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Thursday night during the week of GDC, everyone goes to the Fairmont. Food and drinks are served. Companies proffer entertainment. Middle-aged people get wasted while the younger crowd either gives them shit for being the boring old establishment or tries desperately for their acceptance. (Old people seem to disappear as the night goes on...where do they go off to?)
This year, I decided not to go to the Fairmont. Which is not to say that I didn't get drunk. I got very drunk. Contrary to popular opinion, there are plenty of places in San Jose to get drunk.
But that's besides the point. Let me tell you a couple of things about GDC. People (mostly students from my classes) ask what they should do when they go to GDC, and in previous years I'd give them three quick points. With this last GDC, I decided to expand the list to four points, starting with the newest:
Don't wear a suit/sport jacket.
By Wednesday, I had this awful red line on the back of my neck where the collar of my jacket decided to dig into my skin. Now, I suppose that this could be just a sign to not buy cheapo suits, but I'll go ahead and look back at all the other guys at GDC.
The really important guys don't wear suits.
Yeah, there's all the financial guys and fresh MBAs looking for an in, but there's a reason we call them suits. Masaya Matsuura and Raph Koster don't wear suits. Keita Takahashi and Will Wright don't wear suits. Seamus Blackley totally doesn't wear a suit. Well, I suppose you could wear a suit if you're planning on standing out in that red polyester suit sort of manner...but even then; you're probably planning on being remembered for the stuff you say than your attire, right? Which brings me to the next point:
Don't be afraid to actually talk to people.
And by people I mean the guys that you respect and want to interface with. If you see Keita Takahashi and you want to ask about those undulating playgrounds of his, go ahead! Think that you've got a cool idea for a G4TV show, go ahead and poke Tommy Tallarico! And if you want to give Chris Crawford flack for his whole spiel on interactive storytelling vs. games, you're more than welcome to. (Note: I highly encourage it!) Being polite is all well and good, but being polite to the degree that you decide not to interfere in some game designer's overpriced coffee break doesn't help you or him. After all:
People want to hear what you have to say.
That is, provided you don't do anything to REALLY annoy them, which is entirely possible. Will Wright sighed a bit at the 45th photo of him in the tiara. (I'm pretty sure this photo was number 24.) Seriously. As much as you, Mr. Game Industry Wannabe, wants to learn from the superstars, the veterans are hopeful that with their busy week they'll be able to learn something somewhere between the lectures where they're expected to be offering knowledge.
Now, if you have a problem with the whole talking thing, here's a fourth step:
Get drunk.
You don't have to wait until Thursday night to get totally wasted, and muscle relaxant works wonders on even the most uptight COO. It's great. It's a lot better than going to the fourth party of the night, hoping to see something/someone cool, only to see the fourth venue for Guitar Hero you've come across, complete with too-drunk game fans and a wait to play.
Hopefully there will be more than Guitar Hero next year with GDC in San Francisco. No Fairmont, but I'm sure we'll figure it out...
Vincent Diamante's hangovers are measured in half lifes.
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