The PAX Aus 2023 panel schedule has just gone live on the PAX Aus website – so if you’re planning to head down to the annual showcase, it’s time to lay out your calendar. As in past years, the panels of PAX Aus 2023 are an eclectic bunch. There’s official celebrations, meet and greets with special guests, talks from developers, cosplay workshops, and showcases for a variety of games – but as always, there’s also some weirder discussions in the mix.
Head over to the Fruitbat Theatre on 7 October 2023 at 8:30 pm AEDT and you’ll get to hear about the best companions in gaming, and how they rank based on chaos and thirst (with Ruby Innes from Back Pocket, the Powerhouse Museum’s Chloe Appleby, and writer Steph Panecasio).
In a similar vein, you’ll also be able to discover the most eligible monster bachelors in TTRPGs if you visit the Dropbear Theatre on 7 October 2023 at 6:00 pm AEDT for a panel featuring Gemma Driscoll of ABC’s Good Game: Spawn Point, Meeples & Dragons‘ Kate O’Sullivan, and a host of other content creators.
Read: PAX Aus 2022 was a homecoming that felt distinctly different
On the more serious side of PAX Aus 2023, there are a range of great-sounding panels for those currently working or looking to break into the games industry, including:
- Making Taxes Fun with Crayator and team BDO! – 12:00 pm AEDT on 6 October 2023 at the Galah Theatre. This session will teach content creators all about personal finances as a freelancer, and how to streamline this process for easier accounting.
- How To Friend 101- Speed friending, chaos, community building and connection – 2:00 pm AEDT on 6 October 2023 at the Twitch Quokka Theatre. This panel is all about making new connections, and sharing a love for video games.
- Storytime with Erika Ishii – 12:00 pm AEDT on 6 October 2023 at the Main Theatre. This panel will feature voice actor Erika Ishii talking about their career, and the importance of video games.
- Beyond Stereotypes: Exploring Indigenous representation in video games – 3:30 pm AEDT on 6 October 2023 at the Kookaburra Theatre. This panel, hosted by 4Phase Games, will be a deep dive into indigenous representation in games, specifically from a lens of Māori culture.
- Fireside with Mick Gordon – 5:00 pm AEDT on 6 October 2023 at the Twitch Quokka Theatre. This panel will feature globally-known composer Mick Gordon talking about his career, and the history of video game composition.
- Secrets & Stories, Music & Myths: A Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical Development Retrospective – 12:00 pm AEDT on 7 October 2023 at the Main Theatre. This panel will feature the Summerfall Studios team talking about the long journey of Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical.
- Unlocking the Power of Collaboration: Content Creators, Brands and Agencies – 4:30 pm AEDT on 7 October 2023 at the Dropbear Theatre. This panel should be particularly useful for content creators looking to learn more about brand collaboration.
There are also several panels focussing specifically on the changing nature of the games industry, including what esports looks like in Australia, and how cloud gaming will change our future behaviours. A panel titled ‘Barbengamer: pinkwashing in games‘ also seems like it’ll be an insightful exploration into how femininity is depicted in video games.
You can browse the full list of panels for PAX Aus 2023 on the PAX Aus website – and you will also be able to set your own schedule and calendar using the PAX app. This can be useful for tracking everything you want to see – and you can also set reminders to ensure you don’t miss out on your must-see panels.
PAX Aus 2023 takes place from 6-8 October 2023 at the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre in Melbourne, Australia.
