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[xerus]

Indie Game Summit(whatever that is) for GDC 2013 is already sold out? D:<
Also does it have IGF? It looks fffing expensive.

Hmm I think that might be saying sold out still from last year.  I don't think registration for 2013 is even open yet.

The IGF ceremony is open to any badge holder, I believe, and the actual pavilion is in the expo hall which is also included in the indie pass.

Also, in my personal experience GDC has been an amazing thing each and every year and I never regret attending one.  The people I've met there have become my best buddies in the world, and knowing them has lead to some pretty awesome things for my game making career/life! 

On the down side, GDC is probably the most expensive conference out there for us, so it can be a little rough financially.

[Gabriel Verdon]

I'm gonna be going this year for the first time... I'm kinda excited and nervous about it. Luckily my uncle lives in San Francisco so I'll be able to get free accommodations.

While we're here, who else is for sure going?


@PompiPompi
From reading the website that seems to be from last year. It says the registration for 2013 will open up in the fall.

[Claw]

Interesting topic. I'd really, really love to go to GDC, everyone seems to have great experiences there and stories to match.

Manchester game jams/pub meets made me realise how fun it is just chilling and drinking with other developers, since everyone generally has so much in common and are all passionate about making games. Downside is, although this would be awesome, it's a fair bit of money to get there and attend.

I'll be checking flight/accommodation costs etc this year but still not sure if it's viable for me. Might be one of those things that you'd want to do at least once though, life is short and all that

[owendeery]

Heading down this year with the 3 others from our local indie group. I'm still a little worried about the price of everything (flights, accommodation, etc.) considering my current $0 income as an independent. But pretty much everyone I've met has said it's worth it going no matter what the cost so I'm viewing it as an investment of sorts.

There was a very short sale on roundtrip flights (~$300!) that I missed but I'm hoping another will happen sometime in the near future...

[Richard Kain]

EDIT:  Also, if you're promoting a game, GDC is not the place for it.  Go to PAX, or E3, or TGS, but not GDC.

I would say this is true. While it's possible to get a little exposure for your indie title at GDC, it is much more convenient at the PAX, E3, etc... as those shows are much more focused on catering to the media and marketing.

At the same time, I would say that GDC is one of the best places to "pitch" your game to prospective publishers. All of the major publishers show up to GDC, and its usually possible to get an interview at one of their booths. Pitching your game to a major publisher would be quite possible if you brought a playable demo along.

Of course, if you manage to sell a publisher on your game, you will likely no longer be "indie." Still, its worth noting.

As to this upcoming GDC, yeah, I think I'll be able to make it this time. I have a pretty stable contract gig at the moment, so I should be able to afford the expense of heading out there come Jan/Feb. I'm not sure if I should fly again, or attempt driving. I'm an Arizona boy, so driving is a possibility, but San Fran is farther up the coast than I initially thought. I would be driving the better part of a day there and back, while the plane flight is only an hour or so.