Happenings of meeting on 10 Nov 2009

Greeting DC & Vicinity members,

Well, we had a pretty good turnout on Tues, 10 Nov 2009 when we met at Tyson's Corner for some beers and food at Gordon Biersch.  Thanks go to Trey Reyher for keeping the fire lit from the last meeting while we all caught up and also to Ross Dannenberg for help in "sponsoring" the event.  Many topics were discussed as we witnessed a traditional Redskins autograph signing during the evening.  Our next meeting is being scheduled for around 8 Dec 2009, but details are not set yet.

Ok, it seemed the thing on everyone's mind was what could we do as a chapter.  I brought a couple of items to the table where other members have asked for help in our area.  These items I've already posted on our blogs so you can check them out.  There was a feeling of agreement that we could help, but we kindof need to get on our feet first.  Also, if help is needed for an event, there should be plenty of time in advertising it because we don't all check the web site that often.  Hopefully as we ramp up more, there will be more frequent visits by our membership in the future.

Another item that was mentioned was jobs.  Yes, in today's economy that is a big question mark on everyone's minds, from those currently in the industry, to those trying to break in.  We had representatives from both during our outing and with EA doing their last job slash, there are no assurances even in this seemingly bulletproof industry.  I think that the particular subject of jobs could potentially be a big subject for our chapter to have a meeting on.  We all use meetings to help network and having a summit or forum to discuss jobs in the DC Metro area I believe could be beneficial to our community.  What do you guys think?  Should we try to round up some speakers and have some presentations on the current employment opportunities for gamers here?  Send me an email.

Lastly, though I know more subjects were discussed, there was talk about the Indie efforts and the IGF coming up soon.  With today's platforms including consoles, PC, and the mobile market, there are now more ways than ever to create a game that doesn't involve 200 staff members and $20 million in budget.  The power especially of the mobile market seems evident and now toolkits, SDK's, and outlets to publish are becoming more available.  So, small groups or individual developers could really capitalize on bringing their talents to bear on this new market.  From now till the next GDC in 2010, we're going to see some explosive growth in these areas.  The IGF is a great showcase for folks to flaunt their wares and I hope to really see some good content out there soon especially as the holiday season starts opening up.

Did everyone get their Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 yet?

Well, that about sums it up from me.  I really appreciate everyone coming out and I hope that over the next couple of weeks we can get our membership engaged and "Let's get it started!"

Thanks,

Pat

P.S.  I'll send out more info including some polls soon to gauge our community and also settle the next meeting info.