A few days ago I asked for opinions on Game Connect Asia Pacific (GCAP) – the game developer conference to be held in Brisbane during November – and what you guys felt it should have to make it a compelling event.
I’d like to clarify something – you don’t have to be a developer or event organiser (current or former) to comment. If you have a good idea, or heard an interesting talk/been to a great session at any conference or expo, please comment – particularly if it would benefit someone already in or looking to get into the games industry.
Tell you what: I’m going to sweeten the deal. If I see a great proposition or comment that provokes serious discussion, I’ll take down the owner’s name and address and send them out a little something. It won’t be dirty, I promise.
Now hit the jump to see what’s already been covered. I’d also recommend reading last week’s post about GCAP speaker fees, as there’s quite a bit of commenting occurring there.Pandemic coder Tony Albrecht asked the following:
I’m curious as to what people find the most useful/interesting – dedicated sessions with one guy up front -‘lecturing’, or round table sessions with a group of industry people talking and taking questions from the attendees, or debates or some other form of session?
Personally, I’d like a combination of both, though I get more from the dedicated sessions. When there’s one person focused on a particular topic, it’s easier to get their perspective on it, rather than the fuzzy response you get when multiple people interject. On the other hand, round tables are good for topics that cover the entire industry – employment, costs, new platforms, etc – where various replies can prompt further discussion in areas you hadn’t realised were involved.
Yusuf Pisan, associate professor at the University of Technology, Sydney and part of this year’s Australasian Conference on Interactive Entertainment had this to say:
I would like to see more interaction between game developers and researchers. AGDC experimented with the idea of “academic summit”, but it was too separate, too isolated and not sufficiently rigorous in terms of a research gathering. The Interactive Entertainment conference is in Brisbane this year http://www.ieconference.org/ — who knows maybe it is an opportunity for closer interaction. [Disclaimer: I am involved with IE conference]
I think this suggestion has merit. When the Australian Bureau of Statistics released data on the Oz games industry, it was a great – and informative – read. Anything to get more studies and research underway can only be a positive thing.
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