RPS@PAX 2023: Meet the PAX Facebook group that takes a community photo every single year

PAX East is a great place to play the latest games, sure, but as anyone who's attended the event will tell you the games are just a small part of a wider medley of things to see and do. Last year we highlighted the show's thriving pin collecting scene, for instance, interviewing a bunch of Pinny Arcade enthusiasts about the hobby and discovering that physical badges are just a minor part of the appeal.

Encouraged by the lovely warm feeling making that video left in my belly, we set out to shine a light on other lesser-known parts of PAX East during our time at this year's show. This led us to discover the PAX East Facebook group, a community of over 8,000 members brought together through their shared love of video games, pop culture and PAX itself. The page is dominated by a striking banner image, a photograph that shows a large group of people crowded around the PAX logo that's a permanent fixture in the main hall of the Boston convention centre.

Rachel and I found this photograph fascinating. Who were these people? Do they take this picture every single year? How did something like this start, and who was responsible for organising it in the first place?

In the video above we interview both Green and Daniel, the founders of the group, as well as four other members to understand what this community means to them. We discuss the origins of the photograph, cosplay, Pinny Arcade and their feelings towards PAX in general.

We'll have a few more deep dives into PAX communities over the next week or so, but while you're waiting, why not check out our interview with the sole creator of Animal Well? Or maybe you'd like a guided tour of the coolest things we saw on the show floor? These videos, and many more, can be found by exploring our RPS@PAX tag.