Well, Game Developers Conference came

and went and I missed it completely. That's okay, though. I'm not ready to "take the game industry by storm" just yet. Heh. Isn't that what every blowhard with a head of steam says?! :P

"I'm gonna change the way the industry does business!" That's one of my mantras. Trouble is I don't quite know how to go about it. I founded Beeline Studios in 2004 as an "Asset Resource for the development community". Basically, our mission was to provide concept art, models, and animation to game developers. I had been thinking about the idea for a few years.

In 2003, I took a job working on an MMORPG up near Yosemite. 5 months after starting there, the company lost their funding. That was the straw that broke my back. Through a fortunate set of circumstances, I was able to move back to San Francisco in February 2004 and work nonstop on Beeline for the next six months. I brought in a partner, developed the business plan, the corporate identity, created a brochure and in that time even worked on models and texture maps.

We sent out flyer after flyer, but no joy. There was some big competition in that field. New Pencil and Liquid Development were two of the big ones. I don't quite know where we were positioned with this competition. All I know is that they continued to get work and we continued to send out flyers. Clearly, they've got their collective heads on right....and it shows in their work. Maybe we didn't PUSH hard enough; send out even more flyer after flyer. After six months, I had to re-evaluate what exactly Beeline Studio's core mission was.

That core focus will be development. We will produce and develop intellectual properties as opposed to being "hands for the industry". And when I say focus I mean FOCUS. As I develop the business plan I will, of course, do what I've always done to make a living. I'm doing it now with a big company on the penninsula. The work is gratifying and the people are great. I could work fulltime for them. The offer is there. But I just want more. I always want more. It's what has driven me all my life.

I talked at length today with a friend of mine who came out west for the GDC. He wants the same things. And his determination is inspiring. I'm ready to make the leap. I just have to get all my ducks in a row. And then, I will revolutionize the game industry. Yeah...........that's what they all say. But I mean it. :) It's an ongoing, always evolving process.

This story is always "to be continued..........."

On a side note, I'm actually working with New Pencil on a project for this company on the penninsula. The people I work with say they've been working with NP for many years now. Never even knew about Beeline until very recently. Hmm. Maybe I didn't push hard enough?