SF is not dangerous like that, don't let one mugging make you think it's super common. Just use common sense and you'll be fine (don't flash your nice new phone around in weird areas, don't stop and talk to people, avoid empty streets...) and avoid the Tenderloin (unless you're with a group, I actually go there sometimes with friends...but it's a sketchy area and not super far away from the center)
Deathstick: Honestly, you could also consider going to SF and not actually attending the convention. You can get into parties with the right connections, or even casual meet ups with other devs. The city is flooded with game devs all over the world...and PC has a pretty good presence there. If you're close or able to, you could always just go and make connections socially, and not pay the ton of money to see talks...
Oh ya I mentioned this in hangouts but I may as well add it to this thread.
Uber + Lyft are both options and they have like the $20 referral thing. Whoever refers you gets $20 and you get $20 as well. Between Uber and Lyft that could potentially be $40 in cabs paid for if you haven't used either before.
Woo! I'll be going! Also, I'll be giving a post-mortem on Tower of Guns as part of the indie-summit track, so swing by if you guys have a summit-pass! :-)
I'll be there! Probably 3-5 non-polycounter artists in tow as well. Had a good time hitting all of the parties last year, figure it should be good again.
@JadeEyePanda: I'll sing with you, I'll start memorizing some shanties while I work.
Should possibly start a new thread for this, but a question for any artists headed to GDC:
I will be attending this year by volunteering through the Conference Associate program, a pretty cool deal where you get an all-access pass in exchange for helping out with the show. Its a pretty cool network of folks, and they do a lot outside of GDC to try to help each other out. One thing I'm trying to help organize this year for them is a portfolio crit night, especially for new artists/students. I know Gav and some other artists do portfolio review sessions at the end of the week, but many volunteers (myself included) often end up working through those. I am looking to do this event probably near the Moscone center in the evening on of the nights of GDC.
If you are an experienced artist that might be interested in meeting up with some volunteer artists to offer them some crits, let me know! I'd gladly buy you some beers at the PC meet up as thanks!
I'll review folios outside of the session(s) if you can't make it. If I can, I'd go to some sort of other artist night thats for beers, feedback, war stories...
I am so excited to go! This will be my first year there! I might pass out from all of the game development awesomeness.
My goal is to network and get my name out there. Would it be worth it to volunteer and get an all access pass, or should I buy the EXPO pass and have more time networking?
I can't go this year but I may in 2016. AFAIK nobody has ever answered the "what pass?" question. GDC seems really expensive, quite possibly the most expensive expo in the CG industry.
GDC
All Access: $1,495
Main Conference: $995
Bootcamps: $795
Expo only: $195
I can't go this year but I may in 2016. AFAIK nobody has ever answered the "what pass?" question. GDC seems really expensive, quite possibly the most expensive expo in the CG industry.
GDC
All Access: $1,495
Main Conference: $995
Bootcamps: $795
Expo only: $195
Just to add, that's the early registration prices which ended about a week ago. The prices go up a couple months before the conference and then at some point you can only buy onsite. This is what it'd cost right now.
All Access: $1,995
Main Conference: $1,395
Bootcamps: $895
Audio: $795
Expo: $250
Also if you go a year the year after they extend a small discount as long as you buy early. it's not much but it helps patch the massive gaping hole in your wallet a bit.
Which pass really depends on what you want to do when you get there. If you just want to see the expo, career seminar, award show and meet up with polycounters, the expo pass is fine. If you want to go to the talks, you'll have to get one of the more expensive passes.
I've only gone once and had an all access pass (same again this year). They're expensive and really worth it, but I'd say they're only worth it if you can justify it.
For me it's easy because I get a lot our of tech talks (I'm a programmer) and because just going to GDC is $2500 anyway for flights and accommodation. But friends of mine who still find GDC invaluable for their indie businesses often just get the indie summit pass or the expo pass. TBH you can get as much out of the parties that are on all week.
I was gutted that I missed the applications for volunteering this year and would love to go next year. I can imagine it must get really competitive, so any advice would be much appreciated Or is it just a case of applying as early as possible?
Super excited + nervous. This will be my first time there, heard it's massively overwhelming! I'll be looking forward to seeing you guys at the meetup.
Also: totally up for dumb touristy shit if people are doing it.
Super excited + nervous. This will be my first time there, heard it's massively overwhelming! I'll be looking forward to seeing you guys at the meetup.
Also: totally up for dumb touristy shit if people are doing it.
You probably won't have time for the touristy shit and more than likely you'll be exhausted after each day :P
But if you're in SF when GDC isn't going on you should definitely visit the pier and china town.
I went to GDC Last year and played it pretty straight laced not knowing what to expect. I definitely want to meet up with more people this year.
So if anyone is down to hangout grab lunch anything like that this year it would be great to form some lunch groups or something as well so people can meet new people and knpw they are in good company haha.
I was gutted that I missed the applications for volunteering this year and would love to go next year. I can imagine it must get really competitive, so any advice would be much appreciated Or is it just a case of applying as early as possible?
I've gone once, but I've also applied for the CA volunteering 3 times and didn't get in. I don't necessarily understanding the logic behind the filtering process (obviously =P).
If you guys can, I recommend joining the relevant roundtable and workshop events. It's a lot more intimate and you can actually . . . talk to each other one-on-one like it's a dinner.
It's definitely different from a presentation.
Also, to anyone who's wondering what an acceptable GDC CA essay looks like, I can provide mine from the past 3 years that I have been accepted if that helps anyone. Leinad, you too. I understand that it seems elusive, it's definitely NOT like a job application.
Like many of the others in this thread, this will be my first year attending. Looking forward to the Polycount meetup to maybe put some faces to the names I see around a lot.
Im doing the friday only student special. Will polycount or marmoset be there on Friday? I have never gone to GDC before. Anything that I should lookout for or suggestions. I'm mainly going for networking opportunities and art critiques.
So I am only getting the Expo pass, there is no way I can afford any passes above that. I noticed that the expo pass only gets you in on the 4th-6th, is there anything I can do on the 2-4th to make it worth coming early?
Replies
(license, 24, never had a car, never attended GDC, bah)
I came from a town where a mugging would be front page news. I'm worried I don't have the city dweller's spidey sense, plus I'd be going by myself.
Oh well, I guess I'll keep working on more projects
Deathstick: Honestly, you could also consider going to SF and not actually attending the convention. You can get into parties with the right connections, or even casual meet ups with other devs. The city is flooded with game devs all over the world...and PC has a pretty good presence there. If you're close or able to, you could always just go and make connections socially, and not pay the ton of money to see talks...
Been a couple years since I've made it to a polycount meetup. Going to try and make this one!
Oh ya I mentioned this in hangouts but I may as well add it to this thread.
Uber + Lyft are both options and they have like the $20 referral thing. Whoever refers you gets $20 and you get $20 as well. Between Uber and Lyft that could potentially be $40 in cabs paid for if you haven't used either before.
@JadeEyePanda: I'll sing with you, I'll start memorizing some shanties while I work.
Hopefully this time folks won't be too tired to party hop, and come back to the bar.
I will be attending this year by volunteering through the Conference Associate program, a pretty cool deal where you get an all-access pass in exchange for helping out with the show. Its a pretty cool network of folks, and they do a lot outside of GDC to try to help each other out. One thing I'm trying to help organize this year for them is a portfolio crit night, especially for new artists/students. I know Gav and some other artists do portfolio review sessions at the end of the week, but many volunteers (myself included) often end up working through those. I am looking to do this event probably near the Moscone center in the evening on of the nights of GDC.
If you are an experienced artist that might be interested in meeting up with some volunteer artists to offer them some crits, let me know! I'd gladly buy you some beers at the PC meet up as thanks!
My goal is to network and get my name out there. Would it be worth it to volunteer and get an all access pass, or should I buy the EXPO pass and have more time networking?
And pretty competitive
Do any of you have advice for next year?
GDC
All Access: $1,495
Main Conference: $995
Bootcamps: $795
Expo only: $195
Just to add, that's the early registration prices which ended about a week ago. The prices go up a couple months before the conference and then at some point you can only buy onsite. This is what it'd cost right now.
All Access: $1,995
Main Conference: $1,395
Bootcamps: $895
Audio: $795
Expo: $250
Also if you go a year the year after they extend a small discount as long as you buy early. it's not much but it helps patch the massive gaping hole in your wallet a bit.
Detailed breakdown of the passes here: http://www.gdconf.com/attend/passes.html
If you're going to GDC - check this out - should be a lot of fun!
Looking forward to seeing you all at the meetup.
For me it's easy because I get a lot our of tech talks (I'm a programmer) and because just going to GDC is $2500 anyway for flights and accommodation. But friends of mine who still find GDC invaluable for their indie businesses often just get the indie summit pass or the expo pass. TBH you can get as much out of the parties that are on all week.
I was gutted that I missed the applications for volunteering this year and would love to go next year. I can imagine it must get really competitive, so any advice would be much appreciated
Also: totally up for dumb touristy shit if people are doing it.
You probably won't have time for the touristy shit and more than likely you'll be exhausted after each day :P
But if you're in SF when GDC isn't going on you should definitely visit the pier and china town.
So if anyone is down to hangout grab lunch anything like that this year it would be great to form some lunch groups or something as well so people can meet new people and knpw they are in good company haha.
I've gone once, but I've also applied for the CA volunteering 3 times and didn't get in. I don't necessarily understanding the logic behind the filtering process (obviously =P).
I'd also like to know when is this meet up is gonna take place? I'd enjoy meeting and hanging out with polycounters in person.
It's definitely different from a presentation.
Also, to anyone who's wondering what an acceptable GDC CA essay looks like, I can provide mine from the past 3 years that I have been accepted if that helps anyone. Leinad, you too. I understand that it seems elusive, it's definitely NOT like a job application.
The Polycount Meetup is happening on Wednesday night. Official announcement should come soon.
Aw shucks! Won't be there 'til Thursday... Might try to get in by Wednesday evening if possible. What time around does the PC meetup usually happen?
-Clark
We've got a venue booked from 5:00-9:00pm, but we'll probably be around a bit longer than that.
Coolness. Gonna try to get my ass over there
Darn. I was hoping to go to the awards stuff that night. If I decide to do that, maybe I'll swing by after and see if people are still hanging around.