Lately we've been preparing for GDC, the week-long Game Developers Conference which is taking place in San Francisco this week. This will be my third year at GDC-- the first year as a lurker, last year as a Conference Associate (a volunteer staffer), and this year mainly to promote Shira Oka and look for a publisher.
I'm both excited and nervous about GDC. Unlike the anime conventions we normally go to, the people attending GDC are less likely to anime fans or familiar with Japanese culture, so it's harder to know what to expect. So far, though, I have been pleasantly surprised at the amount of interest and positive feedback I've received through my myGDC page (is that redundant?).
(If you met me through myGDC, thanks for stopping by!)
myGDC is the social networking system set up for registered GDC attendees to socialize outside of the con. It looks and feels kind of like a work-in-progress Facebook, but it's already proven to be a great way to (virtually) meet other industry professionals as well as potential Shira Oka community members, so I'm hardly complaining.
We don't have a booth at GDC this year, but we are doing an informal demo/meetup on one of the days, since I had quite a few people tell me they were interested in the game. We decided it would be more efficient and fun to demo it in a group. ^_^
As you probably noticed, I've been working on gameplay videos lately, and partly to prepare for the videos, we've started playtesting the game more rigorously.
The other day, Sufan (one of our programmers) came over to ask me to test something for him on my computer.
I said, "Hang on, I have to save first."
He laughed. "Spoken like a true gamer."
After working on individual components of the game for so long, it's nice to see everything finally coming together. It's no longer just an engine or a collection of artwork, animations, and dialogue scripts. It's a game! And one that I actually enjoy playing testing.
Anyway, if you will be at GDC (or know someone who is), I hope we'll get to meet up sometime during the week. Feel free to stop and introduce yourself if you see me there! (Visit my myGDC page for the latest details about the Shira Oka demo.)
I don't have much time to talk today, as this is one of my busy nights. After school, I have various club meetings to attend, followed by piano and violin practice several nights a week... it's an exhausting schedule, but that's how you get to be real good at something, right? lol. Lately I've been trying to decide if it would be more fun to try to learn Pathétique Sonata, or if I should work on perfecting Moonlight Sonata for my next recital. hhm, tough choice.
I guess I can take a moment to chat, though... if Aya can blog about her silly manga obsessions, then I'm sure someone out there would appreciate hearing about my experiences in Shira Oka as an exchange student, right?
So as I'm sure you all know, I'm from America. San Diego, California, to be exact. And while I thought I knew a lot about Japanese culture before I got here, experiencing it firsthand has been an entirely different thing! Sometimes the most subtle things get you, like how they don't have some of the snack foods I enjoyed back home (even the sandwiches at burger joints are different!) or how manners tend to be a bit different.
Aya here. I dont have a lot of time to talk but I just had to come and say a few things, which GRAHH hes drooling on my leg again!!
I’m watching my little siblings today and theyre being such a pain!! I wish Kiku would hurry up and get here already, I’m surrounded!!~
ANYWAY!! Ive been so busy lately! Ive been running around like a crazy woman doing this n that for my parents or Hiroshi or for clubs at school and I’m all obsessed with that new card game and my favorite mangaka just started a new series... remember this next time Kiku calls me lazy! Just cause I don’t have time to do my homework doesnt mean Im lazy!! In fact, Im reading all the time! Who says comic books arent educational?? Im learning lots about the complex social interactions between men and women and robots and important things like that! Way more important than finding the square root of water or whatever...
Oh!!~
Im gonna be sooo awesome in swim club this year, Hiroshis gonna go totally nuts!! Especially when he sees how hot I
look in my swimsuit, Naokos gonna have nothing on me~
What else what else what else what else what else what else~~~
Lately we've been preparing for 
Hey, everyone, what's up? It's me, Alice!
Aya here. I dont have a lot of time to talk but I just had to come and say a few things, which GRAHH hes drooling on my leg again!!
