Game City Summary

From 26 - 31 October (last week) I worked at the games festival here in Nottingham called Game City. I have seen it every year for the past two years that i've lived and studied here, but never really paid much interest to it. This year however, I received an e-mail about working there as a steward, applied (in a drunken haze at 4am) and swiftly got the job!

It was very well organised, but most of the time I had no idea what was going on or what I was supposed to be doing.

I started work on the eve of Tuesday the 27th at the Launch Party. It was such a great and memorable evening! I helped set up the drinks table on which there was champagne, soft drinks and red wine. I was stationed at the champagne table handing out A LOT of free bubbly to lecturers and professionals in the industry.
It was a great opportunity for me to meet people and I had a great time listening and sharing stories about the creative and games industry. I also got a free bottle of red wine :-)

Wednesday I went snowboarding with Trent Snowsports so I didn't work that day... but it was well worth it!

Thursday I worked on another late shift from 17.00 - 23.00 inside the Exchange Arcade where I helped to set up the Flower installment. Flower is a game on the PS3 where you play... a flower. It's not a game a particularly like but it was cool to set up the four sided projector and get a fan from uni which was going to be used to blow dried fragrant petal leaves over the audience below.

Friday began EARLY at 8am and I was working in HMV. I set up and ran a Lego Rockband audition. We were briefed to find people who were really good at the game and to ask them to come back on Saturday to play live in the tent on stage. I had loads of goes and it was a fun morning.

Saturday was the day of Brickstock; he Lego Rockband concert on Market Square in the big tent. Here I managed to have a go as some players were without a drummer...


Thanks to Rob for taking this photo.

Everything came to an end after Brickstock and there was ALOT of clearing away to do. Rob and I were both totally exhausted after a long week of Game City and Uni work. Fortunately there were free things handed out to us and they let us go a little bit early. Afterwards, I went home and my friend from Hungary was on his way to visit. This being Halowe'en n all and his first time in Nottingham I wanted to find something really good to go to. After much deliberation I decided the best thing would be to attend the Game City After Party, because I figured there would be free alcohol and games to play. Sufficed to say, it was a good decision =D I spoke to more people from the industry. Met the man who made Canabalt! Played Left 4 Dead live and Street Fighter live!

It was a really great week. Worthwhile participating and I'd do it again. Only if I didn't have so much work at Uni to do as well though!


Music: Joe Zwaniul - Good Day