The 2007 Game Developers Conference, arguably the biggest GDC ever, was a great show for Softimage. Whether the demise of E3 gave GDC’s numbers a boost, or San Francisco was simply a can’t-miss destination for sun-starved artists, the show floor was packed for three solid days. From the conference, to the expo, to the GDC store, to the huge recruitment fair, attendance seemed much higher that the 12,500 expected by conference organizers.
In the middle of it all, flanked by ten-foot Mr. Hoodies scrawling “XSI” and “Face Robot” in light-writing, the Softimage booth was the high-traffic hub for all of our activities at the show. Featuring hands-on demo stations, an Alienbrain pod, a training showcase from Noesis Interactive, and reels of fantastic customer work, the booth was home to on-stage presentations from Softimage and special guest speakers.
Softimage 3D Evangelist Mark Schoennagel kept things lively with XSI 6 and Face Robot presentations that packed the booth. Casey Nolan from Noesis Interactive demonstrated how to take characters and assets built in XSI into the Half Life 2 engine and start playing. Carl Callewaert from Measurand showed techniques for taking motion capture from a small hand device (finger motion capture) and getting the results into Half Life 2 using XSI 6 and MOTOR. Also presenting were guest speakers from Pandemic Studios and Zoogloo.
A highlight of GDC was three presentations by Ian Lovett, Technical Art Director at Lionhead Studios about the development pipeline for the upcoming game Fable 2. Formerly a 3ds Max house, Lionhead Studios made the switch to XSI just as Fable 2 was ramping up. And while he admits that the switch was not without its pains, Lovett said that it was well worth the investment. Lionhead Studios is a great example of how studios can successfully switch to XSI for next-generation game development.
Joseph Saulter from the American Intercontinental University and Entertainment Arts Research gave a rousing speech on cultural diversity in the video games industry.
Digital-Tutors were also on hand, in full orange apparel, for a special “Train the Trainers” session. Train the Trainers is a “How to Teach XSI” course for educators and anyone else interested in teaching XSI.
A great booth, fantastic demos, amazing customer work, and a chance to connect with Softimage users and fans up close and in person—now that’s a show. In the words of one enthusiastic fan, “Softimage is BACK! I'm so happy! Softimage is BACK!”
To everyone who helped make GDC a success, thank you for all your hard work. See you next time!
About the author: Leonard Teo is a Business Development Manager at Softimage in Montreal and was only too happy to get away from Montreal weather for a short time...
Posted: 29 March 2007
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Ian Lovett from Lionhead Studios delivers his presentation on the making of the upcoming game Fable 2.
The Softimage booth was a constant hive of activity.
Softimage's Mark Schoennagel showcasing jaw-dropping Face Robot real-time demos.
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Nicolas Leduc and Anick Gagne. The Softimage booth was constantly swamped as we gave out free posters and bags.
Towering Softimage XSI booth panels
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Phil R. Taylor, creator of SOFTIMAGE|CAT and "Amber the Mocap Chick" at the Motion Analysis Booth.
In your face - Softimage Face Robot!
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The Softimage marketing team at GDC. | 
Softimage's Mark Schoennagel prepping for a demo at the House of Moves/Vicon booth. |
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The Softimage presentation schedule was packed with events. | 
A pre-show Softimage team dinner. |
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People lining up for passes at the Moscone West. | 
Softimage's Gareth Morgan has an epiphany. Phil Taylor is mystified. |
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Kyle Green from Digital Tutors conducts a Train the Trainers session. | 
Carl Callewaert performs real-time motion capture using his hand. |
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At the House of Moves/Vicon booth, Mark Schoennagel shows how to get mocap data straight into XSI using Softimage's MOTOR technology in XSI 6. | 
Mark Schoennagel taking the stage again at the Softimage booth. |
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San Francisco Market Street. | 
The Moscone West, where most of GDC was held. |
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Yerba Buena Gardens. | 
GDC spanned the Moscone West and North. The North wing had a second expo showfloor. |
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The Microsoft XNA Lobby Bar. | 
The San Francisco fire department. |
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