Revolutionising games at GDC

The heart and soul of the videogame world will descend on San Jose, California this week as more than 12,000 industry professionals arrive for the Game Developers Conference.

GDC, as everyone calls it, doesn't come close in size to E3, May's industry marketing blowout in Los Angeles, which draws tens of thousands. But many feel this week's conference is just as important, or more so, than E3 -- given its endless networking parties, steady stream of panels and keynote speeches involving videogame giants like The Sims creator Will Wright and Nintendo president Satoru Iwata.

And with the industry hip-deep into the next-generation videogame console wars -- with Microsoft having already launched its Xbox 360 and Sony announcing it's releasing the PlayStation 3 worldwide in November -- some are expecting Nintendo to make a significant announcement, perhaps pricing or timing for its Revolution at GDC. Last year, Nintendo announced the Revolution at the event.

Still, for many, the conference is an opportunity to get a first-hand look at the processes behind the games, and to learn from their peers.

"GDC is important as a conference because it allows game creators an opportunity to kick around ideas and analyse their own industry," said Souris Hong-Porretta, vice president of interactive media at Entertainment Media Ventures. "Unlike E3, the electronic entertainment marketing machine, GDC's a conference 'by game developers for developers'."

Simon Carless, editorial director of Game Developer magazine and Gamasutra.com, agreed and said that GDC offers attendees unparalleled access to their industry's leaders, something many professionals in other fields may not get.

"GDC is important because you get to hear the leading game creators talk about the creative, technical and business process," Carless said. "That doesn't necessarily happen in other creative industries."

Game Developer magazine and Gamasutra.com are both owned by CMP Media, which runs the Game Developers Conference, though Carless said he has no role in organising GDC.

This year, said Jamil Moledina, GDC director, the conference has a couple of main themes.

First, Moledina said, is the game industry's increasing focus on broadening its market beyond hardcore gamers.

"There are all kinds of really accessible ways to play games," he said, "so it's about getting people that don't normally consider themselves gamers to play games. Everyone sees movies, but they don't necessarily call themselves movie people."

Second, he said, attendees will see a wide variety of panels and talks about the convergence of the film and game industries.

In any case, one thing that many feel sets GDC apart from the endless number of other games conferences is its inclusion of two mini-conferences that take place on Monday and Tuesday: GDC Mobile, where dozens of companies will be on hand to discuss the state of game development for mobile devices, and the Serious Games Summit, two days of discussions about games designed for education, healthcare and other non-entertainment purposes.

And ultimately, GDC's focus on the entire development chain is invaluable to many who come year in and year out.

"As the game industry matures in its technology, business models and process, the professional conference begins to play an even more important role than ever," said Michael Steele, vice president and general manager for live game services at Emergent Game Technologies, a developer of platform tools for interactive games. "GDC is special because of both pedigree -- it's a long running, well-established, traditional meeting place -- as well as the professional development: the sessions. New ideas, new ways of doing business, new techniques etc, are talked about freely and shared openly."