World’s Longest-Running Professional Game Industry Event Kicks off 38th Edition; Attendees Can Expect a Week of Education, Innovation and Connection

The 2024 Game Developers Conference (GDC), the world’s largest gathering of game industry professionals and enthusiasts who are devoted to the art and science of making games, begins its 38th edition today at the Moscone Convention Center in San Francisco. The week-long conference will feature more than 1,000 experienced speakers, 700 insightful sessions, workshops, roundtable discussions and networking events alongside 345 exhibitors on the GDC Expo floor.

Starting with two days of GDC Summits on March 18 and 19, the conference offers deep dives into specific game development disciplines, with central topics that include level design, art direction, artificial intelligence, user interface design, community management, technical artistry, game narrative, math in game development and much more. The summits equip attendees with actionable skills and philosophies to incorporate into their careers and hobbies.

The conference continues on Wednesday, March 20, the opening day of GDC’s core conference and commences with the GDC Main Stage Performance titled “A Developer’s Concert” in North Hall at 9:00am PT. This must-see performance will treat attendees to a unique musical presentation featuring world-class composer Austin Wintory, known for Stray Gods, Journey, Banner Saga 1-3, Assassin’s Creed Syndicate and more, who will conduct a live instrumental performance showcasing influential and notable game scores from the past year. Austin will be joined by the widely acclaimed voice actor Troy Baker, heard in such games as The Last of Us, Bioshock Infinite, and the upcoming Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. All attendees are invited to attend this exciting performance.

Core Concept sessions will continue from Wednesday, March 20 through Friday, March 22. These sessions will focus on many of the key pillars of game development: Audio, Business & Marketing, Design, Production & Team Leadership, Programming and Visual Arts. World-renowned designers will lead sessions on The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Super Mario Bros. Wonder, Baldur’s Gate 3, Final Fantasy XVI, Alan Wake 2, Tetris, The Elder Scrolls, Karateka, Star Wars: TIE Fighter and much more.

The 26th annual Independent Games Festival (IGF), the longest-running festival, summit and showcase celebrating independent games and their creators, and the 24th annual Game Developers Choice Awards (GDCAs), the leading peer-based video game event celebrating the industry’s top games and developers, will take place back-to-back on Wednesday, March 20, starting at 6:00pm PT. Both ceremonies are available to attend for all GDC 2024 pass holders and will be live-streamed on the event mobile app and the official GDC Twitch channel. The awards will be archived on Twitch and the official GDC YouTube channel.

“GDC is dedicated to the art and science of making video games and is proud to be a hub for meaningful connection, learning and inspiration among both the industry's brightest and its rising stars,” said Stephenie Hawkins, GDC Event Director. “We are excited to welcome back the GDC community for the 38th year, and for them to experience new programs like the Main Stage musical performance and Game History Gallery, alongside GDC’s tried and true sessions, workshops and programs we have every year.”

The GDC Expo floor is where top game industry companies exhibit their latest innovations and meet with attendees. It also features special community spaces where attendees can meet or reconnect and play, ponder and inspire each other. The alt.ctrl.GDC showcase returns this year, celebrating its 10th anniversary as it’s become one of GDC's most acclaimed community spaces. Visitors can play games using alternative controllers, many of which focus on providing new accessibility features, and meet the developers behind these unique projects. The IGF Pavilion hosts the finalists of the IGF Awards, providing attendees with a chance to play some of the most exciting and boundary-pushing independent games that will be seen during the IGF Award ceremony on Wednesday evening. Curated by the Museum of Art and Digital Entertainment (MADE) in Oakland, California, alongside their community partner Civic Design Studios, GDC Arcade Play offers attendees a spot to play and enjoy over a dozen incredible games that helped shape the industry. GDC Play is an interactive showcase on the GDC Expo floor featuring innovative projects and games and the emerging and independent developers who created them. Also new this year is the Game History Gallery, created in partnership with the Video Game History Foundation. Displaying historic pieces of gaming hardware, a handful of playable games and a donation space, attendees can learn about the importance of video game preservation and experience inspiring and pivotal games from the past.

For more details on the Game Developers Conference, please visit GDC’s official website, or subscribe to regular updates via Facebook, Twitter/X, or RSS. Official photos are available via the official GDC Flickr account.

About GDC

The Game Developers Conference® (GDC) is the world’s largest professional game industry event with market-defining content for programmers, artists, producers, game designers, audio professionals, business decision-makers, and others involved in the development of interactive games and immersive experiences. GDC brings together the global game development community year-round through events and digital media.

GDC is organized by Informa PLC, a leading B2B information services group and the largest B2B Events organizer in the world. To learn more and for the latest news and information visit www.informa.com.

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