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In response to repeated requests, GDC organizers have extended the call for submissions deadline to Friday, November 1st to present lectures and panels for the specialized Summits that kick off the 2014 Game Developers Conference in California next March.
Organized by the UBM Tech Game Network, GDC 2014 will take place March 17-21 at the Moscone Convention Center in San Francisco, California.
Beginning on the first two days of the conference, the GDC Summits cover topics in emerging sectors of the game development industry, with a focus on broadening the scope of games to incorporate new audiences, new platforms, and new gameplay ideas.
The 2014 GDC Summits accepting submissions are as follows:

The organizers of the 16th annual Independent Games Festival -- the longest-running and largest showcase for independent developers -- are proud to announce that the event has once again seen record entries for its latest Main Competition.
In total, the GDC 2014 co-located festival attracted 656 Main Competition entries from both established indie developers and first-time entrants, handily beating last year's high score of 589.
Some of the hundreds of promising titles entered in this year's IGF Main Competition include Stoic's turn-based strategy RPG The Banner Saga, Impromptu Games's puzzle platformer InFlux, and David S. Gallant's I Get This Call Every Day.
The entrants also feature titles such as Vlambeer's Nuclear Throne, TAISO by Zacozaco, and Quadrilateral Cowboy by Blendo Games. You can check out the full list of IGF entries here.

University of Southern California's USC Games program and GDC Next are collaborating to support the next generation of developers with a pass giveaway to GDC Next in November.
USC will distribute 50 VIP All Access Passes and additional complimentary Expo Passes to eligible students in the USC Games program enrolled in Advanced Game Projects (a full-year class in which students at USC Games work with industry and faculty mentors to create professional-quality games) and MFA students working on their final year thesis projects (the culmination of the three-year MFA program in School of Cinematic Arts' Interactive Media and Games Division).
"We're thrilled to be able to offer an opportunity for USC students to participate in this GDC," said GDC general manager Meggan Scavio, "In creating an event aimed at discussing 'what's next' in game development, it only seemed natural to include the next generation of game developers."
Tracy Fullerton, director of USC's Game Innovation Lab, echoed Scavio's sentiment: "Attending professional conferences such as GDC and GDC Next is an incredible opportunity for our students to learn more about the latest, best practices in the game industry; to meet with their peers and mentors; and is critical for their professional development."
The USC Games program is a joint collaboration between the School of Cinematic Arts' Interactive Media & Games Division and the Viterbi School of Engineering's Department of Computer Science. Incorporating elements of design, artistry and engineering, USC Games offers an utterly unique educational experience for students, and serves as the launching pad for them to play significant roles in the game design field.

In advance of GDC Next, taking place in Los Angeles in early November, GDC Director of Online Community Patrick Miller asked Dynamighty co-founder David Nottingham about the creative and artistic influences that inspired PlayStation 3, mobile, tablet and PlayStation Vita title CounterSpy.
Nottingham, himself a LucasArts veteran, will be speaking in a GDC Next 10 talk titled "How I learned to Stop Worrying and Love Making CounterSpy" at next month's show.
Patrick Miller: Why decide to start a new studio and develop an original game at the same time instead of tackling each ridiculously difficult task one at a time?

Last year, Austin's GDC Online floored its final show -- but its focus on cutting-edge sessions for developing Internet-connected games lives on in GDC Next, the 'spiritual successor' show which takes place in Los Angeles from November 5th-7th.
GDC Next will feature sessions from previous GDC Online favorite topics and speakers on F2P lessons from Neverwinter and Diner Dash, cloud gaming and crowdfunding with Star Citizen, microtransactions and subscriptions from Playdom, new user experience and retention from KIXEYE and Workshop Entertainment, and more.
GDC Next will take place alongside the App Developers Conference on November 5th-7th, 2013 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. The new event aims to highlight the future of video game development, with session tracks organized around 'Next Generation Game Platforms', 'Free To Play & New Business Models', and 'Smartphone & Tablet Games', as well as cloud and indie game tracks.

Game Developers Conference Next is just a few weeks away from happening in Los Angeles (November 5th-7th), kicking off the inaugural 'future of games' event.
And while you're putting together your session schedule in the Schedule Builder, don't forget to set some time aside to stop by the Expo Floor. Highlights include:

• The exhibitors: Google, Sony, Microsoft, Samsung, Intel, Qualcomm, Pandora, Technical Illusions, and other major game and app industry players will be there, showing what's next for developers.
• Vendor talks: GREE, Tencent, Intel, Google, and many others will be offering sponsored sessions at the GDC Next and ADC Expo Floor theater, all accessible to anyone with any GDC Next, ADC, or Expo Pass.
• ADC Best in Apps: AppCircus and ADC have partnered to put on the Best in Apps contest, and a hand-selected group of finalists will be presenting their work on the Expo Floor.
• Retro portable gadgets: Remember the Apple Newton? The Videogame History Museum will be presenting a special exhibit called the Museum of Portable Devices, showing the Newton, early Palm products, as well as presenting arcade machines and its classic '80s 'living room' setup
• Get a job: Several major industry companies, including Sony, Insomniac, GREE, and Nexon, will be networking and recruiting for open positions.
• Grab a snack: Recharge your body's batteries with a free smoothie from 10-11am and 2-3pm, afternoon coffee from 3:30-4:15pm, and Happy Hour from 5-6pm.

For more information on the GDC Next and ADC Expo Floor, including Intel's presentations, free OUYA giveaways, and more, check out the GDC Next Expo Floor page.

'Future of games' conference GDC Next has added more exciting talks to its inaugural lineup: Raph Koster on the expanding definition and audience of games, Ouya's Julie Uhrman on 'Why Now Is the Best Time Ever to Be a Game Developer,' and Three Donkeys's Skaff Elias (a key figure in the creation of Magic: The Gathering) on tweaking luck and skill in game design.
GDC Next is the spiritual successor to GDC Online, and will take place alongside the App Developers Conference on November 5th-7th, 2013 at the Los Angeles Convention Center.
This new event aims to highlight the future of video game development, with session tracks organized around 'Next Generation Game Platforms', 'Free To Play & New Business Models', and 'Smartphone & Tablet Games', as well as cloud and indie game tracks.
For veteran designer Raph Koster (Ultima Online), the future of games is already here -- and they're far exceeding the medium's traditional boundaries and expectations. Amidst gamified restaurants, immersive narrative experiences, political statements, and more, there are conflicts between audience subcultures and within the development community. Players get mad when a title isn't what they expected. Developers grow angry as they watch the encroachment of business practices they dislike.
In a titled talk 'Playing with "Game",' Koster will offer a craft-centric approach to these fundamental game dev questions: What do we make, who do we make it for, and how can we best make what we want? He will present a framework for thinking about varied types of interactive experiences, and the four types of problems that make for compelling play, along with practical design checklists and techniques for different kinds of game experiences.