Off to Project Horseshoe

 Posted by (Visited 5285 times)  Misc
Nov 022006
 

For the next few days, I will be here, doing this. My talk is titled “Influences,” and after I get back maybe I’ll post some of it.

I may or may not manage to do regular blog posts. We’ll see. 🙂

  9 Responses to “Off to Project Horseshoe”

  1. Faith says:
    November 2, 2006 at 8:06 am

    […] Comments […]

  2. JuJutsu says:
    November 2, 2006 at 9:10 am

    At Project Bar-B-Q you get to make your own agenda, solving common problems and issues with others in your food chain, including your competitors. This just doesn’t exist anywhere else!”

    To an outsider, the [apparent] willingness of game designers to talk/brainstorm/etc with other designers that are in 1 sense competitors is striking. It’s not completely unknown in other areas of commercial endeavor but it’s not the norm.

    Has there ever been any research done on game designers? Preferably academic but anything would be useful.

  3. Philip Isles says:
    November 2, 2006 at 10:34 am

    I have always believed that figuring out why the mass market female population is not as interested in games as males was a ‘tipping point’ question. The answer and the solution, I believe, would both go along way towards evolving the industry.

  4. Craig Huber says:
    November 2, 2006 at 11:35 am

    Some of that openness may well be because the powers-that-be (i.e. producers and the like, the people who sign the checks) do not see these types of discussions as being exceptionally critical as a competitive advantage. Code, graphical assets, and similar product are kept more tightly controlled, by comparison.

    Another consideration could be that it is recognized that sales advantages from innovation of this sort are transient/short-term at best, since it becomes relatively quickly obvious what systems/mechanics/etc are working, and how they (basically) work, through simple interaction with the product. Fortunately, game designers haven’t yet had to fight with the “business process patent” revolution as much as other industries… at least yet…

    Just a couple of possibilities for consideration.

  5. Morgan Ramsay says:
    November 2, 2006 at 4:01 pm

    Any sort of design is driven by knowledge. It’s not uncommon to walk into a bookstore to find a group of graphic designers exchanging their experiences and professional opinions. Likewise, other businesspeople (e.g., marketers and producers) also participate in similar conferences. Personally, I think this sort of stuff is normal. Whether you hear about these exchanges is another matter.

  6. Michael Chui says:
    November 2, 2006 at 5:37 pm

    You find it happens all the time in art. =P

  7. Prokofy Neva says:
    November 3, 2006 at 5:12 am

    So the game involves trying to walk to breakfast without getting bit by a rattlesnake?

  8. Trucegore says:
    November 3, 2006 at 9:35 am

    I find the website kinda funny. It opens up like its a public workshop, then hits you with the invite only part . lol.

    Project Horseshoe is a think-tank style conference addressing the industry-wide challenges of modern game design.

    Come be a part of an elite group of brilliant minds working to positively influence the art and science of game design. We combine intense and effective workgroup techniques with Texas-sized hospitality in an all-inclusive event that may change your life.

    This is an invitation-only event. If you know someone who should be invited, please contact Teresa Avallone.

  9. Coronarama says:
    November 6, 2006 at 10:34 am

    Reads like a meeting of D7 to me.

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