--> So what can I say about GDC 2012? - < Insert jumbled mouthful here > - So much to tell, but too little time, and Non-Disclosure Agreements. I had a blast at this years’ Level Design in a Day Tutorial. Kudos to the entire Panel and Jim Brown for reminding me that failure in a design can always lead to a great success. (aka: Hall Of Heroes map for DunDef PvP).
Surprisingly, there were some up-and-coming students trying to break into Level Design this year – during the lunch-time Portfolio Deathmatch. Even had a chance to look over student-work related to Dungeon Defenders. There’s some great stuff out there.
I had the honor to witness the one and only – Unreal Engine 4 Demo at GDC. All I can say is… well, let me take this quote from an interview I happened to be sitting in on while having lunch at the Epic Games booth:
"We're doing [Unreal Engine 4] and I don't think anybody else is doing anything as incredible as that," Rein boasted. A developer who had seen Epic's UE4 demo was sitting nearby, eavesdropping. He vigorously nodded his head in agreement.
"Right? You've seen it?" Rein asked him. That developer gave us his non-verbal impression of Unreal Engine 4 by offering us an eyes-glazed-over, jaw-dropped look.
LOL – Yup, I was that “developer”. Honestly, I didn’t know Mark Rein was actually in the middle of an interview until I saw Michael McWhertor holding up an iPhone recording every word. So yes, that pretty much sums up UE4 and all I’m allowed to talk about. The only tangible part of UE4 we could walk away with were some pretty Cool T-Shirts. “I’ve seen the Future – So Don’t Ask” – should have been the headline.
On a side note, I figured since development of AfterLife: Ground Zero has been delayed yet again, I'm posting two Environment/Level Design Prototype Demo Reels.These prototype reels showcase some of my open-world and Co-Op multiplayer level design.
