GDC is in full force and I'm up here covering up for The Game Chair.
And here is my latest article for them:
Let me say this: GDC takes care of the press. When my body began to tire from hours of being immersed in sessions towards the ends of the afternoon, there was bad coffee set aside for the speakers, exhibitors, volunteers and the press . And when one is tired - bad coffee can make all the difference in the world.
Recap on Keynotes and Development Sessions
"Whats Next" Keynote with David Perry formerly of Shiny, Masaya Matsuura (Paraapa the Rappa), Cyrus Lum (Creative Director-Midway), Jamil Moledina, and Louis Castle.
Summary: Developer's perspectives on the future of game development in the "next gen" console cycle.
Points of Interest:
- Developing games exclusively for one console can be healthy.
- Efficiency will become even more crucial for delivering next-gen games on time and on budget.
- The lack of controller innovation by the hardware manufacturers in the past 15 years has a lot do with why games are inaccessible to many people. "Kudos to Nintendo for trying something different with Nintendo Revolution Controller."- David Perry
- Experiments with Digital Distribution are important- because a company like Apple or MySpace may find a viable way to do so before the game industry does. The field is open- and the industry must take this seriously.
- Outsourcing isn't something to be feared- can help with production- if integrated well with the main design teams.
My Take:
To quote a professor of mine: "They never say anything that everyone already knows." Hear, Hear.
Sony Keynote: Playstation 3: Beyond the Box
Summary: Sony is the market leader and plans on continuing to do so (according to Sony).
Points of Interest:
- Turning on my DS and finding over 6 rooms of Pictochat full of attendees. As well as several games of Tetris, Metroid Prime Hunters and Bomberman. Truly a nice gamer moment.
- God of War 2 trailer displayed and was quite delicious. Point was well made: good content can still be created for "current gen" systems because people will continue to support the PS2 after the launch of the PS3.
- PSP camera to soon be available? Why? Voice Over IP enabled phone service + camera= video phone.
- Sony's answer to Xbox Live: Xbox Live. Fit with microtransactions, in/out game video chat and game rankings.
- Emulated PS1 game downloads for the PSP
My Take:
Wow. It seems like Sony is having a hard time coming up with original ideas. First they make some virtually carbon copy Xbox Live mock-ups to illustrate the functionality of their new online service. Secondly, they announce PS1 emulated game downloads for the PSP akin to Nintendo's virtual console functionality of the Revolution. Oh Sony, I suppose the age old adage is not lost with you: "good artists copy but great artists steal."
I will say that the two PS3 games demoed, WarHawk and a moto-cross style game, were quite beautiful and enticing to look at. However, that feeling turned to drained away when a droll FPS was demoed- confirming the omnipotent fact that gameplay trumps graphics. Well, whaddya know?
"Sex in Games: The Exciting Evolution of Adult Content in Games"
Notes of Interest:
- Sex in games needs to get to a point where it can be acknowledged as part of the experience akin to a sex scene in a movie or book being simply part of the plot. Meaning, the mature content in games can exist and be done quite well like in God of War.
- People will bring sex with them everywhere- from Second Life to World of Warcraft.
My Take: Overall, this session didn't accomplish much. No strategies were discussed to integrate adult content in games in a better and more compelling matter.
Lunch
Notes of Interest:
- Choice of Roast Beef, Vegetarian, or Turkey sandwhiches.
My Take:
Roast Beef was delicious. Well, it was free- thus delicious.
Post Mortem: The Emotional Character Control of Shadow of the Colossus
Points of Interest:
- The programmers and designers were motivated by more than creating a "cool product" capable of shipping a ton of units- they looked to add value to Sony's name and create something signifcant to improve the field of game design.
- All animation for Shadow of Colossus was done by hand- no motion capture. Why? To create a sense of weight, balance, and timing that would aid in creating a more realistic moving character.
My Take: The designers behind Shadow of Colossus were clearly motivated beyond the ambition of just creating an excellent game- they wanted to move people's hearts. It is thus no wonder they won a slew of awards including Best Game of 2005 from the GDC community.
IGF (Independant Games Festival) and GDC Choice Awards
Points of Interest:
- Guitar Hero being virtually worshipped by all GDC attendees.
- Shadow of the Colossus walking away with at least six awards.
My Take:
Co-host, Video Games Live Guru, Tommy Tallarico is not as funny as he thinks he is.
After parties at various San Jose Hotels.
Points of Interest:
- Socializing with talented developers.
Points of non-interest
- Socializaing with talented developers, who are overall 95% male. Where are the female designers?
Agenda for Tommorow:
- Nintendo Keynote
- Will Wright Keynote
- Interview with Nintendo's Head of Public Relations
- Interview with GameCast- a spectator camera engine for competitive FPS.RTS.MMORPG gaming.
- BioWare/Pandemic Party complete with Open Bar and Guitar Hero Tournament
