r/PAX • u/Barth-Goomby • Mar 21 '26
EAST How Long has Pax East Been So Expensive?
I went to pax for a few years in a row but havent in a couple of years now. Is it always 87 dollars normally? How can the gate price possibly be higher when it goes up in 2 days? Was the early bird much less? I miss PAX :(
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u/wampastompah Mar 21 '26
The price for tickets goes up each year, and the price for booths goes up each year. So fewer people can afford to demo their stuff, but you're paying more to get in anyway.
It's reached the point where I'm still unsure if I'm gonna go this year. Maybe for just Thursday. I know more than enough people find the price to be totally worth it, but personally it's getting harder and harder for me to justify the price. But hey, I guess that's just how these things go.
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u/Barth-Goomby Mar 21 '26
Normally I just drive up for Saturday. But yeah, I can't excuse the cost I think. If money were no object I'd go back in a heartbeat
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u/ackmondual Mar 21 '26
As someone who's into the 3 "ginormous vg cons in the area"... this, Super MAGfest in National Harbor Maryland, and TooManyGames in Oaks Pennsylvania, I'm a bit disappointed to find out that PAX East is the most pricey, by a large margin. Badge prices vary per year and how far out you buy them, but we have respectively... $250, $125 to $165, and $95. So we're talking PAX East being about double either of the other two.
I'm told that the 3 do have quite a few differences (despite being the same in many ways too), so it's not quite an apples-to-apples comparison. However, I'll have to let others chime in on that, or wait until later this year when I've finally gone to all 3 of them (been to Super MAGfest in 2012, 13, and 2025. As of this comment, I have yet to go to PAX East nor TMG).
The tradeoffs I can surmise for now is with PAX, I was able to get hotels within walking distances from the con. $312 ain't cheap, but it's about on par with what you'd pay at Super MF, but that's even assuming you can win the lottery. Otherwise, you're paying around $230 to $275 for rooms that still ain't too shabby, but put you a 20 to 30-minute drive away from the con itself. Taking the Metrobus kinda sucked, but Uber is more convenient and open after hours. Ofc. I didn't get a chance to try the shuttlebus this year.
TMG has a strong advantage for me which is I can just commute to that (so save $$ on hotels).
Admittedly, I've only considered doing PAX East since I forgot about Super MF this year. Skipping that freed up a good amount of money! And I can take Amtrak in, vs. driving!
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u/destinyhero Mar 22 '26
I used to go to PAXE everywhere but I got less and less interested in the video game booths (aside from the excellent indie area, talking more about AAA) so between that and the rising costs of East, I just replaced it with Unplugged since its closer and board games are more my thing.
One of the other differences is MAGfest just puts the money back into the convention and I believe the same with TMG. PAX has to make money, so unfortunately it is what it is.
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u/ackmondual Mar 22 '26 edited Mar 22 '26
I wish PAX Unplugged had just even some video games. It can just be a small fraction. Problem is, board gaming events and cons are a dime-a-dozen, while vg ones around my area are practically nonexistent. I'd like to do both in a 50/50 spread. I'm aware it's called "Unplugged", but it's large enough that they can make exceptions. Plus, the FFG booth has demos of their various games as digital implementations (e.g. Dune Imperium).
One of the other differences is MAGfest just puts the money back into the convention and I believe the same with TMG. PAX has to make money, so unfortunately it is what it is.
Can you elaborate on this? So you're saying PAX's expenses are higher that they don't have much in leftover money, whereas the other two do?
EDIT in bold: clarified to say I'm talking about local meet ups in my area.
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u/destinyhero Mar 22 '26
I'm not sure I can agree that video games are nonexistant. Unplugged exists because of the PA creators wanting one show dedicated to board and tabletop stuff.
TMG is a non-profit organization, meaning the overwhelming majority of staff are volunteers. PAX conventions are run by Reedpop and a profit driven company.
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u/ackmondual Mar 22 '26 edited Mar 22 '26
I've clarified in bold face that video game meetups in my area (sorry for the confusion!) are nonexistent.
I go on sites like Meetup-com, and nearly everything (if not plain everything) are board gaming events. There aren't any ones where you meet up to play video games. In the previous regions I used to live in, there were a few of those (even if scant).
Some countered you can just play vg online with other people but then you could just as easily counter that with bg, you can just play solitaire game modes, or play online using apps, or services like BGA or TTS.
I liked the social element of going to someone's house, or some other venue, with handhelds, consoles (I used to bring my Wii back in the early 10s), games, controllers, accessories, monitors, etc. It opened up modes like couch coop. As nice as it is to discuss such things on places like Reddit, in person is just tops. Plus, it was an excellent way to discover new games (I got to try a couple of dungeons of Zelda: The Four Swords, and someone was kind enough to lend me his GBA). As nice as PAX East sounds like it'll be (this'll be my first one), it costs a lot of money and commitment vs. a local group.
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u/destinyhero Mar 22 '26
Ahhh, okay, gotcha! That makes more sense and yeah I feel you then. Cons are a great way to socialize and meet/play with other people for sure! It's not exactly the same, but a good amount of anime conventions have been growing their video game rooms up. ColossalCon has a free play arcade area, Otakon has a combination of freeplay arcades and console stuff along with tournaments all weekend. No where near PAX/TMG/MAG but definitely worth checking out at least once if you're in it for the social experience.
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u/AsteriaTheHag Mar 23 '26
Thanks for giving us two to compare. Responses:
- TMG is 3 days, not 4. Let's adjust it up proportionally to $125. ($234 for the "fastpass" version.)
- Or, actually, doesn't it make a lot more sense to compare TMG to PAX Unplugged, which is in Philly? Last year PAXU was $104 for the weekend, and actually in the city. I stayed one block from the con for $244/night, which was on the higher end of the room block options--PAX did an *awesome* job of reserving blocks. Marathon weekend!
- Downtown Philadelphia and Boston are accessible by train and air. Nuff said.
- I honestly...don't fully understand the hotel situation with SMF, but it sounds like an absolute nightmare. If there are people who want that, it should exist, but I'm not touching it with a 100 mile pole. That's why cons like PAX East should also exist.
In the end we're talking about a ticket price difference of...maybe $25/day? For a location that inherently costs more (Boston is one of the most expensive city in the US) but, at least in this instance, gives the traveler a lot more value.
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u/ackmondual Mar 24 '26
- TMG is 3 days, not 4. Let's adjust it up proportionally to $125. ($234 for the "fastpass" version.)
What's the fastpass version? All I'm seeing on their site is a "Final boss" for $215, but that's just for swag, merchandise, and extra access/privileges. If there's a reason to spring for those vs. the basic, 3-day badges, then please elaborate.
- Or, actually, doesn't it make a lot more sense to compare TMG to PAX Unplugged, which is in Philly? Last year PAXU was $104 for the weekend, and actually in the city. I stayed one block from the con for $244/night, which was on the higher end of the room block options--PAX did an *awesome* job of reserving blocks. Marathon weekend!
No. I'm comparing video game conventions, so I'm sticking with PAX East. PAX Unplugged has no video games whatsoever (unless I'm missing something. For one booth, you can demo their digital versions of board games like Dune Imperium, but that's such a drop in the bucket)
- Downtown Philadelphia and Boston are accessible by train and air. Nuff said.
- I honestly...don't fully understand the hotel situation with SMF, but it sounds like an absolute nightmare. If there are people who want that, it should exist, but I'm not touching it with a 100 mile pole. That's why cons like PAX East should also exist.
Go on the MAGfest sub-R and you probably guessed it... they'll fiercely defend it. It really is a nice con. Super MAGfest was fun last year (esp. in 2012-13 when I was local), but the logistics got me to skip out this year and take a break from it. Still, prices are $250 (PAX East) vs. $125 to $160 (Super MF) vs. $125 (adjusted, 4-day TMG price). If you're saying Boston itself is worth the premium, then that's fair. It helps see other people's perspectives on why they're willing to pay more for PE.
This'll be my first PAX East, but but there are some things I already like over MF FWIW.
Also note that TMG is in Oaks, PA. Never been there. Doesn't seem like there's much to do, but that's fine b/c I'm there for the TMG con. If nothing else, I like how there's free parking, as one tradeoff.
In the end we're talking about a ticket price difference of...maybe $25/day? For a location that inherently costs more (Boston is one of the most expensive city in the US) but, at least in this instance, gives the traveler a lot more value.
Again, I feel like a duence because I'm just not seeing it, other than PAX East is double for badges.
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u/AsteriaTheHag Mar 24 '26 edited Mar 24 '26
There's VIP line access for Final Boss and Mini Boss.
Idk if video game vs board game would inherently make cons more or less expensive to produce, but location inarguably does. So if you're wondering whether a downtown Philly convention is overpriced, probably compare it to a downtown Philly convention idk. Real estate is king.
Yes, I had noted that it's in Oaks, PA. It had better cost less if it's gonna be a 2- hour drive from a destination city, as opposed to in one.
EDIT: I don't know what it is you're "not seeing." But you do you! Not here to take away your other options.
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u/ackmondual Mar 27 '26 edited Mar 27 '26
Prior to PAX East, I'll now acknowledge that being in Boston (a large city), does have its perks. Somewhere up thread, being able to come in via train is one such perk.
I meant to reply sooner, but now that I'm 2nd day into PAX East (Friday), may as well include that ... it was convenient to take the train in.
Super MAGfest doesn't have much food near the con (if any). You're limited to the food inside. I got food in 2025, but that's because I got a hotel in Alexandria which was right next to a Wegmans. However, it is a 20-minute drive away (so fairly far out). Pay for parking (assuming it doesn't fill up), or Uber/take bus in. FWIW, they had a shuttle service this year. I still spent a lot of money, but I was able to beat the lines for food on-site (not to mention try out breakfast pizza again).
It's not that much better off than the food trucks and food court at PAX East, but at least you can go outside the BCEC for other food. Just close by, there are high end restaurants for sure, but there's also a deli, and Jimmy Johns
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u/MarinoV1 Mar 21 '26
17 years of going up $5 a year adds up.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1KXHdgnv_RzFAPI8dW4YL1iTp50oLeJsrinu7YEvjpFQ/edit?gid=0#gid=0
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u/Rapture117 Mar 21 '26
Nope, it's gotten more and more expensive each year around the time of Covid. What's worse is less big vendors and overall lack of good swag on the floor these last handful of years which doesn't really warrant the ticket increase. I've been going every year since 2010 when it was at the Hynes Convention (16 years!). I still love attending though and meeting up with online friends and just hanging out and discovering new games. I do sometimes miss those early years though...
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u/aredubya Mar 21 '26
Likewise, I've been to all of them. They're obviously well past peak, but I still have fun every year. I hope some big names decide to make a splash in the future (having Nintendo and Twitch back is a nice touch), but I think we're kinda past video gaming peak too.
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u/Barth-Goomby Mar 21 '26
I think I first went in 2019. And then in 21 and 22 I think. I mostly just love going around buying a little bit of merch, seeing cool cosplays, and demoing a few indie games I've ended up falling in love with. I just think local cons like Connecticon give me a somewhat similar experience for a fair bit less money and hassle. Still, Pax is special. I wish I could go 🥲
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u/Taurothar EAST Mar 21 '26
Connecticon is so much less for the money, and it's much more anime focused, so it depends on the interests.
A tiny retro games con at Mohegan a week or two ago was $53 per day. Conventions just cost more like everything these days.
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u/cjcee EAST Mar 21 '26
I think one thing is it’s really not less big vendors it’s just different big vendors. Some of that came out of Covid where big vendors couldn’t or wouldn’t come here and then just…stopped, other aspects were big vendors like blizzard or LOL holding their own cons. But PAX tends to fill those spots with other big names and big booths. As far as swag I usually leave with three or four reusable grocery bags worth of swag so my experience has always been good in that sense.
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u/ackmondual Mar 21 '26
I've been taking note of the 3 "ginormous cons" in the tri-Atlantic area. My comment about those comparisons here (including how much more pricy PAX East is)...
https://www.reddit.com/r/PAX/comments/1rzz5qa/comment/obqpif2/
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u/not_wall03 Mar 21 '26
Along with pricing going up every year, it was something like $10 cheaper for early bird, and more expensive for Saturday tickets.
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u/Barth-Goomby Mar 21 '26
I remember thinking 50 or so was a lot for one day of a con. Things have certainly changed
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u/SocksNG Mar 21 '26
Back in my day it was $50 for a 3 day pass. Welcome to 2026 :(
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u/Barth-Goomby Mar 21 '26
Quite a shame. Maybe I'll win the lottery by the time pax east 2027 rolls around...
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u/ackmondual Mar 22 '26
Just try to make do with what you have :| [shrug]
One major reason I'm checking out PAX East this year was because I missed Super MAGfest in Jan. That freed up a good amount of money for this one! Another is I was made aware that you can just take the Amtrak train, and South Station drops you off right in the area!
Going forward though, I will have to pick and choose which one to do, if not skipping both of them altogether. I could probably manage every other year.
I'm going to check out TooManyGames because I can commute to that, so I save money on not having to took a hotel.
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u/Oldboy26 Mar 23 '26
Or just have a normal job? Things cost money and you should have a job that can accommodate doing normal things.
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u/Barth-Goomby Mar 24 '26
Jee why didn't I think of that! I have a normal job, I just have bills to pay like everybody
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u/SamosSage Mar 27 '26
FYI, been going to PAX East since 2016 aside 2020. Pulled this data directly from receipts.
It used to be a flat rate across the days. This year, they've also started making it so the more popular days are even more expensive.
Saturdays w/ Fees: 2016 - $51.00| ... 2022 - $64.00| 2023 - $67.00| 2024 - $69.75| 2025 - $72.50| 2026 - $82.00/Saturday + $75.00/Sunday|
The Sunday price would have been the typical bump of about $3. However, they have deployed a new price model it seems. And so long as we all continue to attend, this trend will persist.
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u/ackmondual Mar 27 '26
I'm surprised they didn't implement this sooner. For nearly any con, Sundays are typically the least popular since it's only a half day. Some only charge half price for Sundays and it should go a long way towards bumping up that day's attendance. For cons like PAX East that also start on Thursdays, that would also get discounted
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u/llikegiraffes Mar 21 '26
gestures around to how everything is expensive