Insomniac Games community day...

So, yesterday (Friday) was Insomniac Games' community day celebrating the launch of the new Rachet & Clank game. I have long respected Insomniac Games, but have never been a huge follower of theirs. Knowing that they created the Spyro series (did the first 3 games on PS before the rights went away), the Ratchet & Clank series on PS2 and PS3 (these games ALWAYS rate extremely high), and the Resistance series on PS3 shows that this is a developer that knows their stuff.

They join a small group of elite developers that are very close to Sony (the other two being Naughty Dog and SuckerPunch) who put out fantastic Sony exclusives. These studios are amazing. Sony has made some boneheaded business decisions this generation, but these guys never miss a beat. I had the good fortune to be able to test Uncharted 2 prior to release and all those guys at Naughty Dog were fantastic. Having just visited Insomniac, that group joins the ranks of fantastic people on top of stellar game makers.

When I found out about community day I decided I would try to get in, as I love game developers and their studios (seriously, you have not seen a cool work environment until you have been in a good game studio). The biggest problem is I am not overly familiar with their work. I know it.. but I haven't played much. I played a bit of Resistance and that is about it. I hastily d/l the first Rachet & Clank demo for PS3 (which turned out to be amazing. amazing gameplay, art, graphics, writing... epic fail on my end for missing out until now).

So, I get to the studio (or the Marriott next door as that is where the event starts) and there is already a huge line. They said space was limited so I am a bit worried. Luckily, after a slight delay, everyone is admitted with no turn aways. We get inside and Adam Sessler from G4TV is hanging out. He is very polite and fun. Turns out he was part of a panel that included some programmers, voice actors, and the president of Insomniac. It was a fun panel that discussed all aspects of production and other company philosophies.

After that was free lunch where they announced everyone there would be getting a copy of the new game (woo! and not yet released!) upon entering the studio. They gave everyone limited edition posters (and shirts and things earlier). We got to go and check out some of the studio which was a really nice environment with a great view of Burbank. Parts of the studio were shrouded with black curtains so we could not see what they were working on... good to know they are deep into working on whatever comes next even before this one is released.

After the studio/signing session we (I had by then formed a group with 3 other guys) head back to the Marriott and get to play some games and they raffle off some prizes. I didn't win, but with the free game and great swag already received, I felt like I made out like a bandit.

All in all it was a really fun time. Being so into a lot of media, for whatever reason I am the most awe struck by games. So much work goes into them.. so many arts (music, animation, character/world designs, writing, acting) coupled with perfected sciences of gameplay and game engines... all just amaze me. The most WOWSA moments for me in LA have come from being around game studios. Perhaps I just know too much about my #1 love, movies. I know all the magic... I want to make my own magic. But with games, I don't know the tricks. I just get to sit back and be amazed at the final product.

So, yeah... game developers are probably my "rock stars"... one guy while signing posters said "I should just do this for a living"... Funny. The developers enjoyed the day as well... they are huddled away for years making one product. To see fan appreciation and to have people give them a pat on the back is a big deal and a great gratification.

Support good game studios. Insomniac now joins the select few developers who I will support no matter what. I am immediately picking up the last Rachet & Clank to play through before I start this newest one. After that, I will be grabbing the Resistance games.

To end... here is a new PS3 ad featuring Ratchet & Clank. It is pretty funny...