As if needed even more evidence that Warhammer is going to be run by chickenheads.

And before the Mythic guys come in, no, DAoC was not that great.

Gitaroo_Dude

He's an ass.

It's honestly all in his mind about the combative aspect. If that's your worldview what do you honestly expect? At least with GDC they are trying to do something useful.

They are honestly some pretty good seminars at that conference and people willing to further ahead the collective knowledge of our field. Insomniac and Naughty Dog are great examples of that. They don't NEED to share their tech discoveries with anyone but do so knowing that more people on an even field will help the whole industry.

I don't see him doing anything to further the industry, except maybe to bitch, be cynical (which is extremely easy to do) and set a bad example of how not to be.

JohnnyLA

More pessimism than cynicism, he just seems overly negative. It's his opinion and he has a right to it but sheesh, seems like a horrible person to eat lunch with.

majatt

I can understand where he is comming from its the same thing with the Sundance Film festival. Also why all the hate for this guy he offered an opinion in which he says he is tired of the GDC and you guys jump down his throat. Its clear he was there before and he doesn't like it so back off him.

taftsearlobe33

He talks about going to a conference (LIFT) about an industry he doesn't work in, or know much about, and then say it's more interesting than a conference about an industry he works in and knows a lot about. Really.

ohhello

Are there people riling up against SIGGRAPH?

lardossian

@JohnnyLA, And to EVERYONE ELSE: I'm an ass, and I agree with Paul Barnett on his perspective with GDC, dude.

GDC is just an overglorified game conference that tends to talk about the same things year in and year out. There's nothing in GDC that suggests to me that they are making an effort to truly think far, far outside the box. They're just taking bits and pieces from everything that's been already done, and just making a new game out of it.

Spore? Please! If you examined how they built the skeleton system in that game's creature creator, you'd realize that everything had predefined values for how it would walk, move and behave regardless of what a creature design turned out to be. It's not truly variable as it touts itself to be.

And then there's the stifling "MONIES MONIES MONIES" mentality in the Western sphere of the game development world. Gee, I wonder why 99% of the stories in our video games suck so bad.

NKato

Wow...I think someone needs a big hug and to make a happy game

excel_excel

@ohhello: thats what I forgot to mention. Guys how many people want to go to a conferance in an industry you already work in. Sure it might be fun when you start out but after a while its no longer fun. Being over saturated with something, even when its something you love, can be too much.

taftsearlobe33

Oh, and I don't want my computer to look like a tree. But that LIFT conference sounded interesting.

MykalBloom

I get what he's saying about choosing the other conference. For us, as outsiders, GDC must seem like gamer heaven, a meeting of the gaming greats, but for someone in the industry I imagine he must be disillusioned by now. Doesn't make you any less of a person for liking GDC, he was just stating his opinion.

MykalBloom

@Zadaz: Seriously, they must run a slave drive over at his development studio.

DukeOfPwn

@Zadaz: If comfy chairs that lean back and rotate are marvelous to him, I'm scared to think of how they must treat him, and other developers, at GDC.

DukeOfPwn

Going to conferences and whatnot isn't always about having fun. And it isn't always fun. But if you want to stay good at what you do professionally it's sometimes necessary.

Lingonmirakel

Talking about another conference he likes better:
"Barnett: It was amazing. You went into this room… imagine if you will. You go into this room where the conference is. There's these comfy chairs. I mean, really comfy chairs. And they rotate. And they lean back. There's a power-point."

Wow. Now I know why he hates GDC. He's on too many drugs.

Zadaz

@NKato: I don't entirely disagree either. I went to GDC once a few years back and I was never really tempted to go again because the talks are more-or-less the same year after year. It's a bit like a professor who has been teaching the same curriculum every semester. Once you've heard it all, there's no reason to listen to it again.

There are obviously a few stand-out talks with every GDC, but by and large I can't say I learned much I didn't already know or couldn't have learned by just reading reports from the GDC on the Internet.

There's also the ludicrous cost of attending the GDC. On the corporate payroll it's no skin off my nose, but if you try to attend it yourself, I was absolutely floored at how expensive it was. I can't see how it's worth it.

Kyouryuu

If he never goes to GDC, how does he know what the conference is like? Having been there a few times, yes there is some of the above, but there's also the Game Design Challenege, which pushes people to think about new and weird ideas and to try to make a game out them. There's some amazing round-tables where discussions of substance take place.

If you go to the GDC to see the keynotes, and the big-name sessions, and walk the Expo floor, then I can see where the opinion he expresses might come from -- but if you go in with the intention of finding something new, or for improving the industry as a whole by discussing Quality of Life or Education, or specifically go to the lesser known names, or the research presentations, there's a lot of good things there. Alternately, if you're on the engineering-side of things, the presentations from Microsoft, Intel, nVidia, and AMD about their latest chips and APIs are incredibly useful for learning to use the latest technology to its fullest, and for keeping up on whats coming in the near future.

That all said, it's definitely much more beneficial to newer people than those who have been in the industry for a long time. The exact things he talks about as a negative are great for someone who hasn't been in that atmosphere before -- all that showing off of techniques and ideas and concepts for game design and management will be new for new people, making it an excellent resource for those who are new to the industry, or looking to break in.

So yeah, if you've been to the GDC for a few years, taking a year off to go to something else makes sense... but never going to the GDC doesn't make much sense at all.

@DukeOfPwn: Well, it is EA...

Anguirel

I followed WAR's development a while back and Paul Barnett seems enthusiastic and honest. I don't see why people are having a go because he doesn't find a particular conference inspiring. As for someone having issue with an industry professional going to a conference that is outside that industry - I think that's a great idea. Perhaps if more people did this and listened to and were inspired by ideas and thinking beyond their own particular industry, we'd see a lot more innovation in gaming, hollywood, art, music, and whatever you care to name. The worst way to go about things is to look for inspiration in a very closed minded environment where everyone is interested only in what their own peers have to say.

Aname

How is he being negative? This is pretty much the same view that any modern professional has of the trade shows in their industry, no matter what their industry is. In the digital era, trade shows are obsolete. I'm not big on the whole "Web X.0" fads that come around every couple of year, but trade shows are one of the few things that the Internet has truly made obsolete. Trade shows were designed to let you know what was happening in your industry and for networking. Before, back when the Internet didn't exist, this could be difficult. All you had really was your own personal experience at your company and industry magazines. Now, you can get daily updates about what's happening in your industry across the globe. A good professional already knows all about what his opponents are doing (what they are willing to admit to doing) by reading up on them using online sources. I can see trade shows benefiting the new employees, but senior employees really don't need to attend, as it would be a more productive use of their time to have them continue working. Trade shows can also be useful for executives to find new talent, but that's a relatively limited function that would be better done in a different environment. As for networking, well, there are already several sites designed for people that work in the video game industry.

I would much, MUCH rather go to a trade show in a field that I don't work in but am keenly interested in than one that I do work in. I see absolutely nothing wrong with his statement.

thenino85

Maybe from a "creative director" or designer perspective, it can be of limited use (which I don't think is true, but I don't have anything to back that up), but for a programmer, GDC can be very useful. In the presentations, people talk about techniques they have used or important things a programmer should know. Best of all, you choose which presentations you want to go to.

torsoboy

It does sound like his perspective is shaped by his view on most developers and corporate shenanigans he's probably faced as a whole dealing with EA. That or the pure fact he name dropped WoW in his rant could be some underlined bitterness he has with its dominance over the mmo market since he deals with mainly the Camelot & Warhammer mmo's.

To each his own, GDC is mostly for networking so if you don't feel the need to mingle, celebrate, and evolve the discussion of the industry you love then don't bother. I can agree with a sense that GDC has gone from something more privately focused on networking to something more of a trade show peacock display as he articulated. Especially when the Cliffster starts chainsawing out of a trailer screen to debut their next title in front of an audience of just developers who otherwise make competitive titles - kinda seemed a bit like a slap in the face to make a dev conference endure. A game trade show with mainly public and journalists yes, dev only conference not so much and why? In hopes to inspire a sea of dev's to buy your next title? It just didn't make sense and proved Paul's point.

I don't think Paul has Bushnell syndrome, but he clearly feels as if the entire industry is some overly competitive pissing contest. Some dev's just simply do not like how corporate and Hollywoodized the industry has become. Does he needs a change of perspective? That will depend on yours as someone in his position clearly doesn't find value in the current GDC format. The only thing I would disagree with is if he denied helping the generation before him find a place in the industry - even if it was one he disagreed with.

TC

This guy sounds like he doesn't enjoy philosophy because "it never proves anything and in the end the arguments don't change anything." (Philosophy students can realize the humor here)

He also sounds like he's never actually attended the event. While he is mostly right (the things he mentions do occur) he was pretty much wrong about the Actiblizzion merger and Spore. Nobody at GDC really seemed to care (at least while I attended) about either thing and were more interested in discussion surrounding whatever happened to pique interest pertaining to the talks being done and the things on the expo floor.

I'm surprised he didn't mention "everyone is trying to sell their motion capture technology but none of it is any good" because that's what I always say about GDC. :P

DaveKap

And, lest we forget, GDC (or the company that hosts it) owns the rights to all of the content in the talks - basically, you pay them to give them content and attract other people who pay them.

MarionBarryHussein

@Gitaroo_Dude: I'd like to hear your opinion on why DAoC wasn't that great.

Bigfoot

Games can and do involve everything the world has to offer - art, music, architecture, history, geography, biology, physics, engineering, etc. They can also involve everything that has ever existed, does exist, can exist, and also can't possibly exist. That's a lot of ground to cover - almost none of which will be touched on at GDC.

If you're already a half-decent game designer then chances are you'll get a lot more out of a conference of some relevance in an entirely different field, that isn't preaching what you already know. The guy's talking sense.

Stoatboy

What a jerk. Just go to both.

fnc

Who cares? No, really, who in the gaming community honestly cares?

Do developers care about this guy's opinion? Gamers? Journalists? Has this guy's opinion made anyone decide to stay away from GDC this year? No snark here, I really want to know if this has had any impact.

oboreruhito

You know, On further thought. Maybe seeing or hearing something goofy and far out there in other industries might spark some creativity for games. So I don't know what the solution is.

Netnavi

Wait, isn't GDC about exchanging ideas on how to make the industry better and getting developers together to talk about optimization of software to be better put to use for the hardware?

What the heck are they doing over there at GDC if this guy (and others) want to leave because they are bored. They should be excited that something new is going to come out that they can utilize in their new games. While LIFT may be exciting as well , it has nothing to do with the industry you are in. No wonder we get the same repetitive games every year. No one is talking to each other. And when they do talk we get crap like 5 gig installs and last gen buggy ports with a shiny coat of paint. Where is the innovation in OUR industry?

At least Nintendo tried something. Something (at least seemingly) different was better than nothing. Now you see the mee toos from Sony and MS. Come on developers. It's called Game Developers Conference for a reason. Confer already!

Netnavi

I went to GDC for the first time this year, and at least for me, I picked up at least a couple of tidbits or things to chew on in every session I attended, and I came away with a couple of ideas that really changed one avenue of my approach to game design.

Plus I networked with a loooot of people. That to me seems to be the best reason to go. Go there and drink and make new friends with other people in the industry so you have some people to you can look up if you're ever in need of a job.

cableshaft

while I've never been to GDC, I wouldn't be suprised if what he's saying is right in some aspect but I doubt it's as bad as he's making it out to be.

demonknightinuyasha

@lardossian: Probably. All of he people who don't attend.

@fnc: In the article it seemed like it was either one or the other.

I wouldn't go to the extreme's Barnett has gone to, but I understand where he's coming from. The videogame is in a strange position: it's still incredibly new and still needs a universal language, especially in regards to technology, content pipelines and design. SIGGRAPH for instance doesn't deal with just games or movies, it deals with 3D in general. You still get some news from outside of your profession.

It's actually not too strange an idea for a designer to dislike GDC -- for many it's a way for companies to get to know individuals from others companies, learn who is legitimate, serious, on the same page, etc.

Designers are encouraged to bring new ideas from other places. Look at Will Wright. He has a huge interest in rocket science, cellular autonoma and a vast library of other topics that don't relate to gaming. This leads to more unique games, generally speaking.

So for Barnett to choose this wacky tech conference instead of GDC is not a sign of him 'hating' GDC, it's just not especially useful for him, and that's fair. If you watch the talk he gave at LIFT on RPS you can see that even explaining parts of the game industry to other people can lead to a level of simplification that can sometimes be mind-opening for the speaker.

@oboreruhito: I care :) He's not convincing other people not to go; by pointing out his reasons for not going, it helps position GDC: Go there to network, attend a few of the lectures and maybe some workshops, hear what everyone did that year and how. If you don't need any of that, you don't need to go to GDC.

If that defines GDC, then you can bet the organizers will start to do something to make it more diverse.

Snake726

@Gitaroo_Dude:
"As if needed even more evidence that Warhammer is going to be run by chickenheads."

probably just another griefer that's fuming because he won't be allowed to gank newbies in warhammer.

[QUOTE]
And before the Mythic guys come in, no, DAoC was not that great.
[/QUOTE]

Just LOL.

Abriael

Trade shows and conferences always boil down to one thing: you will get what you want to get. If you go to them looking to gain insight, learn, or perhaps, teach, then you will come back with that kind of experience. Likewise, go to have a good time, assured in your mental dominance over any particular industry, and you can leave with a good story. Networking is easy, there are always people who want to do one of those two things. Figure out what you expect to come back with, and make a choice. Events like that are not bad, and have helped me in the past (and also added a few good stories).

negativexer0

I loved GDC, but see we went at it a different way. We showed up, said hi and took our badges to the bars hosting GDC events for free drinks. We hung with friends from other cites and talked shop/geek. That's what it's about for me.

kidko

You guys should *really* read the whole source article and watch the vid RPS links, gives a far clearer view on his decision.

[www.rockpapershotgun.com]

I, for one, agree completely.

Niclass

Really, I would take his opinion over most here just for the fact that he does make sense. Most gaming conferences now have become more like E3 than anything else. It's become a place for companies to one-up its competitors with surprise announcements to build up hype and buzz for future releases. I'm not saying there's no helpful things to learn at GDC but each year seems to be less of improving the industry and more about trying to beat the "other" company.

I think gamers who react this way either haven't been to such conferences or just don't like people to bash such events even when it deserves it. I think if those who bash the guy even attended one in the hope of trying to become a developer will probably end up feeling the same way after the initial geek reaction has died down and reality sets in.

Tull

He's right that the industry has basically been fucking itself into retardation for a very long time. We now have a mutant, self-loving, greedy lovechild of Nepotism and Ego that has a very long neck for kissing its own ass. I can see why he wouldn't want to go to GDC anymore. But, then again, all those people there looking for a way into the industry that may be very innovative and have a different way of looking at things will not be able to meet him. Though, I'm sure that there's someone at LIFT that will make him very happy with his internal brainstorming after describing their design for a solar powered penis pump.

masterdingo

I mean is GDC really helping us receive better games or is it just a commercial outing? I mean there's a difference between benefiting the industry verse benefiting games and gamers. One is about profit margins and one is about fun.

The industry seems to be full of gimmicks as opposed to innovations and with the way large sectors of the industry have actually gotten pretty conservative in design is the issue really that people aren't talking and exchanging ideas at places like GDC or are we in our current state due to the realities of business practices and economics?

In regards to networking I agree it's really important but is an expensive conference really the way to go about things when there's other avenues like presenting in academic settings (something I don't hear nearly enough about for gaming compared to other disciplines and industries), social networking sites, freelance contacts, etc.?

GDC obviously does do a lot of good for some people so it has value but to jump on Paul is kind of off base. If anything it might point out areas where GDC needs to do some work to make it as or more valuable to more developers than it currently is.

Also I have to say that if you're not familiar with Mr. Barnett's speaking style and hyperbole this might seem over the top but most of it is just humor and teasing. Truth is he's just an eccentric guy in his manners in public.

Maluvin

I admit after reading most of these responses that I might have been a little harsh on the guy.

I still believe though that to change the direction that these conference is going, and on the "inside", you should at least attempt to make it better.

Host a panel about how corporate and the need for one-upmanship the industry is getting and ways to mitigate it.

Do a presentation on what you think would be an innovative technique for design in future games.

etc, etc

Conferences are only as good as the people presenting. If most of those presenting aren't doing it for the intrinsic value of furthering the industry the nmaybe GDC should go the way of the dinosaur.

JohnnyLA