So I finally got around to attending a GDC party - *ahem* "networking event." I started off at BioWare's greatroom at the W Hotel, though I didn't have my pass on me so I couldn't actually get into the room. No biggie, drinks were liberally available, and all they had on display was Mass Effect and Jade Empire, I later found out from Graham. He had left the W to meet up with authors at the Course PTR party/reception at the Westin, so the girlfriend and I hoofed it down there to meet up with them and it became quite a GDNet Domination! Dave (Myopic Rhino), Kevin (KHawk), Lissa (frizzlefry), Rich (Superpig), Drew (Gaiiden), Graham Rhodes (grhodes_at_work), Graham Wihlidal (gwihlidal) and myself.
Had a couple drinks, took a bunch of photos, made noise, then left along with Graham to meet up with BioWare peoples and worm our way into the XNA party. Which we did. And which was awesome. Microsoft sure knows how to throw a hell of a party! There were four or five different areas: the main room you first walk into, a "Chill Lounge" downstairs, a "DJ Lounge" upstairs, and a back area (with an upper floor balcony) where the DJ was spinning bhangra fused with different forms of dance music, from electronica to percussive hip-hop. I riffed briefly on Punjabi MC's role in popularizing those fusions, especially when his Mundian To Bach Ke (featuring a Knight Rider theme song sample) was remixed with a guest verse by Jay-Z. Yes, I'm obnoxious and lecture people in person, too. Not. [smile]
Free drinks, free food... by the time I got back to the hotel, I pretty much collapsed in a stupor. Ironically, I was awake around 6:15 am, no alarm clock. Ugh.
Off to take photos in the North Expo floor, and check on the booth.
