Gotta start making them plans! And yes, I'm pretty sure at least some of QCF is going. Hostel is definitely where we'll be staying, so if it's less than 4 from here, then yeah!
Flights: anywhere between R12k and R20k depending on when you book. GDC tickets: between ~R3800 for IGS pass and R16k for an All Access. (You'd want the IGS one, but they're limited, so book like RIGHT NOW.) Accommodation: between R2500 (at a cheapish hostel) and R7k (for an actual hotel. Pick the hostel, because most of the indies hang out there). Food: Around R2500, assuming you're eating out A LOT (because I imagine you would be, meeting people all of the time, buying people drinks, whatever. Food in the past cost between $8 and $20 for a meal. If you stay at the hostel, it comes with breakfast). Misc: R1500 for party entrances (stuff like Wild Rumpus), taxis, etc.
So, living quite cheap but spending a bit more on the social stuff, I imagine you'd comfortably do the trip in less than R25k.
Also, US visa is something like R1200 and a passport is R400, in case you don't have those. (I'm actually queuing for a new passport right now.)
This is a long shot, but what if I'm not going to be in the South Africa at the time (and probably remain not in South Africa for a while after)? But am still South African. I'm guessing this would make life difficult/impossible for me to apply?
OK i'm starting to go looking at everything for GDC -
1) Is there a particular hostel everyone goes to?
2) Apparently I have Tax Clearance Certificates ready for pickup now. BUT if I pick them up now wouldn't it be too early and I have to get it again later? @Nick?
3) Anyone interested in hanging out in USA for a bit longer than just GDC? I wanna get the most out of a trip to the US :)
1. You generally want to get into the Downtown hostel. There's another SF hostel that I stayed at last year (City Center). There are still some indie devs there, but it's in kind of a dodgy area, and is pretty much worse in every way in terms of GDC, so I'd only go there if Downtown was full.
3. I'm interested if you have something in mind, in that I'm keen to get more sights into my visual library, and enrich myself as a human being in general. But I only get paid for the days I work, and the US isn't exactly cheap, so even though I could technically afford it, I'd need to see potential for a real Life Changing Experience to warrant staying. :P
I had a look at Downtown, so it boils down to $40pp/night (+tax +online processing fees it seems) - if you book in 4s it looks to be the same, though it would be nice to book together in a group I guess. Or sleeping with strangers is fun too, I did that on a trip to CT and it's cool meeting people, but have anyone booked a group yet?
And I don't have anything in mind yet (other than the legendary cross-country roadtrip SF to NY, though I had a look and that looks a bit too hectic clocking in at minimum 14 days to get anything interesting out of it - the drive itself is 44 hours) (though a train ride to NYC sounds equally epic and much faster) in specific form, but I am keen to check the other world out. NYC is definitely something I wanna do, also I have a friend there, so bonus :)
2) Apparently I have Tax Clearance Certificates ready for pickup now. BUT if I pick them up now wouldn't it be too early and I have to get it again later? @Nick?
As I understand it, your TCC is valid for 1 year from the date of issue (there is an expiry date printed on it). You can't actually request a new one until the previous one has expired, so as long as the evaluation that it is being used for happens before that expiry date, you should be fine.
3) Anyone interested in hanging out in USA for a bit longer than just GDC? I wanna get the most out of a trip to the US :)
We usually go snowboarding in Tahoe after GDC for a few days. It's pretty damn awesome. Tahoe is amazing, the lake is astonishing, the snow is great at that time of year and we're pretty good at navigating everything now... We had to run from a blizzard last year. Hostels in Tahoe are cheap as anything too ;)
A South African snow attack group would be awesome! Also, there's usually a bunch of people hanging around after GDC doing cultural things in/around SF, so you won't be bored if you stay.
@LexAquillia what's the nature of the funding, do we pay and claim back or get the relevant flights etc booked for us or something? Or money upfront? I'm still holding hope that I can get funding even though I'm probably not going to be in SA at the time
Hey guys. Chris and I will be at GDC. If you intend on going, I suggest booking now. In the day we spoke to a travel agent, got a provisional booking; the hotel filled up and was fully booked. Same goes for the surrounding hotels that are close to the venue. I also see that the Independent Games Summit Pass are sold out already.
Oh shit, why must all of this happen when I have none of the money. So I've been super keen to go for ages now, but how much will I miss if I don't have the IGS pass?
I see there is the Audio Track Pass, but holy crap! That's half a unity licence right there!
OMG that IGS pass *has* been sold out. Damn I had no idea it would be this much of a rush, I saw that the "early" option was in Jan, I obviously underestimated it. Boo! Audio Track Pass it'll have to be... Sorting out passports and such first...
@bischonator do you mean surrounding hotels, not hostels? I checked Downtown as Jonno suggested, last week, and it didn't look anywhere near full so I didn't book yet.
If you can't get an Independent Games Summit pass (because they're now sold out), then can you attend the Independent Games Summit events on the Monday and Tuesday with another pass?
There is an "IGS ONLY" label on the pass comparison chart that is worrying me.
I'd expect that the "Summits, Tutorials & Bootcamps Pass" covers it though?
@Tuism The "Audio Track Pass" doesn't cover the Indie Summit events on the Monday and Tuesday as far as I can tell.
A Summit pass should get you into the IGS talks, that's what a Summit pass is: Access to all the summit talks that happen on the 2 days before the GDC conference proper.
@bischonator do you mean surrounding hotels, not hostels? I checked Downtown as Jonno suggested, last week, and it didn't look anywhere near full so I didn't book yet.
Hotels - they are pretty much booked up around Moscone - we had to move the reservation to a more expensive one as they were fully booked within 24 hours of the reserve booking. Hostels - I don't know, but book now even if you can hold a reservation with a deposit.
I've also heard that the other passes are all close to being sold out. That includes the All Access - even with the early bird.
Hey cool cats. I'm organizing the trip for Free Lives members. We have 6 going from our team. I've been in contact with GDC and if we get 4 more people in our group (they do not have to be from the same studio) then we all get a 10% discount on our tickets. We're applying for the Summits, Tutorials & Bootcamps Passes, but you don't have to get the same ticket to join the group. Anybody keen?
@Shazfaery +1 for me! I see that the difference between the audio and that is $100, so I'll take the summit pass too. The $799 with 10% off right? Thanks so much for your superhero organisation :)
@Shazfaery +1 for me! I see that the difference between the audio and that is $100, so I'll take the summit pass too. The $799 with 10% off right? Thanks so much for your superhero organisation :)
Great! Email me (shaz@freelives.net) the following info so I have it all in one place, and I'll add you to the list! email address, first & last name, occupation, company & pass type
I'm assuming you guys have already booked by now? I unfotunately have to wait for cash flow to recover before I can make a final decision. At least I've booked my hostel accomodation for now ;)
I have to await confirmation that I'm going... got a feeling finding accommodation might be tricky, should I book now rather you all reckon? If it's 10% deposit I guess it's worth the risk, or are most hostels charging full deposit?
have some friends in SF as a backup tho... I should follow that up...
We are two people short to get the 10 persons discount :( I REALLY want to submit today so at least passes are done and dusted. Last call for any takers?
We are two people short to get the 10 persons discount :( I REALLY want to submit today so at least passes are done and dusted. Last call for any takers?
What's the discount? Would it help if we got two summit passes through you?
@raxter I booked my accomodation with Downtown (link earlier by the esteemed Jonno) and I don't think they need a deposit, you can cancel up to a day ahead, from what I've read. So book it NOW.
I'm waiting for Shaz for conference tickets and haven't booked airfares yet. Also haven't decided on return date because I *do* want to do some soul-searching in the US of A too. Seems like a chance of a lifetime that one shouldn't pass up...
We are two people short to get the 10 persons discount :( I REALLY want to submit today so at least passes are done and dusted. Last call for any takers?
What's the discount? Would it help if we got two summit passes through you?
10%!!! Come on Danny hop in!! Any little bit helps, right? :)
Wow... this looks like a great op! Will save monies for the next time around and have business things in order. Can we do a sticky post or FAQ item on the government grants thing? Is GDC Europe any good?
Comments
GDC tickets: between ~R3800 for IGS pass and R16k for an All Access. (You'd want the IGS one, but they're limited, so book like RIGHT NOW.)
Accommodation: between R2500 (at a cheapish hostel) and R7k (for an actual hotel. Pick the hostel, because most of the indies hang out there).
Food: Around R2500, assuming you're eating out A LOT (because I imagine you would be, meeting people all of the time, buying people drinks, whatever. Food in the past cost between $8 and $20 for a meal. If you stay at the hostel, it comes with breakfast).
Misc: R1500 for party entrances (stuff like Wild Rumpus), taxis, etc.
So, living quite cheap but spending a bit more on the social stuff, I imagine you'd comfortably do the trip in less than R25k.
Also, US visa is something like R1200 and a passport is R400, in case you don't have those. (I'm actually queuing for a new passport right now.)
DO EVERYTHING EARLY!
Everybody get your company info in order. Make sure you exist, are tax registered, etc.
What unfortunate timing >.<
1) Is there a particular hostel everyone goes to?
2) Apparently I have Tax Clearance Certificates ready for pickup now. BUT if I pick them up now wouldn't it be too early and I have to get it again later? @Nick?
3) Anyone interested in hanging out in USA for a bit longer than just GDC? I wanna get the most out of a trip to the US :)
3. I'm interested if you have something in mind, in that I'm keen to get more sights into my visual library, and enrich myself as a human being in general. But I only get paid for the days I work, and the US isn't exactly cheap, so even though I could technically afford it, I'd need to see potential for a real Life Changing Experience to warrant staying. :P
And I don't have anything in mind yet (other than the legendary cross-country roadtrip SF to NY, though I had a look and that looks a bit too hectic clocking in at minimum 14 days to get anything interesting out of it - the drive itself is 44 hours) (though a train ride to NYC sounds equally epic and much faster) in specific form, but I am keen to check the other world out. NYC is definitely something I wanna do, also I have a friend there, so bonus :)
As I understand it, your TCC is valid for 1 year from the date of issue (there is an expiry date printed on it). You can't actually request a new one until the previous one has expired, so as long as the evaluation that it is being used for happens before that expiry date, you should be fine.
A South African snow attack group would be awesome! Also, there's usually a bunch of people hanging around after GDC doing cultural things in/around SF, so you won't be bored if you stay.
I also see that the Independent Games Summit Pass are sold out already.
I see there is the Audio Track Pass, but holy crap! That's half a unity licence right there!
@bischonator do you mean surrounding hotels, not hostels? I checked Downtown as Jonno suggested, last week, and it didn't look anywhere near full so I didn't book yet.
There is an "IGS ONLY" label on the pass comparison chart that is worrying me.
I'd expect that the "Summits, Tutorials & Bootcamps Pass" covers it though?
@Tuism The "Audio Track Pass" doesn't cover the Indie Summit events on the Monday and Tuesday as far as I can tell.
I sat outside a talk by James Silva and waited for him to leave the lecture hall, with the help of @Aequitas I got to talk to him.
If The Dishwasher: Dead Samurai isn't indie then I don't know what is.
(What I'm suggesting is that, despite the 2.5X price tag, there may be a silver lining to getting a more inclusive pass than the IGS one)
Hostels - I don't know, but book now even if you can hold a reservation with a deposit.
I've also heard that the other passes are all close to being sold out. That includes the All Access - even with the early bird.
We're booking this week. Looks like there will be six of us going from Free Lives.
We'll be there from the 27th to the 8th (I think).
We're booking accommodation at the Downtown hostel.
email address, first & last name, occupation, company & pass type
have some friends in SF as a backup tho... I should follow that up...
I'm waiting for Shaz for conference tickets and haven't booked airfares yet. Also haven't decided on return date because I *do* want to do some soul-searching in the US of A too. Seems like a chance of a lifetime that one shouldn't pass up...