Welcome To GDC Summer
It’s time once again for the Game Developers Conference! And if you haven’t already guessed, it’s gone streamy! GDC Summer is the new name for this year’s conference, featuring speeches and stories by top video game professionals from all corners of the video game industry. Watch, listen and learn.
What’s different besides the medium? The interactive elements you can participate in through your computer….for example, there will be an interactive series of Ask Me Anything (AMA) sessions with industry veterans, and you’ll probably stand a better shot of getting your question through than you would have by raising your hand in a crowded auditorium.
“Our goal with GDC Summer is to bring the same expert content, networking opportunities, and chance to come together as a community that attendees have come to expect from a GDC event,” says GDC General Manager Katie Stern. “We’re very pleased to be able to capitalize on the virtual nature of the conference with new ways to connect with each other and unique sessions such as AMAs and skill building sessions, but at the end of the day, we’re most happy to be able to offer an authentic GDC experience.”
Unlike its contemporaries such as SDCC@Home, attending GDC Summer will cost you some dough. There is a community stream that is free, but the meat and potatoes of the con can only be viewed through a paywall. It’s not cheap at all, but GDC has never been.
Entry for the average layman costs a whopping $200, but if you’re a college student, you can attend GDC Summer at a deep discount of $50. This grants access to most of the content including the Meetings and Networking Program, the Indie Showcase, and the Sponsor Showcase. To watch everything, though, you have to wield a Conference Pass, and if you have to ask about the price of that one, you can’t afford it. The Playstation 5 will probably cost less.
GDC Summer lasts from now until August 6. If you can’t afford any of those tiers, don’t fret — the best news from the con will be spread across online media, as it always is.