Non-industry gamers, I'm about to ruin your day, but please don't hold it against me as I'm only doing my job. The news has surfaced that both GDC and DICE are going to go forward with an invite-only system next year to attempt to weed out unnecessary attendees. GDC show director Jamil Moledin commented on the details:
"We don't have it nailed down, but we are looking at moving to an invite model for press access at GDC," he said. "It's meant to be a networking event for people who make games, but more and more we are seeing a lot of individuals who are obtaining press credentials who aren't full-time press. It's kind of open to being spoofed, in a way."
So if you don't have what it takes to run a full-time game site and have to supplement your passion with a day job, you've pretty much just had your head shat upon, right? Even as a full-time writer this news rattles me, as I worked a day job for a long time and wrote like a demon at night to push towards the goals I dreamed of. I see the objective reasons why this choice would be made, but I can't help but feel that it weeds out the genuinely motivated underdogs along with the slackers.
On the other hand, there's always PAX, an open-to-the-public gamer event that has won the hearts of many of E3's old fans (and which many attendees claim to like more than the other events.) I personally considered events like GDC and E3 work, while PAX seemed more an enthusiast event to have fun at. What's your take -- fair choice, or unfair?
[Via Kotaku]
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Contest:
3:20 PM on 02.27.2008
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But I mean regardless of the reason, that sucks, rather harsh.
The GDC is there so developers can talk about developing games, not try to sell their games. Ken Levine was just talking about this very thing on 1up yours.
Anyway, ultimately the more sharing of knowledge the better the games are going to be for us, the consumer.
Also, given what the Gizmodo asshats did at CES this year, I can completely see where organizers are coming from.
I say if GDC, DICE and similar-type organizations want to weed out those who don't belong or who don't have anything to add to the conference then raise the admission price. Working for a tech company that attends many industry conferences I know that even with high admission prices employees who do attend can expense the fee.
Making the fee high enough should keep those not working for a development studio and/or a publication from wanting to pay for high fees to attend. That or just create a gaming con similar to San Diego Comic-Con where thousands upon thousands of fans can attend to see what gaming companies have in store and other things such people want to see.
I can understand the need to network, but I got the impression that was going on. Also, the level of exposure that the smaller devs get from smaller news sites can only help budding developers and journalists. The "big sites" (with the exception of Destructoid) are typically focused on the "big games" and completely ignore the little guys. I'm not happy with this decision one bit.
@bassbeast
That kind of thing actually angered me, especially when you actually go through the trouble of registering and all the rules it said about who is press and who is in the industry and all I would see there is retail employees and cosplayers.
Now I have nothing against retail employees nor cosplayers but E3 was intended for the rest of the industry and press. It's moreso intended for marketing. Working a register isn't the industry and neither is dressing up like your favorite character.
I understand AS A GAMER the want to go to it to see all the cool games, but sneaking into a party to which you were not invited is typically considered pretty rude last time I checked.
GDC is the same thing, it's GAME DEVELOPER CONFERENCE, not "Gamer Party"
Press of course should be there, there whole reason for being there is so they can report what they see to those of us that were not invited!
And do you know what was discovered in Kentia Hall at a past E3? None other than a favourite rock game we now hugely enjoy.
At E3 07 many big press outfits missed Duck Amuck on DS too. Why? Because it was a smaller game, and due to the lack of small press was an after thought.
And on top of all that, what happens to those trying to enter the games industry, via indie dev or educational means?
I do understand that its not a gamers party, but that won't stop others from sneaking in. A determined person will pay that high fee.
Another unfortunate thing is that there's no PAX in the U.K. Guess Leipzig and London Games Festival will have to do. Either way, all these shows should make a little room for the small guys.
Development studios don't host GDC. It's always been typically San Francisco/San Diego areas.
But NC gets a lot of stuff. I've been to several programming conferences down there in Raleigh from Microsoft, Novell, Adobe and more.
So all you fake press people: FUCK YOU.