GDC Austin 2009 is now underway, and the first day was exclusively devoted to Summits -- including iPhone, Indie, Audio and Writers subject areas, among other things.
We think it's important to leave a lasting record of what these speakers have to say, and tell those who can't be present about some of the useful advice and stats that they have.
So we've been writing up the sessions for
Gamasutra (part of Think Services, as is GDC Austin), and here are some of the highlights from Day 1:
Indie Games Summit
GDC Austin: How Fantastic Contraption Became A Fantastic Hit
"Talking at the Independent Games Summit at GDC Austin, Fantastic Contraption creator Colin Northway explained how he created his Flash-based physics game with no pro game experience, and "made a boatload of money" along the way."
GDC Austin: NinjaBee's Fox Gets Practically Indie
"NinjaBee's Brent Fox discussed practical indie tips at GDC Austin, looking at the massive advantages of being in XBLA's Top 20, and why DLC for XBLA games isn't generally a moneymaker in itself."
GDC Austin: Gaijin's Roush on Bit.Trip's Indie Construction
"Kicking off the Independent Games Summit at GDC Austin, Gaijin Games' Mike Roush talked about 'holistic indie console game design' in making the retro WiiWare series, explaining how project scope morphed its game design."
GDC Austin: Certain Affinity's Bullard On Bootstrapping Your Indie Business
"In an intensely practical Indie Games Summit talk at GDC Austin, Certain Affinity (Age Of Booty) production manager Jennifer Bullard talked about the realities of game business for a mid-sized independent developer, spanning business to relationships and beyond."
GDC Austin: Wolfire On Making Indie Marketing Buzz
"In the final talk at GDC Austin's Indie Games Summit on Tuesday, Wolfire's John Graham discussed how to get the word out about your independent game, based around successful tactics for upcoming PC action game Overgrowth."
iPhone Games Summit
GDC Austin: From AAA To Indie - Tiger Style and the Making of Spider
"At GDC Austin on Tuesday, former EA, Midway developers Randy Smith and David Kalina discussed moving from AAA console to iPhone development, showcasing Spider: The Secret of Bryce Manor -- whose "sales have exceeded our expectations"."
GDC Austin: Five Rules For Marketing iPhone Games
"At the iPhone Games Summit at GDC Austin on Tuesday, Brian Greenstone, CEO of Enigmo developer Pangea, gave five marketing rules for iPhone games, adding that "99 cents is a horrible price" for game Apps."
GDC Austin: PlayFirst On Bringing Established Brands to iPhone
"PlayFirst's Chris Williams talked at GDC Austin on moving established brands to the iPhone, using the company's successful Dash series as an example -- discussing strategy, stats, and more."
GDC Austin: Newtoy On Becoming The 'Nintendo Of The iPhone'
"In its search for iPhone success, Words With Friends developer Newtoy said it wanted to think like a gaming platform holder -- to be the "Nintendo of the iPhone." CEO Paul Bettner spoke at the iPhone Summit at GDC Austin."
Game Writers Summit
GDC Austin: Storytelling in Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2
"Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 marks a new direction in narrative integration and team structure for Vicarious Visions -- lead writer Evan Skolnick and narrative designer Jonathan Mintz discussed its genesis at GDC Austin."
GDC Austin: Interactive Narrative As a Counselor
"To University of Baltimore assistant professor Aaron Oldenburg, an effective interactive narrative is much like being a counselor for the player, he said during a Tuesday session at the GDC Austin Game Writers Summit."
