UPDATED [9/22/09]: Last week was a long week for some of our teammates — a flight to Austin and a packed four days of panels, meetings, and lots of education. The trip was quite successful and everyone returned with stories to tell. Panels were well-attended and interesting, and Steve in particular made a splash with interviews and stories (linked below).

GDC Austin: Writing for MMOs: You're Doing it Wrong (Gamasutra)
Zenimax, 38 Studios MMOG writers: We're doing it wrong (GameSpot)
38 Studios Steve Danuser Interview (Game Breakr)

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If you're in the video game industry, chances are you'll be at or know someone who will be attending the Game Developers Conference in Austin, Texas. Running from September 15-18, GDC Austin is the place to be for industry professionals looking to expand their base of knowledge. With over 120 panel sessions; keynotes from Sony Online Entertainment, Blizzard, and Playfish; the inaugural iPhone Games Summit; and the Independent Games Summit, everyone will find something to get excited about. 38 Studios team members will be on hand to participate in three panels. On Tuesday, September 15th from 1:30-2:30pm, Steve Danuser will add his thoughts to a discussion about how to write for MMOGs. The ultimate goal of the session is to teach attendees to focus on games as a unique storytelling medium and give tips on how to develop a world in which MMOG players can create their own individual, memorable experiences. On Wednesday, September 16th from 4:30-5:30pm, Mark Nelson from BHG joins a panel that will share thoughts on how to successfully create immersive and naturalistic open-world environments. Attendees will be given the chance to pick the brains of writers from open-world games such as Infamous, Fallout 3, and Saints Row 2, so get your questions ready and join in! Helping to close out GDC, Lindsey McQueeney will be on hand Friday, September 17th from 3-4pm to get her audience thinking long term about their game careers. She'll be asking and helping to answer the question, “Once you're in the door, where do you go next?” This panel will be driven by audience discussion and Q&A. We look forward to seeing you in Austin!