Besides the IGDA Scholarship we just
reminded you about, there's another way to attend the Game Developer's Conference in San Jose this March.
You'll have to act fast, though, because tomorrow's the deadline to apply for a position as a Conference Associate
(CA).
Each CA must spend 20 hours of his or her time during the conference doing gopher work. You'll guard doors, manage queues, stuff conference bags, key survey data into computer systems, chauffeur VIPs from place to place, and so on. It's not glamorous, but it's actually fairly fun because the 100 or so CAs hang out a bunch as a group. Some of them have been participating in the program for years and can help you make good choices about which sessions to attend and which are a waste of time. More details:
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The program's managers (Tim Brengle and Ian MacKenzie) run a really tight ship. You'll learn a lot from them
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Lunch and breakfast Monday through Friday are included
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CAs receive full Giga pass privileges ($1325 value) when not on-duty
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Access to all events and parties including the IGF and Game Developers Choice Awards (part of the Giga pass)
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Reduced hotel costs by sharing rooms with other CAs
I participated in this program in 2005 and highly recommend it to cheapwads like myself who want to attend but are put off by the high costs of such conferences. Post your questions below and I'll do my best to provide answers.
Chances are strong we'll hear lots more about the PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Revolution at this year's conference. It's not to miss.
[Photo is from Iwata's keynote speech at GDC 2005]
[Update 1: changed location from San Diego to San Jose. Just like that, we moved GDC! The pen is indeed mightier than the sword.]
