Wednesday, March 27, 2024
Home Blog

February 2023 Game Industry Events Calendar

Happy Lunar New Year of the rabbit! February sees a light and typical warmup to 2023 with most events back to ‘normal’ (if we can ever truly call it that again). Most events are onsite with a few offering online attendance or “viewing” in a hybrid format. There are online events as well, and we expect 2023 to be full of them here and there, but they will once again generally be in the minority.

To give you the power to easily discover upcoming game industry events calendar that includes conferences, conventions, festivals and many other types of events, we post a consolidated list here on Events for Gamers each month.

View this month’s event list below. You can also click here for the main calendar view that includes events into 2023 and beyond. We’re excited to enter a new year with new events!

February 2-3: Hyper Games Conference (Online)
2-5: Taipei Game Show
4-10: Yorkshire Games Festival
6-9: LEAP
6-13: Steam Next Fest (Online)
8-9: Open Metaverse Conference
8-9: Gamesforum Barcelona
8-9: WN Conference Belgrade (Hybrid)
10: Guildford Games
17-19: LVL UP EXPO
21-23: D.I.C.E. Summit
23: Games Growth Summit

Which events are you attending this month? Let us know by commenting on this article here or on Twitter and Facebook!

New Events for Gamers Trailer

More conferences, conventions, and other industry related events are being added to Events for Gamers’ calendar every day for 2023! Check out the calendar’s current listings and let us know if you are attending an event we should add.

We also will be increasing our stories throughout next year, covering all the main events with interviews and other exciting updates from your favorite events. The trend in 2020 and 2021 of more Online and Hybrid events will also continue to be tracked in our monthly event updates. In 2020, there was a surge of Online events due to the pandemic and necessity in continuing conversations about game development. Then in 2021 and through most of 2022 the industry saw the benefits of Online and Hybrid events.

We at Events for Gamers expect 2023 to continue the trend that began in late 2021 but focusing this time on more Hybrid events than Online ones. Onsite events will dominate as they did in 2022, but we expect to see more of them support some form of Hybrid offerings to those who cannot directly attend.

Be sure to follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Discord, and now Mastodon for the latest social updates and event news. If you have an event to share for our calendar, please let us know! Any support you can provide is appreciated.

What events in 2023 will be winners? Let’s find out together. See you next year as we join you at these industry’s events!

Game Developer Conference 2024 Successfully Brought Together Nearly 30,000 Attendees For a Week of Connecting and Learning

0

GDC WILL RETURN TO THE MOSCONE CENTER MARCH 17-21, 2025 

Conference Featured 1,000+ Speakers, 325 Exhibitors, 730 Lectures, Summits and Roundtables, The Independent Games Festival Awards, Game Developers Choice Awards and More

SAN FRANCISCO – March 27, 2024 – This year’s Game Developers Conference (GDC), the world’s largest and longest-running event serving professionals dedicated to the art and science of making games, has officially come to a close after hosting nearly 30,000 registered attendees for five full days of inspiring sessions and networking opportunities with peers and leaders in the games industry. GDC will be returning to the Moscone Center next year, Monday, March 17 to Friday, March 21, 2025, and the call for submissions for GDC 2025 will open in early July 2024.

GDC 2024 featured 1,000+ speakers across 730 sessions, workshops, roundtable discussions in addition to networking opportunities. 325 top game industry companies exhibited their latest innovations. It was also a space for attendees to play and connect with the developers behind new and exciting independent games, including the finalists from the Independent Games Festival (IGF) in the IGF Pavilion and the alt.ctrl.GDC exhibit that is home to games that use alternative controllers including wheelchairs, toaster ovens and giant oversized hats.
 
“GDC exists to give developers a space to meet, network and learn. The need for that connection has never been more urgent. We were gratified to witness first-hand as aspiring developers and veteran game makers convened to share their knowledge and ambitions to create the amazing games that we will enjoy in the years ahead,” said Stephenie Hawkins, GDC Event Director. “In light of emerging generative AI technologies, layoffs and evolving working conditions, the Game Developers Conference will continue to provide developers with the key understandings and relationships to forge their way forward. We will also continue our efforts to recognize the amazing work of game makers and expand access to GDC content to a wider audience.”
 
GDC featured workshops and sessions led by some of the biggest names in the games and entertainment industry. Esteemed developers shared their insights into the creations of hit games including: Alan Wake 2, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, Zelda: Tears of Kingdom, Baldur’s Gate 3, and more. During GDC, there were several major reveals including Xreal’s live demonstrations of its Xreal Air 2 AR glasses, AMD’s announcement of AMD FSR 3.1 and Magmic’s unveiling of their Web3 MLB-licensed mobile and web game. Roblox, NVIDIA and Ubisoft also sparked interest with their AI reveals, where Roblox presented its AI-powered tools to boost 3D content creation, NVIDIA announced its AI B200 chip and Ubisoft unveiled its generative AI NEO NPCs. Lastly, Epic Games’ State of Unreal revealed news about its upcoming iOS and Android store debut, new Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra trailer, new Chrono Odyssey trailer, addition of MetaHumans to UEFN and expanded partnership with Lego Group.

A centerpiece of the event was the “GDC Main Stage: A Developer’s Concert.” The live instrumental performance showcased influential and notable game scores throughout history, including 2024 IGF, GDCA and Grammy Awards nominees. Conducted by Austin Wintory, composer for games like Stray Gods, Journey and more, and co-hosted by Troy Baker, acclaimed actor known for The Last of Us, Bioshock Infinite, plus many more, the concert was performed by the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.
 
GDC 2024 honored the top developers of the past year with the 26th annual Independent Games Festival Awards and the 24th annual Game Developers Choice Awards (GDCA). Notably, Visai Games’ Venba won the Seumas McNally Grand Prize and Anthology of the Killer, developed by Thecatamites, Tommy Tone and A. Degen, won the Nuovo Award, which honors titles that make the awards jurors think differently about games as a medium. At the Game Developers Choice Awards, Baldur’s Gate 3 took home four trophies: Game of the Year, Best Narrative, Best Design and the Audience Award, while the developers of Venba earned two awards: Best Debut and Social Impact Award. A recording of the IGF and GDCA ceremonies can be viewed at http://twitch.tv/gdc.
 
GDC introduced several new initiatives this year including GDC Travel Together program to help attendees form networking walking groups between six locations throughout San Francisco and the Moscone Center; a 24-hour GDC Safety phone line (+1 925-852-4361) that is available from March 14 through April 5 to field any safety concerns that came up around GDC; the Game History Gallery that showcased games from marginalized developers as well as tips on how to preserve games; introduced sunflower stickers for attendees with invisible disabilities who may need additional assistance; and launched brand-new GDC Start-Up for companies that have been in the industry for less than 5 years and have fewer than 50 employees.
 
GDC continued multiple programs to expand access to GDC content, including the Equal Opportunity Attendance Program, which offers 1,000 complimentary GDC Expo passes to applicants who were otherwise unable to attend without considerable financial assistance. This year, 700+ passes were donated through the GDC scholarships program, made in partnership with more than 25+ organizations dedicated to supporting and uplifting underrepresented voices in the industry.
 
In addition, GDC provided all IGF finalists travel stipends to ensure they could attend and participate in the conference. GDC celebrated finalists with the annual IGF Pavilion with a kiosk and equipment to highlight their games to the public at no cost and IGF Award winners receive prize money for their incredible work.
 
Other support resources included affordable onsite childcare services, an ADA accessible kiosk at the IGF Pavilion, accessible controllers at alt.ctrl.GDC and Arcade Play, reserved seating at all sessions for those with visual or auditory impairments, and a complimentary bike valet service for attendees. Each year, GDC adds a selection of sessions to its video archive, GDC Vault, available at no cost to the game developer community. All sessions added to GDC Vault include closed captions in English, Spanish, Mandarin, and Japanese.
 
To ensure an inclusive environment, all GDC attendees were required to abide by GDC’s strict Code of Conduct, which was heavily promoted throughout Moscone. It states that GDC will not tolerate any unacceptable behaviors including intimidating, harassing, abusive, discriminatory, derogatory or demeaning conduct by any attendees of GDC and related events, and that these behaviors could result in expulsion from the event.

For more details on the Game Developers Conference, please visit the GDC’s official website, or subscribe to regular updates via Facebook or Twitter. Official photos are available via the Official GDC Flickr account: www.flickr.com/photos/officialgdc/.

About GDC
The Game Developers Conference® (GDC) is the world’s largest professional game industry event with market-defining content for programmers, artists, producers, game designers, audio professionals, business decision makers, and others involved in the development of interactive games and immersive experiences. GDC brings together the global game development community year-round through events and digital media.
 
GDC is organized by Informa PLC, a leading B2B information services group and the largest B2B Events organizer in the world. To learn more and for the latest news and information visit www.informa.com.

April 2024 Game Industry Events Calendar

Happy April Activity! We’ve put together yet another great list of events you can attend for the month. As we continue to get into springtime, the event season settles into a solid cadence post-GDC with more conferences coming up.

Many of the conferences listed in April will have sessions and discussions about the state of the industry that continue from GDC. The most prominent talking point that is bound to be made is the layoffs and investment troubles that nearly every major studio (and many indies) is facing. We expect that in the second half of the year, we will start to see a turnaround in both of these areas, but it may take two or three years to recover.

Notice something else for this month that’s been trending since January? There is only ONE hybrid/online-only event! We’re officially back to ‘normal’ mode for the event industry.

Many of the listed events are included in the calendar from your contributions in submitting events to the calendar. Thank you for continuing to support us!

Check out this month’s event list below. You can also click here for the main calendar that includes events into 2024 and beyond.

April 5-7: LexiCon
6-14: Now Play This
9-25: London Games Festival
11: London Developer Conference
11-12: Gamesforum Cyprus
15-19: Everything Procedural Conference (EPC)
18-19: HIT Games Conference Istanbul
18-19: Games Job Fair Spring LITE (Hybrid)
18-21: Midwest GameFest
19-21: Gamebox Festival
20: Concinnity
22-23: GAconf Europe
24: OKRE Summit
25-26: ADDON
25-27: W.A.S.D.
29-30: Copenhagen Matchup

Which events are you attending this month? Let us know by commenting on this article here or on Twitter and Facebook!

First speakers confirmed for Dubai GameExpo Summit

0

From Dubai GameExpo Summit: “You won’t want to miss being front-row as more than 100 of the world’s finest minds from the biggest brands and most exciting pioneers present their market data, predictions and case studies with us at The Dubai GameExpo Summit powered by Pocket Gamer Connects.

This May 1st and 2nd, our expert speakers will discuss a wide variety of the most pressing topics facing the games industry today. You’ll uncover the hottest trends and latest insights on everything from monetisation models and new markets to AI, the metaverse, Web3 and more.

And across both days, our 10-track conference schedule will have a special focus on how you can make the most of MENAthe fastest growing territory in the global games industry.

Today, we’re proud to bring you the first speakers confirmed to share their experience and insights with YOU.”

GDC is Back

0

GDC is back. The #GDC2024 event is the first we would consider to be at the attendance levels we saw just before the pandemic. Attendees had beautiful weather, a bustling expo hall, and tons of great people to meet and talk shop across Yerba Buena Gardens and beyond.

Mondays are normally lighter warm-up days for the conference, but we experienced quite a busy start with West Hall filled with Community and Biz Dev sessions. Tuesday increased this same activity with Wednesday and Thursday turning up the bustle from hall to hall as the expo floor opened up. Friday is generally a wrap-up day and our flight out of town. Regardless of which days you attended, it is clear to us that GDC is back to its prominent days pre-pandemic.

Even though the conference had a lot of activity and discussions of all sorts, the dominant discussion above all was the poor state of the industry. Everyone we talked to was concerned either about the layoffs or the inability to get funding to hire folks for new projects. It was a depressing talking point for everyone. The industry’s passion won’t be dampened though, as we participated in just as many discussions on how the industry can pull itself up from its bootstraps and move forward.

Thanks to MeetToMatch, Unity, PocketGamer.biz, Xsolla, IGDA Foundation, NVIDIA, and so many more for meeting with us, and of course, Game Developers Conference for their support. Without these great connections and associated industry events, we wouldn’t be able to support the Events for Gamers calendar to the degree that you see it.

Until next year’s GDC 2024, see you at PAX East, Insomnia Gaming Festival, and Dstars to wrap up the month of March.

Baldur’s Gate 3 Honored with Game of the Year Award at the 24th Annual Game Developers Choice Awards

0

Baldur’s Gate 3 Also Takes Best Narrative, Best Design and the Audience Award; The Legend of Zelda: TotK and Venba Take Home Two Awards Each

SAN FRANCISCO – March 20, 2024 – Baldur’s Gate 3, the critically acclaimed role-playing game by Larian Studios, has been presented with the Game of the Year award during the 24th Annual Game Developers Choice Awards (GDCAs), the prominent peer-based video game event that celebrates the developers who have created the year’s top games. In addition to Game of the Year, Baldur’s Gate 3 also claimed three other distinguished awards at tonight’s ceremony: Best Narrative, Best Design and the Audience Award. The GDCA ceremony was presented as part of the 2024 Game Developers Conference (GDC), which is taking place this week at San Francisco’s Moscone Convention Center.

Larian Studios’ Baldur’s Gate 3 is a role-playing game based upon the tabletop fantasy RPG system of Dungeons & Dragons and was created by the team who developed the beloved Divinity series. The game was partially released in Early Access in October 2020 but has received a breadth of new content and features leading up to its full release in late 2023. The game is directed by Larian Studios’ founder and CEO Swen Vincke, who has had a hand in all of the studio’s creations since its founding in 1996.

Nintendo’s The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom also claimed high honors at the show, winning both the Innovation and Best Technology Awards. The title is a continuation of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, which won Game of the Year, Best Audio and Best Design Awards during the 2018 GDCA ceremony. Visai Games’ Venba also received two awards, with the unique narrative cooking game having all the ingredients needed to be served with the Best Debut and Social Impact Awards.

Other winners of the night include Alan Wake 2, created by Remedy Entertainment, which received the Best Visual Art Award in recognition of its chilling atmosphere and visually impressive graphics. Hi-Fi Rush by Tango Gameworks took home the Best Audio Award thanks to its impressive soundtrack composed of both licensed and original compositions alongside its unique overall audio direction.

The Game Developers Choice Awards also took the time to celebrate two important and influential figures in the industry. This year, the GDCA was honored to present the Lifetime Achievement Award to Yoko Shimomura, the respected Japanese composer and pianist who has delighted players across the world thanks to her work creating music for iconic games including Kingdom Hearts, Super Mario RPG, Street Fighter II and Final Fantasy XV. The GDCA also welcomes the return of the Ambassador Award, which is given to individuals who have helped video games advance to a better place. The honor was presented to Fawzi Mesmar, an award-winning creative director, game designer, author, public speaker and mentor whose career has spanned over two decades in the games industry and has had a hand in developing well-known franchises such as the Battlefield, Candy Crush, Mario Rabbids, Star Wars and Persona series.

The 24th Annual Game Developers Choice Awards winners are:
Best Debut – Venba (Visai Games)
Best Visual Art – Alan Wake 2 (Remedy Entertainment / Epic Games)
Best Audio – Hi-Fi Rush (Tango Gameworks / Bethesda Softworks)
Best Narrative – Baldur’s Gate 3 (Larian Studios)
Social Impact Award – Venba (Visai Games)
Innovation Award – The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Nintendo)
Best Technology – The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Nintendo)
Best Design – Baldur’s Gate 3 (Larian Studios)
Audience Award – Baldur’s Gate 3 (Larian Studios)
Game of the Year – Baldur’s Gate 3 (Larian Studios)
Ambassador Award – Fawzi Mesmar

Lifetime Achievement Award – Yoko Shimomura

The awards were livestreamed on the official Twitch channel for the Game Developers Conference (GDC) at Twitch.tv/GDC and are archived both on Twitch and on the official GDC YouTube Channel at http://www.youtube.com/c/gdconf.

For more information about the 24th annual Game Developers Choice Awards, visit: http://www.gamechoiceawards.com. For more details on the Game Developers Conference, please visit the GDC’s official website, or subscribe to regular updates via Facebook, Twitter, or RSS. Official photos are available via the Official GDC Flickr account: www.flickr.com/photos/officialgdc.

About GDC

The Game Developers Conference® (GDC) is the world’s largest professional game industry event with market-defining content for programmers, artists, producers, game designers, audio professionals, business decision makers, and others involved in the development of interactive games and immersive experiences. GDC brings together the global game development community year-round through events and digital media.

GDC is organized by Informa PLC, a leading B2B information services group and the largest B2B Events organizer in the world. To learn more and for the latest news and information visit www.informa.com.

2024 GAME DEVELOPERS CONFERENCE OPENS TODAY AT SAN FRANCISCO’S MOSCONE CONVENTION CENTER

0

World’s Longest-Running Professional Game Industry Event Kicks off 38th Edition; Attendees Can Expect a Week of Education, Innovation and Connection

SAN FRANCISCO – March 18, 2024 – The 2024 Game Developers Conference (GDC), the world’s largest gathering of game industry professionals and enthusiasts who are devoted to the art and science of making games, begins its 38th edition today at the Moscone Convention Center in San Francisco. The week-long conference will feature more than 1,000 experienced speakers, 700 insightful sessions, workshops, roundtable discussions and networking events alongside 345 exhibitors on the GDC Expo floor.

Starting with two days of GDC Summits on March 18 and 19, the conference offers deep dives into specific game development disciplines, with central topics that include level design, art direction, artificial intelligence, user interface design, community management, technical artistry, game narrative, math in game development and much more. The summits equip attendees with actionable skills and philosophies to incorporate into their careers and hobbies.

The conference continues on Wednesday, March 20, the opening day of GDC’s core conference and commences with the GDC Main Stage Performance titled “A Developer’s Concert” in North Hall at 9:00am PT. This must-see performance will treat attendees to a unique musical presentation featuring world-class composer Austin Wintory, known for Stray Gods, Journey, Banner Saga 1-3, Assassin’s Creed Syndicate and more, who will conduct a live instrumental performance showcasing influential and notable game scores from the past year. Austin will be joined by the widely acclaimed voice actor Troy Baker, heard in such games as The Last of Us, Bioshock Infinite, and the upcoming Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. All attendees are invited to attend this exciting performance.

Core Concept sessions will continue from Wednesday, March 20 through Friday, March 22. These sessions will focus on many of the key pillars of game development: Audio, Business & Marketing, Design, Production & Team Leadership, Programming and Visual Arts. World-renowned designers will lead sessions on The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Super Mario Bros. Wonder, Baldur’s Gate 3, Final Fantasy XVI, Alan Wake 2, Tetris, The Elder Scrolls, Karateka, Star Wars: TIE Fighter and much more.

The 26th annual Independent Games Festival (IGF), the longest-running festival, summit and showcase celebrating independent games and their creators, and the 24th annual Game Developers Choice Awards (GDCAs), the leading peer-based video game event celebrating the industry’s top games and developers, will take place back-to-back on Wednesday, March 20, starting at 6:00pm PT. Both ceremonies are available to attend for all GDC 2024 pass holders and will be live-streamed on the event mobile app and the official GDC Twitch channel. The awards will be archived on Twitch and the official GDC YouTube channel.

“GDC is dedicated to the art and science of making video games and is proud to be a hub for meaningful connection, learning and inspiration among both the industry’s brightest and its rising stars,” said Stephenie Hawkins, GDC Event Director. “We are excited to welcome back the GDC community for the 38th year, and for them to experience new programs like the Main Stage musical performance and Game History Gallery, alongside GDC’s tried and true sessions, workshops and programs we have every year.”

The GDC Expo floor is where top game industry companies exhibit their latest innovations and meet with attendees. It also features special community spaces where attendees can meet or reconnect and play, ponder and inspire each other. The alt.ctrl.GDC showcase returns this year, celebrating its 10th anniversary as it’s become one of GDC’s most acclaimed community spaces. Visitors can play games using alternative controllers, many of which focus on providing new accessibility features, and meet the developers behind these unique projects. The IGF Pavilion hosts the finalists of the IGF Awards, providing attendees with a chance to play some of the most exciting and boundary-pushing independent games that will be seen during the IGF Award ceremony on Wednesday evening. Curated by the Museum of Art and Digital Entertainment (MADE) in Oakland, California, alongside their community partner Civic Design Studios, GDC Arcade Play offers attendees a spot to play and enjoy over a dozen incredible games that helped shape the industry. GDC Play is an interactive showcase on the GDC Expo floor featuring innovative projects and games and the emerging and independent developers who created them. Also new this year is the Game History Gallery, created in partnership with the Video Game History Foundation. Displaying historic pieces of gaming hardware, a handful of playable games and a donation space, attendees can learn about the importance of video game preservation and experience inspiring and pivotal games from the past.

For more details on the Game Developers Conference, please visit GDC’s official website, or subscribe to regular updates via Facebook, Twitter/X, or RSS. Official photos are available via the official GDC Flickr account.

About GDC
The Game Developers Conference® (GDC) is the world’s largest professional game industry event with market-defining content for programmers, artists, producers, game designers, audio professionals, business decision-makers, and others involved in the development of interactive games and immersive experiences. GDC brings together the global game development community year-round through events and digital media.

GDC is organized by Informa PLC, a leading B2B information services group and the largest B2B Events organizer in the world. To learn more and for the latest news and information visit www.informa.com.

Meet Us at The MIX at GDC if You’re Feeling ‘HANGRY’ — New Snack ‘n’ Slash Action RPG Serves Up Delicious Dishes and Carnivorous Combat

Toronto, Canada – March 15, 2024— Game Pill, one of Canada’s leading and most experienced game development studios with over 100 game credits, is thrilled to announce a new original snack ‘n’ slash action RPG called Hangry. In this all-new adventure, players take on the role of the titular character, Hangry, on an intergalactic quest to hunt down, carve up, and devour countless delicious beasts spread across a wide assortment of exotic locales.

You can be among the first people in the world to play this upcoming game at The MIX during GDC in San Francisco, CA, and give us valuable feedback in person. We’ll also be showcasing the game during the GDC Expo briefly at the Canada booth near the GDC Play area in the North Hall on Wednesday, March 20th, from 12pm – 2pm PT.

Hangry is a third-person action RPG with over-the-top fast-paced combat and gorgeous visuals powered by Unreal Engine. The diverse landscapes are like nothing you’ve seen before from the BBQ’d woodlands to candy-coated caverns littered with monsters waiting to be your next secret ingredient.

“We’re honestly salivating at the thought of people finally getting the chance to sink their teeth into this game, puns intended,” said Mike Sorrenti, president of Game Pill. “Our team has worked on dozens of licensed games over the years that we’re immensely proud of, but we can’t wait to show off more of our original IP and deliver something deep and rewarding for RPG fans, but also light-hearted and fun enough for anyone that appreciates a tasty pun.”

Hangry is focused on a satisfying gameplay loop of hunting, eating, and evolving. You’ll set out on hunts to track down creatures to check off your recipe, then you’ll cook and serve the dishes to grow your character, upgrade stats, and unlock new weapons.

For more details about Hangry, you can visit the game’s MIX page, the official website, and wishlist the title on Steam for updates leading up to release.

A MAZE./ Berlin Awards 2024

The independent  arthouse games community is looking forward to May 2024: from May 8-11 A MAZE./ Berlin 2024 – 13th International Games and Playful Media Festival will open its doors at silent green Kulturquartier and Panke Culture, Berlin Wedding. Today we are pleased to announce the nominees and honorable mentions for the A MAZE. Awards.

This year, artists from a record-high 60 countries submitted 284 works in the field of games, art and playful media. The 60 people strong international Selection Committee and the A MAZE. team chose the 25 nominees for the main awards “Most Amazing”, “Long Feature”, “Digital Moment”, “Explorer” and “Human Human Machine”, 5 nominees were selected for the “Gender Diversity Award presented by WINGS” and 15 more works received the festival`s honorable mention.

“Congratulations to all the nominees and honorable mentions. All this is so exciting. For 13 years the A MAZE. Awards are the highlight of A MAZE. / Berlin. With the A MAZE. Awards we are documenting the milestones of a globally growing arthouse games and playful media movement. The next generation will respectfully remember your works which are now pushing the media to its extremes. Thank you for creating life changing and opinion making interactive digital worlds and moments which are shaping our culture, our audience and the industry in an impactful and positive manner.” – Thorsten S. Wiedemann | Artistic Director

“My heart still cries about all the other fantastic works we had to leave out, but it also sings to see this selection, which is probably the most diverse we had in years. During the selection process we noticed a rise of collaborations which were cross-country and between different art forms, providing interactive insights in difficult topics and complex relationships, with at times strong opinions. All while keeping a steady balance of playfulness and philosophy. They keep our hopes up for the potential the medium holds for peace, mutual understanding and communication.” – Matthias ‘Mat’ Löwe | Award Coordinator

The final jury, 5 experts in various fields (Deirdre V. Lyons, Jonathan Coryn, Natasha Sebben AKA natsha, Shuhei Yoshida, Vanessa Amoah Opoku) will select the nominees categories and winners. The winner of last year’s main award – will choose this year’s winners at the Award Ceremony on May 10, 2024 at silent green Kulturquartier (Betonhalle).

This selection of interactive masterpieces will be exhibited at A MAZE. / Berlin 2024 from May 8-11, 2024.

A MAZE. Awards Nominees

  • [ECHOSTASIS] by ENIGMA STUDIO (Ireland)

  • 1001 NIGHTS by Ada Eden (UK, China)

  • 30 BIRDS by RAM RAM Games (Belgium)

  • AHANAR by Zhenia Puzankov, Jakub Zataj, Darr Izvkv  (Russian Federation, Poland)

  • AMERICAN ARCADIA by Out of the Blue (Spain)

  • Between by Claire Kwong  (USA)

  • BLUESUBURBIA by Nathalie Lawhead (Slovenia)

  • CARACOLES by Yonder (Italy)

  • From The Main Square by Pedro Harres (Brazil)

  • GRUNN by Tom van den Boogaart (The Netherlands)

  • Hawk and Puma by Niebla Games (Chile)

  • Hyper Wobbler by Robin Baumgarten & Philipp Helldorfer (Germany)

  • i want to be a tree (but life has other ideas) by Ian Tang, Xiangrui Zeng (USA, China)

  • Lest Ten Horizons Cry by Mouse & the Billionaire (Canada)

  • No Case Should Remain Unsolved by Somi (Republic of Korea)

  • Non-Virtual Reality Games by 3m Jump (Germany)

  • OFK by Team OFK (USA, France)

  • Perfect World by Michael Overton Brown (USA)

  • SALTSEA CHRONICLES by Die Gute Fabrik (Denmark)

  • SORRY WE’RE CLOSED by à la mode games (UK)

  • Temporal World: A Haptisonic Virtual Reality Memory World by Chloé Lee (Germany)

  • The Wandering by The Wandering Team (Mexico)

  • This Bed We Made by Lowbirth Games (Canada)

  • Tom the Postgirl by Oopsie Daisies (Switzerland, Germany)

  • Waxwing by Common Opera (USA)

Gender Diversity Award presented by WINGS

  • Closer the Distance by Osmotic Studios GmbH (Germany)

  • DISSECTING LOVE; A QUEER AUTOPSY OF A RELATIONSHIP by Noe Mael Arnold  (Switzerland)

  • Miniatures by Other Tales Interactive (Denmark)

  • Neve by Michelle Santos (Brazil)

  • Phoenix Springs by Calligram Studio (UK, France)

Honorable Mentions

  • Asterism by Claire Morwood  (UK)

  • BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS PRELUDE by Tanat Boozayaangool (Thailand)

  • Crashboard by Emilie Breslavetz & Léon Denise (France)

  • Edgar Rice Journey by Douglas Wilson, David Kanaga, Thomas Perl, Melissa McGlensey  (Australia, USA, Austria)

  • Find WiiLii by Ferryman Collective (USA)

  • Finding Euphemia by Humbugs (Germany, Vietnam, South Africa)

  • JUDERO by Talha & Jack Co (UK)

  • Known Mysteries by Kara Stone (Canada)

  • LUCKY TOWER ULTIMATE by Studio Seufz (Germany)

  • Marshmallow Mystery – Ein Sommercamp-Krimi by Grips Theater (Germany)

  • MORTALITIES – A Virtual Reality Opera by Jakobe Performing Arts (Denmark)

  • NEUROCRACY 2.049 by Joannes Truyens, Matei Stanca, Younès Rabii, Holly Nielsen, Leigh Alexander, Malka Older, Yudhanjaya Wijeratne, Axel Hassen Taiari, Edward Smith, Io Black, Alice Duke, Ollie Tarbuck (Belgium, Canada, France, Morocco, UK, USA, Sri Lanka, Tunisia, Germany, China)

  • PLAYING KAFKA by Charles Games (Czech Republic)

  • Psychoflage – Game edition by Mónica Rikić, Rubén Sánchez and Andrea Carandini (Spain)

  • tapestry by mut / moochi (Brazil)

Here are the nominees: amaze-berlin.de/nominees
We highly recommend to see all submissions at: amaze-berlin.de/submissions

Save the date: The A MAZE. Award ceremony will take place on Friday May 10, 2024 – live at Silent Green and online, hosted by Jen Simpkins.

Gen AI for Business Conference’24

0

Take a chance to participate in a unique AI event – GenAI for Business San Francisco’24. Connect with entrepreneurs, VCs, researchers, and AI enthusiasts on March 19. Don’t miss a chance to:

  • Build new business connections;
  • Discuss the hottest topics including “UGC with AI Tools in Games”;
  • Get insights from major speakers like Jeremiah Owyang and Burcu Ozcengiz;
  • Keep networking during the Game Developers Conference;
  • Get in touch via online meeting system, WN Hub, available before, during, and after the event;
  • Take part and explore the showcase of AI tools!

Register now for a 5% discount with promo code “E4G” and access to the game industry communication platform! Let’s meet there soon!

Details of the event:

Format: in-person and online
Date: March 19th, 2024
Location: Terra Gallery & Event Venue (Mer Floor), 511 HARRISON ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94105, USA
Tickets: free/ 100 link for registration

Tencent Games to Showcase Latest Tech at the GDC 2024

0

Tencent Games Sessions and Booth to Showcase the Latest in Games

Development Technologies and Tools

Tencent Games, the world’s leading platform for game development, publishing and operation, is excited to announce its presence at the Game Developers Conference (GDC) 2024, which will take place in San Francisco from March 18 to 22. With experts appearing in eight sessions, and a feature-packed booth, Tencent Games will demonstrate how its latest innovations and technologies help deliver next-generation game experiences for consumers.

The sessions will cover a wide range of topics, including machine learning, character animation systems, large-scale rendering, high frame rate rendering, ray tracing, cross-platform development pipeline management and F2P game UX research methodology. The line-up features existing titles under Tencent Games, including Naruto Mobile and Arena Breakout from MoreFun Studios, Delta Force: Hawk Ops from TiMi Studio Group, as well as in-house game development tools and research models for F2P games.

With Artificial Intelligence (AI) being increasingly harnessed by the gaming industry, Elvis Liu, AI Team Tech Lead from MoreFun Studios will share his insights into large-scale reinforcement learning in fighting games at GDC’s Machine Learning Summit. Meanwhile, Tencent Games will showcase its latest game technologies at the booth, including the GiiNEX AI game engine, products and solutions of Decision AI, and Generative Game AI from Tencent AI Lab, demonstrating how AI empowers game developers to build next-generation gaming products efficiently, cost-effectively and with exceptional creativity. In addition, Tencent is also bringing its Anti-cheat Expert (ACE)Cloud-enabled Studio and WeTest Global to this year’s GDC, reinforcing its diverse capability and high-quality tools that can support game developers to deliver an exceptional user experience.

As the industry comes together for GDC, Tencent Games invites games developers and enthusiasts around the world to join us onsite to discover our latest innovations and game technologies. The company is also promoting job openings across various disciplines, with recruiters available at the booth to engage with talented individuals eager to join our dynamic teams.

Learn more about the sessions with this preview video featuring our speakers.

Tencent Games @GDC 2024 – Event Details

Machine Learning Summit: ‘Naruto Mobile’: Optimization For Large-Scale Reinforcement Learning in Fighting Games

Elvis Liu | AI Team Tech Lead, Technology Center, MoreFun Studios, Tencent Games

Tuesday, March 19 | 1:20 – 1:50pm

Room 2010, West Hall

 

Machine Learning Summit: Panel: All You Can Ask! Day 2

Elvis Liu | AI Team Tech Lead, Technology Center, MoreFun Studios, Tencent Games

Tuesday, March 19 | 5:40 – 6:40pm

Room 2010, West Hall

 

Start Right, Start Fun: Unveiling the Theory to Crafting the Onboarding Path for F2P Player

Fan Yi | Senior Game UX Researcher, Market & User Research, Tencent Games

Xingyu Zhang | Game UX Researcher, Market & User Research, Tencent Games

Wednesday, March 20 | 10:30 am – 11:00 am

Room 3022, West Hall

 

MotorNerveA Character Animation System Using Machine Learning

Songnan Li | Deputy Director, Machine Learning Team, TiMi Studio Group, Tencent Games

Yuchen Liao | Senior Engine Programmer, TiMi Studio Group, Tencent Games

Wednesday, March 20 | 11:30 am – 12:00 pm

Room 3022, West Hall

 

Delta Force World Creation: Cross-Platform Art Pipeline and Tools

Lichuan Wang | Technical Artist Team Lead, TiMi Studio Group, Tencent Games 

Wednesday, March 20 |   2:00 pm – 2:30 pm

Room 3022, West Hall

 

Delta Force Techniques From Unified Production Pipeline To Cross-Platform Runtime Support

Shangli Liang | Deputy Director of Game Client Engineering, TiMi Studio Group, Tencent Games

Yang Shi | Game Client Engineering Team Lead of Delta Force, TiMi Studio Group, Tencent Games

Wednesday, March 20 |   2:00 pm – 3:00 pm

Room 3022, West Hall

 

144 FPS Rendering On Mobile: Arena Breakout Frame Prediction

Yue Qi | Mobiie Programmer of Arena Breakout, MoreFun Studios, Tencent Games

Wednesday, March 20 | 3:30 – 4:00pm

Room 3022, West Hall

 

Next Level of Mobile Graphics: Ray Tracing in Arena Breakout

Junhong Wang | Lead Mobile Programmer of Arena Breakout, MoreFun Studios, Tencent Games

Wednesday, March 20 |  4:00 pm – 4:30 pm 

Room 3022, West Hall

 

Tencent Games Booth

  • GAME AI – GiiNEX AI game engine/Decision AI/Generative Game AI
  • Products – Anti-cheat Expert (ACE)/Cloud-enabled Studio/WeTest Global
  • March 20-22
  • Booth No. S1127

For more information, please visit Tencent Games on Twitter or LinkedIn.

Day of the Devs: San Francisco Edition on March 17 to Feature Incredible Group of Video Games

0

Day of the Devs: San Francisco Edition is an in-person event taking place on Sunday, March 17 from 3pm – 8pm PT at The Midway. As usual, no tickets are required, the event is FREE ENTRY and is OPEN TO ALL AGES. The community can RSVP for the family-friendly event right now via Eventbrite. Also, be sure to check out this great sizzle reel trailer here, which dropped today in celebration of the event, and showcases all 78 unreleased and incredible games playable at the show.

Day of the Devs: San Francisco Edition will feature the following games and projects: #BLUD, #DRIVE Rally, 1000xRESIST, AIKODE, Albert Wilde: Quantum P.I., Anger Foot, ART IS RIFLE, Bib Goes Home, Bits & Bops, Botany Manor, Breeze in the Clouds, Cataclismo, Channel: Death, Chasing the Unseen, Combo Devils, Constance, Crow Country, Crowsworn, Cryptical Path, Ctrl+Alt+Destroy, darkwebSTREAMER, Death of a Wish, Death of the Reprobate, Death the Guitar, Doggy Don’t Care, Dome-King Cabbage, Drag Her!, Dystopika, Echo Weaver, Europa, Footgun:, Underground, Fruitbus, Gourdlets, Grunn, Haste: Broken Worlds, Hauntii, Helskate, Hermit and Pig, Holstin, HORSES, Hyper Light Breaker, Isles of Sea and Sky, Janet DeMornay Is A Slumlord (and a witch), JETCola, Kind Words 2, Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story, Lucky Tower Ultimate, Mars After Midnight, Mashing LED, Mika and the Witch’s Mountain, Militsioner, Nightshift Galaxy, ODDADA, outdraw.ai, Pepper, Grinder, Phonopolis, Roman Sands RE:Build, Selfloss, She Dreams Elsewhere, Simpler Times, Slime Heroes, SOPA, Sophia the, Traveler, SULFUR, Surf Club, Thank Goodness You’re Here!, The Axis Unseen, The Beauty Cult’s, NECTARMANCER, The Star Named EOS, Toroa: Skycall, Two Strikes, Ultimate Godspeed, Valley Peaks, What the Car?, Wild Bastards, Wildwood Down, WonderWander and Yellow Taxi Goes Vroom.

Day of the Devs: San Francisco Edition’s sponsors include founders, Double Fine and iam8bit, as well as Annapurna Interactive, Boneloaf, Devolver, Egg, Glum, ID@Xbox, Maximum Games, Panic, PlayStation, Popagenda, Razer, Sabotage Studio, Studio MDHR, Summer Game Fest and UFO50.

Additionally, Day of the Devs’ first fundraising campaign on FundraiseUP as a non-profit, has been extended! Now running until March 25, fans who donate can choose to receive a variety of gifts, including a huge pack of incredible top tier Steam games, all of which have been featured Day of the Devs events over the past decade, from developers and publishers: Double Fine Productions, iam8bit, Enhance, Night School Studio, Capybara Games, Sabotage Studio, Tribute Games and more, PLUS VIP tickets to events and a loot box of Day of the Devs swag from iam8bit. The full list of gifts and tiering details can be found here.

All funds will go towards supporting Day of the Devs in their efforts to spotlight unique and magical video games and the developers who make them  – all completely free, with no costs to either developers or event attendees.

March 2024 Game Industry Events Calendar

Happy March Madness! We’ve put together yet another great list of events you can attend for the month. As we continue to warm up to the spring time, the event season ramps along with a wider variety of events. As our “March Madness” opening hints at, this month is chock-full of festivals, conferences, and more, all lead of course by the most madness of them all – GDC in San Francisco, CA USA.

Notice something else for this month? There are only a few online or hybrid events. We’ve officially migrated right back to ‘normal’ mode for the event industry.

Many of the listed events are included in the calendar from your contributions in submitting events to the calendar. Thank you for continuing to support us!

Check out this month’s event list below. You can also click here for the main calendar that includes events into 2024 and beyond.

March 2-3: Tokyo Indie Games Summit
5-6: Hamburg Games Conference
5-6: NextGen Game Development Summit
6-7: Global Games Pitch – Spring Edition (Online)
8-16: SXSW Conference
17: Courage XL
17: Day of the Devs (GDC Edition)
18-19: Pocket Gamer Connects San Francisco
18-19: Game Connection America
18-21: GTC
18-22: MeetToMatch – The San Francisco Edition
18-22: MeetToMatch – The Las Vegas Edition
18-22: #notgdc (Online)
19-23: GDC (Hybrid)
21: European Game Showcase
21-22: Reality Check Festival
21-24: PAX East
28-April 1: Insomnia Gaming Festival
29-31: DStars

Which events are you attending this month? Let us know by commenting on this article here or on Twitter and Facebook!

News Topics