GDC Europe 2013 Sees Record Breaking Attendance With Nearly 2,250 Game Professionals Across 56 Countries
— Next Year GDC Europe Will Return to Cologne, Germany, Aug. 11-13, 2014
BERLIN, Aug. 26, 2013 – The 2013 Game Developers Conference™ Europe (GDC Europe) closed Wed, Aug. 21 after another successful year. Approximately 2,250 attendees across at least 56 countries enjoyed the conference and exhibits, setting an attendance record for the annual show. Produced by UBM Tech Game Network, organizers of the industry-leading Game Developers Conference® series, GDC Europe is the continent’s leading game development event for industry professionals. Organizers have revealed that the conference will return to Cologne, Germany on Aug. 11-13, 2014, and is once again co-located with gamescom, the leading European interactive entertainment consumer trade show, set to take place Aug. 13-17, 2014.
In its fifth year, GDC Europe 2013 welcomed close to 130 national and international speakers and more than 75 exhibitors and sponsors. The conference featured more than 90 lectures and panels on the best practices in game development across five Main Conference tracks (Business, Marketing & Management, Design, Production, Programming and Visual Arts) and three summits (Free to Play Design & Business Summit, Smartphone and Tablet Games Summit and Independent Games Summit). VIP and All Access pass holders to GDC Europe and those with GDC Vault subscriptions will be able to access the video, audio and presentation recordings in the coming weeks.
“We were thrilled to see the bustling exhibit floor and receive such positive feedback about the valuable talks and networking opportunities at GDC Europe this year,” said Meggan Scavio, general manager of Game Developer Conference events. “We deeply appreciate the support of our exceptional roster of international speakers and the guidance of our celebrated advisory board members. And we’re already excited about next year!”
Hot topics included virtual reality games, cinematic game experiences, next gen consoles and the definition of next generation game development. International challenges and opportunities, publishing and marketing in mobile games, free to play and community management were also popular themes.
There were many talks that the attendees buzzed about on-site and on social media, including: Oculus VR co-founders Palmer Luckey and Nate Mitchell discussing a path forward for better VR games; Ubisoft’s Far Cry 3 director Patrick Plourde’s debut of the new JRPG title Child of Light, in development by a small team; Heavy Rain and Beyond: Two Souls developer David Cage’s compelling talk on the future of cinematic games and why developers must learn from the film industry; celebrated industry vet Don Daglow’s talk about next gen challenges and how to think beyond graphics; and Microsoft’s Kevin Perry’s talk about designing monetization for Age of Empires Online.
For additional information on GDC Europe, please visit http://www.gdceurope.com. Official photos from the conference can be downloaded from the GDC Flickr account, www.flickr.com/photos/officialgdc/ and for coverage from the event coverage visit Gamasutra http://www.gamasutra.com/content/gdceurope-2013.
About the UBM Tech Game Network
A core provider of essential information to the professional game industry, the UBM Tech Game Network offers market-defining content, and drives community through its award winning lineup of print, online, event and research products and services. These include the Game Developers Conference®, the Webby Award-winning Gamasutra.com and network of sites, the Game Advertising Online ad network, the App Developers Conference™, the Game Developers Conference® Next, the Game Developers Conference™ Europe, the Game Developers Conference™ China, the Game Career Seminars and GameCareerGuide.com, the Independent Games Festival and Summit, and the Game Developers Choice Awards. Visit: http://www.jointhegamenetwork.com/
About UBM Tech
UBM Tech, the global leader in technology media and professional information, enables people and organizations to harness the transformative power of technology. Through its three core businesses – media solutions, marketing services and paid content – UBM Tech produces the most respected and consumed brands and media applications in the technology market. More than 14.5 million business and technology professionals (CIOs and IT managers, Web & Digital professionals, Software Developers, Government decision makers, and Telecom providers) actively engage in UBM Tech’s communities and information resources monthly. UBM Tech brands includes: global face-to-face events such as Interop, Web 2.0, Black Hat and Enterprise Connect; award-winning online resources such as InformationWeek, Light Reading, and Network Computing; and market-leading magazines InformationWeek, Wall Street & Technology, and Advanced Trading. UBM Tech is a UBM plc company, a global provider of news distribution and specialist information services with a market capitalization of more than $2.5 billion. Visit: tech.ubm.com
