I understand that the email states that Club PA members are given access to one (1) 4-day badge - though it appears that it won't be mailed, and that you have to pick it up in person, with your ID, at Will-Call. This is second-hand information though, so grain of salt and such.
Well, club PA is about to become a very large club.
That's bad mechanism design. If I were in club PA and were a normal attendee, I'd try to buy badges anyway, and use that one just as a guarantee that I'd still get to go.
I agree it's a bit horseshit but anyone able to use it is silly not to.
That said, Robert said they don't want it to be seen as a "tax" for access so they are aware of the perception. I have no idea how they will handle this shitstorm that's brewing but I do appreciate their intentions and hope they can continute to do something like this in the future.
Let's play Devil's Advocate. The opinions in this post do not necessarily reflect the views of the poster. Please do not be mad at me for pitching an opposing view. :<
PAX badges are an increasingly rare commodity, and it's become more and more difficult to guarantee that you will get one. If you were willing to pay the premium to be a PA Insider ($20-$60 per year), I don't think it's totally unreasonable that one of the rewards is a guaranteed pass for yourself. Everyone had an equal opportunity to join Club PA, so if you were dedicated enough to commit to it, then an opportunity at a pass is your reward. Nothing was stopping you from joining Club PA too.
And to be honest, anyone who would join Club PA was likely going to go to PAX anyway, so this isn't necessarily reducing the pool of passes, since these people were going to get them one way or another.
The important distinction is that if they TOLD people that early access was one of the rewards, then it could be considered a "tax" for early access. Since it was an unexpected surprise this one time, even the people who paid into it for other reasons couldn't be expected to see this coming. Now, if they do this again for every PAX, then it can definitely be considered a tax.
Well half of my F5'ing is over. Jimmy Fallon tickets for June just went up and I scored big. Sold out in 30 seconds. Papa got 6 tickets between PC and phone.
Well half of my F5'ing is over. Jimmy Fallon tickets for June just went up and I scored big. Sold out in 30 seconds. Papa got 6 tickets between PC and phone.
I kinda don't care if I don't go this year anyway. At most I may go on Friday since that seems like a lower traffic day as people travel in. But I'm just finding it harder to care about the stress in going to PAX when there is zero stress in going to Bumbershoot and I'm more excited to see bands I like than I am playing board games with people I meet randomly.
This is my feelings as well. After I missed last year I don't feel it is as of a necessity as I used to. If i manage to get Fri and Sat tickets awesome, if not I am not going to be pissed like I would have previously. Glad to hear someone else is in the same boat and at 30 I am not just turning into a old man.
I had honestly forgotten about Bumpershoot, I think I may go this year and see what it has become.
Bumbershoot is getting some of the same symptoms but is less likely to lure in out of town people. I mean you may get some Portland or Vancouver, but that is mostly it.
I predict Bumbershoot to already be, or soon become, as much a weedfest as a music fest. I mean, music festivals are already weed festivals. But those taking place in Colorado or Seattle are going to double down.
I mean its kept on the DL, but yeah you can see a significant amount of weed smoking going on. I mean, the pseudo-documentary Super High Me Doug Benson is at Bumbershoot at some point and catches a guy smoking behind some bushes. Although very near every festival, and even music show, that I've been to weed smoke can be seen and smelled.
I think there will be more at PAX as well. There are a lot of gamers who smoke weed in Washington at least. I, as well as many people I know, have smoked before going into PAX in previous years. I haven't in a couple years but I would be willing to wager that I'm not the only one to do so before.
The difference is that people aren't smoking at PAX itself, just around it. At Bumbershoot, with the legal situation there, you'll have at least some conflict between people only trying to enjoy music and people only getting high. I imagine most will do some combination of the two.
Music festivals have had that "conflict" since there were music festivals and marijuana at the same time. Nothing will be different now. ;^)
Right, the only difference is you may have some older people partaking when normally they wouldn't go out of their way to find any weed. The thing is Bumbershoot is all outside and people aren't blowing smoke in your face or anything. Most of the areas are no smoking anyway. Unless its a large crowd for a headline people are often not breaking that rule.
I predict Bumbershoot to already be, or soon become, as much a weedfest as a music fest. I mean, music festivals are already weed festivals. But those taking place in Colorado or Seattle are going to double down.
I'm a complete nub in terms of knowledge on how to get hotel rooms for PAX. What's the ideal hotel? How much should I expect it to be? How do I get rooms assuming it isn't already sold out. Please help a Whigga out.
Comments
That said, Robert said they don't want it to be seen as a "tax" for access so they are aware of the perception. I have no idea how they will handle this shitstorm that's brewing but I do appreciate their intentions and hope they can continute to do something like this in the future.
PAX badges are an increasingly rare commodity, and it's become more and more difficult to guarantee that you will get one. If you were willing to pay the premium to be a PA Insider ($20-$60 per year), I don't think it's totally unreasonable that one of the rewards is a guaranteed pass for yourself. Everyone had an equal opportunity to join Club PA, so if you were dedicated enough to commit to it, then an opportunity at a pass is your reward. Nothing was stopping you from joining Club PA too.
And to be honest, anyone who would join Club PA was likely going to go to PAX anyway, so this isn't necessarily reducing the pool of passes, since these people were going to get them one way or another.
The important distinction is that if they TOLD people that early access was one of the rewards, then it could be considered a "tax" for early access. Since it was an unexpected surprise this one time, even the people who paid into it for other reasons couldn't be expected to see this coming. Now, if they do this again for every PAX, then it can definitely be considered a tax.
There could be 12 paxes a year and they'd all sell out.
I had honestly forgotten about Bumpershoot, I think I may go this year and see what it has become.
I think there will be more at PAX as well. There are a lot of gamers who smoke weed in Washington at least. I, as well as many people I know, have smoked before going into PAX in previous years. I haven't in a couple years but I would be willing to wager that I'm not the only one to do so before.