Denny’s

This is where I’m at right now. 2 am in the morning still talking with my network of peeps. The conversation is ranging from strangely named game characters (tricky dicksmallwood) to the slightly less weird maple bacon milk shake.

Today, one talk stood out the most to me. Tom Abernathy, Microsoft Studios writer and personal friend, talk “Secret Sauce: How Diversity in Your Game Narrative = More player and More Money (oh, and a batter game too).”

I’m sad that I can’t retell it to you, mostly because I wouldn’t do the talk justices. The information was so good and mind blowing that…

It will challenge everything you know about games, players, and the consumer market.

I was left reeling! Blinking wide eyed at the numbers and pie charts on the screen.

After Tom, the next talk. It left me with a bitter taste in my mouth and no desire to get Far Cry 3. I’m just going to leave it at that.

All the talks, besides Far Cry 3, were Wow.

Next is The Partying!

After a great dinner with Awesome company, I headed off to probably the worst party of GDC! The line to this party is ridiculous, stretching and winding around the block. I’m lucky, RSVP means I can skip that line and go “enjoy” the terrible band playing. This band sings songs about Zelda and Dinosures, constantly going on and on about how we’re game designer and how amazing we are.

There are three people dancing for them through out their entire set. I am, of course, the only one crazy enough to charge out into the middle of the almost empty  dance floor and go crazy. I figure “What the hey, I want to dance.” A few more people do join, including the awesome German that becomes my dance partner for the last song.

I chose to leave when I realized not only is it crowded beyond max, but that NOW people decide to dance after the poor fools pack up. I am angry! Come on, just have fun.

That’s what GDC parties are for!

Fun and speed networking between the beats of ear-splitting  techno. So I left and look for a better place. That brings me to the new writers hang out the View Lounge. Local Edition has another event so we chose to move.

The place is packed and filled with the greats! The conversations go from houses, to the talks we liked, to games that touched our hearts, and more. I have a heart to heart with a good friend tucked away in the corner of the room. His advice, and that of the others, help me come to better grips with my hardships of the last few weeks.  Then suddenly the lights fly on signaling the closing of the bar. We groan, we leave and now I’m at Denny’s holding up my friends and blogging. So I’m ending here, before I’m left behind! Tomorrow I talk with companies and put out feelers for a job!