I spent last week in Los Angeles, and boy, was I happy to get back to that city. The one and only thing on my agenda: E3 2013.

It was my first E3, and even though I had heard how different it is from any other show, I still wasn’t prepared for the beauty. Every company brings their A-game, every booth is spectacular, every piece of swag is legit. If I had any thought left in my head about ‘knowing video games’, it all went out the window last week, because there is so much that I don’t know and it’s awesome. Awesome because I am surrounded by people that I can learn from, and awesome because I actually want to learn it all.

Five Things I Learned:

1. Gamers are ruthless. I have known this for awhile, but it becomes more evident when I attend events like this. If they don’t like your game, they will rip it to shreds, and it might not be to your face, but you’ll know about it soon enough. On the same token, if they like your game, it’s a great feeling. Like winning over the kid in class who hates everyone else.

2. People can tell when you’re pretending. This is extremely important, especially in a world where almost everyone you meet is someone important in the industry. Being exactly who you are is liberating, and a lot less embarassing than getting caught being someone you aren’t.

3. The game industry is a mostly a bunch of adults who brought their childhood with them into adulthood. These people live and breathe their work, and it shows completely. They are the kids who stayed inside to read, draw, watch Star Wars, or play Mario, and they are the coolest adults you’ll meet. Also, a lot of them are smarter than I am, and it’s amazing to be around. Even more amazing? They let me hang around.

4. Confidence is key. It might seem, from my last sentence, that I am still unsure of my place. In a lot of ways, I am, but I also know that I am supposed to be here. Even when the conversations go over my head, and I don’t get all the jokes, I feel more confident in who I am. I can only hope that it shows (most of the time).

5. Always use hand sanitizer. THAT’S A GIVEN.

Also:

E3 from cjolove on Vimeo.

What an amazing week.