GDC Summer Will Now Be An All-Digital Event

Instead of returning as a 3-day conference, GDC Summer will now be an all-digital event.

In a blog post, GDC organizers said: “As so many game developers embrace remote working arrangements and online collaboration, we’re inspired to adapt and deliver GDC in a digital format that will be available to everyone with an internet connection, and will work hard to deliver the high-quality content and networking opportunities GDC attendees have come to expect.”

The digital-only event will still take place from August 4th to August 6th, and GDC will be sharing more information on how to virtually attend at a later date.

GDC Summer Announced For August 2020

GDC 2020 wasn’t able to happened due to the coronavirus pandemic. The GDC staff stated that there would be some kind of replacement for the event later this year, and have just announced when it will be. GDC Summer, a “three-day celebration of the art, craft and business of game development”, will be taking place in San Fransisco from August 4th to 6th. According to the GDC staff, the event will be “a unique Game Developers Conference experience but will retain the same high level of expert-led talks as the traditional GDC, along with a freestyle two-day expo show floor August 5th and 6th”. 

GDC 2020 Has Been Postponed To Summer

Due to coronavirus outbreak concerns, GDC (Game Developers Conference) 2020 has been postponed. The event was originally supposed to take place March 16 - 20. The GDC staff said that “after close consultation with our partners in the game development industry and community around the world, we’ve made the difficult decision to postpone the Game Developers Conference this March”. 

As for what will become of the event, the GDC staff said that “we fully intend to host a GDC event later in the summer. We will be working with our partners to finalize the details and will share more information about our plans in the coming weeks”. 

Google Revealing Their Gaming Plans Next Month At GDC

Google has been rumored to want to enter the ring of the gaming industry. Now it seems like the company has aa plan and will reveal those plans to the world, sending out a fairly detail-free invite to an announcement on March 19.

The Google announcement is taking place in San Francisco during the beginning of the Game Developer's Conference, a gathering of game developers from around the world. It is expected that Google will announce their own gaming platform at the event, likely leveraging the Google Stream service that was announced back in October

The real question is whether the service will use/include a physical box or being entirely digital. Also, how much is all this gonna cost ? 

Xbox Live Coming To Nintendo Switch, Android, And iOS

A developer session by Microsoft, which is due to take place at this year’s GDC, will be about a new update to the cross-platform developer kit that will allow Xbox Live to further connect with players on Android, iOS and the Nintendo Switch platform. You will soon be able to “have your achievements, clubs, friends list and “more” while on the move, and could pick up on some experiences where you left off.”

Here Are The 2019 GDC Awards Nominees

Game of the Year

• Celeste (Matt Makes Games)
• God of War (Sony Santa Monica / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
• Marvel’s Spider-Man (Insomniac Games / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
• Red Dead Redemption 2 (Rockstar Games)
• Return of the Obra Dinn (Lucas Pope / 3909)

Honorable Mentions: Assassin’s Creed Odyssey (Ubisoft Quebec / Ubisoft), Florence (Mountains / Annapurna Interactive), Into the Breach (Subset Games), Monster Hunter: World (Capcom), Super Smash Bros Ultimate (Bandai Namco Studios & Sora / Nintendo), Tetris Effect (Monstars and Resonair / Enhance)

Best Audio

• Celeste (Matt Makes Games)
• God of War (Sony Santa Monica / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
• Marvel’s Spider-Man (Insomniac Games / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
• Red Dead Redemption 2 (Rockstar Games)
• Tetris Effect (Monstars and Resonair / Enhance)

Honorable Mentions: Battlefield 5 (EA DICE / Electronic Arts), Beat Saber (Beat Games), Forza Horizon 4 (Playground Games and Turn 10 Studios / Microsoft Studios), Return of the Obra Dinn (Lucas Pope / 3909), Wandersong (Greg Lobanov / Humble Bundle)

Best Debut

• Florence (Mountains)
• Gris (Nomada Studio)
• Moss (Polyarc)
• The Messenger (Sabotage)
• Yoku’s Island Express (Villa Gorilla)

Honorable Mentions: Beat Games (Beat Saber), Digital Sun (Moonlighter), Okomotive (Far: Lone Sails), Two Point Studios (Two Point Hospital)

Best Design

• Celeste (Matt Makes Games)
• God of War (Sony Santa Monica / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
• Into the Breach (Subset Games)
• Marvel’s Spider-Man (Insomniac Games / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
• Red Dead Redemption 2 (Rockstar Games)

Honorable Mentions: Frostpunk (11 bit studios), Minit (Kitty Calis, Jan Willem Nijman, Jukio Kallio & Dominik Johann / Devolver Digital), Return of the Obra Dinn (Lucas Pope / 3909), Astro Bot Rescue Mission (SIE Japan Studio / Sony Interactive Entertainment), Monster Hunter: World (Capcom)

Best Mobile Game

• Alto’s Odyssey (Snowman)
• Donut County (Ben Esposito / Annapurna Interactive)
• Florence (Mountains / Annapurna Interactive)
• Holedown (Grapefrukt Games)
• Reigns: Game of Thrones (Nerial / Devolver Digital)

Honorable Mentions: Furistas Cat Cafe (Runaway), The Room: Old Sins (Fireproof Studios), Pocket Run Pool (Zach Gage), Alphabear 2 (Spry Fox), Twinfold (Kenny Sun)

Best Narrative

• Florence (Mountains/Annapurna Interactive)
• God of War (Sony Santa Monica / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
• Marvel’s Spider-Man (Insomniac Games / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
• Red Dead Redemption 2 (Rockstar Games)
• Return of the Obra Dinn (Lucas Pope / 3909)

Honorable Mentions: Assassin’s Creed Odyssey (Ubisoft Quebec / Ubisoft), Detroit: Become Human (Quantic Dream / Sony Interactive Entertainment), Celeste (Matt Makes Games), Life is Strange 2 (Dontnod Entertainment / Square Enix), Where the Water Tastes Like Wine (Dim Bulb Games and Serenity Forge / Good Shepherd Entertainment)

Best Technology

• Assassin’s Creed Odyssey (Ubisoft Quebec / Ubisoft)
• Forza Horizon 4 (Turn 10 Studios and Playground Games / Microsoft Studios)
• God of War (Sony Santa Monica / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
• Marvel’s Spider-Man (Insomniac Games / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
• Red Dead Redemption 2 (Rockstar Games)

Honorable Mentions: Sea of Thieves (Rare / Microsoft Studios), Far Cry 5 (Ubisoft Montreal and Ubisoft Toronto / Ubisoft), Battlefield V (EA DICE / Electronic Arts), Detroit: Become Human (Quantic Dream / Sony Interactive Entertainment), Return of the Obra Dinn (Lucas Pope / 3909)

Best Visual Art

• God of War (Sony Santa Monica / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
• Gris (Nomada Studio / Devolver Digital)
• Marvel’s Spider-Man (Insomniac Games / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
• Red Dead Redemption 2 (Rockstar Games)
• Return of the Obra Dinn (Lucas Pope / 3909)

Honorable Mentions: Battlefield 5 (EA DICE / Electronic Arts), Tetris Effect (Monstars and Resonair / Enhance), Dragon Ball FighterZ (Arc System Works / Bandai Namco Entertainment), Assassin’s Creed Odyssey (Ubisoft Quebec / Ubisoft), Below (Capybara Games)

Best VR/AR Game

• Astro Bot Rescue Mission (SIE Japan Studio / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
• Beat Saber (Beat Games)
• Budget Cuts (Neat Corporation)
• Moss (Polyarc)
• Tetris Effect (Monstars and Resonair / Enhance)

Honorable Mentions: Jurassic World Alive (Ludia), In Death (Sólfar Studios), Tendar (Tender Claws), Firewall Zero Hour (First Contact Entertainment / Sony Interactive Entertainment), Deracine (FromSoftware / Sony Interactive Entertainment)

Innovation Award

• Florence (Mountains / Annapurna Interactive)
• Nintendo Labo (Nintendo EPD / Nintendo)
• Return of the Obra Dinn (Lucas Pope / 3909)
• Red Dead Redemption 2 (Rockstar Games)
• Tetris Effect (Monstars and Resonair / Enhance)

Honorable Mentions: Minit (Kitty Calis, Jan Willem Nijman, Jukio Kallio & Dominik Johann / Devolver Digital), Celeste (Matt Makes Games), God of War (Sony Santa Monica / Sony Interactive Entertainment), Astro Bot Rescue Mission (SIE Japan Studio / Sony Interactive Entertainment), Moss (Polyarc), A Way Out (Hazelight Studios / Electronic Arts)

Ark: Survival Evolved Is Coming To Nintendo Switch

The dinosaur survival game Ark: Survival Evolved is heading to the Nintendo Switch. The game was announced for the platform during GDC 2018. Development Studio Wildcard says that the Nintendo Switch version of the game has the same set of features as the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 versions of Ark: Survival Evolved. The game is due to be released on the Nintendo Switch sometime this fall and will be available both physically and digitally.

Nintendo Developers Plan To Talk About ARMS And Splatoon 2 At GDC 2018

The Game Developers Conference 2018 will soon be upon us in March and Nintendo will be taking part once again. The developers will be discussing the development of both ARMS and Splatoon  2. The Splatoon and Splatoon 2 session will cover the origins of the game and how Nintendo tackled its excellent sequel. The ARMS session will cover how games influenced its creation as well as how the team incorporated motion controls in the game. GDC 2018 will take place from March 19-23 at the Moscone Convention Center in San Francisco.

Here’s What Borderlands 3 Might Look Like

During the annual GDC Epic Games keynote, Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford took the stage to show off some of the Unreal Engine 4 experiments the Borderlands 3 development team is doing to take the games unique graphical style to a true next generation experience. Pitchford carefully pointed out the examples shown onstage were not final assets, but they give us an idea of how the franchise will look as it moves to the PS4, Xbox One, PS4 Pro, Scorpio, and PC. Below you can see a video of Epic Games' GDC presentation. Go to the 48-minute mark to hear Randy Pitchford talk about the next Borderlands game. As for when we can expect more information on Borderlands 3, Pitchford said, "We're working on it. We'll get you soon." Thoughts ? 

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Developers Hosting GDC 2017 Panel

Three developers behind The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild will host a panel at the upcoming Game Developers Conference in San Francisco. The panel, “Change and Constant – Breaking Conventions with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild,” will feature game director Hidemaro Fujibayashi, art director Satoru Takizawa and technical director Takuhiro Dohta. The panel is scheduled to be held 11 AM to 12:30 PM on March 1 at the Moscone Center.

For decades, The Legend of Zelda series has been recognized as a trailblazer in game design that has influenced countless other games and developers. The latest game in the series, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild for both the Nintendo Switch and Wii U systems, introduces wide-ranging changes that break with many of the traditional conventions of the franchise. The panel will provide an in-depth look at how these convention-breaking changes were implemented.

The panel will take place two days before Nintendo Switch, Nintendo’s new home system, and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild launch. For those who are not attending GDC, a video of the panel will be available at http://www.gdcvault.com the following week.

The Winners Of The 16th Annual Game Developers Choice Awards

Here’s the full list of winners for the Game Developers Choice Awards.

• Ambassador Award: Tracy Fullerton, USC
• Pioneer Award: Markus "Notch" Persson, Mojang
• Lifetime Achievement Award: Todd Howard, Bethesda Studios
• Best Technology: The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt
• Best Audio: Crypt of the Necrodancer
• Best Narrative: Her Story
• Best Visual Art: Ori and the Blind Forest
• Best Handheld/Mobile Game: Her Story
• Best Game Design: Rocket League
• Best Debut: Ori and the Blind Forest
• Innovation Award: Her Story
• Audience Award: Life is Strange
• Game of the Year: The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

The Pokemon GO Demonstration At GDC 2016 Has Been Cancelled

The Pokemon GO demonstration at GDC 2016 has been cancelled. The session was scheduled to take place on March 14 at the Game Developers Conference 2016, and promised that “Attendees will get a first-hand, in-depth look at how players are interacting and exploring the world with one another through Pokemon GO, the collaborative approach to design and development for the game and the next evolution of augmented reality and real-world mobile gameplay experiences.” It’s unknown as to why the event has been cancelled, hopefully we get an answer in the coming days. 

Sony Holding PlayStation VR Presentation At GDC 2016

Sony has sent out invites for a PlayStation VR event during Games Developers Conference 2016. The invite-only event will be held on March 15 in San Francisco. The "exclusive press event" will begin with a presentation on the PlayStation VR. That begins at 2pm PT, followed by several hours of hands-on demos. Hopefully Sony will announce the price and release date for PlayStation VR. I also hope it doesn’t break my wallet with its price like the other VR headsets (i.e Oculus and Vive). When do you think it’ll release ? How much do you think it’ll cost ? 

Pokemon GO Will Be Demonstrated At GDC 2016

Pokemon GO well be demonstrated at the Games Developers Conference 2016 (GDC) which takes place between March 14th and March 18th. Here’s the description of the Pokemon GO event. 

“Over the last three years, Niantic, Inc. has been defining the genre of Real World gaming, using smartphones and tablets to connect the digital world to the physical world. Niantic’s newest game, Pokemon GO, ups the challenge of real world gaming design, taking a beloved franchise and setting its hundreds of brightly-colored monsters loose across the globe, adding a new Bluetooth wearable device created by Nintendo to the mix. Join Niantic founder and CEO John Hanke as he discusses how the company has developed a unique vision for delivering a mobile Pokemon experience that gets would-be trainers into the outdoors.” Those who attend the session “will get a first-hand, in-depth look at how players are interacting and exploring the world with one another through Pokemon GO, the collaborative approach to design and development for the game and the next evolution of augmented reality and real-world mobile gameplay experiences.”

I’ll be nice to see how the game will play and how we’ll interact with the game. What do you hope to see in Pokemon GO ?

Nvidia’s Titan X Is The Most Advanced GPU

During the Nvidia Press Conference at GDC, Nvidia officially announced Titan X, which it calls the "world's most advanced GPU." Nvidia CEO Jen-Hsun Huang made a surprise appearance at the Unreal Engine panel today to officially announce the GPU. The card has 12 GB of RAM and 8 billion transistors. Pricing information has not ben announced as of this time. 

Developers Prefer PC Over Game Console’s

A survey by the GDC (Game Developers Conference) shows that game consoles like the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One are gaining ground over the PC. The survey show that 26% of developers said they're working on a PS4 game, while 22% said they're working on an Xbox One game. Those numbers are up from last year's 14% and 12%, as they should be as more current gen console games are making their way on to the market. PC still is still the raining king as 56% of developers saying they're working on PC games, which grew only 3% from last year. Whats your platform of choice ?