive foot placement.

Some upgrades to the Xbox controller mentioned included rumble feedback on each trigger, improved analog sticks, lighter and more balanced feel.

Live-demos of Ryse :Son of Rome, and Battlefield 4, were nothing new as these were shown at previous events, but with the Main Theater sound system shaking the entire room, it was quite the experience.

No mention of pricing, or the Don Mattrick recent apology. No, it was strictly business for Microsoft,  impressing Australians with Xbox One. I think the heavy dubstep might have won the audience over.

Aside from the sales pitch for Xbox One, there were also some thought-provoking panels about gamer rage and entitlement,  parenting, and gender inequality in the game industry.

Of course, if the panels and presentations were not your thing, the gaming areas were a great alternative for some good old fashioned fun.

Check out the Day 2 gallery below.

This concludes our weekend coverage of PAX Australia 2013.