GDC
GDC business and news from across the web.
Discussing unionization, layoffs, and monetizationA Game Developer podcast episode, featuring analysts from GDC and Omdia, discusses key findings from the GDC 2024 State of the Game Industry report. The conversation covers trends in monetization, industry layoffs, and conglomeration, as well as developer opinions on unionization, with younger developers showing significantly higher support.
Snapping Your Career into Place with Ben BrodeBen Brode, chief development officer at Second Dinner, discusses the challenges of designing Marvel Snap to be both accessible and expandable for long-term live service. He highlights the iterative process of defining core game mechanics and the studio's use of the Godot engine for efficient over-the-air updates.
GDC Festival of Gaming 2026 attendance drops 30% to 20,000 visitorsThe GDC Festival of Gaming experienced a 30% drop in attendance this year, with only 20,000 visitors, the lowest since 2011. This decline is attributed to high attendance costs and concerns among international visitors regarding US immigration policies. Some companies have redirected their budgets to other events like Develop Brighton and Tokyo Game Show.- GDC Festival of Gaming Concludes With Over 20K AttendeesThe GDC Festival of Gaming concluded with over 20,000 attendees, featuring more than 700 sessions and 1,100 speakers. The event highlighted discussions on AI, emerging platforms like the next-generation Xbox, and career navigation within the industry. The next GDC Festival of Gaming is scheduled for March 1-5, 2027.
- What a Tangled Web3 We WeaveFor the first time in years, discussions surrounding blockchain gaming are absent from the Game Developers Conference (GDC). This marks a notable shift in the industry's focus away from Web3 technologies.
- GDC Festival of Gaming Opening Today at SF’s Moscone CenterThe GDC Festival of Gaming has opened at San Francisco's Moscone Center, marking the 40th edition of the event with a transformed format reflecting the broader gaming industry ecosystem. The festival aims to connect thousands of game-makers, publishers, investors, and other professionals. Several other gaming news items are also briefly mentioned, including updates for Football Manager 26, a research initiative by Avia Games and Duke University, a new trailer for MotorSlice, Monster Hunter Now's anniversary, a grant for ROCKFISH Games' EVERSPACE franchise, and a partnership between JAKKS Pacific and SEGA for Sonic the Hedgehog 4.
Influential Game Designer Rob Pardo Hosting GDC Festival of Gaming March 12Influential game designer Rob Pardo will deliver a keynote titled “An Odyssey in Building Games That Last” at the GDC Festival of Gaming on March 12. Pardo, known for his work on StarCraft, World of Warcraft, and Diablo, will reflect on his career and discuss his current project, Arkheron, with Bonfire Studios. The GDC Festival of Gaming runs from March 9-13 in San Francisco.