Mastodawn

Jordi Ivars Mar 5

Ron Gilbert (GrumpyGamer)

Please don't go to GDC. They charge a lot of money when the main benefit is socializing outside the conference and add to that the danger of traveling to the U.S and GDC must end. I have a lot of problems with GDC and how they con attendees and speakers with "it's good for your career" bullshit. I haven't gone in years and won't in the future.

Michael Critz Mar 5

@grumpygamer I understand what you’re saying and I don’t disagree. But I have worked GDC at the PlayStation booth. I can say firsthand that a big benefit for them was meeting talent, bringing them into a demo area and having real talks about publishing, showcasing the (yet unannounced) tech, etc.

Call me out for equivocating, but the story is more complex than “GDC is a con”.

@pixelscience @grumpygamer

All of that can happen (and happens) outside GDC too. If a golden era existed it's gone. And now that a lot of people is banned from going to the US safely I'd say the theoretical benefit diminishes a lot.

Good for Ron to call it out loud.

Also it seems USA needs some time to solve it's internal issues and remove pedos from power right now. If they ever become an open welcoming country again it would be nice.

John Timaeus Mar 5

@esteban @pixelscience @grumpygamer

If a gathering has more than a few thousand attendees, or takes up more than one hotel; you're feeding the convention organizers and the (likely corrupt) local chamber of commerce, and/or the (definitely corrupt) corporate sponsors.

The entire paradigm needs to die. There is nothing redeemable left.

Marek 🇦🇺🇩🇪Mar 5

There's always PAX Australia and Gamescom in Europe 😉

Catbrainz 🇱🇧🇦🇲🏳️‍🌈Mar 5

@wansti and adventureX in the uk!

@grumpygamer I was a volunteer at the conference for years, and even with the amazing connections it helped me make, I honestly agree, esp for devs outside the US. Don't risk it. Hell, even US citizens have cause to be nervous.

I do miss going, but yeah it was usually more about the socializing than whatever insane tech Naughty Dog farted out this past year (no shade at them but damn they gave a lot of talks).

David Lejeune Mar 5

@grumpygamer You're also pretty much guaranteed to catch COVID.

disorderlyf Mar 5

@grumpygamer If it's anything like CES this year, it won't even be worth watching the talks.

@grumpygamer Are there any global conferences that you have enjoyed and/or would recommend?

Michael K Mar 5

@grumpygamer you also have to go to the US if international, which is a crazy risk for many now.

@grumpygamer the only good GDC was in cologne, germany. ;-)

Tom Forsyth Mar 5

@lritter @grumpygamer Is that the one we physically met at? That was fun.

@TomF @grumpygamer the very same! :)

Dominik Grabiec Mar 5

@grumpygamer My local game developers conference did help me in my career, the former AGDC, which I attended many decades ago when I was at Uni. The main benefit was meeting people, and the more local an event the better quality of people you will meet.

Jim Stormdancer Mar 5

@grumpygamer Counterpoint: the lawn outside GDC is a great place to catch up with other Bay Area locals who you could hypothetically meet up with any day of the year, but don't.

ang_mo_uncle Mar 5

@grumpygamer sounds like what you'd want is Chaos Communication Camp, just for game developers.

Digital Mark λ ☕️ 🕹 👽Mar 5

@grumpygamer I had a *great* time at GDC in the late '90s, heard some intelligent talks (and some which had nightmarish long-term effects), made a bunch of biz contacts. I didn't get rich (much) or famous from games, but crashing got me to be an indie dev.

I dunno what the current tracks are like, but people looking for game industry intros, I don't think there's anything else like it, it's must-have. Travel to the US is a bad idea right now, tho.
#gdc

Giles Goat Mar 5

@grumpygamer GDC not GDC .. that can have pro and cons .. BUT .. THE REAL PROBLEM is for non-us citizens to travel into US and it's NOT "a small problem". Given the current turmoil and situation "it almost has to be a life or death situation" to take a trip to US not "it's for GDC" or anything else like that .. 😐 I dare to say "until a total change and a few more years where hopefully things will improve/relax" US is a "No-Go country" 😐 It's sad but "better safe than sorry".

@grumpygamer i was super lucky to get a IGDA scholarship to GDC in 2005 so I got to experience the old GDC when it was small. Also I missed the xbox keynote where everone got a HDTV for free (weird moment), but I did see Iwatas keynote (RIP)