GDC 2015 - 2-6 March 2015

Comments

  • edited
    Tuism said:
    @shaz what what, 8 people?! So if @dislekcia and I get in it'll be 10??
    Nope :( You were one of the 8, so that'd make it 9, still one short... For future reference you guys can reach me on shaz@freelives.net. Next year (2016) we'll rock it ;)

  • I'm sure it's too late now, but I finally some monies!

    Totally keen to join in on this if isn't in fact too late... [facepalm]
  • GAH. Shaz is it too late? Just one away, so close yet so far @_@
  • Hahaha gahhhh you goddamn useless bunch ;) Ok let me see what I can do - submitted the list yesterday and its already been processed but I'll give it a shot!
  • Yay! GDC say we can resubmit :D
  • I'm sure it's too late now, but I finally some monies!

    Totally keen to join in on this if isn't in fact too late... [facepalm]
    Email me your full name, email address, position/occupation and studio/company asap. Shaz@freelives.net

    Thanked by 1TheFuntastic
  • Sent! Thank you so much for sorting this out!
  • Ok folks, we've hit magic number 10 for the GDC 10% off passes! Woop!! I'm going to submit again tomorrow morning JUST in case some-one else is still sleeping :P
    Thanked by 2Tuism Elyaradine
  • Hey Guys,

    The GDC sessions and speakers have been announced: http://schedule.gdconf.com/speakers
    Thanked by 1dammit
  • So pretty curious what the headcount for GDC is? Last year there were only 4 of us from SA there so going to be whole loads of crazy this year!
  • At least 13 by my count? RSA represent!
  • Is planejamming an option? who is flying when? tickets already set?

    I think QCF has tickets booked already with Emirates and that this will become more of a conversation for 2016, but worth opening all the same.
  • Our GDC passes have been registered :D Every-one on the list will be receiving individual email confirmations shortly. Woop woop!
    Thanked by 1TheFuntastic
  • damousey said:
    Is planejamming an option? who is flying when? tickets already set?

    I think QCF has tickets booked already with Emirates and that this will become more of a conversation for 2016, but worth opening all the same.
    I've found that tickets are cheaper the closer to the date you wait - confirmed by a booking agency I spoke to, so we'll only be looking at tickets next year. Can keep you posted though if you like?
    Thanked by 1Tuism
  • edited
    Shazfaery said:
    I've found that tickets are cheaper the closer to the date you wait - confirmed by a booking agency I spoke to, so we'll only be looking at tickets next year. Can keep you posted though if you like?
    Really? I've been buying tickets to GDC for years now and the price does go up the longer you wait... Is there some sort of curve - like there's a sweet spot 1.5 months before the date?

    Tickets on Emirates are currently just over R14K return CT<->SF. I'll keep checking each week to see how it moves :)
  • dislekcia said:

    Really? I've been buying tickets to GDC for years now and the price does go up the longer you wait... Is there some sort of curve - like there's a sweet spot 1.5 months before the date?
    That's been my theory. And then according to the agent I spoke to about it, most airlines release a small pocket of tickets at a good price months before, then the prices climb up. A month before they start coming down again. It's kind of a game of chicken ;)
  • ^ This is true.

    I remember for last year, prices started at around R12k. A couple of months later, it went up to over R20k and I panicked. And after waiting longer it fell again. This time I booked quite early and got mine at something like R11.6k with Emirates, in case you want to use that as some kind of benchmark.

    I'm also told that they save a cookie when you visit their site, so that when you return they bump the price up just for you. I don't know how true that is, but I've been booking my plane tickets in incognito mode now.
  • There is, actually, an answer to this question:
    Fifty-four days before takeoff is, on average, when domestic airline tickets are at their absolute lowest price. And if you don’t hit 54 days on the head, you should usually book between 104 to 29 days before your trip -- within the “prime booking window” -- for the lowest possible prices. In this window, ticket prices typically hover within $10 of the lowest price they’ll ever reach.

    At least that’s what the data from 2013 tells us.

    The folks at CheapAir spent the last year analyzing over four million airline trips. They tracked ticket prices from 320 days before takeoff all the way up until the day before, calculating precisely which day each one hit its lowest point.

    Here are the “magic numbers” for some common international destinations:

    Europe: 151 days before your flight
    Asia: 129 days before your flight
    The Caribbean: 101 days before your flight
    Mexico: 89 days before your flight
    Latin America: 80 days before your flight
    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/01/best-time-to-book-a-flight_n_4875266.html
  • Everybody!!!
    Travelstart.co.za and Emirates have a one day sale on today! Cheapest tickets ive seen since I started looking! Go go go!
  • Isn't this Emirates route a 30 hour or so flight setup?
  • Emirates has good service but it is a lot longer usually...
  • Isn't this Emirates route a 30 hour or so flight setup?
    Sometimes you end up with longer stop-overs in Dubai on Emirates, yes. I've had 13 hour layovers before (for which they gave us hotel rooms), but usually it's between 2-5. Dubai is a much nicer airport to be in for that amount of time than pretty much anywhere else on the SA-US flight plan, except maaaaaybe Schipol. You certainly don't want to be spending that much time in Heathrow (my first US trip I had 6 hours there, never again).

    In the end you're always going to be looking at 25+ hours in transit to get to the US. My priorities on the trip are: Avoiding stopovers in US airports, JFK and co are horrible, you have to pick up your checked baggage and do security theatre all over again, queues are murder; Being comfortable on the plane, a big thing for me is power, Emirates has that on nearly every flight and their food is the best I've had on a plane; And being comfortable during layovers, being able to do some exercise, grab a shower, etc.

    Unless you're flying via somewhere specific that you can turn your layover into a visit, Emirates wins for me. If you can find cheaper tickets, awesome - but they've also consistently been the cheapest for us every time we fly. They're not cutting comfort to create that cheapness either.
    Thanked by 1EvanGreenwood
  • Yeah, I can second going with Emirates. Their tickets are cheap, and even though they give you lengthy layovers in Dubai, they let you stay at a hotel, which is great for taking a shower and having an actual bed to nap in for a couple of hours.

    I've only had one bad experience, where they let on a drunk guy who sat right next to me and stank of alcohol, on a full flight. But that wasn't the airline's fault, I guess.
  • edited
    Are there particular parties and things you beautiful indies are going to? Especially ones that require booking of tickets?

    (I may still be going to a Polycount, a technical art and a vfx meetup, but depending on what's going on elsewhere...)

    Also considering upgrading to All Access because I'm an idiot and like having all of the things. :( Are there things in particular that you know IGS folks do from Wed-Fri during the day?
  • edited
    @Elyaradine most of the stuff that normally happens I haven't heard being confirmed yet. *Goes off to investigate*
  • edited
    Ok, I haven't found anything yet, and I looked: people just haven't announced stuff yet. So I'm going on historical trends.

    Parties:
    Tuesday: Chiptune Party (DNA Lounge), IGDA Party, Humble Party.
    Wednesday: Wild Rumpus (Public Worx), Valve Party, IGDA
    Thursday: Notch's .party()

    Events:
    Thursday: Lost Level (Yerba Beuna Park)

    ---

    Last year was the first year — to my knowledge — that Humble and Valve had parties. So I don't really know if they will be happening on the same day.

    But the Chiptune party and Wild Rumpus are pretty much stables and the venues aren't showing anything else on the prospective dates so there is nothing to say that they aren't happening. These are also the two most fun.

    Lost Levels is what is termed as an 'unconference' one of the lead orgs isn't going to GDC this year, but it was always intended to be handed off to other people. It's pretty fun.

    I'll either update or create a how to gdc guide when there is more info.

    Edit: Just found out that there won't be a .Party() this year as Notch isn't going to GDC
  • For those who are going: Present a 10 minute micro tech talk and get a free speakers pass!

    The catch: Submissions close today!

    https://docs.google.com/forms/d/18x0bgRR-xcPnggvA4x02eknf3-sOvaAf3Xm4oLacdqE/viewform
    Thanked by 2Elyaradine damousey
  • Nnnng, such short notice! XD Going to see if I can submit something anyway. :)
  • Does anyone have more info on "The Mix" http://www.mediaindieexchange.com/

    I like the idea of exhibiting amongst some other indies. Seems like a cool way to meet some other indies, and a little bit of press never hurt.
  • It says Broforce was previously exhibited at the Mix -__- We should be asking you for more info ;)

    But seems cool. Thanks for posting. I think I'll submit Cadence. $250 for a stand and a room full of press is quite cheap compared to some of the other events and things I've seen. I've also asked Mr Northway for input seeing as it also says Deep Under the Sky was a previous exhibitor.

    Also this is happening for anyone sticking around the weekend after and who has a soft spot for nu-metal / hard rock circa the year 2000:
    http://www.axs.com/events/256281/coal-chamber-tickets
  • edited
    @TheFuntastic ...I'm going to have to find out more about this...

    Also, not sure about Coal Chamber... but I'd be pretty excited to see Combi Christ (and Filter for some 1995 nostalgia) :)
  • edited
    So Colin didn't actually go to a GDC mix, but says this:
    I believe the consensus is that it tends to be disappointing but possibly worth it
    Hrm, now I'm not sure
  • Holy hell, that happened quickly...
  • Crap. I should have bought more tickets :(
  • Wait-listed too. We'll see.
  • Heads up, Chinese new year parade on March 7th if you're still in the city on that Saturday.
    Thanked by 1TheFuntastic
  • edited
    Hi all, so I booked hostel rooms for GDC last November since we were still awaiting gonvernment funding and I didn't want to not book just in case. That didn't work out and I can't make it on my own steam (read: own money :p)

    So I have a booking for the HI-San Francisco Downtown (312 Mason Street) from the 01 March 15 (Sunday) to the
    08 March 15 (Sunday) in a 4-8 bed dorm (coed) that I am going to have to cancel

    I think everyone is sorted for accommodation but on the off chance someone isn't I'm happy to email the hostel and say ask if someone else can take the bed on my behalf.

    It was $304 in total so if someone wants it let me know, otherwise my card hasn't been charged yet and I'm going to cancel it in a day or 5.
  • Humans headed to GDC: Steven Kovensky (who came to visit us CT devs) has expressed interest in organising an SA devs dinner at GDC. Who has time when? At the moment we're looking at Monday or Wednesday.

    How many of you are going to be in SF before the Monday? There's a chance we could arrange something a little earlier.
  • edited
    I'll be there before Monday. :) Wednesday night I may have a dinner with the vfx artists (although it's not imperative that I attend that).
  • I'm there at from the Friday previous, so put me down!
  • Monday is probably the best night.

    Coming in on Train Jam so not really going to be in that much before it starts.
  • I think I'll be busy on Monday night. As far as I know my Wednesday night is free.
  • Hey everyone, looks like the dinner will be on Monday night, but early: 6:00pm. So hopefully before other things you have to go to.

    Please let me know if you'll join us. Once I have numbers I'll book a restaurant close to the convention centre. You can post here or email me on steven@humblebundle.com (email maybe better since I can't always tell from your screen names who you are :)

    Other than SA devs, we may have a few Humble team members and game industry folks.
    Thanked by 2AngryMoose damousey
  • Elyaradine and Tuism - both added to the list. Everyone I know of who will be at GDC should have received an email invite this morning.
    Thanked by 1Tuism
  • Hi everyone,

    I'm going to be at GDC this year and noticed this thread. Who's going to the Humble party? It would be good to finally meet everyone while there.

    Regarding the government grant, is this still something we can process? Does anyone have any details they could send me?



    cheers
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