There’s No Place Like PAX
By Michael Bergen, Senior Partner Alliance Manager, MHL, LLC
August 27, 2013
As Summer comes to a close and we're preparing for back to school, Labor Day weekend is ideally suited for a final celebration, and what better way to get your geek on than at PAX Prime in Seattle? For those less geeky who might not know what I'm talking about, PAX Prime is a games conference that's open to everyone. Major games conferences in Europe (Gamescom) and Asia (China Joy) restrict areas to the public, and you have to be an industry insider to attend E3, the big North American game conference. PAX fixes that - it's entirely open to the public, but you should remember to get your tickets and hotel room fast before they sell out. As you can see by this picture, PAX is one of the very few places where game enthusiasts and consumers can get their hands on the newest games, game accessories, and gaming hardware, some of which are still in pre-release. So, if you have a passion for gaming, you really should head over to Seattle for Labor Day weekend!
As we did at PAX East in Boston back in March, MHL® will once again be participating inside the PowerA booth to show you that your Android smartphone is a game console, especially when paired with a wireless game controller like the MOGA or MOGA Pro. At PAX East, PowerA based their booth around the edge-of-your-seat zombie fighting game Dead Trigger, by Madfinger Games. Zombies, like the one pictured below, were going around PAX East infecting the living by slapping bracelets on their wrists. If you were bitten, the only way to get disinfected was to stop by the PowerA booth quarantine, where you not only got to play Dead Trigger, but eligible people were also given a Moga Pocket game controller, and some even won an MHL Streamer XL Dock by iBolt. You'll have to come by the PowerA booth at PAX Prime to see what exciting activities are in store.
Besides seeing and playing the latest and greatest in video games, PAX is packed to the rafters with all kinds of geeky goodness, including a gigantic tabletop gaming area, a LAN gaming area where you can bring your own PC, cosplay, tournaments of all kinds, and of course the famous nerdcore concerts.
As mobile gaming continues to grow in popularity, and as mobile games keep getting better and more immersive, the line between mobile and console is blurring. We're even starting to see dedicated Android-based game consoles. But if you already have an Android smartphone, why not just use a simple MHL connection and a MOGA game controller to play some of your favorite mobile games on a big screen? Jet Set Radio, Sonic, Riptide GP, Asphalt 7, Wind-up Knight, Grand Theft Auto III, and Shadowgun are just a few of the games that give a real console experience with just MHL and a MOGA controller. And, of course, with MHL, there's no lag and your phone charges while you play, so your battery won't die during that critical boss fight!
If PAX Prime isn't in your future this time around, you can always follow the action at PennyArcade.com. If you're heading on over to PAX Prime, be sure to visit us in the PowerA booth #3403. Get your hands on an awesome game controller, have a chance to win an iBolt MHL dock, and see some of the coolest mobile games. So pack your best cosplay, forget about sleeping for three days, and remember: The geek shall inherit the Earth!
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Are YOU Ready For Dorm Life? Don’t Forget To Pack MHL
Karin Vogel, Director of Consumer Marketing, MHL, LLC
Are you heading back to school this fall, or maybe off to college for the first time? By now you’ve probably spent a small fortune on liters of Mountain Dew and bulk packs of Ramen noodles -- not to mention the books, software and study guides you have to buy. The student housing authority and dorm RAs have probably already sent you a letter or email with a list of essentials for a happy dorm life. These helpful lists often include a small refrigerator, a reading lamp, and earplugs along with an equally helpful list of items you should NOT bring like hot plates, gas heaters, torch lamps, or incense.
Well, if there’s one thing that should be on the TOP of that back-to-school list it’s MHL®, which stands for Mobile High-Definition Link. MHL is a way to connect your Android smartphone to your big screen TV (or computer monitor) using a single connection that also simultaneously charges your phone.
Increase your productivity (or lack thereof)
We all know dorm rooms are small, and if you’re a freshman, you may have to share a room with 1-2 other people. If you’re lucky you may have a newer suite or “apartment style” dorm, but, let’s be honest, real estate is still limited. You simply can’t fit everything you want into your room, and you’ll have to make some sacrifices and leave some things at home because they’re too bulky. Having a solution like MHL allows you to pair your phone with a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse to write your English essay or modify a spreadsheet for your Finance class on a bigger screen. You can also mirror your phone’s content to your computer display or TV to watch a webcast or review lectures.
Share your Netflix and other streaming media services with your roomies
Host an 80’s movie night or watch the latest season of your favorite TV series with your college buddies on a low budget. Anyone with a subscription service (or everyone can throw in a buck, buck fifty a month) can display content on the big screen for all to enjoy. Now the only thing you have to worry about is (a) who is buying the pizza and (b) what are we watching and who controls the remote. You might want to check out the article that recently came out with the 100 best streaming movies on Netflix.
This is NOT Video Gaming 101, its Mobile Gaming 2021 (or whatever year you will actually graduate)
Instead of an expensive PS4 or Xbox One, you can connect your mobile phone to any display in any location to play your favorite mobile games. Get the full gaming console experience without actually having a console. Use any of the wireless gaming controllers out there for endless game play, all while your smartphone charges! MHL is “clutch” for those starving students that need to save their money for books and food, and…
OMG have you guys SEEN that video where the guy is turfing to that song?
…here let me pull it up on my smartphone, and plug it into my TV so we can all watch!
http://youtu.be/St-BmIMMxjM?t=2m