Game Developers Conference (GDC) is part of the Informa Tech Division of Informa PLC

This site is operated by a business or businesses owned by Informa PLC and all copyright resides with them. Informa PLC's registered office is 5 Howick Place, London SW1P 1WG. Registered in England and Wales. Number 8860726.

Latest News

Stay up to date on everything happening with the Game Developers Conference, the Independent Games Festival, the Game Developers Choice Awards, and more through our online blog. To get GDC updates sent straight to your mailbox, subscribe to our GDC Newsletter.

GDC wraps up another great show and announces 2018 dates

March 13, 2017

The 2017 Game Developers Conference, the world’s largest and longest-running event serving professionals dedicated to the art and science of making games, concluded a successful week of networking, learning and inspiration.

In total, last week’s conference hosted more than 26,000 professional attendees, 500 lectures, panels, tutorials and roundtable discussions, and 570 companies exhibiting in San Francisco’s Moscone Center.

GDC 2017 also marked a return of the Virtual Reality Developers Conference, which debuted at GDC 2016. That event, which runs concurrent to GDC, again fostered key learnings and insights into the flourishing field of virtual and augmented reality.

Most importantly, GDC and VRDC will be returning to the Moscone Center in San Francisco from Monday, March 19 to Friday, March 23, 2018. Call for submissions for both events will open this summer.

Overwatch nets Game of the Year at 2017 Game Developers Choice Awards

March 2, 2017

Blizzard Entertainment’s multiplayer shooter Overwatch was honored with the prize for Game of the Year at tonight’s 17th annual Game Developers Choice Awards (GDCA) ceremony during the 2017 Game Developers Conference (GDC) at the Moscone Center in San Francisco.

Overwatch’s carefully calibrated balance and polished gameplay mechanics also earned the game the award for Best Design. An archive of the award ceremony, as well as the full presentation of the Independent Games Festival Awards (IGF Awards), can be viewed at http://twitch.tv/gdc.

Developer Playdead’s beautifully macabre and engrossing platformer, Inside, also earned two awards in total, for Best Audio and Best Visual Art.

Quadrilateral Cowboy takes Grand Prize at the 2017 IGF Awards

March 2, 2017

Quadrilateral Cowboy from developer Blendo Games was awarded with the $30,000 Seumas McNally Grand Prize for Best Independent Game at the 19th annual Independent Games Festival (IGF) Awards tonight.

The ceremony took place as part of the 2017 Game Developers Conference (GDC) at the Moscone Convention Center in San Francisco. In addition to the grand prize, Quadrilateral Cowboy also took home the award for Excellence in Design.

Quadrilateral Cowboy is a title set in a retro-tech world of 1980s computer coding and features a series of cyberpunk heist missions with a unique blend of puzzles, computer hacking and a captivating narrative. An archive of the award ceremony can be viewed at http://twitch.tv/gdc.

GDC Spotlight Interviews: Google, Oculus and Facebook

February 27, 2017

| FEBRUARY 2017

In This Issue:

  • Oculus - In this interview, Oculus' Steve Arnold updates GDC attendees on what's next for the VR company, and what we can expect out of virtual reality development in 2017.
  • Google Play - In this interview, Google Play's Jamil Moledina talks about his current strategy for games: how developers can make their games successful on Android and get the most out of VR/AR and other emerging technologies.
  • Facebook - In this interview, Facebook’s Leo Olebe gets GDC attendees caught up on what’s next for Facebook’s VR business and its burgeoning Instant Games.

Reminder: Register for GDC 2017 by tomorrow to avoid paying full price!

February 24, 2017

We're almost there: The 2017 Game Developers Conference is happening next week in San Francisco! That means that f you haven't registered to attend the show yet, now's the time!

Your window to register for GDC 2017 and save up to $300 will close tomorrow, February 25th at 11:59 PM Pacific! You can still register after that, either online or on-site at GDC, but you'll have to pay full price.

Register now for access to a wide variety of talks, roundtable discussions, postmortems and workshops -- including some special surprises! Plus, all passholders will also have access to the GDC Expo Floor, located within the Moscone Convention Center in San Francisco, which will once again showcase cutting-edge technology from some of the industry's biggest and most influential companies.

Watch Nina Freeman & Tim Schafer host the IGF & GDC Awards next week!

February 24, 2017

As everyone is getting ready for GDC 2017 next week, organizers want to quickly remind you that next Wednesday, March 1st, both the Game Developers Choice Awards and the Independent Games Festival awards will be streamed online so everybody can take part.

Nina Freeman, the game designer of the acclaimed 2016 IGF Nuovo Award-winning title Cibele, will make her debut this year as the Independent Games Festival awards, now in its 19th year of celebrating and honoring the work of independent game makers.

Later in the evening the same stage will welcome back Double Fine Productions founder Tim Schafer, who will be hosting the 17th annual Game Developers Choice Awards.

The ceremonies kick off at 6:30 PM Pacific on Wednesday, March 1st during GDC 2017 in San Francisco. As always, the IGF Awards are up first, followed by the GDC Awards.

If you're coming to GDC 2017, know your GDC Code of Conduct!

February 23, 2017

[The 31st edition of GDC is taking place next week in San Francisco! As we prepare for the show, GM of GDC events and all-around Boss Lady Meggan Scavio is here to highlight the official code of conduct for GDC and all of its related events.]

With the 2017 Game Developers Conference just a few days away, now is a great time to remind everyone of a set of rules we have established for the event. Please take a moment to familiarize yourself with the GDC Code of Conduct, as these rules will be strictly enforced.

Our intention is for GDC to be a friendly, safe, and welcoming environment for all regardless of gender, sexual orientation, disability, ethnicity, or religion.

We will not tolerate behavior that suggests otherwise.

Coming to GDC 2017 next week? Use these travel tips and discounts!

February 23, 2017

Given that the 2017 Game Developers Conference kicks off next week in San Francisco, the folks organizing the conference want to make sure that everyone planning to attend the big event is well-equipped to have a good time -- both while they're at the conference, and while they're in the city at large.

With that in mind, all GDC 2017 attendees are encouraged to check out the GDC Travel hub, which has helpful resources for arranging transportation, planning out your stay, picking the right accommodations and finding the perfect places to visit nearby for food, drinks, music, and more.

Also, GDC organizers have worked with local transit companies to arrange special discounts for folks attending the show!

This year, GDC attendees who use the Lyft car-calling service can use the code "LYFT2GDC" to enjoy 20 percent off 2 rides to/from the Moscone Center for Game Developers Conference! (*This promotion is subject to terms and conditions which are spelled out in full below.)

Take your career in games to the next level at GDC 2017!

February 22, 2017

The 2017 Game Developers Conference is next week, and today show officials want to remind you about the great career growth and networking opportunities attendees can take advantage of at the show!

First and foremost, you should check out the Careers @ GDC hub for a thorough rundown of all the ways to view companies recruiting at GDC, as well as other career advancement opportunities you can access during the conference.

You'll also want to familiarize yourself with the Career Theater, a special venue (booth N5220) in the North Hall of the Moscone Convention Center where you can take in high-level career development sessions programmed by GDC and top game companies like WB and Sony.

Watch the trailer for the 2017 Game Developers Choice Awards!

February 22, 2017

The nominees for the 17th Annual Game Developers Choice Awards, the premier accolades for peer recognition celebrating the industry’s top games, studios and devs, have been revealed -- and now you can watch some of them extend a personal invitation to watch the show live during GDC 2017 next week!

In advance of the awards ceremony next week, a special video featuring many of the nominees (as well as Double Fine Productions founder and returning awards host Tim Schafer) has been published on the official GDC YouTube channel that you should definitely check out.

Check out this lineup of cool interactive spaces at GDC 2017!

February 22, 2017

The 2017 Game Developers Conference is happening next week! With that in mind, show organizers want to give you the lowdown on all the cool interactive spaces and exhibits attendees will have access to during the event.

Encompassing everything from Train Jam game jam prototypes to a smorgasbord of tabletop games and the world's leading lineup of alternative controller games, the interactive spaces at GDC are designed to introduce you to a nice slice of the most interesting work being done by game makers across the industry.

So while you're planning out your GDC 2017 session schedule in the Schedule Builder, don't forget to set some time aside to check out the variety of lounges, exhibits, and other events that will be happening across the Moscone Center throughout the week.

At GDC 2017, get expert tips on improving your game's user experience

February 22, 2017

With less than a week to go until the 2017 Game Developers Conference, show organizers want to quickly make sure you don't miss out on a neat panel discussion taking place during the conference's special UX Summit.

In a panel on "Playing the Middle: Balancing Trust, Creativity, and Business in the Science of Experience", a panel of veteran game devs from across the industry will have a boisterous discussion about the effects of data, creativity, and development constraints on the user experience in games.

It promises to be a great talk, because the panelists include Ian Livingston (Senior User Experience Researcher, Electronic Arts), Corey May (Senior Narrative Director, 2K Games), Jonathan Dankoff (User Research Manager, WB Games Montreal), Alex Hutchinson (Creative Director, Ubisoft) and Chris Lang (Senior Producer, Bungie.)

Watch the trailer for the 2017 Independent Games Festival Awards!

February 21, 2017

The finalists have been revealed for the Independent Games Festival's esteemed 19th annual awards, which honor the most influential, innovate and acclaimed projects in independent game development -- and now you can catch a glimpse of some of the finalists, along with their award-nominated games!

In advance of the awards ceremony next week, a very special trailer for the 19th annual IGF awards has been published on the official GDC YouTube channel that you should definitely check out.

It's short and sweet, featuring charming finalists introducing their games (along with gameplay clips) as well as a special invitation to the awards ceremony from the host herself.

Attend GDC 2017 and learn to make better games using cutting-edge math

February 21, 2017

Game devs, take note: GDC 2017 organizers would like to give you a preview of the cutting-edge discussions taking place during the day-long Math for Game Programmers tutorial which will help kick off the conference next month.

And of course, this is just one of many excellent Bootcamps and Tutorials scheduled during the first two days of GDC -- that's next Monday and Tuesday, February 27th and February 28th this year!

This math-focused tutorial day is super-useful because as games and gaming platforms continue to evolve and diversify, so has the complexity and variety of problems facing the modern game programmer. Creating the latest code for graphics, gameplay, animation, physical simulation, and artificial intelligence requires thorough knowledge of the necessary mathematical underpinnings.

7 new things you’ll love at the 2017 Game Developers Conference!

February 20, 2017

[With GDC 2017 coming up next week, we thought now would be a great time to publish this post from GDC overseer and co-organizer Simon Carless about a few of the cool new things you'll find at the show!] 

As we’re getting ready to put on Game Developers Conference once more (it’s Feb. 27th to March 3rd in San Francisco!), I thought it might be a good opportunity, as a co-organizer, to point out some of the new things we’re doing this year – many of which I’m QUITE EXCITED about.

And yes, although we’d love you to get a full GDC 2017 conference pass, a number of these new things can be viewed/played with by Expo Pass holders. More neat things for more neat people! Here’s the highlights:

Connecting the Global Game Development Community