GDSee Ya

By: Derek Yu

On: March 31st, 2009

Well, after nearly 12 hours of sleep I’ve almost recovered from this year’s Game Developer’s Conference. For indies, this was the best year yet. Many of us have been good friends now for a year or two, veterans of GDC’s past. Many were here for the first time, popping their GDC cherries. It was absolutely nuts to have so many independent guys in one place, sharing their excitement with one another this past week.

The Independent Game Summit sessions I attended were fantastic. The ones I missed I sorely regret not being able to attend. Overall, they were informative, interesting, weird, funny, sad, honest, personal… and very inspiring.

That’s what I love about GDC – during the rest of the year many of us are working alone from bedrooms and basements, struggling with the highs and lows of independent development, and having to discuss our (admittedly still pretty niche) industry or community with people who may have trouble really getting it. But for at least one week a ton of us get together here in sunny (thankfully) San Francisco and can rejuvenate each other with the stories, jokes, and excessive drinking, game-making, and game-playing that is now the hallmark of the GDC experience…

It’d be impossible to relate all the things that went on last week. If you couldn’t make it this year, just make sure you go next year. In the meantime, let’s keep up the compos, jams, and everything else – because one week definitely ain’t enough!

Hit the jump for links to people’s photos and videos from GDC ’09:

Photos: Infinite Ammo, Dan Tabar, Alex May 1, Alex May 2, Renaud, Bekah Saltsman, Daphaknee 1, Daphaknee 2, Danielle

Videos: Infinite Ammo, Jeb 1, Jeb 2, Jeb 3, Jeb 4, Jeb 5, Jeb 6