Come to VRDC for expert tips on putting VR to good use at events and stores

August 29, 2016

Virtual reality is big business right now, but it's not always easy to figure out how to integrate it with your own work.

Today, Virtual Reality Developers Conference organizers want to let you know about a special talk on the conference's Brand Experience track that will offer practical advice on this very issue!

John Buzzell is an award winning 25-year veteran of the digital industry, and in his VRDC talk "10 Tips for VR in the Retail/Trade/Event Space" he'll share lessons learned from putting hundreds of thousands of people through VR at retail, trade shows, and events.

Attend and you'll be able to learn from their experience to make sure your brand is what shines through. Client case studies will be used to explain how to effectively plan and run VR experiences, so you can ensure that your customers' first VR experience work for the brand, not just the hardware manufacturer.

Attend VRDC for expert advice on tackling VR's usability challenges

August 26, 2016

Heads up, VR devs: Virtual Reality Developers Conference organizers are hard at work lining up a fantastic array of VR/AR experts to speak at the big November show, including game researcher, designer and XEODesign founder Nicole Lazzaro.

In Lazarro's VRDC talk on "VR Usability in Wonderland," she plans to outline how VR game devs must releasrn how to do things like move a game's camera, design a player interface, and even play audio in order to effectively immerse players in a VR experience.

Based on two years of VR research on games such as Job Simulator, Defense Grid, EVE: Valkyrie, plus 25 years of game research and developing XEODesign's own VR game Follow the White Rabbit (pictured) Lazzaro will deliver a deep dive into player psychology, usability, and the neuropsychology of emotion.

What's the most popular VR platform? Find out in VRDC's VR/AR Innovation Report

August 24, 2016

The UBM Game Network, producer of the Virtual Reality Developers Conference (VRDC), today released the first-ever VRDC VR/AR Innovation Report, compiled of responses from professionals involved in the development of virtual and augmented reality. The new report offers an exclusive glimpse into the fast growing and diverse VR/AR industry - from sustainability of the market, to market challenges, platform availability, funding and more.

For more information and to download the report, download it for free here!

The VR/AR industry is in a phase of rapid growth. Investors have poured major money into expanding the business, while leading innovators (including Microsoft, Sony, Google and more) are entering the market this year. AR technology has burst into the mainstream market via the highly popular Pokemon Go app. As the world of VR and AR expands, UBM Game Network is working to provide the industry with the latest information around virtual and augmented reality.

With this initiative in mind, the organization first launched VRDC, co-located with the Game Developers Conference, in March 2016 and will introduce a standalone VRDC event November 2-3 in San Francisco, CA that expands beyond games and entertainment to VR and AR for brand experience and innovative use cases of all kinds.

Microsoft, ARM and CCP among the cutting-edge sponsors of VRDC

August 23, 2016

The inaugural standalone edition of the Virtual Reality Developers Conference kicks off this November, and today we'd like to quickly run down some of the cutting-edge tech companies who have already signed on to sponsor the show.

Among them are tech giants Microsoft, ARM and Qualcomm, industry leaders who are invested in realizing the full potential of virtual- and augmented-reality technology.

The growing list of VRDC sponsors also includes CCP Games, developers of the high-profile VR game EVE Valkyrie, as well as the eye-tracking VR headset company Fove and the Japanese game publisher/developer Colopl, which recently launched a $50 million global VR investment fund as it works to develop and publish its own VR games.

And that's not all -- more sponsors are expected to get involved with VRDC, and some of them will be sponsoring their own expert talks on the VRDC Partners Track, which aims to provide sessions that enable companies to communicate the value of their tool or service, then educate and empower developers to put it to great use.

At VRDC you'll see how the White House is using VR to tackle real challenges

August 22, 2016

Virtual Reality Developers Conference organizers are working to line up a fantastic array of VR/AR experts to speak at the big November show, and today they're happy to announce that one of those speakers will be coming from the White House.

Erik Martin is a policy advisor at the White House, and in a VRDC Innovation Track talk on "The White House Call: Virtual Reality for Grand Challenges" he'll address the ways the White House sees virtual reality as a new tool for approaching a number of significant issues.

He'll also explore efforts by the White House to utilize leading entertainment technology, and speak to how, in areas like education, VR must also help reduce the digital divide among wealthy and poor rather than expand it. This talk will call for VR as a force for good, and showcase how developers can help achieve that goal.

Come out to VRDC and see how CCP developed EVE: Valkyrie

August 17, 2016

The inaugural standalone edition of the Virtual Reality Developers Conference is kicking off in November, and today organizers are happy to announce that experts from CCP Games will be there to talk about how they launched one of the most high-profile VR games: EVE: Valkyrie.

In the VRDC Games & Entertainment track talk "Prepped for Launch, The EVE: Valkyrie Development Story" lead game designer Andrew Willans will deliver an earnest narrative of the development of EVE: Valkyrie from prototype to launch.

This lecture will cover many aspects of game design from UX to gameplay and mechanics balancing. Willans will also share and discuss the best practices with examples from various stages in production as the hardware, and vision for the game evolved.

Plus, the presentation will also cover the launch of PSVR and discuss how community-led development and cross-platform play are essential ingredients for the success of social VR gaming.

Devs, submit your great ideas for a GDC 2017 Design talk

August 11, 2016

If you've got a great idea for a session that should take place as part of the Programming track of talks at Game Developers Conference 2017, now is the time to submit it! GDC 2017 organizers are now accepting submissions to present lectures, roundtables, panels, posters and tutorials through Thursday, August 18th.

This will be the 31st edition of GDC, which continues to be the world's largest and longest-running event serving professionals dedicated to the art and science of making games.

Next year the show will take place Monday, February 27 to Friday, March 3, 2017 at the Moscone Convention Center in San Francisco, California, and will once again host thousands of game developers from all around the world for a week of learning, networking and inspiration.

Organizers are looking for submissions of expert talks that would be a great fit for the show! In particular, they're seeking submissions for the GDC 2017 Design track of talks. Here's what they're looking for:

GDC Europe 2016 starts next week, so get ready!

August 11, 2016

The 2016 edition of Game Developers Conference Europe kicks off next week, so today we're taking a brief moment to highlight some of the things you should know about before you get to the show!

Advance online registration for next week's conference is about to close (11:59 PM Pacific Wednesday, August 10th to be specific) but if you miss it you can still register onsite at the registration desks in the Congress-Centrum Ost Koelnmesse in Cologne, Germany.

The registration area is open for varying lengths of time from Sunday through Wednesday, March 14th through 16th -- you can find the exact hours on the GDC Europe 2016 Registration page.

Plus, you can choose to register for access to the GDC Europe VIP Lounge for an additional fee during the registration process.

This purchasable package allows access to the GDC Europe VIP Lounge during conference hours, which will include light breakfast, lunch, coffee and other beverages throughout the day, all in a comfortable meeting place where you can network with other VIPs and clients. Attendees with access will be allowed to bring in one guest with a valid GDC Europe badge.

In addition, we're going to take a minute to run down the details of the GDC Europe Code of Conduct:

Attend VRDC and see how Double Fine reinvented Psychonauts for VR

August 10, 2016

Later this year San Francisco will host the first standalone Virtual Reality Developers Conference, and one of the excellent sessions organizers are lining up for the show is a great talk from Double Fine Productions about how the studio brought the world of its classic game Psychonauts to life in VR.

In "Reinventing 'Psychonauts' for VR" project lead Chad Dawson will talk about how the team designed and built a fresh experience from the ground up, one that captures the strengths of the original Psychonauts while embracing the immersion and gameplay that can only be delivered in VR.

His talk promises to be fun and insightful, as it covers the design evolution of the upcoming VR game Psychonauts in the Rhombus of Ruin -- including the specific challenges of camera perspectives, control iteration, navigation, and interactive dialog unique to title with a strong focus on stylized characters, story, and humor.

Catch these great talks at GDC Europe -- Online registration closes Wednesday!

August 10, 2016

The big GDC Europe 2016 conference is kicking off next week in Cologne, Germany, and today organizers would like to once again briefly highlight some of the great talks taking place at the show.

Also, it's important to note that you have until this Wednesday, August 10th at 11:59 PM Pacific to register online to attend the show. After that deadline, you'll have to register on-site -- at an increased price!

There's too many notable sessions to run down in a single blog post, so today we're going to continue our efforts to draw out specific highlights by focusing on two more big tracks of talks at GDC Europe: The Design track and the Programming. Each is perennially popular and has its own distinct focus, and together they're a great mix of intriguing design questions and practical game-making insight.

Now's the time to submit your best Visual Arts talks for GDC 2017!

August 9, 2016

If you've got a great idea for a session that should take place as part of the Visual Arts track of talks at Game Developers Conference 2017, now is the time to submit it! GDC 2017 organizers are now accepting submissions to present lectures, roundtables, panels, posters and tutorials through Thursday, August 18th.

This will be the 31st edition of GDC, which continues to be the world's largest and longest-running event serving professionals dedicated to the art and science of making games.

The big event will take place Monday, February 27 to Friday, March 3, 2017 at the Moscone Convention Center in San Francisco, California, and will once again host thousands of game developers from all around the world for a week of learning, networking and inspiration.

GDC organizers want disruptive, inspirational and amazing artists, art directors, and art managers to speak at GDC 2017. They're looking for people who are willing to share their skills and techniques. They want to hear from directors and managers who can teach compatriots how to build great art teams, and create outstanding visuals on tight budgets and schedules. And they're seeking out top-notch technical artists to showcase new insights in look development and tool creation.

GDC Europe online registration closes Wednesday! Don't miss these great talks

August 9, 2016

The big GDC Europe 2016 conference is kicking off next week in Cologne, Germany, and today organizers would like to quickly highlight some of the great expert sessions that will be taking place at the show. That means you have until this Wednesday, August 10th at 11:59 PM Pacific to register online to attend the show. After that deadline, you'll have to register on-site at an increased price!

There's too many to run down in a single blog post, so today we're going to focus on two big tracks of talks at GDC Europe: The Production track and the Business, Marketing and Management track. While they each have a distinct focus, both offer a wealth of practical insight for both freshly-minted and veteran game makers.

GDC 2017 seeks your best Business and Production talk submissions

August 5, 2016

Game industry professionals, take note: If you have an idea for a great talk about Production, Business, Marketing or Management in the game industry that would fit in well at the Game Developers Conference 2017, now is the time to submit it!

GDC 2017 organizers are now accepting submissions to present lectures, roundtables, panels, posters and tutorials through Thursday, August 18th.

This will be the 31st edition of GDC, which continues to be the world's largest and longest-running event serving professionals dedicated to the art and science of making games. The big event happens Monday, February 27 through Friday, March 3, 2017 at the Moscone Convention Center in San Francisco, California, and will once again host thousands of game developers from all around the world for a week of learning, networking and inspiration.

Come to GDC Europe for expert advice on rendering your games in 4K

August 5, 2016

GDC Europe 2016 is happening very soon, and before it kicks off organizers want to quickly highlight a smart, technical talk taking place at the event in Cologne, Germany that will help you better understand what it takes to make 4K-ready games.

The talk, "4K Rendering Breakthrough: The Filtered and Culled Visibility Buffer", will be delivered by Wolfgang Engel, the CEO of Confetti, who will present a new rendering system: a filtered and culled visibility buffer that will perform much better than the traditional systems with higher resolutions, and at least as good as traditional rendering systems with the most common resolutions.

Confetti is a think-tank for advanced real-time graphics research and a service provider for the video game and movie industry. In his talk, Engel will afford attendees insight into modern rendering design and will share a complete working solution (replete with performance numbers and implementation details) to integrate it into their game engine.

Most 3D games are expected to benefit from the visibility buffer system Engel will describe in his lecture, so if this is at all something you're interested in, don't skip it!

Make time for all the great VR-focused talks at GDC Europe this month

August 4, 2016

We're less than two weeks away from GDC Europe, and conference officials want to quickly let you know about some of the great VR-focused expert sessions that will be taking place at the event in Cologne, Germany.

For example, game designer and Exozet Berlin VR consultant Thomas Bedenk will deliver a talk on "Psychology of Virtual Reality: Presence, Agency, Social" that aims to explain, from Bedenk's perspective, the key outstanding elements of VR: its social possibilities and its capacity to foster feelings presence and agency among players.

During his talk, he'll share ideas for how to improve your VR productions by catering to players' perceptions and psychology, and offer concrete examples of how such improvements can be made.

For hard data on where the VR game market is at right now -- and where it's headed -- check out EEDAR exec Patrick Walker's GDC Europe talk on "Data and Insights in the VR Market."

Walker aims to present a prediction on the future of VR by examining consumer gaming motivations and engagement in early VR adopters in the context of other platforms and business models. What factors currently influence where VR fits into the ecosystem, and what factors are more innate to the experience?

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