This Tech Conference Is Being Held on an Animal Crossing Island (vice.com) 42
As our lives have become a seemingly endless series of work meetings on Zoom and FaceTime or WhatsApp catch-ups with friends, we're all getting a bit sick of seeing people's faces enclosed in a cold, almost lifeless, digital frame. A tech worker from New York had a different idea for his tech conference, which he announced, in all seriousness, on April Fools' Day. The free conference is called Deserted Island DevOps and is happening on Thursday, entirely inside Animal Crossing, the Nintendo Switch hit game released in the midst of the Coronavirus pandemic. From a report: Speakers are doing their talks on an island in Animal Crossing specifically built for the conference, and attendees can follow along in the game, on Twitch, or Zoom, as a fallback option. Other than the unusual, and incredibly colorful and fun setting, the conference is very much like any other conference. The speakers' avatars are standing behind a podium, their slides are being displayed next to them, and attendees sit in the audience. Crucially, the conference isn't about Animal Crossing, it's kind of a standard software development type conference. It just happens to be happening inside a video game.
Video on? Lol (Score:3)
All you wfh noobs should turn off your fucking cameras. It's distracting seeing you talk off center and you're probably ugly. Just don't.
No one wants to see your living room or you in a robe or guys unshaven or anyone's uncombed hair or your half eaten breakfast. Video on also fucks up audio on weak connections.
Rare is the meeting where video is desirable.
Re: (Score:2)
Some meetings require it. I hate it. :(
Re: (Score:1)
Wow, you're just a delight aren't you?
Re: Quick (Score:1)
Re: Quick (Score:1)
Yeah, I am currently forced to type on the worst user interface ever devised. A tiny touchscreen virtual keyboard.
So often, I just give up trying to fight it, and submit. Slashdot isn't exactly a job interview, so who cares.
Long story short: It's a typo. There are several others too.
Don't judge me by my typos. If I have to fix one more fucking mistype of a correction of a mistype of a correction of a mistype, involving a backspace and a hiding of the keyboard and almost hit of the submit button behind it ri
Follow along in game? (Score:5, Insightful)
"and attendees can follow along in the game"
The only way to follow in game would be to visit the island. Given that the game has a max of 8 simultaneous visitors, is that option even worth mentioning? Well, maybe, since there's probably fewer than 8 people interested in this conference.
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Given that the game has a max of 8 simultaneous visitors, is that option even worth mentioning?
Yeah, I was wondering about that as well.
Incidentally, maybe that's why my Mario Kart tech conference failed so badly.
Deeper Issues (Score:1)
Incidentally, maybe that's why my Mario Kart tech conference failed so badly.
Well, that and the problem with the blue turtle shells every time a speaker got close to finishing a presentation.
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Well, that and the problem with the blue turtle shells every time a speaker got close to finishing a presentation.
But you have to admit, the gradual change of demeanor as the later speakers got further and further into their talks was priceless.
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"and attendees can follow along in the game"
The only way to follow in game would be to visit the island. Given that the game has a max of 8 simultaneous visitors, is that option even worth mentioning? Well, maybe, since there's probably fewer than 8 people interested in this conference.
It's worse than that. Everytime someone arrives the island needs to be copied to their game device. For someone on the other side of the world that means *everyone* on the island including the island host gets a 2minute loading screen.
When the game first came out some Twitch streamers were making fun and posted their island codes online. Effectively that was the end of the stream. All anyone ever saw from that point was a loading screen interjected with 1-2 seconds of gamplay as people kept joining and leav
Never heard of it.... (Score:2)
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It's about spending money. Your money, not game money.
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It's like The SIMS but you're all mutated cartoon animal-human hybrids instead.
Re: Never heard of it.... (Score:2)
Re: Never heard of it.... (Score:5, Informative)
Re: Never heard of it.... (Score:2)
Yes, I did not say otherwise.
But it is still the same kind of "game". A pointless addictive time waster that doesn't even really qualify as a game. And you're only downmodding me because you're triggered. Which is truly pathetic. At least be triggered by something that has some impact on the world and shows you have a life! ^^
Second Life anyone? (Score:3)
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But in SL someone can spam a conference with a bunch of wiggling flying penises. ;-)
Oh okay, they couldn't if the event hosts have proper parcel permissions and settings set up, which is what has always amazed me about the Anshe Chung debacle. Any competent event host/parcel manager/estate manager could have ended the object spam in seconds. I was actually there as a spectator, arrived late from a fashion show and the penises were already flying.
Re: Second Life anyone? (Score:2)
AlphaWorlds calls too. From 1995! It wants its innovation award back!
"This"??? (Score:5, Insightful)
Did you really just start a /. article with the clickbait "This"?
DIAF.
and the EULA will give Nintendo the IP rights to s (Score:2)
and the EULA will give Nintendo the IP rights to stuff talked about / demoed there.
Why the click-bait headline? (Score:1)
Anytime you think it can't get any dumber... (Score:2)
The world, I mean.
Yeah, rememeber the same thing in SecondLife, a decade ago?
The flying penises that ended the fad?
Now Animal Crossing is the same thing, except with less penises and more Zynga deliberately addictive Facebook "game". Literally that's what it is.
I ask all of you: WHY is anyone who gets THAT many steps into this horrifying nightmare of insanity NOT instantly admitted to a mental hospital?
How did we get to a society like this? Why are we all accepting it with inaction, as if it would say nothi
Re: Anytime you think it can't get any dumber... (Score:2)
Amazing! Your wise line of reasoning and flawless observeration deeply impress me. The second conclusion is pire beauty! Are you a professor of logic? Can you teach me?
Hidden Admission Fee (Score:2)
Nothing could possibly go wrong... (Score:1)
Is there an unskippable cutscene? (Score:2)
Unless Nintendo made a recent change, there's been news reports that joining a game causes everyone to watch the arrival sequence. Probably going to be quite fun if there's a large number of invitees.
Banned in China (Score:2)
I wonder if they chose this game specifically because China decided to ban it?
Have they Actually Played AC Online Multiplayer? (Score:2)
--- bling--- blang--- blong--- Please end the conversation -----
event. I'm happy to see that everyone was able to track down a Switch and Animal Crossing and got their demos of NSO going. Before we begin I'd like to thank
--- bling--- blang--- blong--- Please end the conversation -----
Okay just a moment.
--- bling--- blang--- blong--- Looks like someone is coming to the island -----
**Cutscene begins** --- LadiesMan69 has arrived to play! ---
Okay, where wa
Wrong game (Score:2)
They should have picked Doom Eternal.
It is like a normal conference, except that you can bring your gun, and the demons are not disguised as humans.
Reminds me of Hong Kong (Score:2)
Reminds me that the Hong Kong Protesters [trustedreviews.com] came up with the idea first.