Collin Harris - 2018 GDC

Post date: Mar 28, 2018 6:47:45 PM

For my GDC write up this year I want to focus on some of the interesting and worthwhile activities I participated in during the event.

One of the core concepts that seemed to be at the forefront of everyone's minds this year, was optimization. Almost every talk I attended or conversation I had, seemed to end up on the topic of optimization. Even in my portfolio reviews, the sections that had the most positive reactions were sections breaking down optimization pipelines and practices. It seems like with all the new tools and softwares being announced, affordability and practicality is taking second seat to spectacle. Being able to demonstrate that you not only understand how to make great art, but you know how to make it work in-game is something that seems to resonate with people. Being able to bust out some memory profiling screenshots, or graphics performance analytics is the quickest way to separate yourself from the pack.

So, this was my third GDC, and I decided to do something a little differently. In the past, I did my research on who was attending. You know, followed people on Twitter, kept lists in Google Docs, that whole thing. But this year I decided to take it a step further. I got in contact with some of the more influential people on my list, and just tried to start conversation. In some cases it was as simple as a "Hey I'm a student, and I'd love to ask you some questions". Others started as conversations about workflow or something and ended with a "are you going to be at GDC this year". Out of all my email threads, I got a bunch of awesome feedback, as well as a few in-person meetings. Most notably being an one on one meeting with the Creative Director of Giant Sparrow, Ian Dallas (What Remains of Edith Finch/Unfinished Swan). In the future I think I'll be pursuing this strategy harder, especially seeing the results from the limited amount of time I allotted this year.

Lastly, I want to close with some observations of what I saw on the Expo floor. Wether it was real-time motion tracking or eye tracking software, everything is becoming more and more accessible to the average indie-dev consumer. As an up incoming professional, being familiar with these tools is vital to ensure that you can be as flexible as the industry needs you to be. Listening to alumni that graduated not even a year ago talk about how many new softwares and pipelines have been introduced since their departure, it seems that this is a common trend. I don't necessarily think that it's a good idea to try to predict what is going to be the next "industry standard", but at the very least, being familiar with what could be the next Allegoritmic or SpeedTree might just be the difference between you and someone else when it comes down to a single position. Being able to look forward in a fast moving industry, might just be what sets you apart and makes you valuable.