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Author Topic: Austin Games Conference  (Read 57842 times)
schild
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on: October 12, 2005, 10:00:07 PM

Link.

So, for anyone not going, is there anything you'd like commented on or videotaped if possible? Maybe just audio?

Also, I'll report on the game writer's conference if I get a chance, as well as the women's conference.

Help me help you.
Stephen Zepp
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Reply #1 on: October 12, 2005, 10:08:54 PM

Link.

So, for anyone not going, is there anything you'd like commented on or videotaped if possible? Maybe just audio?

Also, I'll report on the game writer's conference if I get a chance, as well as the women's conference.

Help me help you.

Hmm...sounds like we need to hook up ;)

Right now I'm on the schedule to go, but of course things may change.

Rumors of War
HRose
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Reply #2 on: October 13, 2005, 02:00:11 AM

EDIT: Read all the panels. This would be my choice if I had just one body:

Quote
Thursday, 11:00am - 12:00pm
Relational Database Choices for MMOs
Every big MMO that launches seems to run into database server performance issues. Why? What can be done to avoid it? A panel of war-scarred launch survivors will discuss what their strategies were, and what they might do different next time.
- Scott Jennings, Mythic Entertainment
- Ian Wilkes, Linden Lab
- Jay Lee, Independent
- Hilmar Petursson, CEO and CTO, CCP

Thursday, 1:30pm - 2:30pm
Feature Postmortems
In comparison to single player games, developing or upgrading technologies for MMOs present unusual and not so obvious challenges. This talk will highlight some of the pitfalls Mythic has seen through many expansions and specifically how Mythic overhauled the several year old character rendering system in Dark Age of Camelot to bring it up to current standards.
- Matt Shaw, Director of Technology, Mythic Entertainment, Inc.

Thursday, 3:00pm - 4:00pm
Community Relations: Talking to the Masses
Learn how experienced professionals promote communication, both to and from the player community. These experts will discuss using e-mail, chats, boards, official sites, fansites, community leaders, etc. within an overall communication strategy, how to encourage more player input for longer, especially from the silent majority, how community development is evolving, and more.
- Sanya Weathers, Internet Relations Manager, Mythic Entertainment
- EM Stock, Online Community Relations Lead, NCsoft
- Jonathan Hanna, Director of Community Relations, Turbine, Inc.
- Moderator: Richard Aihoshi, IGN Vault Network

Thursday, 4:30pm - 5:30pm
What Vegas Can Teach MMO Designers
(and how to take a design lesson from almost anywhere)
Las Vegas is the original massively multiplayer fantasy world, and every step of the visitor’s experience has been meticulously designed to enhance their enjoyment and desire to lay money down. By taking a close look at the guiding design philosophies behind these highly successful social gaming spaces, massively multiplayer designers can enhance their own designs, even in traditional MMOs with no obvious similarities to smoky gambling halls. In this lecture, we will look at how casino design informs some classic massively multiplayer design questions, often unexpectedly. What do modern casinos teach us would make good massively multiplayer world genres? What do poker rooms tell us about dungeon instancing? How does your rewards schedule affect how players play your game, and feel about it? Can casinos explain why players who prefer solo gameplay purchase and play MMOs? What can Harrah’s teach us about designing the social flow through your game world? Can lessons from Vegas help us break people out of unhealthy play patterns and keep them mentally engaged? What can Vegas teach developers about service, metrics, and security? And where does Vegas get it wrong? Attendees should come with open minds and be ready to challenge the status quo.
- Damion Schubert, Lead Designer, Wolfpack, a Ubisoft Company

Friday, 11:00am - 12:00pm
The Pain of MMO Scaling
MMO's take different approaches to scaling depending on their technical and game design philosophies. This panel discusses the benefits - and pains - of the various routes taken and share their experiences and recommendations from the battlefield
- Moderator: Doug Mellencamp, Server Lead, Sony Online Entertainment
- Nathan Richardson, Senior Producer, CCP Games
- Jay Lee, Independent
- Matt Firor, VP, Product Development, Mythic Entertainment

(I'm sorry for Raph, but his panel is a no-no. And Eve-Online devs will instruct everyone this year)

Friday, 1:30pm - 2:30pm
User Created Content; Boom or Bane?
Venture capitalists and lawyers are excited about the potential scaling opportunities and legal bills to be gained from the use of player-created content in online games. What are the pitfalls, and are there genuine benefits? Is the Metaverse already here, and if not, when is the ship date? If the players make and own the content, how will the poor game companies make a bean? Join the conversation with believers and sceptics on the next great thing in MMO world design.
- Moderator: Daniel James, Designer & CEO, Three Rings
- Andrew Tepper, eGenesis
- Richard Vogel, V.P. of Production, Dauntless Entertainment
- Walter Yarbrough, Producer, Mythic Entertainment

 Friday, 3:00pm - 4:00pm
MMO Rant
Though our medium is becoming more significant yearly, we still have a long way to go to fully realize it's potential. The panelists are going to unleash their inner anguish on an issue they believe is holding back our industry. Our goal will be to challenge ourselves and the audience to look beyond the current industry results.
- Gordon Walton
- Brian Green, Near Death Studios, Inc.
- Jeff Hickman, Executive Producer & VP of PQ and CS, Mythic Entertainment
- Jessica Mulligan, Executive Consultant, Online Games

Friday, 3:00pm - 4:00pm
Community Relations - An Untapped Resource
Community Relations has long been used to discuss issues with players and gather their feedback, but it can be so much more. Community Teams are being greatly underutilized and aren't being asked to exercise their full capabilities. This panel will discuss the lost opportunities and how teams can utilize Community Relations to be more than a mouth-piece. Topics that will be discussed include:

   1. Talking to Players - Why we do it.
   2. Player Feedback - Community as a partner in design.
   3. Retention - Should community own this part of the service?
   4. Growing the Brand - How cross-product community efforts retains customers over multiple products.
   5. Community During Development - At what point during the development process should Community Relations begin?

- Panel Leader: Richard Weil, Online Community Relations Manager, NCsoft
- Jonathan Hanna, Director of Community Relations, Turbine, Inc.
- Sanya Weathers, Internet Relations Manager, Mythic Entertainment
- Christopher Mancil, Senior Online Community Relations Manager, WEBZEN America, Inc.
- Alan Crosby, Director, Global Community Relations, Sony Online Entertainment

About these last two I really couldn't decide. I couldn't miss either.

Btw, the third panel has mistakes. It should say:
"Learn how experienced professionals suppress communication, both to and from the player community."
« Last Edit: October 13, 2005, 02:41:05 AM by HRose »

-HRose / Abalieno
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Reply #3 on: October 13, 2005, 02:30:10 AM

Give SirBruce a wedgy.

[edit] Oh, and if you videotape it, I'll buy you drinks for the rest of your stay.
« Last Edit: October 13, 2005, 02:35:44 AM by Stray »
schild
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Reply #4 on: October 13, 2005, 03:00:24 AM

I'm going to have a real hard time watching Jessica Mulligan rant. But I suspect Haemish would force my hand.
Mi_Tes
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Reply #5 on: October 13, 2005, 05:44:48 AM

I'm going to have a real hard time watching Jessica Mulligan rant. But I suspect Haemish would force my hand.

I enjoyed her "Biting the Hand" colum and out of all the sessions, I wish I could see that one.  Sucks that I am traveling for work for the next several weeks, otherwise I would definitely be going again this year.

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schild
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Reply #6 on: October 13, 2005, 05:52:32 AM

There are interesting things to be said, sure, the problem is limits. People in the gaming industry have to hold back. It's one of the...sad truths of public relations. I mean really, I'd love to hear what's actually on Raph's mind. The games he wants to make that SOE would never fun. Or even the truth behind game cancellations like Wish, Mythica, True Fantasy Online, Imperator, etc. You never hear the whole story and when developers rant it's always a sugar-coated rant. Even the most venomous of rants - Costikyan's - wasn't even to the extreme it needed to be (even though he's thankfully putting his money where his mouth is, however fruitless it may be). Jessica is still doing PR for Ryzom, iirc - so I don't suppose she'll have much angst to toss around whatwith that game being on super shaky ground already.
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Reply #7 on: October 13, 2005, 06:15:02 AM

I'm going to have a real hard time watching Jessica Mulligan rant. But I suspect Haemish would force my hand.

If you stare at her adam's apple, she stutters.

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Reply #8 on: October 13, 2005, 06:32:03 AM

I'd be interested in hearing from Daniel James, and there are some good people from Mythic (not CS -- sick of hearing about CS costs and hand wringing about player issues), but other than hoping Gordon Walton sticks it to SOE, I can't imagine what nuggets might come of this conference.  Quite the Mythic contigent though.  Nobody from Sigil or Blizzard, and only one person from NCSoft?
stray
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Reply #9 on: October 13, 2005, 06:42:21 AM

Oohkay...Guess wedgies aren't very funny around here.

Other than that, I'm interested in the all the Game Writer's Conference stuff more than anything else.
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Reply #10 on: October 13, 2005, 07:21:17 AM

The Vegas one looks intriguing and I'd be interested to hear what Psychochild said (since he's a top bloke).

Apart from that, meh.


"Mr Soft Owl has Seen Some Shit." - Sun Tzu
Bunk
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Reply #11 on: October 13, 2005, 09:04:55 AM

Kind of suprising that they don't have anyone from Linden labs on that user created content panel. Why not have someone who's game resolves around it involved? This would be one of the topics that interests me though. Most of my current favorite single player games are favorites because of a strong modding community, I'd like to see how anyone plans to ever make that possible in an MMoG while avoiding the fucktards that would screw it up for everyone else.


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Reply #12 on: October 13, 2005, 10:11:41 AM

Ubiq's Vegas talk sounds like fun. So much fun that I think he should deliver it in Vegas, so I could fly down and hear it  :-D

When speaking of the MMOG industry, the glass may be half full, but it's full of urine. HaemishM

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HRose
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Reply #13 on: October 13, 2005, 05:08:51 PM

Quite the Mythic contigent though. Nobody from Sigil or Blizzard, and only one person from NCSoft?
If you look at my cut/paste you see only my own selection of what's available and I think there are more NCSoft guys (there's a panel again with Garriott). But this year what is interesting is what CCP devs have to say.

Sigil is empty for now. They still have to demonstrate their relevance outside empty hype.

Blizzard has always been outside the "community". They have their own BlizzCon with fireworks where they'll drag the few devs they have left.

-HRose / Abalieno
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schild
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Reply #14 on: October 13, 2005, 05:17:26 PM

NCSoft is having a luncheon. I imagine they'll be more about the chit chat.
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Reply #15 on: October 13, 2005, 05:27:39 PM

Ask NCsoft if they can patch the fun back into Auto Assault...  you know make it a non-EQ clone MMO?

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Stephen Zepp
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Reply #16 on: October 13, 2005, 06:50:55 PM

Ask NCsoft if they can patch the fun back into Auto Assault...  you know make it a non-EQ clone MMO?

I talked to Steve Snow about Auto Assault at IGC, and he didn't have a lot of time, but "fun factor" was the one and only one reason (he spoke about anyway) they decided to delay release.

I didn't actually know anything about the game so I couldn't ask him any intelligent questions, but both Net Devil and NCSoft are "on it"!

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Reply #17 on: October 14, 2005, 07:49:20 AM

The AA devs need to play some BF2 and Planetside.
schild
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Reply #18 on: October 14, 2005, 07:49:56 AM

The AA devs need to play some BF2 and Planetside.

Or Twisted Metal. Please?
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Reply #19 on: October 14, 2005, 08:17:51 AM

My thoughts exactly.

I was so expecting that when I came in ( [edit] SILLY ME), which may be why I'm so disappointed.

Maybe mmo fiends may like it though.
« Last Edit: October 14, 2005, 08:27:35 AM by Stray »
Llava
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Reply #20 on: October 14, 2005, 03:08:59 PM

"- Panel Leader: Richard Weil, Online Community Relations Manager, NCsoft"

This guy is the nicest guy I've met... though we've only met over the phone.  Someone hug him for me.  You.  Schild.  You hug him for me.

Thanks in advance!

That the saints may enjoy their beatitude and the grace of God more abundantly they are permitted to see the punishment of the damned in hell. -Saint Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica
Tisirin
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Reply #21 on: October 14, 2005, 03:15:32 PM

"- Panel Leader: Richard Weil, Online Community Relations Manager, NCsoft"

This guy is the nicest guy I've met... though we've only met over the phone.  Someone hug him for me.  You.  Schild.  You hug him for me.

Thanks in advance!

No hugging!

Well, if you must......
WayAbvPar
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Reply #22 on: October 14, 2005, 03:26:06 PM

Just make sure your wallet is somewhere safe.

When speaking of the MMOG industry, the glass may be half full, but it's full of urine. HaemishM

Always wear clean underwear because you never know when a Tory Government is going to fuck you.- Ironwood

Libertarians make fun of everyone because they can't see beyond the event horizons of their own assholes Surlyboi
Llava
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Reply #23 on: October 14, 2005, 03:28:21 PM

"- Panel Leader: Richard Weil, Online Community Relations Manager, NCsoft"

This guy is the nicest guy I've met... though we've only met over the phone.  Someone hug him for me.  You.  Schild.  You hug him for me.

Thanks in advance!

No hugging!

Well, if you must......

Addition:
Nicest guy I've met over the phone/online.

Thanks again for all the help during the application process.  Ass kissing ends.... NOW.

... I was gonna say something mean here for humor, but screaming about ED doesn't make much sense, since that was a Cryptic call I believe.  Um.  HOW DARE YOU WAIT SO LONG TO ANNOUNCE MONTHLY PRICING ON COV.

Yeah.  That did it.

That the saints may enjoy their beatitude and the grace of God more abundantly they are permitted to see the punishment of the damned in hell. -Saint Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica
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Reply #24 on: October 14, 2005, 04:18:31 PM

Just make sure your wallet is somewhere safe.

In a room full of video game nerds, not even your front pockets are safe.
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Reply #25 on: October 17, 2005, 01:02:32 PM

Give SirBruce a wedgy.

[edit] Oh, and if you videotape it, I'll buy you drinks for the rest of your stay.

If I had been able to go, an ass-whooping would have been very likely. Whether mine or his is entirely up for debate.

Also, I couldn't sit through a Jessica Mulligan talk without falling into a tittering seizure.

Bunk
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Reply #26 on: October 17, 2005, 03:57:49 PM

Based on the pictures I've seen, I think you vs. Bruce might be an interesting fight. Might be one of those featherweight fights that ends in a draw after 15 rounds and 2000 punches though.

"Welcome to the internet, pussy." - VDL
"I have retard strength." - Schild
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Reply #27 on: October 17, 2005, 04:27:15 PM

Bruce looks like a serial killer (at least in that picture he was using as an avatar for a while).  On the other hand, Haemish is frequently very angry.  It's hard to say which would triumph.

"I have not actually recommended many games, and I'll go on the record here saying my track record is probably best in the industry." - schild
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Reply #28 on: October 18, 2005, 05:45:10 AM

It is probably best to just never have the two meet IRL.  Only bad things could come of it.

Matter/anit-matter type bad I think.
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Reply #29 on: October 18, 2005, 07:27:43 AM

Bruce would fight dirty.  I'm also sure he knows quite a few moves to pin and hold those unwilling to the ground.
schild
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Reply #30 on: October 18, 2005, 07:59:41 AM

Ok. Stop talking about Bruce.
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Reply #31 on: October 18, 2005, 08:13:55 AM

I'm also sure he knows quite a few moves to pin and hold those unwilling* to the ground.

*Drunk women who sober up enough to realize what's going on
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Reply #32 on: October 18, 2005, 08:47:59 AM

Combined with your avatar, that's quite disturbing.

"Mr Soft Owl has Seen Some Shit." - Sun Tzu
stray
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Reply #33 on: October 18, 2005, 08:49:15 AM

So that IS him in the Avatar then?

Umm...Why?
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Reply #34 on: October 19, 2005, 08:09:20 AM

After working out some schedule problems, I will be attending the AGC along with schild.

Yay me.
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