The Impact Factor

Game Developers Conference 2015: A Reflection (& Pictures!)

Special Feature

Abstract: GDC 2015 is a meeting filled with vibrant new ideas, excited game developers, and a well-honed focus on the games industry: whether it is getting your start, refining your work, or a glimpse into the future of video games. As the first video game conference I have ever attended, I was overwhelmed with the scale of the event and the talent of those present, both exhibitors and attendees. The show floor was filled with great games and experiences. I used my one-day student pass predominantly to get a glimpse into what it takes to break into the games industry. I left feeling a fuller appreciation of the current duality of beginning your career in video games. One on hand, increasingly rigorous academic training is creating a new generation of highly skilled game artists, designers and programmers well qualified for work following graduation from college. On the other, the widespread availability of game making tools and collaborative game making projects (game jams) gives those without formal training an avenue to break into the industry. For someone like myself, I have a long way to go if I ever hope to work in video games, but at least the path to doing so is clearer now than it has ever been.

I have wanted to attend a video game conference for the longest time. I watch events like the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) and Gamescom with a jealous eye, wishing that I were there to experience the new games in person and speak with developers. Attending a meaningful conference is easier now than it has ever been with the advent of Penny Arcade Expos (PAX), where open access to the public allows anyone to get real face time with developers and industry veterans. And then you have the Game Developers Conference (GDC). GDC is the world’s largest and longest running professionals-only game industry event. While E3, Gamescom, and even PAX to a lesser extent, are marketing heavy trade shows, GDC is more focused on game makers coming together to share ideas, grow networks, and present the future of games.

GDC is replete with informational sessions. In these, lecturers speak about the principles of production, programming, visual arts, management and more. These talks really reminded me of the scientific meetings I have attended, where speakers share their findings and help to grow the core knowledge of the community as a whole. The conference featured two separate show floors. The expo floor features hands-on kiosks for upcoming games, like other conferences. The emphasis here is not necessarily on the new games, though, but more so on the new technologies, services, and innovations that are moving games forward. For instance, this year’s show floor was filled to the brim with virtual reality (VR) exhibits, supplemental VR technology (like haptic feedback-based controllers), and new support services for an increasingly mobile game rich industry. The second show floor features GDC’s Career Center. GDC itself compiles a list of hiring companies and the jobs they have available. Indeed, the Career Center expo area is a self-contained job fair, where publishers, developers and companies alike are looking for new talent. GDC’s ‘professionals-only’ mindset creates an intense career-oriented conference dynamic. Attendees carry around copies of their resume, giving it out to anyone receptive. Business cards are a must, as nearly every conversation I witnessed resulted in their exchange. And this is well-understood: people attend GDC to grow their network, gain new friends and colleagues, learn from their peers, and potentially set up future collaborative projects or jobs.

To that extent, I was a very much a fish out of water. As you all (probably) know, I am a biomedical sciences Ph.D. candidate. I was able to attend GDC through my label as a student, though perhaps not the kind of student the organizers intended. I attended, first a foremost, to gain insight into the work I would have to do if I ever hoped to work in video games. Secondarily to see all the cool new games and technology on display. Because of this, however, initiating a network for myself was difficult. Once the attendees (and exhibitors) learned of my current work as a science Ph.D., many of the conversations quickly died off. I have no experience in coding a game, creating a design document, or any real games portfolio to speak of whatsoever. Attendees are mainly looking peers to help hone skills with, and jobs. Exhibitors are looking for skilled game makers. I offered none of the above. Still, conversations about games themselves were great, and many were interested in why I was thinking about working in games. Every time I was left in awe, too. So many young people have already made a handful of games, have coded in several game engines, been a part of game jams, and more. The talent that surrounded me at GDC was astounding, and I loved being a part of what was (and was not) on display.

It was clearly “too early” for me to attend GDC for the reasons the majority of people do, early-to-mid stage career development. But that was never my intention. I wanted to learn about what working in the industry was like and the skills I would need to gain in order to do so. To that extent, I attended a ton of seminars. To cite a couple:

                        “A New R&D Process for Game Design”

                        “From Student to Designer/Writer”

“Ten Tips for Successful Game Industry Interviews”

                        “Internships, Bridging the Gap”

These talks were great. I will not go into any great detail, but I learned key takeaways about portfolio creation, what to say and what not to say at an interview, and how to assess the worth of an internship. Here again, the games industry has so many parallels with the life sciences. Perhaps the best example was at the talk in which I learned about “PlayStation University,” a 12-week internship program that almost point-for-point matched the objectives and design of the two research science internship programs I participated in prior to my acceptance into graduate school. It is a great way to hone your skills and understand what goes into that career, so it was neat to see a big name in games adopting this successful model. I was happy I attended the sessions I did, because it allowed me to refine my understanding of working in video games. I enabled me clearer tools self-assessment, perhaps even brutally so, while simultaneously giving me a clearer picture of what work lies ahead of me should I chose to pursue that path. Like all career exploration, I was first met with a huge wave of anxiety that, following synthesis and reflection, became more manageable. Ultimately, I need to focus on narrowing down potential careers to pursue, and get experience via game jams and independent projects.

One quick aside, and key takeaway, is the emerging duality in game makers. I had known about this for a while, but it was educational getting to see it at its beating heart. The landscape of academic training for games is rapidly growing. Programs now span the country, even at top tier schools like the University of Chicago, that focus on game design and game-specific coding & programming. This is creating highly trained, highly skilled students with rich portfolios derived from a combination of class projects and game jams with friends. When looking at games from this perspective, it is going to be increasingly hard for non-trained individuals to find a job in video game creation—the pool is just that much more competitive. On the polar opposite side of the spectrum is this new age of self-taught, fully independent game makers. Great game creation tools now exist for anyone to download, like Stencyl and GameMaker. Following the huge announcements at GDC, Unreal, Unity, and Source 2 engines are all free to people to use as well. Great written and video tutorials exist for many of these engines, allowing nearly anyone with passion and time to create games. Again, this makes getting hired by a company or studio even harder, since the pool of applicants is larger now than it ever has been. This duality has made for an innovative, and interesting, past decade for games, and will continue to have substantial impacts on the industry for years (perhaps decades) to come.

The main expo floor allowed me to put all those thoughts aside and just be surrounded by fantastic new games and experiences. I spent time in the Xbox area playing Gigantic, and at PlayStation’s playing Axiom Verge, Titan Souls, Amplitude and Guns Up. I got to check out the Independent Game Festival (IGF) pavilion that had on display a great selection of lauded indie games. There, I was able to play some Killer Queen, Invisible, Inc., and This War of Mine. There was also this fantastic section of the show floor called alt.ctrl.GDC that featured innovative new experiences in gaming. I was able to get hands on with the unexpected darling of GDC, Butt Sniffin Pugs, and another game in which you use vibrating controllers in a battlebot-like arena. Hands-on experiences with virtual reality were either by appointment only or several hour long waiting lines, so I was not able to try out Project Morpheus, Oculus Rift, or Vive. Still, VR demos were everywhere and it was interesting to see people trying them out. Everything I saw and played was a blast, and made me even more excited about the future of games.

And that’s it for the meatier side of my reflection. I have put a bunch of my pictures from the event below for you all to enjoy! I look forward to attending more video game conferences in the future. GDC was a great learning experience and was a joy to attend. Maybe next time I attend I’ll have more to bring to the table!

My early morning walk towards the convention
center!

GDC had this great video game history museum. I didn't get to play, but it was fun to walk around
and see the memorabilia and classic arcade cabinets.

So early the main expo floor was not even open. Gave me some time for pictures!

Waiting for my first talk of the morning. It explored a new direction for the R&D
process in game design. 

The XBox area has a lot of gaming setups. I didn't get a closer picture, but I was able
to get my hands on Gigantic, the new MOBA-like gaming coming to Xbox One & Windows 10.
I enjoyed what I played! 

My first look at the PlayStation area!

There was this neat patterning in the back of the PlayStation exhibition.
I grew up with Sony consoles, so seeing this definitely triggered my inner fandom.

Been excited about Axiom Verge for some time. Getting hands on confirmed for me
that I will definitely be picking up this neat Metroidvania on 3/31.

Described as a synthesis of Shadow of the Colossus with the punishing difficulty
of Dark Souls, the moment I heard about this game I was sold. Hands on
gave me confirmation of its brutal difficulty and great boss fights.

Amplitude is a remake of the cult PS2 hit of the same name. The rhythm
based gameplay worked well and looked beautiful.

I really wanted to get my hands on Bloodborne, one of my most anticipated
titles of 2015. The line was always too long for my taste, though. Everything
looked superb and once again re-ignited my fervor for Souls games.

VR was huge at GDC. Here is the entrance to Facebook/Oculus's display area.

Lines to get in were insane, but here is a eerie picture looking into the display
 Demoers are strapped into the Rift and Gear VR. Gives me strange Sci-Fi vibes!

There was a lot of VR accessory tech, too. It might be hard to see here, but this guy
was wearing low-friction shoes on this plastic peripheral. By moving his legs
like he was walking, his virtual character moved as well.

Star Wars VR demo. The participant held a stick-shaped accessory in each hand.
The game played out like Luke in the original trilogy, blocking laser shots
from a floating drone. 

There were huge booths for Unity and Unreal, both of which went free following
announcements at GDC. I witnessed tutorial seminars at each booth, again emphasizing
this education / career development aspect of the conference.

A game that really stood out for me was Adr1ft. You play as an astronaut on a massively damaged derelict
space station trying to find your way through the precarious debris to escape. The visuals were
gorgeous and totally immersive.

Butt Sniffing Pugs was a surprise darling of the show. Its innovative control scheme
coupled with its adorable aesthetic made it an easy game to like. I loved the description
of the game from the creators, pictured below

The IGF pavilion featured a bunch of indie games that were nominated for awards. Because
I attended on Friday, many booths were shut down, but I still got to play games like Killer Queen,
This War of Mine, The Talos Principle and This War of Mine.

Conference over! I got to see a ton of things at my first GDC, and learned even more.