Igda - Austin 2012 Austin picnic - Stay connected

Hey, I also want to say, thank you all for coming out ... Billy and a lot of us are the old-timers in this industry, and have been doing games in Austin for nigh on 30 years or so ... I see a lot of you much younger, newer faces ... but what have they done that is so cool about how today, out here, getting a chance to really see and celebrate the entirety of the Austin game development industry ... is, and it goes back to where we began, 30 years ago when we started building it out here. Austin is ... one of if not the premier places to be doing this as a business. This is such a great high-tech, arts, music, singing ... it is perfect for what we do, that is creating video games ... that it grows and nurtures talented people such as yourselves, that do the great work that we do ... Yeah, but what's interesting about that too, is, you know, that as strong a place as Austin is, you know, frankly, a lot of us old-timers are constantly talking with the city, the city council, the mayor, even ... often the state government ... they, too, about our industry, for all the recognition and respect we believe you deserve ... But often, rea;;y. we only have for all, a very tenuous hold, on the leadership that we have in this industry ... I would say pretty significant threat, constant threat of having a lot of our jobs and/or corporate leadership kind of sucked out of the Austin community, back to someplace like California. And the way that we really fight that, the way we can make sure that we remain as leaders of this industry, is to make sure that we all stay connected as an industry, we support each other, that we celebrate each other, that we be able to teach each other and share with each other. And in a place like -- a time like this, that the IGDA and the rest of your crew that brought us all together and lets us do that. So, I'm having a great time to now have a great party, but let's all get to know each other, let's make some great games and let's change the world. So, thank you.