Jaffe to keynote GDC Career Seminar

Outspoken developer David Jaffe is to keynote the GDC Career Seminar on February 21 in San Francisco. The God of War and Twisted Metal lead will give a talk titled "From Grunt to God to Startup: Career Lessons from the Edge of Game Development," which will apparently offer a "realistic view of his career path which has spanned a vehicular combat franchise, a breakthrough mythological action franchise, and his own indie startup."

Definitely worth going along if you're in town, of only to see how many times David can say "f**k" in a single speech. Full press release through the link.

LEGENDARY "GOD OF WAR" DEVELOPER DAVID JAFFE TO KEYNOTE GAME CAREER SEMINAR AT 2008 GAME DEVELOPERS CONFERENCE

Creator of Kratos to Share Lessons Learned on the Journey from Grunt to "God" to Startup; Seminar to also Feature Guidance from Execs at Microsoft, Sony, EA, Pandemic, Orbus and More

SAN FRANCISCO - Feb. 4, 2008 - God of War game developer David Jaffe is set to keynote the Game Career Seminar, the single-track event at the Game Developers Conference (GDC) programmed by the GDC in association with GameCareerGuide.com for individuals interested in learning how to build a career in the videogame industry. In his talk, "From Grunt to God to Startup: Career Lessons from the Edge of Game Development," Jaffe will give attendees a realistic view of his career path which has spanned a vehicular combat franchise, a breakthrough mythological action franchise, and his own indie startup. The Game Career Seminar takes place at GDC on Thursday, February 21 from 5:30-6:30 and Friday, February 22 from 10:30am -5pm at the Moscone Center West in San Francisco.

Veteran developer David Jaffe has had to make difficult choices over the years between design and production in order to excel and advance his career, while still satisfying his creativity. He will speak about the pros and cons of his experience creating his own startup, as well as other insights from the edge of game development.

"By launching two blockbuster franchises and then going indie, Jaffe has a wealth of insights on how to advance your career in the game industry," said Jamil Moledina, Executive Director of GDC, "Given his outspoken views on game design, attendees can expect nothing less than the unvarnished truth behind career development both inside and outside the traditional development landscape."

The Game Career Seminar provides opportunities for individuals to meet with HR executives from leading game companies, network with industry professionals and learn how to begin or advance their careers in the videogame industry. The speaker lineup includes top game and industry experts willing to share their experience and expertise with attendees. In addition to the keynote by David Jaffe, the Game Career Seminar content includes the following sessions:

Networking 201: Navigating Corporate Culture (Thursday, Feb 21, 5:30-6:30)
Darius Kazemi of Orbus Gameworks breaks down tips and tricks to being a successful and helpful networker

A Leap of Faith: When to Leave your Job and go Independent. (Friday, Feb 22, 12-1)
A panel of indie developers discuss striking out on their own.

All About Art (Friday, Feb 22, 2:30-3:30)
Carey Chico of Pandemic discusses where we came from and where we need to be to lead the next generation of art within games

Hottest Jobs at the Hottest Companies (Friday, Feb 22, 4-5)
A panel of game industry professionals including Jason Pankow, Microsoft, Sylvia A. Trammel, SCEA, and Matthew Jeffery, EA discuss various jobs within the gaming industry