ITWire

To rousing applause Newton-Brown made the commitment to host PAX Aus  at the Melbourne show-grounds on July 19th to 21st 2013 and further announced Melbourne would support the international video-game expo again in 2014.

“This is the first time the event has been held outside the United States and attracting PAX Australia to Melbourne was a major coup for Victoria,” Ms Asher said. “It is a great opportunity to showcase games culture in Australia to the rest of the world, and the exposure around the region and the world that Melbourne’s games industry will gain from the event, and the number of international and domestic visitors that will be drawn to Melbourne, cannot be underestimated.”

Penny Arcade President Robert Khoo said the demands of the global community dictated the expansion to Australia. “When we reached out to our international fans, the response from the Australian community for a local PAX was overwhelming,” Mr Khoo said.

"Melbourne has a long history of supporting the games scene, through showcasing cultural game exhibits to supporting world renowned game developers. Holding PAX Australia in Melbourne is the perfect fit for our show.”

PAX is the largest consumer games event in North America, first held in Seattle in 2004 and nearly doubling in size each successive year and expanding to a second show in Boston in 2010. A festival celebrating games culture, it connects the world’s leading game publishers with their most avid fans while providing an inclusive community environment.

PAX Australia will combine the exciting program from the international shows with local content and community events. International guests, speakers, musicians and developers will join local game industry representatives to showcase games and community events in Australia.