The CEO of Microsoft Gaming to kick off jam-packed 20th anniversary celebration
SEATTLE – June 27, 2024 – Show organizers ReedPop and Penny Arcade reveal Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer will participate in the Storytime opening session to kick off the festivities at PAX West 2024. Badges are now on sale for the West Coast’s most-attended gaming event, taking place Friday, Aug. 30, through Monday, Sept. 2, at the Seattle Convention Center.
Spencer will take the Main Stage on Friday, August 30, for an entertaining and informative look behind the scenes of his illustrious career with more than 30 years of experience in gaming, tech and entertainment. In his current role as Chief Executive Officer of Microsoft Gaming, Spencer leads Microsoft’s global interactive entertainment business, spanning a range of legendary brands including Xbox, Activision, Bethesda, Blizzard Entertainment, King, and Xbox Game Studios.
Spencer has overseen console launches like those of Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S. He’s also led initiatives for Xbox Game Pass, ID@Xbox, and recently hosted the Xbox Games Showcase, alongside Xbox President Sarah Bond and Microsoft Gaming Game Content and Studios President Matt Booty, who was previously our PAX West 2022 Storytime keynote speaker.
Spencer’s Storytime opening session will kick off a jam-packed schedule of events, panels, and concerts commemorating the 20th anniversary of PAX in the area where it all started. A full schedule and list of exhibitors will be shared in the coming weeks ahead of the show.
“Phil Spencer is at the center of something unprecedented with Microsoft Gaming,” said Jerry Holkins, co-founder of Penny Arcade and PAX. “It’s a tremendous responsibility. I can’t wait to find out what the industry looks like from where he’s sitting.”
PAX West badges are now on sale for $250 for a 4-day badge, or $66 for single-day badges for Friday, Saturday, Sunday, or Monday.
For travel info, event schedules, FAQs, and more, check out the PAX West website, and follow PAX on Twitter, Facebook, Twitch, YouTube, and Instagram.
About PAX
PAX, or Penny Arcade Expo, is a festival for gamers to celebrate gaming culture. First held in Seattle in 2004, PAX has nearly doubled in size each successive year, with PAX Prime 2014 selling out of tickets in a matter of minutes. Connecting the world’s leading game publishers with their most avid and influential fans, PAX expanded with a second show in Boston in 2010, and a third in San Antonio in 2015, making it the three largest gaming shows in North America. The first international PAX was held in Melbourne, Australia in 2013. In 2017, Penny Arcade established PAX Unplugged, its first tabletop-focused show, held in Philadelphia.
About ReedPop
ReedPop is a boutique group within RX – one of the world’s leading event organizers. Launched in 2006, the group has become the number one producer of pop culture events globally and a full-service digital content provider and media company. Delivering once-in-a-lifetime fan experiences curated specifically for localized audiences, ReedPop currently features events in North America, Europe and Asia, including New York Comic Con (NYCC), Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo (C2E2), PAX West, East, and Unplugged, Emerald City Comic Con (ECCC), Star Wars Celebration, MCM Comic Con, Eurogamer Expo (EGX), MagicCon, and more. In addition to organizing and managing events, ReedPop owns and operates the pop culture news site, Popverse, which is the exclusive home for livestreams from all of ReedPop’s major comic cons. The staff at ReedPop are a fan-based group of professionals uniquely qualified to build and serve the communities with whom they share a common passion.
About Penny Arcade
Penny Arcade has been the world’s most popular webcomic for over 20 years, with over 3.5 million readers. Started in 1998 in the living room of Mike Krahulik & Jerry Holkins, it has grown into a media empire encompassing multiple beloved properties such as Lookouts, Automata, and beloved D&D live-play series Acquisitions Incorporated. Penny Arcade was responsible for the creation of Child’s Play, a gaming charity that has raised over $45 million dollars for children across the world. They are also the founders of PAX, the number one consumer gaming festival in North America, with hundreds of thousands of loyal visitors every year.
