[Update] Gaming Development Conference

[Tami]

Gaming Development Conference Update
The Newsletter for the Game Developers Conference March 7-11, 2005
Moscone West Convention Center
San Francisco, CA

GDC 2005 Highlights: The Conference You Can't Afford to Miss
Serious Games Summit
Business & Legal Track Highlights
GDC 2005 Event Highlights
GDC Registration ALERT: Only One More Week to Save 30% on Passes!
Hotel and Travel Information Register online with priority code: GDCUP10 and be entered to win an iPod mini.


GDC 2005 Highlights: The Conference You Can't Afford to Miss
From the Microsoft Keynote to the Vision Track to the premier lineup of Japanese speakers, you cannot afford to miss GDC 2005.


GDC 2005 Highlights:
Microsoft Keynote
Attend "The Future of Games: Unlocking the Opportunity" Keynote by Microsoft executive, J Allard
Vision Track Listen to creative artists from film, music, design and games like Will Wright, Tim Sweeney, Peter Molyneux, Masaya Matsuura, Remington Scott, Kenzo Tsujimoto, and John Underkoffler
Japanese Speakers GDC 2005 has assembled an unprecedented lineup of premier Japanese speakers including recently announced Kenzo Tsujimoto, President and CEO of Capcom and Chairman of CESA
GDC Mobile Take part in the most explosive sector of game development at the #1 networking event for mobile games development, partnership and strategy.
Learn more about these and the more than 300 sessions, keynotes, tutorials and roundtables aimed at provoking innovation and inspiration among developers.

Register now for Microsoft Game Developer Day on Tuesday, March 8! Learn how to get the most out of current-generation Windows and Xbox platforms and prepare for the future with:


The latest development, debugging and performance tools for developing Windows and Xbox titles
Best practices and performance tips for Windows and Xbox
Advanced shader development using Microsoft's High Level Shading Language (HLSL)
An early look at the upcoming Visual Studio .Net 2005 Team System
A glimpse into the future of 3D graphics with Windows Graphics Foundation
Register online today for a GDC VIP, Giga, or Tutorials-Only pass and select the Microsoft Game Developer Day tutorial option to attend.

Serious Games Summit

The number of non-entertainment games under development is rapidly increasing and demand for the ideas, skills and techniques used in commercial entertainment games is at an all time high. As a result, an entirely new market has emerged: Serious Games.

The Serious Games Summit is a two day event that covers the intersection of games, learning, policy and management. Today, major corporations, government and military institutions, foundations, educators, and non-profits are turning to games and commercial entertainment technologies as a new approach to simulations, training, education, and other practical applications. The result is a new field where computer and video games are applied to "serious" purposes-other than entertainment.

These serious applications to gaming represent a growing financial outlet for game developers, where projects can produce both economic and social returns. To help share current knowledge, expand communication among peers and advance emergent best practices, the Serious Games Summit brings together a premier lineup of speakers, presentations, and panels that will appeal to customers, developers, and evangelizers of serious games.

Visit the Serious Games Summit site today to access the latest conference schedule; read the compelling letter from Conference Chairman Ben Sawyer on what's new for the Summit; and learn about key speaker, session, and sponsor information.

What is the Business and Legal Track?

All studios face enormous business challenges today. The game industry is mitigating risk by basing a large proportion of new products on known licenses and sequels to popular games. Projects perceived as too weak to take to market are more likely to be killed during development. To create a business environment that supports the creation of innovative games, developers need both sound business strategies and outstanding tactical execution. The Business and Legal Track looks at the game development process from the standpoint of running the business and offers proven strategies for the developer who needs to understand complex business issues.

Business and Legal Track Highlights:
Attracting Women Into Game Development
Sande Chen & Michelle Sorger
How to Raise Venture Capital to Build a Game Company
John Welch
Global Mobile Games: New Business Models, Hit Games and Mobile People from Around the Planet
David Collier
Effective Developer Deals: The Devil in the Details
Tom Buscaglia
Visit www.gdconf.com/conference to access all Business and Legal Track sessions, read speaker bios, and learn more about all conference opportunities at GDC 2005.


GDC 2005 Event Highlights
Only at GDC 2005 can you network with a global community of premier game developers at a variety of unique and exciting events.

Game Developers Choice Awards
You're invited to honor and celebrate the best of today's Game Developers on Wednesday, March 9 at 6:30pm
Independent Games Festival Play the best independent games of the year at the IGF Pavilion and attend the IGF Awards Ceremony to get a glimpse into the games of tomorrow
Game Connection The premier event for innovative game developers to meet with top publishers in the game industry
ConfQuest Massively Multiplayer GDC - Just Play It!
Walk of Game Visit the first-of-its-kind landmark honoring the icons and pioneers of the videogame industry at the Metreon
"Dear Friends: Music from Final Fantasy" Symphony Concert This is your night Nobuo Uematsu Fans!


GDC Registration ALERT: Early Registration Discounts End Wednesday, Feb. 9
Early Registration Discounts - All GDC attendees can save up to 30% on GDC 2005 Conference Passes, when you register online by February 9, 2005. Only one more week! GDC iPod mini Sweepstakes - Enter priority code GDCUP10 when registering for your GDC pass and you will be entered to win an iPod mini!


Contact the GDC Registration Dept. with any registration questions at 415.947.6135 or (toll-free) 888.234.9476.

[b]To register and for the most up to date information on more than 300 sessions, keynotes, tutorials, and roundtables at GDC 2005 go to www.gdconf.com. [/b]


Hotel Reservations and Travel Information
The Game Developers Conference offers discounted hotel rates to all attendees and exhibitors. Rooms are limited and discounted rates are based on availability. Make your reservations by Friday, February 11, and mention the Game Developers Conference for the conference rate.

For information on hotels, transportation, parking, shuttle buses, and more, visit www.gdconf.com/travel today!

source: email alert from gdconf.com