Panel Question Thread!
Robert Khoo
Registered User, ClubPA staff
Registered User, ClubPA staff
It's a week before the show, and as tradition mandates, we always ask the forum community for some stock questions to help the Q&As along. The Panel List is as follows:
1. Girls? Games? Hah! The Growing Role of Women in the Game Industry
2. The Domination of Online Games
3. Breaking into the Game Industry
4. How the Industry is Busted and What’s Being Done to Fix It.
5. Make a Game For Under 10 Grand: Indy Games in the Hardcore Space
6. I’m Getting Old: When Life Cuts Into Gaming
7. Blogphotopodcasting: New Media in the Game Industry
8. Rolling the Saving Throw: Why the Tabletop Genre Isn’t Dead
To suggest a question, please write the # of the panel and then the question. For instance, if you wanted to ask a question in the Online Games panel and the Blogging/New Media panel, it would look like:
2. What do you see being the next WoW?
7. Is print dead?
Fire away!
-Robert
1. Girls? Games? Hah! The Growing Role of Women in the Game Industry
2. The Domination of Online Games
3. Breaking into the Game Industry
4. How the Industry is Busted and What’s Being Done to Fix It.
5. Make a Game For Under 10 Grand: Indy Games in the Hardcore Space
6. I’m Getting Old: When Life Cuts Into Gaming
7. Blogphotopodcasting: New Media in the Game Industry
8. Rolling the Saving Throw: Why the Tabletop Genre Isn’t Dead
To suggest a question, please write the # of the panel and then the question. For instance, if you wanted to ask a question in the Online Games panel and the Blogging/New Media panel, it would look like:
2. What do you see being the next WoW?
7. Is print dead?
Fire away!
-Robert
Some guy.
Robert Khoo on
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2) Where do you see online gaming going and what general trends do you see in games currently in development
3) Nothing
4) What happened to original games? Are they gone in the HD generation and are we stuck with clones and sequels?
5) Nothing
6) Gaming for seniors? Do you think it will be a reality?
7) What new innovations in blogging do you see on the horizon and what new technology looks promising?
8) Nothing
4) seeing as games with well written content over poorly written trash...do you guys care about writers yet?
Man, I wish I can be there when they actually hold this particular panel.
But I have some questions.
How are girls effecting the games themselves?
Are companies trying to account for the girls that play their games?
Is any particular company actively trying to create a game focused on a female audience (or rather, a female audience that isn't 7 years old)?
Are they working to spark female interest in mainstream games?
Will girl's rising interest in video games affect the current female image in video games (ie. big boobs, not enough clothing)?
Do more women work on mainstream games or more obscure games (such as children's games)?
And the MOST IMPORTANT question...
The trend seems to be that more girls are becoming interested in games. Because of this trend, do or will game companies be looking to hire more female game developers to account for them?
Okay. Second category, Online Games:
How is the gaming and geek culture effected by online games?
So many game companies are now focused on making online games, particularly MMORPGS. How is this affecting the industry?
What is the general trend for successful online games? Or, what is it that makes online games successful?
3rd category, Breaking into the industry:
Is creating and mantaining an online portfolio (a website) important to getting a job in the industry?
How is the outlook looking nowadays for people who want to break into the industry? Are companies looking for new people actively?
Will having knowlege in all the different areas of game development (coding/3d modeling/concept design) affect wether you are hired?
What cities (besides seattle) are good places to be if you're looking for a job in the gaming industry?
Is there a good resource anywhere to find game companies who are hiring?
Because of the branching video game audience (ei. more girls) are complanies looking to hire a more diverse development team (ei. more girls)? (lol word this different) (I'm not sexist I swear, I know it's cliche I keep asking questions like this, but I sincerely want to know if girls in the industry effect the hiring ratio.)
4th category:
How can a billion-dollor industry be considered busted? (I can guess at some answers, but I want to hear what they say)
5th category, indy games:
How do indy games compete with games in the industry who's budgets can afford putiing thousands if not millions into publicity?
Whats the average amount of people who work on mainstream games? Indy games?
Okay... 8th category, Tabletop:
What new games are being developed for tabletop? What can we hope to see int he future?
Are magic cards really worht what they say they're worth? (lol)
What are game companies doing to attract more people into tabletop games?
Does the game industry see a distict difference between a tabletop gamer and an electronic gamer? Is there any sort of rivalry in the industry? Or much crossover... such as electronic games based on tabletop games, or vice versa?
That's all I got for now. Thanks, khoo!
6) Do you think the industry will see the comeback of turn-based play as the "first gaming generation" gets older and our reflexes degrade?
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3. What sort of jobs are there in the game industry other than the classic programmer / graphic designer jobs?
4. Is it just the game industry that's busted or is it the entire mainstream entertainment industry? So many games/movies/tv shows are remakes, sequels, adaptations, etc. Budgets on games/movies/tv shows are through the roof though revenues haven't increased in the same fashion. There also seems to be a lack of orginality, or at least a strong aversion to the risk of new projects. What's the cause of all this?
5. Is indie game development more or less prevalent / successful than it has been through the history of electronic gaming?
7. What about web based gaming? I heard that in terms of gamer-hours it represents a huge chunk of the gaming landscape.
1. Why is it considered poor taste for women in video games to be attractive and sexually appealing, but it doesn't matter when the men are all shirtless beefcakes?
1. Outside of a few very well known women such as Roberta Williams, the job of developer or director has remained staunchly male. Is anything happening that will change this? Does anything need to be done?
2. With the increasing number of persistent online titles, is it concievable that the monthly fee will someday become obsolete?
3. I want to be a voice actor. How should I go about it?
4. Why is Jack Thompson still showing up on TV?
5. Simple, addictive gameplay seems to be the proper way to go about crafting a game that is both cheap and hardcore, as titles like Marble Blast Ultra and Bejeweled can attest. Do the larger publishers feel an urge to seek out the creators of successful online and flash games and offer them huge sums of money for their title?
6. Barring emulation, what can a man do to keep gaming on a limited budget? Is buying used games enough, or do I actually have to practice restraint and self-control?
twitch.tv/Taramoor
@TaramoorPlays
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2. Do you believe that subscription-based, in-game micropayments, buy-the-box-but-free-to-play, or free-to-play-basic-but-pay-for-advanced-content payment models for games are the best for companies? What about for gamers?
4. Since we're on the verge of viable digital distribution and other content delivery methods, how do you see the retail outlets changing in the next years?
7. With console and handheld systems sporting more online elements, more memory on-board and more media capabilities, why are we not seeing RSS feed/podcasting support for the 360/PS3/PSP/DS? Hook a brother up!
8. You guys are still here?
8. WIth digital distribution becoming the one of the strongest delivery systems for the independent and smaller games producers, what role will retail gaming outlets need to adopt to survive?
8. What marketing methods do the independents need to adopt to rise above the noise of D20 D20 D20 WIZARDS WIZARDS WIZARDS?
2. Online multiplayer seems almost to be a standard for games nowadays, but what about the singleplayer genre? How will not being able to share your Horse Armor online affect gaming?
4. How does the 'cancellation' of E3 affect gaming, and what can be done by the gamer to revive 'The Industry'?
4. Where is the games industry's equivalent to Miramax or Lionsgate (i.e., a publisher who can provide AAA-level funding but is willing to take risks on less mainstream titles)?
(Yes, the first one is rhetorical and willfully incendiary. I understand why it is difficult to integrate a well-told story into an online game, but it's an issue worth discussing.)
I'd like to vouch for this question for the panel. It seems like it would inspire good discussion!
Get the PAX 2008 Countdown widget and while away your sad, pathetic life watching it tick down the hours to PAX '08!
http://homepage.mac.com/ctishman
7. What would someone have to do to parlay a personal blog into something professional?
It doesn't look like the community panel is listed for Q&A here - in case you missed it, here are some questions if it's still going on: How does one tend to get into community management as a profession? Is volunteer work a given? How do companies decide to pay to hire a dedicated community lead, and what would you suggest someone interested in entering the field focus on to be noticed professionally?
How long do you think it'll be before publishers realize they can take advantage of the current retarded release schedule of games? Will it ever get to the point where there are multiple "seasons" like films/tv? (Case in point: Dead Rising, post-Obilvion, pre-Madden 2007 / holiday rush.)
6.
How do you balance dating / socializing with your friends and gaming? I'm speaking specifically about single player games (RPGs like FF, or action/adventure like MGS and Dead Rising) so no "get them to play with you" answers.
8.
Why are all almost all the great board games non-American? Aside of Cheapass Games and Steve Jackson games I can't even name any North American board game / non-CCG game publishers. Is it something to do with American society?
The KB Life
Do you think that with the recent desire for gamers to branch out and challenge real people, as opposed defeating CPUs, that the world of single-player gaming will fall to the wayside and become the secondary content, the way people used to off-handedly look to see if a game had multiplayer content?
3. Breaking into the Game Industry
I don't know exactly what would be required of myself, but I have always had a penchant for doing interesting voices, and I was wondering what would be the best way to put my voice out there to be heard by the industry?
5. How big of an inpact do you guys think X-box live arcade is going to have over the next few years. With games like Castle Crashers coming out, will other people follow suit?
1. One of the recurring complaints I hear from girls about gaming as an environment is that they are always being harassed for being girls. Do you think that this will change any time soon and what can be done to help end it?
1. There seems to be a subtext to some discussions of girls and gaming that implies that games for girls must be different than games for boys. While this might be true of adolescents, is there not going to be any common ground for teenagers and up? Are we doomed to have gaming equivalents of the chick flick and the guy movie?
8. Tabletop gaming is a lot like doing battle with tax forms. Is the coming generation smart enough or patient enough for tabletop gaming?
As far as hiring goes, what are recommended colleges/universities/schools that company would look for vs a different school (for programming or level design).
That's a really interesting idea. I think I could dig that if the games were good enough. They could release one every so often that's maybe one or two hours of game-play. Personally, I think something like this could only be distributed online, but that's, for the most part, no big deal now. I really can't see a company releasing such a thing for less than $5 if even that low. It'd have to be something really special to get me to shell out.
Oh, and
4. How much of the lack of innovation prevalent in today's gaming is caused by the limitations of peripherals/controllers, in your opinion?
5. Do you think Indy games are really where the majority of the innovation is happening because they're not tethered by expectations of complex game play and cutting-edge graphics, or is it more due to the fact that people working in the corporate gaming world have become too accustomed to a corporate way of thinking?
5. Can you see larger publishing companies investing in indie groups in the future, and how do you think this would affect indie games?
2) There has been some talk about Nintendo's Wii possibly seeing MMO action. Does an MMO played with Nintendo's Wii Remote on a standard television sound like it will work worse, as well, or better than PC MMOs?
It's already moved online to a certain extent. Some people play over AIM chat rooms *shiver* or IRC. Personally, I use Fantasy Grounds. It's not as Good as a face to face game, but it works.
8. Do you think video games will offer the kind of freedom a tabletop does in the near future, or is it still a hope for the distant future?
All my questions seem to've already been asked =\
1. The industry seems to be in a rush to get to exclusively digitally distributing video games. However, considering that users prefer to possess physical copies of a game and that online identity theft is a widespread crime in the United States, could that combination lead to a crash for the industry?
2. Why are gamers being forced to pay more money for games that don't offer better gameplay or at least tons of content? I really don't like the idea of having to shell out $10 more for a game with prettier graphics and a brand new disc.
3. Do you recognize the lack of new and original gameplay in today's video games as the result of rising popularity of used racks?
4. With game prices as high as they are, do you think gamers should be forced to pay for additional content, especially content that seems slightly insignificant i.e. Oblivion's horse armor?
5. Is the PlayStation3's price tag the beginning of an epidemic of heavily expensive consoles?
6. Should the console manufacturers continue being involved in DVD wars?
7. Next-gen consoles are seemingly announced before their predecessors spend five years on the market. Should console manufacturers try to hit a full ten year life cycle before preparing successors for market?
8. We've seen full console pricing on handheld titles for the PSP. Is the handheld market approaching the same out-of-control spiral as the console market?
9. Will Nintendo be the only console manufacturer trying to change the way we play games in radically different ways?
10. Should online console gaming be free?
2. Do you ever see most PC games to be made and marketed for their offline features being successful anymore? Half Life 2 comes to mind. Most people I know got it for CS: Source.
3. How do you feel about EA and other ominously monopolous game companies taking the creativity and the community out of game development? More specifically, movements like buying Westwood studios, liquidating them, and eventually firing more than 90% of their original staff. What are your thoughts on these more modern gaming industry problems?
4. How can we move away from graphics and cg sequences being the entire selling and marketing point for a game? Does firing the 60 year old owners make any difference?
6. I have been playing RPG's since I was 4 and playing Dragon Warrior, till about last year. Lately the games have been dead to me. I have migrated towards games with competitive teamplay, and league potential. Have you felt a large shift in the age groups' (either in personal or statistical reference) game genre association?
Too wishy-washy?
Thanks
Chad Smith, Seattle
1. In a great deal of online games (especially those like Halo 2 where one can talk to other players) girls are being harassed for being what they are- girls. Is this a serious issue of sexism within the gaming community or just another completely retarded abuse of internet anonymity?
3. Do you think the recent demand for story in games is leading the way for on-staff writers to work solely on story during development (eg Eric Nylund on Gears Of War)?
4. Innovation nowadays seems to mean shinier graphics and a bigger pricetag. Do you think there is some sort of 'ceiling' the industry can reach where despite the rising cost of consoles, there are only incremental increases in graphical quality? Do you see this forcing developers to again innovate in other areas in order to justify the pricetag and keep the market happy? If so, do you forsee the industry hitting this ceiling in the next generation?
8. Do you think tabletop has fallen to the wayside because of lack of interest from the industry as a whole, or simply because it has not been properly marketed outside of people who already play?
8. A growing trend in the industry lends to making gamers pay after-market through things like micropayments and subscription fees. Do you think it's possible that the lack of interest in tabletop from major game industry players is simply because there is generally little money in it after the initial purchase?
8. A large reason people no longer play tabletop is because Online games provide the same sense of community and the same general gameplay but without the hassle of dragging five or six friends over after months of planning. Do you think there is a way to fix that in the tabletop industry?
Basiclly do you think there can be a girls game anytime soon that won't try to attract us with sterotyped behavior or 'girly' concepts like dress spheres? Can a game be aimed at women without developers trying to add lace and ribbons to the game thinking we would like that?
4 or 5) Is it true that the capacity of developers to create content has not grown at the same rate as the hardware to show that content? What sort of industry characteristics can be traced to it, and what reliefs are there?
5) A question many at Penny Arcade may wonder about - why did it take five years and a minor Czech developer to make the next squad-based UFO hunting game?
The new and more tolerant society is not a herbal tea party
OR
Will the ability to develop mods and games on consoles prove they are able to do everything a PC can for gaming cheeper and more convienantly?
b) Are specialty 3D modelers (e.g. mechanical, environment, etc.) in demand at all or should I work on being a jack-of-all-trades kinda guy?
Thank you!