Things We Saw At PAX AUS 2026 and No Other Games (Live from the Floor of PAX)

Chloe Appleby (0:03)

You're listening to the SansPants Network.

SPEAKER_2 (0:07)

Like it possibly, you're wrong.

Joel Duscher (0:08)

Time is money, and video games cost money, and no one has any time, which means no one has any money.

Demos, no time, and no money. Welcome to Demonstrober.

Jackson Baly (0:22)

More like Demon-strober.

Joel Duscher (0:27)

Whoa.

SPEAKER_2 (0:29)

You're listening to Thumb Cramps. A show for those whose thumbs are cramping.

Joel Duscher (0:39)

Hey everyone, and welcome to the fifth ever, first ever, podcast recorded live from the floor of PAX. I cannot stress enough that we have started with a big crowd today, and we are gonna get in so much trouble.

Jack (0:53)

Every year, it ramps up more and more.

Joel Duscher (0:56)

So before I introduce everyone that's on mic with me at the moment, if the crowd could take one step towards me. Okay, yeah, sweet. And now I'm Joel, and Thumb Cramps is obviously a video game podcast for everyone whose thumbs are cramping, and I'm not joined by Jackson at the moment, who didn't get a media pass to PAX because he's at a wedding in Queensland.

Instead, filling in and filling the gap and filling it so much that I don't even remember who Jackson is, joining me is Steph Panecasio. It's me.

Steph Panecasio (1:24)

I look kind of like Jackson if I was cooler, better, and a woman.

Joel Duscher (1:28)

Yeah, thank you. I thought you were going to gas him up. He's not here, so we can't hear him, so it's fine.

Steph Panecasio (1:32)

No, I wouldn't do that.

Joel Duscher (1:32)

And Chloe Appleby.

Chloe Appleby (1:34)

Oh, I also look like Jackson if I was also cooler, better, and a woman.

Joel Duscher (1:37)

Yeah, I've surrounded myself with beautiful brunettes. And look, hey, today we're going to be looking at things we've seen at PAX in brackets demo, so it's on theme for the month we're doing, and other things we've seen at PAX, and also demos, but anything could be a demo for this recording only.

Steph Panecasio (1:53)

Okay, thank God.

Joel Duscher (2:05)

Great to be back here on the floor of PAX. A lot of things have been happening. Myself, Steph, and Chloe have all hosted giant panels.

Steph Panecasio (2:12)

We've been journalistic.

Joel Duscher (2:13)

Yeah, we've been journalistic hard.

Chloe Appleby (2:16)

Thumb Cramps Takeover.

Steph Panecasio (2:17)

Yes.

Joel Duscher (2:18)

Yeah, Thumb Cramps is conquering PAX. I wish Jackson was here for it.

Steph Panecasio (2:22)

It would have been nice, but-

Joel Duscher (2:23)

I mean, I don't wish Jackson was here for it because you guys haven't stepped up. Thumb Cramps, you are Thumb Cramps.

Steph Panecasio (2:29)

Yeah, it's ours now.

Joel Duscher (2:30)

And this Games Week in particular, I've been really leaning into-

Chloe Appleby (2:32)

We're the moms that stepped up.

Steph Panecasio (2:34)

Yeah, and you're welcome.

Joel Duscher (2:35)

Hey, thank you so much. And this Games Week in particular, I've been really leaning into the fact that from now on, I really want Thumb Cramps to not be just me and Jackson. Should not be Jackson?

SPEAKER_6 (2:46)

No, no, no. Just specifically?

Joel Duscher (2:48)

Not to be me and Jackson, but to be everyone. We are Thumb Cramps.

SPEAKER_6 (2:51)

Oh, yeah.

Taylor (2:52)

Yes, collective.

Joel Duscher (2:53)

We are Thumb Cramps.

Yeah, and so then anyone that has ever listened to the show can try and get free stuff and be like, I'm Thumb Cramps. And oh my God-

Steph Panecasio (3:03)

This is a real Spartacus situation.

Joel Duscher (3:04)

Yeah, we're all Games journalists. We are all Thumb Cramps. We're bringing the industry back by every single person ever is now in Games.

Now, we've actually got our first guest here. So what we're going to do with guests today is I'm going to ask what you've seen on the floor of PAX, like your first thing, just one, you only get one thing, and then also what your goil is, your game of your life. That was a beautiful idea that Steph had.

Steph Panecasio (3:28)

Thank you. I have beautiful ideas sometimes. Yeah.

Joel Duscher (3:31)

Oh, all the time.

Steph Panecasio (3:32)

Oh, stop, stop.

Joel Duscher (3:34)

If you could introduce yourself.

Jackson Baly (3:35)

Hi, my name is Jackson Baly.

Love the pod. I will say recently it's gotten way better. I don't know what happened, but it's really good now. It used to be really bad. Yeah.

Joel Duscher (3:50)

Yeah. So what's your favorite thing you've seen on PAX floor today, Jackson?

Jackson Baly (3:53)

Okay. I've played-

Joel Duscher (3:54)