[games_access] GDC...The Proposal Post Mortem

[d. michelle hinn]

Those are the ones I mentioned were not on the wiki yet because I was 
working solo in Word. They are now finished proposals. I'll put their 
info up soon. Two proposals we had planned for didn't get in because 
we hit the deadline and the proposals were not done. Those have been 
moved to another part of the page. One was an additional Audio talk I 
pulled myself because I couldn't write it in time and one was slated 
for the Business Track but didn't conform to the GDC guidelines, 
would have been a hugely tough sale, and Reid asked me to pull it.

As for the pass, we'll need to wait and see at this point. I can't 
guarantee a pass for even myself. I am going to try like hell to get 
as many of us there as possible -- as I said, now I enter the 
lobbying phase where these things get sorted out. The first passes 
will go to the proposal writers and after that it will be as many 
people as we can get into an accepted talk. As I said...this may 
prove to be our toughest year yet and there are no guarantees for 
anything.

Things are no longer how they used to be...but I guess that's the 
general truth for everything in the universe. So we adapt and keep 
moving forward as we keep trying to illicit change in this "kill or 
be killed" industry. I wish that we could count on the same 
consideration as we've had in the past but we can't. This is where 
the tough part of the fight comes in...the rest of the days of the 
year when we lobby, when we write, when we toil away not really 
knowing if there's a payoff in the end or if the work itself is the 
payoff.

Ok...wow. I think I swallowed a philosopher or something because 
these emails are getting dramatic. :D

Michelle

>In a lot of the proposals were kind of empty what do they actually have to
>approve if they don't have anything solid that was written down I'm
>worrying?
>
>I'm not trying to sound selfish but I hope there's a chance I can get a pass
>I'd like to be there with my team and have a lot to offer with David Perry
>in this accessible top-secret game, but my only chance of getting their
>being with you guys is the pass.
>
>I wish I could have been part of some of the proposals hopefully next year
>I'll be able to help with some of those bigger things.
>Robert
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: games_access-bounces at igda.org [mailto:games_access-bounces at igda.org]
>On Behalf Of d. michelle hinn
>Sent: Tuesday, October 02, 2007 1:07 PM
>To: IGDA Games Accessibility SIG Mailing List
>Subject: [games_access] GDC...The Proposal Post Mortem
>
>So the proposals are in -- some in better shape than others. Some
>aren't posted on the wiki or updated on the wiki yet because I was
>using word since I was the only one editing. I'll do that when I'm
>not scrambling to prep my class.
>
>So I was awake for about 40 hours before the 11:59pm deadline trying
>to get things ready and  submitted. I'm not super happy about that
>but every GDC comes with its lessons. I learned that when you work as
>hard as you can to be as open about the process and coach others as
>possible under extreme time constraints (oh and that life that I had
>to put on complete hold along with that kidney thing), it definitely
>takes up a lot more time than flying solo, which tightens the time
>constraints even more. But the good part is that it allowed others to
>help with the write ups and I'm glad for that. We're getting there.
>We are all learning.
>
>This is going to be a really rough year I fear but I think that given
>how many proposals are in on game accessibility they have to see that
>we really mean business and that worked for us last year. Of course
>there is the counter argument about putting in one versus many...but
>my gut (and rumors) told me that this year we'd better or we risk too
>much in the passes department because the odds are really bad this
>year for proposal acceptance. I already found out that the Curriculum
>panel was out before the next proposal went into the system. In the
>end it's a crap shoot. You just don't really know what the outcome
>will be. We have to be realistic with our expectations but we can
>hope good thoughts!
>
>Unfortunately I just learned this morning that the IGDA has been
>slashed the number of sessions they have been given by CMP so if we
>totally crap out with GDC Main then we might be able to get a single
>roundtable. The trouble is...roundtables come with very few (usually
>no more than 2 speaker's passes). So everyone think good and lucky
>thoughts. As for the rest of the proposals, we'll hear back in either
>November or December (they say different things on different pages
>and emails)...except if they do a quick rejection cycle and get rid
>of a lot before they start looking at them seriously.
>
>We'll also have some summit proposals in (Ben -- if you have read
>this far I'll email or call you in the next day or so) -- Serious
>Games and Independent Games. This is another avenue we'll take. Talks
>for those won't be the same because it will attract a more selective
>audience because it takes place before the main part of GDC (GDC
>Main) starts and the Expo starts. But I think we'll have a good
>audience for each of those because they are both really supportive of
>the SIG. And that will come with more speaker's passes if they accept
>us.
>
>The booth comes with some passes but they only allow admission to the
>Expo so you can't go to any of the talks, you can't even be on those
>floors of the building. And you don't get into a lot of the
>receptions, etc. I'm still finding out the details of that and will
>keep you up to date.
>
>So this is a "highs and lows" email and now the politics begin for me
>as I try to get as many of us to GDC as we can so that we CAN canvas
>the place with fliers, ask about accessibility in as many talks as
>possible, escort people to talks, the booth, etc. This is why both
>the talks and the networking are just as important -- they can't
>exist without the other. Well, they can...but we want more because we
>want accessible games so we need every avenue we can get! All are
>critical.
>
>I really want to thank Reid and Richard for their help in those final
>hours before the deadline. And thanks to Barrie, Thomas, and Eelke
>for their work on SIG proposals, publicity in the weeks before. This
>year felt more like a team effort than ever before and I hope we can
>keep working on this, keep strengthening and growing the team!
>
>On that note...best of luck to US (all of us...not just the united
>states)! Now...onto E for All! Oh what's that? It happens in about
>two weeks? Busy...busy...busy...
>
>Michelle
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