The 2015 Game Developers Conference (GDC 2015), the world’s largest and longest-running event serving professionals dedicated to the art and science of making games, begins today at the Moscone Convention Center in San Francisco, California. GDC 2015 runs through Friday, March 6, and brings together game professionals from around the world to the industry’s top destination for learning, inspiration and networking.
GDC 2015 offers five days of lectures, panels, tutorials, roundtable discussions and networking events, along with the Independent Games Festival (IGF) and Game Developers Choice Awards (GDCAs) ceremonies, a robust Expo Floor and the showcase of emerging developers known as GDC Play. The conference kicks off with two days (Monday, March 2 and Tuesday, March 3) of specialized summits, including the all new eSports Summit, which explores the massively expanding world of competitive spectator gaming, including sessions on how to design, grow, develop, sustain and communicate within the competitive games industry. The full lineup of sessions includes the Independent Games Summit, Smartphone & Tablet Games Summit, Community Management, Artificial Intelligence (AI) Summit, GDC Education Summit, the Game Narrative Summit and the Free to Play Design & Business Summit.
Beginning Wednesday, March 4, the main conference kicks off with the third annual GDC Flash Forward, in which a curated selection of conference speakers will have 30-45 seconds each to captivate attendees onstage with an overview of their sessions. Going into the main conference, highlights include the Classic Game Postmortem sessions that will explore the making of seminal videogames Adventure, Star Control, Loom and Yars’ Revenge by their respective makers. This year sees the return of the Advocacy Track, which focuses on opening up the world of games and game development to all groups of people.
The IGF Awards, which honor the most promising developers and titles within the world of independent video games, and the GDCAs, which celebrate the year’s leading games across multiple categories, both take place on Wednesday, March 4 at 6:30 pm during GDC. The awards will honor the year’s best video games, and feature more than 30 IGF finalists and 45 GDCA nominees. The fourth annual GDC Play will make its return at GDC 2015, and will provide an opportunity for emerging developers to spotlight their games and network with leading distributors, publishers and investors attending the conference. Independent from the main Expo Floor, this unique business initiative features a diverse catalog of playable games from promising developers looking to launch their games into the market.
The Interactive Spaces are back this year, with a variety of fun new events and activities that are open to attendees throughout the conference. The Videogame History Museum will be returning to GDC with “The History of Atari,” featuring games, hardware and history from one of the original purveyors of videogames. alt.crl.GDC returns to explore alternative control methods for games, which include foot pedals, VR helmet, suitcases and more. The Wheel of Whimsy, presented by iam8bit, is a videogame-themed extravaganza that will challenge attendees to prove their geeky prowess through a series of trivia and games. The Indie MEGABOOTH Showcase returns to GDC to highlight the latest and greatest in the indie world. For fans of tabletop games, there is Shut Up & Sit Down: A Lovely Tabletop Lounge, which offers a fun and open environment for attendees to play and enjoy a curated selection of the best board games of the year.
Through a partnership with leading childcare provider KiddieCorp, GDC 2015 will offer attendees access to an affordable on-site children’s program. New to GDC 2015, the new childcare program provides a children’s program for kids ages 6 months through 12 years old, and will be located within the Moscone Center, allowing parents to attend GDC sessions and events worry-free.
“As GDC is approaching its third decade, the event has continually evolved to incorporate mobile games, online communities, and now eSports. But we don’t lose sight of our focus on the art, craft and science of game development, which is what brings us here every year,” says Meggan Scavio, general manager of the Game Developers Conference. “We look forward to an event where any and all participants can connect, learn and have fun. For 29 years, GDC has been a place that nurtures thoughtful dialogue and friendly engagement, and we will strive to continue that tradition.”
In total, the GDC consists of more than 650 lectures, panels, tutorials and roundtable discussions, providing a wealth of game development topics presented by noteworthy industry professionals. Additionally, the event also features an Expo Floor featuring nearly 350 exhibitors, the GDC Career Center, Business Center, the Game Career Seminar, a variety of Interactive Spaces, and more. For additional information about the 2015 Game Developers Conference or to register online, visit www.gdconf.com.
