Of all the great content packed into GDC this year, my personal favorite session has to be Don Daglow's Ten Perspectives on Staying Passionate About Games. Although the talk started out a bit slowly for my taste, Don wrapped up with a powerful finish that did wonders to recharge my own batteries. I wish I could do his presentation justice; but this short recollection will have to suffice.
The majority of the discussion centered around the large-scale issues that affect the industry; the state of the economy was, naturally, a central theme. However, Daglow pointedly reminded everyone that the current state of the video game market is nowhere nearly as bad as it has been - compare, for example, with the infamous crash of the 1980s. In light of these big-picture truths, there's very little cause for concern about the game industry. There may be temporary setbacks, but there will likely never again be a threat of an "end" to games.
As the hour drew to a close, Daglow reached the punch line of the session: a photograph of some gamers doing what gamers do. The photograph was interesting for a handful of reasons: all four featured gamers were female, the age range spanned three generations, and all of it looked normal. There was nothing "strange" about the scene; it simply rang true. Daglow pointed out that this shows just how deeply games have come to reside in our daily lives. Even ten years ago such an image would have seemed bizarre, but today, it is simply commonplace.
Daglow also shared a few personal stories of people who have had their lives deeply affected by games - and his games in particular. For anyone who has had similar experiences, hearing Don recall those anecdotes was a poignant reminder of just how much a simple game can touch other lives. Games can be the catalyst that brings families closer together, or even comfort for the last fading moments of someone's life. We will probably never know the full truth of how much games affect our world - but even the smallest glimpse of that power is incredibly refreshing and encouraging.
After the talk, there was a fairly long line of people walking up to the front of the room (myself included), to share their own stories and to thank Don for his reminder that what we do - while often trivialized or marginalized as "merely" entertainment - can have a real impact on the world around us.
Southwest Gaming Expo
