Sunday Thoughts: EGX
How'd everything go?
Published: 19:00, 02/10/2011 by Kris [Halbpro].
13Two weeks ago Al stepped into his blogging shoes and told us all why EGX mattered so much to us. He was right about everything; he normally is. There was no awkwardness at the house, everyone got along swimmingly and it was like we’d been hanging out for years; I suppose in a way we have. In-jokes were formed almost instantly (if you look around you’ll find some have cropped up in custom tags), and at one point a mutiny was staged when it was decided I was working too hard (in their defence I almost certainly was).
I'm not sure how I made this happen, and this isn't even everyone.
That might be a bit of a shock to anyone who saw me over those days, particularly if you saw me on the Friday, locked away in the press area and furiously scribbling interview notes for six or seven hours. Even that was fun, which was sort of a surprise to me. This was the second biggest lesson I picked up from the show, the extent to which I enjoy working. I’ve always known I love writing for TSA, and I know far too well that I do my best work under pressure. However, it’s very rare that those two attributes mix.
EGX provided the right mixing pot of the two and, in my opinion at least, I thrived. I have no idea how I kept going or what I was running on most of the time (sheer force of will is a good bet) but I loved every moment of it. There is the possibility that I was just so tired that I was hallucinating enjoying myself, whereas in reality I had an awful time. It was good in my head at least.
I said that was the second biggest lesson, so presumably there was something that was more significant. There was one thing and, to be honest, it probably seems fairly stupid to anyone but me. See since I was very, very small I have had a pretty huge fear of any sort of performing. Put me on a stage and I’m useless. In my first year of uni we had to do a presentation to camera using a green screen; I spent the entire thing shaking like a leaf.
During EGX I was on camera at least a dozen times, in fact it was probably closer to twenty. There was not a single time I was nervous, not even for a second. In fact I was pushing for us to shoot more video, to bring you guys even more video interviews and diaries of us being completely, utterly ridiculous. I hope we delivered on both of those, and there’s still interviews to come. Dancing too.
Scariest interview by a mile.
However the important thing to me about TSA, the thing that helps separate us, is you guys. All of you, every single one of you I met, was friendly, fun and generally cool. I remembered none of your names for which I humbly apologise (I’m terrible with names at the best of times), and even though I only saw most of you for a few moments you all seemed lovely and, for some peculiar reason, pleased to see me.
So that’s what the show was like for me. Now I’m off to write up some of the games I saw, talk amongst yourselves.
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02/10/2011 at 19:05
Member since: Aug 2008
As much as i enjoyed EG this year, it sucked in comparison to last years’. Waaay too many people, meaning you had to queue for ages to play games and when you did finally get chance to play, you were hurried to sit down and then hurried to clear off when you’d played your allocated timeslot. I much preferred the smaller booths where you were welcomed by the person monitoring the booth, who then explained a bit about their game, talked you through as you played it and then, most importantly, asked what you liked and didn’t like about their game afterwards. Thats what an expo should be as far as I’m concerned
02/10/2011 at 19:53
Member since: Mar 2009
Really? There were only a few games I was hurried off, and those were the ones with large queues like Batman. For the vast majority I was allowed to play all the way through the demo, and only moved on because other people were waiting behind me. I mean I played Journey for about 30 minutes and Saints Row seemed to be close to the final version as I never found a limit with it. Yes there were more games with a formal queue and a time limit than last year, but I still wouldn’t say it was that many compared to the total number.
Plus surely that’s a sign the expo is growing?
02/10/2011 at 19:51
Member since: Forever
I thought you were amazing Kris, easily the hardest working chap there which meant the rest of us could relax and beer it up a bit.
Top stuff, loved every minute of it.
02/10/2011 at 19:54
Member since: Mar 2009
I dunno, I’m not sure Josh actually slept. He seemed to be constantly editing video.
02/10/2011 at 19:59
Member since: Aug 2008
I love your smile Kris.
02/10/2011 at 19:59
Member since: Forever
Gutted I missed out on meeting you guys. When I had my chance I’d been in the queue for Vita for bout an hour and was right at the front. When I got out you’d left. I did see Blair and Kev from behind but I was walking into the Naughty Dog Dev session.
Maybe next year.
Thought that TSA did awesome and that Johnny Minkley better watch out. Kris is after his job. ;-)
02/10/2011 at 20:08
Member since: Dec 2008
Having witnessed first-hand the hard work that goes in (whilst sucessfully avoiding doing any hard-work of my own), I can honestly say I’m proud to be a member of the community here.
02/10/2011 at 22:30
Member since: Mar 2009
I dunno you were on the podcast and you worked pretty hard to cut off Blair ;)
03/10/2011 at 07:35
Member since: Aug 2011
Haha, yeah you sure did.
03/10/2011 at 07:51
Member since: Dec 2008
That’s true – it’s only because I really hate Blair and his voice, and was trying to save everyone else.
02/10/2011 at 20:34
Member since: Nov 2009
Articles like this and what you guys did during EGX are what keep making me come back to TSA. Well done lads!!!
02/10/2011 at 21:04
Member since: Jan 2011
I thought you did extremly well in the video interviews Kris. I found it surprising that you actually suffer from stage fright.
02/10/2011 at 22:32
Member since: Mar 2009
Well thank you :) It’s largely a lack of self-confidence. I’m awful on stage but I get really nervous in a whole range of situations, fight or flight kicks in.
02/10/2011 at 21:09
Member since: Dec 2009
great read. Totally love TSA. Tsa are number 1.
02/10/2011 at 21:34
Member since: Feb 2009
It was awesome meeting everyone, and it was great playing some of the games (although the queues were a pain). Hoping to do exactly the same next year!
02/10/2011 at 23:40
Member since: Forever
Hi, I’m Gaz.
Who?
GazzaGB.
Ohh!
03/10/2011 at 10:27
Member since: Feb 2009
So who are you?
Nofi.
Oh, No-fee!
:P
02/10/2011 at 23:36
Member since: Apr 2010
It looked and sounded like you guys had an absolute blast, lovely to see. You should make it an annual tradition, the real life TSA Towers!