A Trip to Casual Connect USA 2016
After Casual Connect Asia, “WILL: A Wonderful World” was selected again for Casual Connect USA this year. So I have the opportunity to visit the United States for the first time in life.
The round-trip flight from China to the US was expensive in this season . In order to save hundreds of dollars, I transferred in Manila. The airport in Manila is very small, I shocked when I saw the boarding gate is Gate 1. All selling food counters are cash only but no ATM machines could be found there. Luckily I only need to stay there for 5 hours, or I might starve to death…
I arrived in San Francisco at 8 p.m. (local time in the western United States). I thought I would shout aloud “America! I’m here! " just like what Jiajia Wen did in Anchoring in Seattle. But actually what I do was opening Google Play, and downloading Pokemon Go.
Pokemon Go is extremely popular in US. Every talk show on TV only have two topics: president election, and Pokemon Go.
Golden Gate Bridge, which I only saw in Marvel films and many disaster films about US, is quite magnificent. SF was colder than expected. We wondered whether we could find some Gyarados here, but we only found Magikarp, and Magikarp, and …… Magikarp.
At CC Asia, we lived in a hostel so this time I never expected we could live in a hotel like Marriott Marquis. Thank the sponsor Samsung. I shared a room with a beautiful girl named Yana from Ukraine.
Day 1
Since we have the experience in Singapore, everything went well this time. One laptop for trailer, the other for playing. We also prepared some gifts for people who played our game.
Coincidentally, Zack(left) and James(right) who helped Zack with art work were showing their game “SIGNAL DECAY” on the table next to ours. http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=727120769
We met with a lot of teams from Taiwan last time in Singapore, but since US is so far, I didn’t see them this time. However, I met Antonio Alberto Santiago, and his game “Goat Punks”. I was surprised that “Goat Punks” went to Tokyo Game Show 2015 last year and would go this year too. We didn’t met last year, but we surely could meet at Tokyo Game Show 2016! The World is really small. “Goat Punks” is a fast-paced, action game that lets you challenge goats to battle from the online challengers tower. http://studiocanvas.com.au/
At the same table, I found a game called “Elsinore”. “Elsinore” is a time-looping adventure game set in the world of Shakespeare’s Hamlet. It combines strong social simulation elements, a dynamic story that reacts immediately to player decisions, and a world full of diverse characters with secrets to uncover. I like this one very much and Connor Fallon who develops “Elsinore” also love the idea of my game. We both found a target player for our game. XD Hope “Elsinore” could finally release in China and has a Chinese version. Good Luck! http://elsinore-game.com/
We had gorgeous buffet at Singapore last time, but this time we have fruits, potato chips and sandwiches. Potato chips? I think this is culture difference.
Day 2
On the second day, I tried a game which looked quite casual but actually difficult game, called “Steam Panic”. And the guy developed this game is Kirill Zolovkin, he is from Russia, and a really interesting person!
Can you recognize him?
Luckily I met with Ding Ye at SF this time. He brought “Zombie Rollerz”. Since I forgot to take a picture with him, this one was picked from another event. XD
Oleg Pridiuk from King was excited to know that I used to be a game engine developer, so he gave me this shirt as a gift. Thanks, Oleg!
Day 3
On the last day, everyone were relaxed and started to play games developed by other people:
Coincidentally, on the third day I met a well-known Twitch streamer INDIE. Why is it a coincidence? Because INDIE and I streamed “WILL: A Wonderful World” together in Singapore. The last time I saw him, he was only in a small window on the screen , with very long hair. That is why I didn’t recognize him immediately. Unfortunately I forgot to take pictures again. T-T https://www.twitch.tv/indie
Happy three-day show was finally ended with Indie Prize ceremony. Many awards were obtained by casual games. I was a little disappointed because my favorite “WILL: A Wonderful World” and “Elsinore” did not get the awards. Narrative games are really very slow type.
Happy to meet many friends here, and see you next time!
Day 4
Since the development progress is extremely nervous, sighting seeing was not in my schedule in this travel.
In the morning of the fourth day, I found this at the SF airport:
All of them looks interesting so it was really hard to make a decision.
Finally, I only bought some snacks.
Of course I didn’t forget to catch pokemon at the airport:
Next time, we will catch pokemons on September, at the Tokyo Game Show 2016!