There were a couple of sessions that I really enjoyed at the Game Developers Conference this year.
The first was “Game Studies Download 3.0“. The Game Studies Download first appeared at GDC 2006, which was the first GDC I attended. I’m quite interested in the various fields of game studies, having dabbled in it (read: dissertation research) during my Master’s degree. Bogost, Consalvo, and McGonigal delivered a fast-paced, information-rich and very interesting presentation. One of the interesting bits of research they highlighted were findings that showed that breaking immersion can actually make games more engaging. An example of this that I thought of is in Metal Gear Solid, when you’re fighting Psycho Mantis and he tells you he can read your past. The game reads your memory card and if you have certain Konami games, Psycho Mantis comments on it. I personally found this bit of the game really entertaining, and though it does break the fourth wall, it was memorable and cool. If you’re interested in the rest of the research top ten, check the link above.
The other session I especially enjoyed was “The BioWare Live Team: Building Community Through Technology“. French gave an overview of the development of the Live Team and what technical decisions they made to support their fan community. I gleaned a lot of great insights from it, particularly since I don’t work at a company that makes games. It was interesting to hear the rational behind decisions as well as what went right and wrong in the Live Team’s work with Neverwinter Nights.
The rest of GDC was pretty good, though I’m not as wide-eyed and excitable as I was at GDC 2006. Could it be that I’ve become a jaded games industry professional? I definitely was not as keen on collecting swag as I was two years ago. In fact, I don’t even know why I bothered to get the few free pens and assorted nonsense that I did come away with. Why the fuck do I need a yellow rubber duckie stamped with a company logo? I don’t know, but it’s a rubber duckie and I didn’t have one until now!
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Rubber duckies are awesome :) I’m sure the company logo will rub off soon.
They have a duck race in Singapore every year where they throw a few thousand rubber ducks into the river. Each duck has a number on and you can buy a lottery ticket to bet on the duck to cross the line first.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/oeyvind/1349029699/
I love little rubber duckies. They have to be yellow, though. None of that fancy artsy pink duck for me.
You like Castlevania, don’t you?
I think breaking the fourth wall creates a sort of bond between the player (or viewer, etc.) and the game. It’s like you’re sharing an inside joke, so you feel more connected to the game, more engaged with it.
I really liked the Psycho Mantis scene as well, especially when he gives you an analysis of how you’ve been playing. It makes you more aware of yourself in relation to the game.
I really like the Steamworks pen I picked up. Valve’s booth on the expo floor was really nice, and their swag was swag-tastic.
Otherwise yeah, not much point to picking up stuff.