GDC Pre-Game

Just a quick note since I'm sure you're all pretty concerned about the ravages of my head cold and its snotty trail of destruction. Or maybe some GDC stuff.

It's always fun traveling to a convention and surreptitiously eyeing fellow passengers on a flight, secretly estimating their relative geekiness and likelihood that they, too, will be enjoying the glut of tech throughout the week. We're a lot easier to identify on the way home, eyes glazed, hands frozen in a claw-like vice around our mobile devices intermittently tweeting incoherencies like "graphical badassery awesomesauce".

With a more imminent perspective on the GDC schedule I'm struck by a few things:

- The volume of mobile development geared sessions. If ever you doubted the power of casual portability, look at the GDC schedule and prepare to be crushed. The volume is astonishing - enough to rival the app store itself - I can't imagine what the GDC panel submission intake was like.

- That the games and art conversation is still going on. Seriously. I'm guilty of putting my two cents in on this one, but I really thought the window of opportunity for sounding off ended around the time elderly film critics piped up (yes, I'm being more sassy than strictly necessary, blame the Dayquil). It's practically formula now: cite some birth of gaming design, add in a few obscure indie games, reference Marcel DuChamp and make a chess joke… Fortunately, I didn't spy an overabundance of Grrrrrrrls in Gaming sessions. File under "Naval Gazing".

- Most of the Postmortems look really interesting, and as a Chris Hecker fan I'm looking forward to attending The Failure Workshop and Rapid Fire Indies. Actually, if Spy Party is available to play on the floor I think I know somebody that wants a rematch...

- The Apple iPad event is being set up across the street. Chances of attending? 0%. Chance of standing outside, nose pressed to Yerba building glass? 99%.

[flyingmunky]

It must be nice to write about video games and technology for a living. I've never even been to an E3 (or any gaming event) and I've been an avid gamer for 20+ years. Unfortunately I've never been particularly skilled at writing so I never tried to pursue that career path. I'm more of a science/math nerd.

Don't let the cold get you down, hopefully you will get better soon. I look forward to hearing more about the event.

[Terarmzar]

I have been interested in gaming (and cars) almost all 19 years of my life lol, and same like you i do not have much writing skills. Though it would be a lot to me if i was given the chance to do something like that.

[Christopher]

While there are some great writers out there (pick up an issue of Edge), I gotta say that it doesn't take a great writer to make a great gaming journalist. It doesn't hurt, but it's not everything.

It also depends on the type of news on which you are reporting. Personally, I tend to be more technical in my writings, examining concepts while trying to find some sort of social algorithm to support my argument. I don't wax philosophical, use big words, or have the flair for style that many others have, but that's not always needed.

I guess what I'm saying is that anyone can write about video games and technology. It doesn't take anything close to an English Degree, just an understanding of basic grammar, the emotional attachment to what you do, and the ability to write news from a perspective that you are comfortable with for expressing your thoughts. More often than not, though, people tend to only hit on one of those areas as game journalists.

[JL]

I'm sure you'll have lots of fun at GDC, cold or not. Should be some interesting stuff there. Just be sure to bring me back something good, Cat :D

[Theo1130]

Pc gaming and Cloud gaming are the future, this GDC will kind of set the stage. Mobile should have a big presence along with Facebook gaming.

[Aclay]

Hope you enjoy GDC.

I was just looking over at the GDC website and saw that David Cage from Quantic Dream was going to be doing a Lecture on Wednesday about "Creating an Emotional Rollercoaster Heavy Rain"...had no idea he was even going to be at GDC (didn't see anything on N4G about it). Really interested in hearing what he shared about the game, as well as Cliffy B's Lecture.

[Theo1130]

He better have a hell of a presentation because I though Heavy Rain was one of the most dullest games I've ever played. Boring gameplay, Boring Characters, just hated the game as a whole, so championing it for having emotional resonance is just absurd to me.

[Aclay]

I haven't played the full game yet (just played the Heavy Rain demo), but the main reasons why I'm interested in his lecture is this little tid bit (taken from the description/outline of the lecture):

"Through comparisons with traditional game design we will try to discover why video games in general struggle to tell compelling stories and what solutions can be found."

Based on some Heavy Rain reviews, it seemed like a Hate it or Love it type game, so I could understand how you feel about it...however I thought the demo was o.k., and now since it's a Greatest Hits title, I want to pick it up sometime in the future.

[Christopher]

***"I'm at GDC, please contact a Moderator!"***

Okay, everyone spam Cat's inbox! j/k