PAX Prime 2012 is over, and we had a ball covering three days worth of gaming madness up in Seattle, whether it was the Metal Gear party or the Gearbox panel or the countless independent and mainstream games that we got to play. Of course, there’s a huge draw that lets us know just what we’ve accomplished over those three days — the swag that we’ve collected.
If you didn’t get to attend the event, you missed out on some killer giveaways, including downloadable content for Xbox Live, Gears of War Judgment posters, lanyards and more.
We’ve dug through our goodie bag (and there’s a lot in there, I’m telling you) and came up with the seven best pieces of swag we could’ve collected from the event. Now don’t be “jelly” or envious of our having these! Instead, make sure you attend PAX for yourself and take in the glory that is the bi-yearly gaming event. We’ll see you at the next one!
Marvel vs. Capcom Origins Reversible Poster
Marvel Vs. Capcom Origins is set to make its way to Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network later this month, but that didn’t stop us from hitting Capcom’s booth and teaching a few fools a lesson with Wolverine and Strider in our corner. And for our efforts, Capcom awarded us with a killer double-sided poster, featuring, on one side, an Infinity Gauntlet-inspired comic book cover, and, on the other, a revamp of the classic Mega Man 2 NES art, complete with the appearance of a Marvel character. Now the only real dilemma we have is which side we want to have showing out in the office hallway. Hmmm!
League of Legends Teemo Hat
There were a throng of League of Legends fans hanging out on the PAX Prime floor, whether they were taking on the game themselves at the Razer booth or watching the national finals, which were taking place in the same building, in a packed room. But what was even better than the tournaments were the giveaways being offered, including a Tibbers pillow and a lanyard. Our personal favorite, however, is the Teemo hat. Wearing this around the PAX event center not only notified players of how much of a geek you were, but the citizens of Seattle as well. “Love me for who I am!” it bellow as the bartenders laugh at you. Ah, well, at least it’s going for $50+ on eBay.
Borderlands 2 Shirts — Two of Them
It wasn’t enough that 2K Games and Gearbox Software had to offer a shirt for gamers to collect over the three days of demo-ing the latest co-op mission from Borderlands 2. Oh, no. They had TWO. Featuring a yellow shirt with blue font on one day and a blue shirt with yellow font on the other days, these shirts were very high in demand with the Borderlands fan base, almost as much as those coveted Loot Chest editions that are long gone at this point. Sure, the wait was strenuous (two hours plus), but the ability to show your pride — in multiple colors — made it that much more worthwhile.
The Last of Us Collectible Shirts and Poster Prints
Okay, so maybe The Last of Us disappointed slightly, since the same demo that was shown a couple of months ago at E3 made a return trip, this time at PAX Prime. But there was no question that Naughty Dog not only went all out on their booth, but also the giveaways that were happening for those who attended the demo. Checking out the gameplay footage gave you one of two special shirts, featuring characters from the game, as well as a limited edition print to post on your wall to show your PlayStation pride. Truly this isn’t the Last we’ve seen of the great swag from this upcoming game…
Dishonored Collector’s Masks
Bethesda went all out when it came to swag giveaways at their booth. They once again brought back the popular paper speakers that were a big hit at E3, along with various pieces of Xbox Live Avatar goodies, including a Doom 3 BFG Edition pet and a Dishonored virtual mask. But the best gift were three actual paper masks that were given to those who demo’d the game, featuring various gestures and interesting looks, similar to the ones worn by people at the fancy party where you’re sniffing out an assassination target. When it comes to awesome freebies (and games), Bethesda was simply the place to be.
Aliens: Colonial Marines Handkerchiefs and “Game Over Man” Shirts
Aliens: Colonial Marines was out in full force at Sega’s booth, with the team at Gearbox showing off an amazing new Escape mode, which we detailed in a preview a few days back. But the real treat came at the end of the demo, when we received a pair of alien-laden handkerchiefs to blow our nose with (or rather, stow in a case to be preserved forever, like one of our staffers did). In addition, we were also awarded with a cool “Game Over Man!” avatar shirt for Xbox Live, both male and female. Because nothing pays tribute to good ol’ Hudson like virtual wear, right?
Kirby Stress Ball
Though Kirby’s 25th Anniversary Collection is headed to the Wii and not the Wii U like a lot of folks wanted, it’s still a great collection. And standing in line to play the game not only rewarded us with a way to blow off some convention-built steam, but also with some sweet Kirby swag, such as a collector’s edition poster and a stress ball featuring the cute little pink guy smiling at us. We swear, he’s sitting right on our desk, content as he ever could be…
