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Conference Overview

A Week of Learning and Inspiration

GDC delivers five days of expert-led education on key game development topics, as well as several special features throughout the week. Attendees have the opportunity to gain insight into the future of games, be inspired by new techniques, and discover creative new approaches. Discover what GDC week has in store for you below.

Design

Get ideas for new games, tips to push your project forward, and learn how to create compelling interactions and design great games.

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Programming

Learn the latest tools, middleware, and technical skills to develop games across platforms and solve difficult development problems.

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Business & Marketing

Gain insight into game industry trends, identify business opportunities & partners and learn new strategies for marketing games.

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Production & Team Management

Learn tactics for managing game production, from massive budget AAA console games to emerging platforms with new challenges.

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Visual Arts

Be inspired by leading artists' work from stellar concept art to post-production and learn about the process behind the work.

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Free to Play

Learn the nuts and bolts of great game design and successful business strategies for games on mobile platforms, including iOS, Android, and Amazon.

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Game Narrative

Learn about interactive narrative in all forms, including AAA blockbusters, indie games, mobile, and social projects from theory to practical case studies.

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Independent Games

Hear from the best and brightest indie game creators representing diverse voices, experiences and perspectives, including many IGF finalists and winners.

Learn more about Independent Games at GDC 2021

VR/AR

Learn to create amazing, immersive VR and AR experiences for games and entertainment at the Virtual Reality Developers Conference (VRDC).

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Educators

Discover the most innovative and exciting ideas in game education. Learn new experimental approaches and best practices to bring back to your classrooms.

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Audio

Share knowledge and top game audio professionals addressing audio's unique aesthetic, technical, business, and logistical problems.

Learn more about Audio at GDC 2021

UX

Learn UX design and strategy best practices to improve overall game quality and increase the likelihood that your game will create and sustain engagement.

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Career & Studio Development

Discover strategies for pitching your game, effective communication, how to land an investor/publisher, business development, and how to build your career in the game development directly from industry experts. Attend the Game Career Seminar designed for students and others interested in starting a game development career.

Learn more about Career & Studio Development at GDC 2021

Esports

Learn how to attract and support professional players and teams, journalists, content creators, and grassroots player organizations in a day-long series of panels and presentations. Join the Esports Summit and learn about growing your esports ecosystem alongside long-time developers, publishers, and esports community leaders.

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Board Game Design

The Board Game Design Summit is a one-day deep dive into the art and science of designing non-electronic board (and card) games. Featuring multiple notable speakers from the world of board game design, this is an opportunity to get deep into the design mechanics behind innovative and popular board games.

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Vision

Be inspired by amazing work outside of games that feeds back into game innovation and the future of the industry.

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Advocacy

Address topics ranging from diversity to censorship to quality of life within the realm of social advocacy in the game industry.

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GDC Main Stage

The GDC Main Stage Keynote hosts a lineup of entertainment and prominent industry leaders sharing their experiences around important game industry themes.

Classic Games Postmortem

Take a trip behind the scenes with the creators of some of the most innovative games of their time. Discover the lessons learned by the makers of these landmark game titles and find inspiration in understanding what it took to bring these games to life.

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Sponsored Content

Hear from leading game technology companies in sponsored summits and sessions throughout the week at GDC to learn firsthand about the latest products, tools, services, and techniques.

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Connecting the Global Game Development Community