[games_access] Thinking about GDC 08's competition

[d. michelle hinn]

Hey guys,

So I'm working on next year's design challenge for GDC and I'm taking 
the advise of the competitors from 07 into consideration:

* Keep it to one hour
* No judges at all -- if judges have questions about why they felt 
that way...I'll email you off-list
* Include accessibility "extra info" between the contestants or do it 
all up front
* NO VIDEOS unless they are realllllllllly good and reallllllllllly 
short (we left people in the dark with our video as fun as it was to 
make it wasn't nearly as hilarious in real life) :)
* Keep things more serious without being boring
* Ax the "reality show" idea
* Cut down the number of contestants to 3

So right now I'm talking to people who might be involved -- Raph 
Koster (wrote "theory of fun") is interested in either being a 
contestant or being "mini" presenter on the challenges of 
accessibility and fun (those of you at GDC 07 probably remember that 
we were up against him so maybe if we get everyone famous somehow 
involved...hehe) and then Will Wright, Dave Perry and Keita Takahashi 
who said they were interested for 08 -- I'm imagining all will not 
say "yes." Raph is really interested in being involved in some 
manner. I'd like for them to be involved during even the early stages 
so that we can present a coherent show. So I'd to have the spirit of 
being a publisher with many competing design studios and only one 
will get the "go" in a "go/no go" audience vote (this was Noah's 
suggestion). So the contestants would have "checking in" meetings 
with us as they go (to prevent "non-game presentations...we had a 
few") and such. And I'm imagining that all contestants would have 
"accessibility mentors" assigned to them from the SIG to make things 
even more challenging and fun for all of us and get us all involved.

So this isn't THE proposal...I'm just still riffing on some ideas. So 
YOUR opinion counts so please do give it! None of last year's 
contestants said that we should drop the whole idea -- but instead 
change it and do it in a way that seems much more put together.

So let's go! Let's think about our cool street cred session that 
might get people in the door for an hour and then get them to come to 
the expo for more! Let's think about how we can have the coolest, yet 
non-hospital inducing sessions to raise the roof!!!!

Michelle