The dawn of the DS is finally upon us! People will be lining up today, waiting eagerly for the clock to strike midnight in hopes of scooping up the latest handheld from Nintendo. The launch lineup is expectedly dreary, but in the coming months, we'll be treated to games like Ocarina of Time 3D, Paper Mario, Resident Evil, Dead or Alive and many more. 

Nintendo thinks that 3D will be a game changer in the handheld space and after playing the system at GDC and, more recently, Best Buy, I'm inclined to agree. This device has the potential to usher in a new age of handheld gaming and revitalize classics with a 3D remake treatment. I look forward to the launch of Nintendo's greatest franchises as well as the 3Ds online shop in the near future. 

With twice the pre-orders of the Nintendo Wii and horror stories about the console selling out on the first day in Japan, it looks like this will be an exciting launch, at least for those who pre-ordered or are fortunate enough to find a 3DS in store on launch day. The system's full potential will be realized in the future when developers have had ample time to create 3DS games, but even from the start, the 3DS is an exciting piece of technology. 

There were tablets before the iPad, but ever since Apple debuted its sleek, touchscreen device - known to some as a bigger iPhone without the ability to make calls - the market has exploded. Now every major computer and smartphone manufacturer wants in on the action. Companies like Samsung, HP, Motorola, Verizon, Google and many more have released or are planning to release competitors to the iPad. 

With dual core processors, increased ram and new operating systems included in the newer tablets, they are becoming a viable alternative to owning a computer. What will the computer landscape look like in a few years? Will the majority of people still use bulky desktops and laptops, or will the market be dominated by these thin and light devices that can perform all the basic functions necessary for the average user? Tablets are becoming more and more capable and it's hard to ignore the convenience afforded by their size and battery life. 

There will most likely always be a need for traditional computers since they can house larger and more powerful components, but I think tablets may be a realistic alternative for the majority of home users within the next 10-15 years.

I, however, will be sticking with my gaming PC and laptop. How else am I going to max The Witcher 2 and Skyrim?

So this is it. GDC is over and I have no idea what to do now. Can I actually sleep? I want to, but it feels so wrong. Isn't there a company party I should be going to? 

I'm sitting in SFO, waiting for my red eye flight back to PA and reflecting on the show. The summits and tutorials were great this year and the show floor was just as exciting as the first time I saw it (which was only last year). Seeing 3DS, NGP and all the new games and tech was amazing and my legs are sore from walking up and down the Moscone center billions of times.

I met so many great developers and representatives from companies all over the world this year and I want to thank everyone who attended GDC for making it an awesome show. The people running the booths have three long days of interrogation to endure, but they never cease to be excited about their companies and the state of the industry. I don't think GDC will ever get old for me. 

I'm leaving California with some new knowledge and a lot of new friends. The show ending coincides with the final stretch of college for me and in a few short months, I'll be working with the developers that make GDC such a great experience. I can't wait to go to GDC from the other side!

Yesterday was the big day. At 10 AM, the doors for the show floor opened and I rushed in with the huge crowd. Throughout the day, I talked to people from Disney, EA, THQ, WB, 38 Studios, Sony and a ton of other game companies and learned about their projects and what kind of jobs were available. I met Daemon and Greg from IGN, got my free GDC T-shirt, saw the awards show, checked out the 3DS and NGP, got a free copy of The Sims 3 Deluxe Edition from EA and a free copy of Magicka from Arrowhead and went to the Playphone party in the evening. Could one day at GDC be any more awesome? I'll have to see what happens today, but I can't imagine any more greatness fitting into one day. 

Out of all the games and tech at the show, I was probably most excited to see the 3DS and NGP in person. There were lines of people waiting to play the various 3DS games on display, but I was able to snag a machine running the Ocarina of Time remake. I must say, the 3D effect is done well and I think it has the potential to create another layer of immersion for players. Zelda looked great. Graphically, it was in between OOT and Twilight Princess and it retained the style of OOT very well. I didn't get to play too much, but I was glad to feel that the analog slider and buttons are comfortable. Toggling the 3D effect on or off is a great addition and will be useful for people who can't quite adjust to the 3D due to motion sickness or defects of the eye. 

Next up, I saw the real beast: the NGP. Sony wasn't ready to let us get our hands on it, but as I watched it rotate in the middle of its bullet-proof glass container, all shiny and sleek, I felt the same excitement I felt when playing the 3DS. The system is noticeably larger than the PSP (though it's thinner), but I think this is an improvement for playability. The analog sticks look like they'll be a huge improvement, both because there are now two, and because they are actually analog sticks instead of nubs or sliders. 

Day three of GDC will be tough to beat, but I'm hoping to get a little more time to check out the games today and tomorrow as I finish talking to all the developers about jobs!

Today, I attended the 8-hour "better game writing in a day" tutorial which featured the lead writer from Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2. He spoke about story structure in games as well as movies and went over basic narrative concepts. The last few hours of the tutorial were spent on a postmortem for MUA 2. It was interesting to see just how much of the game's narrative was cut, how they integrated the story lines from the "Civil War" comics, and how the narrative designer, lead writer and contract writers fit into the team. 

The talk was fairly basic from a writing standpoint, but there was a lot of good stuff and I think everyone walked away with a fresh perspective on game writing. I look forward to hitting the show floor tomorrow and talking to all the company representatives.