After getting the news from IndieCade late last week, I’ve spent most of my time since sorting out travel plans to get to E3.  Travel and lodging have been finalized with just a few other bits to consider.

Of course the primary reason I’m attending the expo this year is to be on hand to speak about Zephyr: Tides of War, but it’d be a disservice to the video game fanatic inside me to not take part in the rest of the mania and play some new games.  I imagine that both of these things will involve a lot of standing around with a lot of dead time.  That’s why I’ve considered picking up a netbook computer to help fill the time with some blog writing and blog reading. After that my GDC trip, I also curse the inconvenient size, weight, and short battery life of a 17″ laptop.

I’m not quite sure of my plan of attack and how I intend to divide my time between duty and leisure.  Anyone have insight on the prime times when people feel like checking out indie games versus the big blockbusters?  Morning? After lunch?…  This is one thing I really want to get right because it’s a fantastic networking/job interview opportunity, and I want to meet people who can help me get back in.  That’s certainly a selfish on reasons for networking, but a guy’s gotta eat.  (And buy Punch-Out!!.)  I realize this is a retail-centric conference, rather than something for developers’ enrichment.  However, I’m pretty sure that if anyone’s going to have interest in exploring the outer fringes, it’ll be other developers.  I have about 50 business cards leftover from GDC, and I hope that’s enough.  If not, boy, that’s a fantastic problem to have.

I’m flying in on the 1st and back home late on the 4th. If anybody would like to meet up and chat or whatever, I’d like that, too. Please let me know; it currently seems I may be the only one from the team who’ll make it out to LA.