Come Join Us for Game Show Night at PAX!

A few months ago, I got some friends together at PAX East and hosted the Blankety Blank Panel, modeled after the classic 70s game show, Match Game. It was a whole lot of fun, and taught us, among other things, the term “under-bridge American.” So we’re going to do it all again at PAX Prime, but this time, the wonderful Dan Amrich and Chris Kohler are hosting shows, too!

Starting at 7pm on Friday, August 31 in the Kraken Theater, we’ve got three back-to-back hours of nerdy game show fantasticness for you. We’re the hosts, but you’re the contestants! (There may even be prizes. Like hugs!) Here’s the lineup:

7:00 pm: Blankety-Blank

Get ready to match the stars! Join a hilarious collection of writers, pundits, and comedians for Blankety Blank, the live version of classic TV game show Match Game. Members of the audience will be selected as contestants and challenged to predict how the panelists will answer excessively silly questions. Whoever matches the most answers wins! For a raucous hour of raunchy fun, stop by – and bring your sense of humor.

Panelists include:

• Susan Arendt [Managing Editor, The Escapist — and your host!]
• Dan Amrich [Community Manager, Activision]
• Russ Pitts [Features Editor, Polygon]
• Justin McElroy [Managing Editor, Polygon]
• Graham Stark [Loading Ready Run]
• Kathleen DeVere [Loading Ready Run]
• Chris Kohler [Editor, Wired Game|Life]
• Contestants from the studio audience

8:00 pm: Family Feud

We surveyed 100 gamers … can you guess their responses? Everybody’s favorite game show about families getting into arguments on television and husbands just having to smile and nod as Richard Dawson makes out with their wives is now a live PAX show. Random audience members will be organized into impromptu families and pitted against other audience members. Guess the most popular answers to our questions and you’ll win fabulous prizes!

Panelists include:

• Chris Kohler [Editor, Wired Game|Life — and your host!]
• Contestants from the studio audience

9:00 pm: Super Password

Can you read Major Nelson’s mind based on a one-word clue? Find out as we play the classic TV game show Super Password live on stage – it’s Super PAXword, of course! Our celebrity guests – Sid Shuman from Sony and Larry Hryb from Microsoft — will join players pulled from the audience as they try to solve the cryptic clues and metapuzzles together for fun and crappy prizes.

Panelists include:

• Dan Amrich [Community Manager, Activision – and your host!]
• Larry Hryb [Xbox Live’s Major Nelson]
• Sid Shuman [Senior Social Media Specialist, Sony Computer Entertainment America]
• Contestants from the studio audience

I promise laughs, shenanigans, and extended periods of frivolity. The possibility of cookies is high, the probability of pants is relatively low. So come join us!