Nathan Mattise



Nathan Mattise

Nathan Mattise

Nathan Mattise

Nathan Mattise

Nathan Mattise

Nathan Mattise

Nathan Mattise

Nathan Mattise

Nathan Mattise

Nathan Mattise

Nathan Mattise

Nathan Mattise

Nathan Mattise

Nathan Mattise

Nathan Mattise

Nathan Mattise

Nathan Mattise

Nathan Mattise

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Sam Machkovech

Nathan Mattise

Nathan Mattise

Nathan Mattise

Nathan Mattise

Nathan Mattise

Nathan Mattise

Nathan Mattise

Nathan Mattise

Nathan Mattise

Nathan Mattise

AUSTIN, Texas—Robots and research during the day, barbacoa and bands at night. South by Southwest may not deliver the product announcements of CES or the in-depth technical analysis of Google I/O or WWDC-types, but Austin's contribution to the tech calendar remains perhaps the most unique annual event on the Ars radar.

The 2018 event only emphasized this. SXSW remains the place where you may decide to check out the Westworld showrunners talking about season two when all of a sudden Elon Musk shows up, Thandie Newton (Mae) reveals her deep passion for improving life in the Congo, and everyone starts discussing how to inspire humanity. Or, you might decide to check out the much-hyped Ready Player One "Oasis" experience only to discover HTC quietly snuck its newest headset iteration in, and you can finally comfortably wear your eyeglasses while gaming.

We came across an arthouse film festival that rivals Sundance or Cannes, only it takes place in virtual reality here. There were Batmobiles, European comment section magic, rocket engine test fire, and Mark freakin' Hamill—and most of that happened before a single band took the stage.

As the event rolled along, we also took a brief gander through SXSW's gaming show floor. SXSW Gaming, which is still only a few years young, continues to have a regional, PAX-like feel. About midway through the week, suddenly anyone with a gaming itch can find local indies, playable retro games, massive merch booths, and a fair share of free-play zones for card and computer fans alike. Unlike those more established shows, however, this one also had a massive Bob Ross presence. His foundation came on site to advocate for kids' art by teaching them how to paint happy little trees.

We'll continue to have stories from Texas Hill Country in the near future (because on top of all the stuff mentioned above, we also saw a ton of films). But for now, have a look at some of our favorite sights above and below to get a sense for how eclectic (err, we should say "weird" right?) Austin remains after all these years.

Sam Machkovech









































Listing image by Nathan Mattise