GDC 2011 Blog Style - Mayhem and Fun

{sidebar id=1}GDC 2011 was epic! I am back with a vengeance!  I have taken a bit of a hiatus from writing for Ablegamers to finish up my senior year of college. GDC just happened to fall on midterms week. YAY!! So I thought what a better way to take a break from the mayhem of senior year then to go to San Francisco and attend the 25^th Game Developer’s Conference. Unfortunately I only had one day to experience its awesomeness!

The day started at 7 am which is actually sleeping in for me on weekdays, sad! It took almost 2 hours to get to SF. The bay bridge was packed. The view was amazing although it was very cloudy and rainy. We arrived at the parking garage at about 9:30. The trek to pick up our passes began.  We got to Moscone South to get the passes and were slightly alarmed by the line. We got through speedily but were disappointed they did not have my Mom’s pass. But I had her confirmation and they promptly made her a pass. Off to our first interview at a Hotel. We got lost on our way from the hall to the hotel so we went on a very long scenic tour of the SOMA District which means South of Market St.

We finally arrived and met with Gamigo which showed me a game called Black Prophecy which is the first Sci-Fi Space MMOG that dares the step towards action-oriented gameplay from a third-person and first person perspective. Begin your journey into space and experience fast-paced real-time action as a fighter pilot in countless hazardous missions and epic battles. Jump into your cockpit and engage the enemy threat solo, or join powerful clans and fight alongside fellow comrades-in-arms.

This game was very interesting because it is a mix of Star Trek and Battlestar Galacitica. But the best part of the game is that it is free to play and has a lot of very good backstory that has both subtitles and is very good for our community as the controls are customizable. You can play in three ways mouse only, keyboard only or a combination of both keyboard and mouse.

Next we viewed, Dungeon Empires which is a free-to-play 3D-browser game, with a unique blend of vast dungeon-building features and intense turn-based battles. The life of a dungeon master is tough: rooms and traps must be placed wisely and monsters should be kept well-trained. Treasure seekers venturing into your dungeon must not make it out alive! The more foes fall, the more famous your dungeon becomes. The more dungeons you plunder, the more items you will get to make your own even more deadly. This is another great game that will be perfect for our community as you can play in three ways mouse only, keyboard only or a combination of both keyboard and mouse. Also, the battles with fellow monster are PVP and its all click based so you can take as long as you need to make a move. So this is perfect for anyone that needs a break or just wants to be really calculated in their moves! I also really liked that the game is fully subtitled but my favorite feature of the game is that you can customize the dungeons and earn experiences. The game is now in closed beta and I am really looking forward to playing it.

Next it was back to Moscone Center to browse the show. I have to say the show was not as exciting as it was last year.  I met with the people who made the EyeTech VT2 High Speed USB eye tracking system. Seems pretty cool but I am not sure how applicable it will be to game systems besides the kinect or Wii. Then ran to Xbox and played some kinect games on a giant screen which was pretty cool! Then ran over to Nintendo and play around with the 3D DS! Very cool technology and the new Zelda game looks epic! Plus the new device streams Netflix double Win!

Once, I got over the awesomeness of Nintendo it was time to head to the next hotel for the 2^nd big interview of the day. We met with UTV Games great people and we saw four different games, our old friends from Mytheon, Faxion, Planet Crasher and Sky Legends. All of these are great games and during this meeting I found something for gamers of all types. Faxion was the most interesting of the games because it’s an MMO behind the seven deadly sins (zones) in its upcoming MMORPG, Faxion Online. Envy, Wrath, Sloth, Lust, Pride, Gluttony and Greed make up the seven zones of this unique and addictive new MMOPRG. Upon entering the world of Faxion, players will find themselves in war-torn limbo as they start their journey in the afterlife. The Seven Deadly Sins represent physical locations in the game, each with its own immoral theme, and players will have the opportunity to explore and discover the locations as they immerse themselves in intense battle for the armies of Heaven or Hell. Through each manifestation of the Sins, players will encounter the people that represent them. From the Gluttonous enjoying an eternal feast, to the Prideful Atlans building their Tower into the skies, players must face off against other inhabitants of the afterlife, limbo and the deadly sins while vying for control of each deadly zone! “When celebrating “Hell Freezes Over” day.

Planet Crashers is a 3D social network online game for Browser, iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch.  The cartoon, multiplatform, competitive game will feature humorous battles and collaborative play across multiple platforms, along with a unique GPS system that will give bonuses for teaming or battling with other users in their local area!  Planet Crashers makes it easy for players to jump in and start the fight with simple and intuitive controls. Players will be able to customize characters from head to toe, upgrade weapons and purchase consumables with just a few simple taps.  This is a great game because it is very whimsical and any fan of the Mysims will love this game!

Sky Legends is a browser based, free to play, online multiplayer flight combat game featuring outstanding graphics, easy-to-learn controls, and action-packed battles! It provides extensive replay value with a wide range of player vs. player game modes, exciting short-session game play, customizable airplanes with hundreds of upgrade options, and numerous unique weapons. Sky Legends is currently scheduled to launch during the spring of 2011. Another great game for any plane enthusiast or just someone who wants to pick up a casual game and have some fun! Then it was back to the conference hall to pick up my t-shirt and do some GDC shopping as it was the 25^th anniversary of the conference. I got a very comfy hoodie and t-shirt.

But the best part of the day was stumbling on tens of news trucks covering the iPad 2 launch and then seeing the giant Apple Banner on a rather plain building.  Then seeing the back of Steve Jobs’ head as he walks into a back entrance of the building surrounded with very large body guards. Nonetheless it was a total nerd moment and I loved it!

Then it was off to the final interview for the game called Punch Time Explosion! The Best of Cartoon Network Comes Together in One Epic Battler Featuring the casts of some of Cartoon Network’s most iconic shows, Cartoon Network Punch Time Explosion is the network’s first-ever all-star brawler set to make its debut this spring on the highly-anticipated Nintendo 3DS. Fans can go toe-to-toe with characters from 11 of Cartoon Network’s favorite shows including The Powerpuff Girls, Dexter’s Laboratory, Chowder and many more. This was by far my favorite game of the conference because this was the only interview where I got some serious playtime with the game! I truly love the Nintendo 3DS as it bring a whole new gaming experience to life as everything just pops out and truly immerses you in the experience.  This is basically a game that is like Super Smash Brother but way better because it features some of the favorite characters from the Cartoon Network which is present in over 99 million homes. Once, the interview was over I enjoyed a powerpuff girl cupcake and some delicious sushi!

The day was almost done so it was time to hit the show floor one more time and then go to lunch… We were starving but it was a great day in rainy SF! Please check back soon for more of my GDC adventures!