GWSIG Monthly Meeting Minutes/Meeting20

International Game Developers Association

BenServiss: Heyo!
wendydespain: hiya
Steve Jacobs: b olo
Steve Jacobs: hmmm
Steve Jacobs: meant boo
BenServiss: ah, of course
BenServiss: the annual halloween meeting!
Steve Jacobs: ok Wendy, What's our plan. Begin by mocking Chris????
wendydespain: mocking chris seems to be the only thing on the agenda
Steve Jacobs: Just bailed
Steve Jacobs: Richard Did that is
Steve Jacobs: cited shanghai visitors as a reason
S: :)
BenServiss: visitors from shanghai, the dog ate it
BenServiss: it's all the same
wendydespain: so if S isn't Steve, who is it?
Steve Jacobs: Sande better sign in as sande next time :-)
James Swallow: hi gang
Steve Jacobs: Well...
BenServiss: Hey James!
Steve Jacobs: Most of us took on supervision of new initiatives
Steve Jacobs: I had one person express interest in book promotion
Steve Jacobs: Anyone else...?
S: I also only had one person express interest in the initiative I was taking care of
S: as of S, guessing games are good for you :)
wendydespain: i don't have any initiatives
Steve Jacobs: HEy, where's that lightning fast repartee?
Steve Jacobs: Wendy, I've never felt you lacked in initiative
wendydespain: i've got a cold
BenServiss: the quarterly transition is moving pretty well
BenServiss: J and Matt Forbeck are full steam ahead
Steve Jacobs: and...?
BenServiss: our QA roster is pretty solid, but we're still soliciting for essays
James Swallow: what are you looking for?
BenServiss: the next issue's theme is comedy in games
BenServiss: so if you've worked on one or know someone who would be a good fit, pass it on!
Steve Jacobs: Other items for discussion?
Steve Jacobs: Ramping up for GDC perhaps??
S: I have a book promotion event, but it's not for a writing book :p
S: also, i'll be at SGS D.C.
S: Anyone hear how Write Club went at FuturePlay?
Steve Jacobs: Write club went well
Steve Jacobs: We had about 10 people playing and 4 judges
Steve Jacobs: COpies if the book were awarded as prizes
BenServiss: nice
S: cool
BenServiss: what's the latest on book 2?
Steve Jacobs: nothing yet
S: Btw, I was surprised that we editors got on the back cover of the book. I hadn't know until someone pointed out to me (since I don't have a copy of the book)
S: It was a nice gesture.
James Swallow: I went along to the Sense of Play game design symposium earlier in the month, part of the GDC London/London Games Summit events...
James Swallow: ...the book generated some strong interest
James Swallow: The event was aimed more at students but I did hand out some copies of the Writer's Guild Game Writer Guidelines as well.
wendydespain: i've been thinking about volunteering to be the main editor for book 2 (taking Chris' place, since he's sick of it) but how important is that editor's name, do you think? to getting it published, i mean. my name isn't as cool as Chris Bateman.
S: It's what it would be listed under on Amazon.
James Swallow: And I spoke to a senior tutor from Sheffield University who is currently running a games design course and wants to expand it next term to include writing.
S: It is a little early to be planning Book 2. Usually there's abot 3 years in bet/
wendydespain: it took us almost 2 years to get the last one written
S: It did? Gosh. Secrets of the Game Business wasn't like that...
wendydespain: it's like herding cats around here
Steve Jacobs: A bunch of that time was seeking publisher alternatives though...
S: Yeah.
S: Do you know if in the contract, you signed the clause that says you have to go back to CRM?
S: Well, I guess that would only matter if Chris Bateman is the editor.
S: New editor, new contract.
Steve Jacobs: don't remember
S: My co-author just finished the deal on his 2nd edition
S: We didn't go with CRM bec CRM hasn't been offering as much as it used to in the past.
S: It may be diff now that it's part of Course
wendydespain: so i take it no one has strong feelings about the editor of the next book
S: I would be up for it too, but I would rather wait until it's known what improvements or additions would be done... As was mentioned, lot of writing books out there... My friend is getting one published in a few months.
James Swallow: The floodgates have been opened...
Steve Jacobs: I'm thinking that if we did more book(s) we would want to puruse one or more of the existing chapters in depth
Steve Jacobs: Stuff like Writing for specific genres (wriitng the MMO, Writing COmedy for Games) etc
S: That would be interesting...
Steve Jacobs: Or more on the "working within the studio" aspect
James Swallow: Writing For Game Genres?
S: Right. I hope all those writing books out there aren't repeating the same info.
Steve Jacobs: "The writer and the designer, the writer and the producer, the writer and the artist) etc
Steve Jacobs: I haven't looked but its likely they are
S: You'd want to differentiate yr product.
S: But this is very similar to what the Writer's MKT ppl do...
S: They have Writing for Science Fiction, Writing Romances, etc.
Steve Jacobs: I'd argue that if we did want to produce another one you'd start going down either of the roads mentioned above and do it sooner rather than later
Steve Jacobs: Yeah, but they're for linear stuff
James Swallow: Steve Ince has just done a book for A&C Black, who produce the same kinds of books as Writers Market
Steve Jacobs: and don't look at interactive
Steve Jacobs: If you didn't want to do the "comdy" route you could do the "MMO" FPS route
Steve Jacobs: Just brainstorming here
S: Well, I wasn't saying that WRiters Market is going to do game genres, just that it was a good idea for a series.
S: it was in a similar vein, for comparison sake
Steve Jacobs: But it is a valid point, even if you weren't trying to make it :-)
wendydespain: i think it's great there are lots more writing books out there
Steve Jacobs: Before you'd decide you'd want to look at a bunch of "how to write comedy, how to write mystery" existing titles and see if game specific ones would add enough to make it worthwhile
Steve Jacobs: vs "Writing the MMO" which is clearly a specific genre that's got a specific way of writing
wendydespain: i think what the SIG can offer that individual authors can't is the collection of multiple points of view
James Swallow: I agree with Wendy - our diversity is our strongest selling point
Steve Jacobs: cool
Steve Jacobs: Sounds like an agenda point for next time
Steve Jacobs: I gotta split
Steve Jacobs: See y'all on-line next time
Steve Jacobs: ...poof
wendydespain: bye steve
James Swallow: l8r
S: bye
wendydespain: does this mean the meeting's over?
James Swallow: AOB?
wendydespain: i guess we need to set a date for next meeting
wendydespain: i suggest earlier in the month, rather than later - due to thanksgiving holiday in the US
wendydespain: and low attendance at this meeting
BenServiss: and /conference call
S: conference call?
S: Thxgiving on the 23rd
BenServiss: had me help up, apologies folks
BenServiss: good thoughts re the books...definitely worth thinking of a solid long-term strategy
BenServiss: how's nov 15th
James Swallow: ok for me
S: I can't do it.
S: I have a confernce call on that date :)
S: How about wk after Thanksgiving?
BenServiss: the 29th or 30th?
James Swallow: 29th for me, can't do 30th
S: 29th a WEdnesday, seems good to me.
wendydespain: i can't do that week
S: I'm not sure of my sked yet, I am traveling much
S: 17th?
S: it's a Fri, I'm assuming Week of 23rd is out.
BenServiss: works for me
wendydespain: 17th works for me
James Swallow: ok then
S: great!
wendydespain: would someone like to post the date to the list?
BenServiss: can do
S: gonna split.
James Swallow: i guess we'll call it a night then!
wendydespain: thanks for coming everyone
S: byebye
James Swallow: have a great thanksgiving, chaps
BenServiss: later!