Game Developers’ Conference 2007 - a bunch of nerds stuck in a large glass building trying to network. It’s funny, actually, because there’s some of us that have good strong social skills. Once you shove those guys out of the way, damn we’re sad.

That’s not true actually - compared to last year, the attendees are extremely social and the freak factor is pretty low. I attended the “Creativity Boot Camp”, which I ducked out of to the Independent Developers Summit. Last year the conference didn’t lock you into a “track” - this year, they seem to be a nazis about it.

More importantly, I refreshed some acquaintances from last year, talked for a while about game philosophy - saw a very good presentation about Puzzle Pirates, which allowed me to feel hope about my development path.

And, like it or not, while my first 1 or 2 games will not be a economically “friendly” as I could make them, I know which way I need to take my company. Best quote of the day, “There’s people out there spraying the street with a fire hose full of money. Go get a garbage bag and get all you can.”

Sounds ruthless, a bit, but for these companies, it’s the difference between game and no game, and if making a pet and charging a couple bucks for it is the difference between making payroll, then that’s the deal.

Also, Jonathan Mak of Everyday Shooter is my new hero. In a room full of developers who have been convinced that if you’re independent, you have to be more innovative - he basically said, “Innovation is a waste of time: focus on the game.”

If you ever get the opportunity to see Kyle Gabler presentation - do it. His presentations never suck, and he’s always got a new view at a problem.