At GDC 2019, attendees will have the opportunity to interact with an array of sponsors who help fuel the games industry, including our Diamond Partners, whose support plays an integral role to the success of GDC.
During this year's show, Facebook Gaming will be returning to the show floor to help developers build games that connect with the site's billions of users, including those who have picked up an Oculus headset. To introduce you to what they're up to this year, we reached out to Facebook's Leo Olebe for a quick Q&A which you can now read below!
Could you please introduce yourself and your role at Facebook Gaming?
I’m Leo Olebe, and I lead global games partnerships at Facebook.
What are you most excited about with the future of Facebook Gaming as you get ready for GDC this year?
As we get ready for GDC this year, I’m excited about how much Facebook is investing in the future of the gaming space. This year is all about focus and creating immediate value creating engaging experiences for you if you’re a gamer on Facebook – whether it’s connecting in a gaming group, finding a favorite or a new to play. We’re dedicating a lot of resources to help build the world’s gaming community. What that means is that for developers and publishers, we are providing the tools to grow and engage their audiences, retain players longer, keep players more engaged, and monetize their players.
For players, we want to provide the best ways to engage with their friends and find fellow fans of the games they love in non-toxic and supportive communities, as well as expanding the surfaces on which to play games. We will continue to push for innovation and diversity in the community space with programs like Women in Gaming and Global Gaming Citizens. And we’ll continue to push the boundaries of what’s possible in gaming Oculus and VR.
What new steps is Facebook Gaming taking in 2019 to support developers?
We’re expanding the surfaces on which players can enjoy your games, regardless if your fans want to play, participate in streams, or engage with other fans. We’re providing many new tools for developers to foment a true 360 degree gaming experience. We’re also releasing the new Oculus Quest to further expand and innovate in the gaming space.
What do developers need to know about creating experiences for the Oculus Quest as opposed to the Rift or Oculus Go products?
Rift and Quest are the definitive VR gaming devices and we are so excited to see what developers will do this year with the launch of Oculus Quest and continued growth of Rift. Oculus Go has been doing incredibly well in growing the ecosystem, and we saw an incredible adoption of it as a media device. So developers should keep that in mind when thinking about the sorts of experiences they want to build. The Oculus team is hosting a session at GDC on building for Oculus Quest and Rift, so we encourage everyone to check that out!
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