The Crowds Have Arrived (a.k.a. GDC Proper!)

Well, last night's press junket reception hoping was, well, clearly a testament to all of us needing to celebrate after all the hard work we've been doing gearing up for GDC. A friend told me this afternoon that we were using Gorilla Tactics "...but totally in a good way cause it's all about social justice!" You are right on, baby!

You may be wondering what the status is of our indie film projects are after the press-endorsed (and by that I mean endorsed by us) "Escalator Interviews" from Day One. Fear not...we have been up to quite a bit of filming...we're just going in the final two days of GDC so after we get some sleep in about 78 hours (including travel time back...red eye!), you'll be AMAZED. Besides, we have been taping us interviewing other people.

So IGDA SIG Chairs and other non-paid second job workers are invited to the annual IGDA VIP Luncheon. Every year there is always something that goes crazy wrong.  This year it was that, we needed to be out of the room by 2:15 and they did not serve the three course-lunch until after a LOT of speeches ended at 2:04.  Only a problem if you have trouble eating a three course meal in 11 minutes and then running a few blocks to meet your publisher late!

Nevertheless, there was a lot to discuss at the lunch, including Jason Della Rocca's (IGDA Executive Director) departure at the end of the month for a new venture he is starting up back in Montreal. This we already knew but we tried to make him cry by giving him a standing ovation in appreciation for his service to the IGDA. Even if you aren't a member, so many initiatives he's worked on has helped us all. He has taken the organization from 500 members to 15,000 members during his tenure with us. Thanks to his help, that's how the IGDA Game Accessibility SIG got its start and the game accessibility movement is now more alive than ever. So thank you, Jason, for giving us a chance to get in the door!

After the luncheon, I hustled down to Moscone North to meet with my publisher at Cengage/Charles River. For two hours, we went over the legalese of the contract and I am getting ready to sign my life away to get my book to them by the December deadline. The pay? Well, let's say I could probably make that amount by working at Kinko’s for a month...but the climate and the time is right for the game accessibility book.  Additionally, I already have the structure and much of the writing done. So GDC 2010, we debut it at the GDC Game Diversity Summit!

What? GDC Game Diversity Summit? That's right, as you know, I'm also the co-chair of the Diversity Committee that connects the four diversity SIGs in the IGDA together. We've all tried our hands at one and/or two day summits and tutorials at GDC on our own and alone. We don't get the crowd.  Together, we are a powerful force that draws all kinds of people. In less than 6 hours, we are meeting with Microsoft Diversity to discuss some sponsorship for the event but more tomorrow on that!

Anyway, my brain was dead after the publisher meeting and I was almost too tired to go to the Women in Gaming Roundtable but I am on that SIG's advisory board and something was telling me “Michelle, you NEED to be there.” Sure enough, that is how I met my Microsoft contact, got that meeting set, and now the diversity summit is happening.

I got back to AbleGamers HQ at the hotel room and I was thinking on the walk back "man...I am so tired; I need to chill a bit from gaming for a little bit. GDC is intense. My fiancée asked me tonight how hell week was going for me. It's not hell...it's more like yearly boot camp. However, I talked to a GDC first timer today and he said he felt like he was being initiated into a fraternity because he was completely wiped out. It is a tiring week.

It’s all worth it because tonight AbleGamers and - kismet! - we ran into some of our friends, took the trolley down to the Wharf and had an amazing meal.  We just chilled and talked about life, love, and why the human connections at these conferences make it all worth it.

I love GDC.