Levine to keynote PAX 2008

The organizers of the fifth annual Penny Arcade Expo have announced that noted game designer, screenwriter and playwright Ken Levine will provide the keynote address.

"Obviously, Ken is pimp supreme," said Penny Arcade's Robert Khoo. "We're super excited to have him open up the show."

Twenty randomly-selected PAX pre-registrants will compete against each other in tabletop, videogame and computer games each day of the annual gaming festival. The grand prize for the winner of the PAX Omegathon is a trip for two to the Tokyo Game Show, USD 5,000 cash and a home theater system.

Returning musical guests include MC Frontalot, mc chris, FreezePop, the MiniBosses, Jonathan Coulton and The OneUps. New for 2008 are Vancouver, B.C.-based Horror Rock outfit The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets, as well as New York City's bitpop heroes, Anamanaguchi.

This year's exhibition hall is officially sold out, according to show organisers who are already looking ahead to 2009.

PAX 2008 will be held August 29-31 at the Washington State Trade and Convention Center in Seattle, Washington.