Help me prepare for GDC 2013

I’m going to GDC this month, and to be honest, I’m really nervous. It’s my first GDC. Hell, it’s my first big convention. I mean, I’ve wandered around Comic Con down in San Diego a couple of times, but that was always just for fun, and I either had a friend or my fiancée with me. This time, I’m heading up to San Francisco by myself for the full week.

So here’s where you come in, Dtoid—awesome people that you are. Give me your advice! Give me tips! Help me figure out how I should prepare, what I should bring, who I could meet up with, and what parties sound the coolest. Help me plan for my first GDC.



So here’s my dilemma. Ostensibly, I’m a “member of the press.” Whatever that means. I’m not a journalist, that’s for damn sure. I’m a writer. I’ll admit that. But I’m not really going to GDC for the “journalism angle” – the whole writing news posts, crafting previews based on the games at the expo, that sort of thing.

I’m going mainly for the panels, the talks, the bootcamps, and the networking. For me, writing about games isn’t as exciting as writing for games. As a novelist and storyteller by trade, I’d love the chance to get my foot in the door and work with games. The thought of penning a story and helping shape an interactive experience is enough to make me feel a bit giddy. So that’s why I’m going to GDC—to learn more about game design, narrative design, and meet some awesome people.

So what do I do there? Am I obligated to write articles even though that’s not my real focus? But what about if that can help me get a job—writing timely articles, demonstrating my writing abilities, etc.?

Okay so there’s that, but let’s take a step back. How do you even prepare for a big convention like PAX or GDC? I mean what are you expected to take with you into the convention center? My laptop? Pad of paper and some writing sticks? Business cards are a given. How am I supposed to dress? I imagine fairly casual and with comfortable shoes because I’ll be doing a literal shit-ton of walking. (Yes. That’s an official unit of measurement. Bigger than a crap-ton).

And what about the times in between the panels I’m attending? What do I do then? Because I’m going to this thing by myself, I have this (possibly irrational) fear that I’ll end up just sitting by myself whenever I’m not at one of the scheduled panels.



This fear extends to the after parties. There’s a bunch of them, but I’ve never been one for big parties and going to bars—especially if I’m by myself. I realize I just have to take the plunge and go for it—that’s where all the serious (slightly tipsy) networking friend-making happens. The question is: which party do I go to? I’m staying outside the city at my grandma’s place to save money, so my options are limited. BART only runs so late after all. If I’m limited to one party, which one should it be? That Destructoid GDC Hangover Party sounds like a good bet. It’s got Dtoid’s approval after all.

There ya go, Dtoid! Them’s all my anxieties about this upcoming trip laid bare. Help me out. Shower me with advice—serious or not. I’ll take whatever I can get! Help me not make a complete ass of myself (for the wrong reasons) at GDC 2013! And let me who else is going to be there. I want to meet as many of you fine, fine specimens of humanity as possible.

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