Ernest Adams Calls Out Design Faux Pas...
by Jason Della Rocca (September 2003)
This was the first chapter meeting back from our summer break. Turn out was good, with 200+ developers coming out to see Ernest Adams lecture on game design. Before getting into the main attraction, I spent some time going over plans for the Montreal chapter (eg, we'll try a new "roundtables" discussion format for the next meeting) and ongoing work at the IGDA to focus its worldwide initiatives...
Ernest has been on a whirlwind tour of eastern North America, visiting various IGDA chapters and doing some game design workshops. In fact, the reason why he was even able to visit the Montreal chapter was because INIS had brought him to town to do some very involved workshops with local developers. Ernest is well known for his game design columns at Gamasutra, and this was an opportunity for him to expand on his "Bad Game Designer, No Twinkies" series. In essence, the presentation was a rant list of all the stupid and lazy things games designers do, with some nuggets of advice on how to avoid them. It was a very entertaining and well received lecture.
Was the lecture was over, several copies of his game design book were raffled to IGDA members, as well as a surround sound home theatre system sponsored by audio experts Wave Generation.
Once all was done, everyone headed to the arcade-bar for drinks and socializing.
(As a side note, all developers are encouraged to check out the upcoming Virtual Systems and Multimedia conference. To be held from 15th to the 17th, several developers will be presenting along with researchers, academics and other developers in the space of art, technology and human factors.)
Big thanks to our sponsors
And, of course, thanks to our volunteers who helped out: Eric Ballandras (LOR-Tech), Jason Lacroix (A2M) and Ahmad Saad.
September Gathering Pictorial
...here are just a few shots I took during the September gathering of the Montreal Chapter. (all persons are identified from left to right)
Ernest Adams answering questions (and signing/selling his
books) after
his lecture.
Michael Elman and David Lipes of Wave Generation chat with Olivier Jasmin
(Evillussion).
Ernest Godin (INIS) talks education with Andrée Tremblay, Ubisoft's
HR VP.
A2M x3: Martin Walker, Simon Desjardins and Jason Lacroix still waiting
for their twinkies...