AJ's GDC Observations

Post date: Apr 05, 2019 10:15:10 PM

    I am so very lucky and extremely thankful to have been able to go not just to GDC but also to Austin, Texas for the WetDog activation. It was a surreal and amazing experience to have not just as an artist seeing her hard work being consumed and enjoyed by hundreds of people, but also as a student who is not yet in the industry. It provided a different insight into games outside of conceptualization and development that I haven't really thought about: the activation of a product, and how incredibly vital it is to the successful launch of a product when you are smaller than companies who hold monopolies in the game industry in terms of social media awareness, or when your company is just Indie in general.

    The only major downside of the entire GDC trip was that our Exhibition passes couldn't get us into any of the Expo Plus talks, so I wasn't able to make it to the Substance/Allegorithmic talks I wanted to really see. Because of this, I decided that I was going to mostly discuss my observations of the importance of how detrimental it is-whether as an artist wanting to work at a large studio (ex. Ubisoft, SIE, Riot) or even as an Indie artist-to successfully advertise and 'sell' your idea to your targeted audience.

1. It's Hard to Do it Alone

    Don't get me wrong on this by title alone, or assume I don't think it's possible you can make a game without others. I understand, and there are plenty of examples, of indie artists out there who have successfully managed to create an entire game and it became popular enough that thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands, or if you're really lucky, millions, of people will hear about it or have played it. 

    But when it's just you, there are so many factors you have to keep in mind that it seems virtually impossible. You also need to be able to advertise your product (game) without coming off as begging or desperate, and at least have a good eye for graphic design. If you can't do either of these, your game won't get much further than your family and close friends, and maybe a couple strangers who saw and liked it. I mean, there's Graphic and Advertising Design for a reason, after all, which is why it's important to figure these things out and build a plan of action, or at least find a person, or group of people, that can help you get your product off the ground and into the hands of customers who want to play your game.

    For us, the reach wasn't as far or difficult when it came to finding people who wanted to help out in making this product successful. We just had to look closer to home: the Ringling College student body. Students from a number of majors (IL, GD, MD, BOAD) came together to help put our game out there and in the minds of people who really wanted to play it come release date. Those guys put together such an amazing concept for an activation in so little time it kinda makes my head spin a bit, especially after I finally saw all the work that they had been doing at Austin. 

    The work of the design team (merch, a photobooth, an Oculus giveaway, the cards that directed people to our booth that we handed out in the convention hall, and so much more) along with their ideas for a pug petting zoo (ESPECIALLY the pug petting zoo) were enough to bring out people to, if not necessarily play the game, at least see and hear about it, which is enough on its own because they may just end up talking about it to others they think might like it.

    I can also definitely say from my point of view working on this project as a developer, that without the collaboration of other majors here at Ringling, our game would not have been as successful, or successful at all. The Design team really came together and helped make this project something special. Whether you're an indie artist, or looking to get into the industry at a large studio, please take the time to really thank the people on the marketing/advertising side. It's thanks to them that you can show the thing that you're proud of making.

    And, not that I didn't respect it before, but the activation made me respect that side of game development and branding even more than beforehand. After showing it at GDC, I realized that if I were ever asked to go to a convention to work the booth of the company I'm employed at, I'd be more than happy to do so, because it's one thing to visually activate your piece--it's entirely different when demonstrating it or showing it off.

2. Up-selling...it isn't just for fast food!

    Personally, for me, this concept wasn't necessarily anything new, as I did a lot of this while working a fast food job in high school. Many people don't want to work during high school, and some don't need to, but I can attest to the fact that you learn some very valuable public speaking skills working there, because you are constantly coming into contact with your coworkers and customers every single day. What I found interesting however, was the fact that something we did at my old fast food job--upselling--could be used, albeit differently, when it came to 'selling' or talking about our game.

    For us as developers, our job was to tell the people about the game. Sure, they may have already known about it through the cards handed out and what our volunteers said, or from possibly seeing anything about it in articles or maybe our website, but they don't know about it. What went into it, where the project was going after Austin, the release date(s), extra content (if any)--there was so much behind the scenes stuff to share that it couldn't possibly be covered in one article or an advertisement. That's because this is the part that a lot of industry professionals, hiring managers, even customers, are curious to hear. What went into this project? How was it made? What was the thought process behind the idea? 

    This is the part where you not only sell your product, but your skills as an artist. This is your time to shine, build your public speaking skills, and it's a great way to network. Take it from someone who had two shifts at a time at the booth and only had about 4 hours to network/walk around each day at GDC--I still managed to grab over 60 business cards just standing there demoing my game, and it's not because I just called out 'hey can I have a business card?!'

    To start, when you are approached by someone asking questions about your product, don't ramble. Get straight to the point, and then maybe elaborate a bit, but still be concise and clear in your explanations. Short, sweet, to the point. I tend to ramble when I get nervous, so when that happens, I try to remind myself that nobody knows this particular [thing] better than me. And in this case, the only other people who knew just about as much were my instructors, our mentors, and my two other partners. If I needed help with describing something or talking about something, I asked them.

    The people asking questions don't necessarily want to know if you know HOW to make something, they want to know what your processes and personal creative designs were. It's not a test, just a question, so don't be afraid to be energetic and confident in your responses. Trust me when I say it makes a big difference when it comes to talking to people, as they will feel you are more personable and approachable, and this is a VERY important characteristic to have when you are networking. No one wants to work with someone who's grouchy or ambivalent, especially when it comes to their work, even if they're the best of the best. Be humble, smile, and relax.

    For me personally, as I said, this wasn't something I wasn't well-versed in. I've had several years of public speaking experience, so talking about the game wasn't an issue. I just never noticed how similarly it was to upselling in fast food, especially if you're Indie and trying to get someone to invest in your game. I will definitely take it and incorporate it a lot more; whether it's when pitching a simple concept to an art lead or to someone considering investing in my game as an Indie developer.

3. Finally: Don't Exhaust Yourself -- A Couple Wellness Tips

    We all know this statement very well: it's hard to make games...and even harder to find the energy to do much more after we've worked weeks, months, maybe even years, on a project--especially on one we can call our own (thesis). There have been many times I go home and didn't have the energy to cook or shower and just fell into bed after working all day on my projects, thesis or not. 

    When my thesis partners and I went to Austin for the Wetdog activation, we were tired but more mentally drained than anything, and after standing for 16-17 hours with only small food or sit breaks in between--on hard wood, not grass or chairs--we were also physically exhausted as well. Which is why by the time we reached GDC, we were all pretty sick...and that's never fun.

    If you DO end up getting sick, don't overwork yourself. Take breaks and be sure to give yourself a chance to eat and drink plenty of water (you get dehydrated kinda quick out there in San Francisco, especially if you're walking around at GDC and the city all day--SO MANY HILLS). 

    PLEASE also be aware that it is NORMAL for you to feel mentally, emotionally, and physically drained, on any/all levels, after a day or two at GDC. There were times I didn't want to leave the bed because I felt so sore and exhausted. The best way to combat this is not overexerting yourself or getting too hyped up. I know it's exciting and you might feel you won't have time to talk to everybody you want unless you spend every second standing and talking, but trust me, it's better than collapsing of exhaustion/dehydration or getting level 10+ stabbing pain in your feet and legs because you didn't give yourself a chance to rest properly throughout the day. TRUST ME ON THAT. 

    When I was at Austin, Texas, I stood up for so long that by the end of the night I was holding back tears because it hurt so bad--even while I was sitting down. NOTHING helped make my legs/feet feel better except time. While I was lying in bed that night it felt like someone was stabbing my feet with a knife over and over again. It isn't a fun feeling...so don't overdo it...because you could be like me, still feeling some soreness even 3 weeks after it happened. I was too excited and put way too much energy into the activation at SXSW in Austin, so by the time I reached GDC, I was sick, sore, had lost my voice almost completely, and I felt so exhausted I just wanted to sleep for a week straight. All these things can lead to you having a terrible time at GDC, as well as having you come off as rude, grouchy, or even unpleasant to be around. This is an important networking opportunity, so please, don't put the event over your wellbeing, because it'll affect everything else.