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Where are all the rockstars going?

March 27, 2009 People, Videogames Comments Off on Where are all the rockstars going?

This train of thought started because my son (7y) asked if I could get him an autograph from “the guy who made Spore” at the GDC this year.  (Should be you be trolling this underbelly of the blogs sometime, Mr. Wright, know that I am stalking you on behalf of my kids 😀 )

 

In my household, the “rockstars” are the game makers, I encourage my kids to be fans of these people I work with and alongside because, truthfully, I think they deserve it more than the newest slushy-pop-star creation.  So this missive from my number-one beta tester was probably to be expected.

 

And it started me thinking… I have to wonder if they miss it, these original minds of the industry.  GDC used to be a smallish industry event, a couple groups of people getting together to share ideas, to teach each other new and nifty ways to handle the challenges that came with designing and executing videogames.  It was already turning into a major event when I first started attending back in….  1990 (probably dating myself there a bit) and now…  WHOOF…

 

As an event, it’s fabulous.  You get to meet all kinds of cool people, and only rarely do you bump into someone truly anti-social.  But I am seeing fewer and fewer of the old-school guys and gals out in public anymore.  You used to be able to run into the greats totally at random on the expo floor, or in the halls after the lectures.  They were always friendly (if occasionally harried).  They don’t seem to attend as much anymore, outside of popping in for an announcement of something new fabulous, or giving a keynote.  I suppose, on the one hand, there might not be much here for them anymore.  People operating on that rarified level probably don’t get much time off to check out the GDC anymore.

 

Still, it takes a little something away from the whole show, knowing that those bright points of light are missing.

Trepidation

March 26, 2009 People, Videogames Comments Off on Trepidation
I have been honored with the task of helping to host the WIGD (Women in Games Development) SIG here at the GDC this year. 
 
And I have to confess to some amount fo trepidation.
 
I’ve always avoided joining “women’s” organizations, I usually prefer to be much more low-key, do my own thing.  In my limited experience they tend to be a lot of noise about how women are undervalued but not a lot else.  I’ve never had a lot in common with the women I’ve worked with at non-gaming jobs in the past, besides having breasts, of course, so hanging out with large groups of women has never seemed like an attractive opportunity to me.
 
When I joined the gaming industry, however, I ran across the forum list for Women in Games Development.  It had just started (In fact I remember helping to hunt down our very first troll) and the personalities there were women that seemed more in line with my own.  People (not just women, there are a good number of male game developers on the list as well) with bold personalities who understood the constant lure of the Xbox and just why getting a character wo “Epic” level was a cool thing.
 
So I signed up.  I still tend to be a lurker on the list unless something *really* trips my trigger, there are women on there in high-lofty places, and people just starting to consider games as a *real* career and they all seem to have something to say that’s worth listening to, questions worth asking.  Not just about “Women in Games” as a topic, but all sorts of cool stuff.
 
So while I am somewhat nervous about hosting this thing, I’m also pretty excited too.  Excited to put faces to the names I’ve been reading, excited to see if we really do match.  Some of these women have some SERIOUS industry chops as well, so (not for the first time) I’m probably going to spend most of my time feeling like to total poser at the party.
 
LOL :)  It’s almost like online dating, innit?  I’ve “met” these women before, now I get to meet them for real and see if we fit 😀
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