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Austin GDC (Everything is Better in Texas)
Austin GDC (Everything is Better in Texas)
| Name: | Deborah Marshall |  |
|---|---|---|
| Date Posted: | Sep 22, 2008 | |
| Rating: |  Not Rated | |
| Public: | YES | |
| Comments: | YES | |
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| Profile Page: | View profile page for Deborah Marshall |
Blog post
Our primary web developer for the GarageGames site is from Texas, and besides the fact that he says "ya'll" more than is healthy, he likes to tell me how awesome his home state is. Last week was my first trip ever to Texas for the Austin Game Developer Conference, and I have to say, we definitely had a rockin' time at the Live Music Capital of the World. I don't know if it was the city itself, the fact that we drank more mojito than water, or that we had such a great crowd at our booth the whole time that made the trip so fantastic, but the conference was a huge success for us.
Ken Holst's normal facial expression, plus mojito
So what makes a conference a success? One might think it's just raw sales, but honestly, for the expense we put down on a conference, it would be a lot cheaper to run an online ad campaign than to take up so many people's time. For GarageGames, it's more about the chance to talk to people face-to-face about what we're doing. For instance, take our recent announcement of TGEA now working on a Mac. We could have just announced that through press releases and blogs, but it is MUCH more powerful to have it running in a booth and having Matt Fairfax, who has been in charge of this project for months, answering questions in the flesh. That kind of interaction just cannot be replicated online.
Matt Fairfax really knows how to work a crowd in the booth
The second measure of success for us is to see Torque game projects in action. I pride myself on knowing about most of the games that have been created with Torque, but that illusion is always shattered when I discover new projects at conferences. Take Perfect Dork Studios, who has been made apps for clients like Right Guard and BP Oil.
They may be dorks, but they are also perfect
Like many small studios, what Perfect Dork really wants to do is create their own games, which is why they've been using Torque X to create Box Macabre. In this game, your soul has been trapped in a box, and you must jump, swing, roll and fly your way through a bunch of different levels in this platform adventure. Perfect Dork used our booth to both showcase their game and run a viral marketing campaign with little origami boxes. It was great to see people come to our booth asking about Box Macabre.
It's my soul in a box! Box Macabre, that is.
And our final measure of success is probably the best one of all: to meet Torque developers! I had the chance to meet a lot of people in our community, including Associates, frequent posters, and lurkers. We had a pretty full party going on at not-IGC, and although I took a look of pictures, my favorite one is me standing next to Donald Harris, someone whom I've got to know through the GG community, but never actually met in real life. He's a self proclaimed "spot light junkie," so Donald, this pic's for you!
There's a Sesame Street song about opposites in this picture, I just know it...
So that's it for our little Texan adventure. Thanks for supporting GarageGames, and see ya'll next year in Austin!
Ken Holst's normal facial expression, plus mojito
So what makes a conference a success? One might think it's just raw sales, but honestly, for the expense we put down on a conference, it would be a lot cheaper to run an online ad campaign than to take up so many people's time. For GarageGames, it's more about the chance to talk to people face-to-face about what we're doing. For instance, take our recent announcement of TGEA now working on a Mac. We could have just announced that through press releases and blogs, but it is MUCH more powerful to have it running in a booth and having Matt Fairfax, who has been in charge of this project for months, answering questions in the flesh. That kind of interaction just cannot be replicated online.
Matt Fairfax really knows how to work a crowd in the booth
The second measure of success for us is to see Torque game projects in action. I pride myself on knowing about most of the games that have been created with Torque, but that illusion is always shattered when I discover new projects at conferences. Take Perfect Dork Studios, who has been made apps for clients like Right Guard and BP Oil.
They may be dorks, but they are also perfect
Like many small studios, what Perfect Dork really wants to do is create their own games, which is why they've been using Torque X to create Box Macabre. In this game, your soul has been trapped in a box, and you must jump, swing, roll and fly your way through a bunch of different levels in this platform adventure. Perfect Dork used our booth to both showcase their game and run a viral marketing campaign with little origami boxes. It was great to see people come to our booth asking about Box Macabre.
It's my soul in a box! Box Macabre, that is.
And our final measure of success is probably the best one of all: to meet Torque developers! I had the chance to meet a lot of people in our community, including Associates, frequent posters, and lurkers. We had a pretty full party going on at not-IGC, and although I took a look of pictures, my favorite one is me standing next to Donald Harris, someone whom I've got to know through the GG community, but never actually met in real life. He's a self proclaimed "spot light junkie," so Donald, this pic's for you!
There's a Sesame Street song about opposites in this picture, I just know it...
So that's it for our little Texan adventure. Thanks for supporting GarageGames, and see ya'll next year in Austin!
Recent Blog Posts
| List: | 01/05/09 - TGEA 1.7.1 is the Front Line Award Engine of 2008 12/17/08 - A New Kind of FPS on Steam 12/05/08 - Buccaneer Sets Sail on Steam! 12/01/08 - The Season of Giving 11/26/08 - A "Little Big" Surprise from GarageGames 11/04/08 - Vote for Torque: Front Line Award Finalist! 10/29/08 - Torque Making AAA Headlines 10/16/08 - Hinterland Released on Steam |
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Submit your own resources!| Jacob Fike (Sep 22, 2008 at 23:17 GMT) |
| Donald \"Yadot\" Harris (Sep 23, 2008 at 04:01 GMT) |
I am telling you all (GG Staff) ya'll (Texan Slang) need to setup a small shop down here in Texas there are so many developers down here indie and pro. Plus you have to admit this town is pretty flippin' awesome.
I had a good time hanging out with you guys. I read your blogs all the time and then I get to meet you in a non-business setting. All you guys were a blast to hang out with.
I need to get around to posting some updates and some more inspirational stuff especially after speaking with Ken 'Mojito' Holst.
| Ryan Jaeger (Sep 23, 2008 at 05:18 GMT) |
Wish I could have made AGDC this year, unfortunately the hurricane derailed my plans.
| Phillip OShea (Sep 23, 2008 at 10:49 GMT) |
| Donald \"Yadot\" Harris (Sep 23, 2008 at 13:20 GMT) |
Hey I am originally from Florida :) And secondly is everything ok with your house?
@Phillip
A little of both
| Ryan Jaeger (Sep 23, 2008 at 14:13 GMT) |
Yeah everything is fine, not even a shingle lost. Just a few downed fences and trees.
My Grandparents house will unfortunately have to be demolished, and their business was leveled. (marina)
There used to be boats here:
They all ended up somewhere here:
Edited on Sep 23, 2008 14:17 GMT
| Donald \"Yadot\" Harris (Sep 23, 2008 at 14:58 GMT) |
| Deborah Marshall (Sep 23, 2008 at 16:48 GMT) |
| Ryan Jaeger (Sep 24, 2008 at 10:04 GMT) |
Yeah I'm going to head down there in various intervals to help out a bit, but for the most part I'd probably just get in the way.
| Michael Cozzolino (Sep 24, 2008 at 19:09 GMT) |
I have the pumped up feeling that many describe after going to IGC and wanting to take on the world. For the first time I feel like I can really do this(Finish a game). It'd not going to be easy when I'm working FT doing labor intensive work particularly during peak season while I am trying to finish my game. Anyway just wanted to say thanks for the warm greeting GG and to all the community members I met.
Looking forward to IGC in Eugene next Octoberish if all works out on GG's end since there is no official announcement yet. A little too soon I think. ;)
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