GDC 2021 goes all-digital & shifts dates to July
The 35th iteration of the Game Developers Conference kicks off a bit later than usual.
We are more than a year into living with the ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic and folks are still adapting to the new normal. The show must go on, though, so shifts to all-digital versions of previously live events have become commonplace. One such event is GDC, also known as the Game Developers Conference. Historically held in California during the spring, the 35th annual GDC gathering will be an online-only affair and will run from July 19 through July 23, 2021.
Prior to 2020, the main GDC event was held in San Francisco and featured a gathering of the biggest players in the video game industry. It featured education panels and workshops, as well as an opportunity for networking between developers and publishers. Keynotes from the major console and hardware manufacturers are one of the biggest highlights of the annual event, giving the public glimpses into the future of gaming hardware.
GDC also plays host to the Game Developers Choice Awards, the only open, peer-based awards show. Winning at these awards is considered to be one of the most prestigious accomplishments in the industry. Previous Game of the Year winners include The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, The Last of Us, and Portal. As there was no awards show last year due to COVID-19, it is likely that this year’s pool of nominees will be larger than usual.
At the official GDC blog, the event staff explains the setup for this year’s all-digital expo:
Interested parties can register at the GDC website. Be sure to check in early as the GDC MasterClass Program kicks off on March 4.
-
Shacknews
replyChris Jarrard posted a new article, GDC 2021 goes all-digital & shifts dates to July
-
GDC (and that also means IGF) will go 100% virtual this year, despite earlier indiciation they were thinking a mixed event.
https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-02-18-gdc-drops-in-person-plans-for-2021-event
-
