Getting ready for GDC 2024?
Eager to know what talks and events are best for you?
We’re here for you!
GDC 2024 features hundreds of sessions—covering nearly every discipline, topic, and focus that matters to game developers today. It can be hard to choose!
That's why we've created this Walkthrough Guide. Click on a topic to be taken to your “one-stop shop” with details on your area of interest, links to find the right sessions for you, and content you can read and watch to prepare for this year's event.
For those wanting an extra hand, our guides feature GDC 2024 Sample Schedules. These are day-by-day calendars with talks, roundtables, workshops, and panels matching your interests—custom-built with input from GDC advisors and GDC Programming staff. Each one is linked to its Session Viewer page, making it easier to find and schedule them in the GDC App.
Make sure to visit the GDC FAQ for tips on getting around the area, finding networking opportunities, and making the most of your GDC.
How to use the GDC 2024 Session Guides:
- Click on your topic or discipline from the list provided below
- Click on the name (next to the '+' plus sign) to open up the down-down guide
- Find links to all GDC 2024 sessions related to your topic or discipline
- Peruse your topic's Sample Schedule of recommended talks, panels, and events for the week of GDC
- Check out our suggested videos and articles to get you ready for GDC 2024
- For everything else, check out our handy FAQ. Have additional questions? Contact us here.
Basic Information
Creating and sharing sound is one of the key ways to bring a video game to life. In our Audio track, join the game industry's top audio professionals to share knowledge and experience from the real world addressing, audio's unique aesthetic, technical, business, and logistical problems.
Passes: All Access Pass will get you into all GDC 2024 sessions, roundtables, and workshops. Attendees can also sign up for the specialty Audio Pass, which provides all Core and Summits sessions on the Audio track. Register for GDC 2024 here.
Summits and Sessions
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Audio Summit takes place on Tuesday (March 19). Find Audio Summit Sessions Here
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Core Concepts sessions take place Wednesday-Friday (March 20-22). Find All Audio Sessions Here
Roundtables
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Diversity in Game Audio Roundtable
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Remotely Possible Roundtable: Building Your Game Audio Career From the Comfort of Your Own Home
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Audio Directors Roundtable: Day 1 and Day 2
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Game Audio Business Roundtable: Day 1 (Running a Freelance Business), Day 2 (Composer Agents), and Day 3 (Music Income Streams)
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Game Audio Programming Roundtable: Day 1 (Game Integration), Day 2 (Low-Level Topics), and Day 3 (Free-For-All)
Watch and Read (Before GDC)
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(VIDEO) 'Dark Pictures: Season 1': 4 games in 4 years: Audio Systems for Narrative Horror: Barney Pratt (GDC Vault)
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(VIDEO) 'Stray Gods': The Challenges of Creating an Interactive Musical: Austin Wintory, Troy Baker (GDC Vault)
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(ARTICLE) Audio Implementation Practices to Ease Development Stress: Elliot Calaghan (Game Developer)
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(ARTICLE) Kinetics and the 12 Tone Approach (The Game Music of Jurassic World Primal Ops: GDC 2023): Winifred Phillips (Game Developer)
Sample Schedule
AA = All Access | AP = Audio Pass | C = Core Concepts | S = Summits | IGS = Independent Games Summit Pass | All Pass Types = APT, APT*
*does not include Friday-only Expo Pass
Tuesday,
|
12:20 – 1:50pm Pass Types: AA, AP, S |
Audio Summit: Challenges and Opportunities in Designing and Developing Audio Tools 1:20 – 1:50pm Pass Types: AA, AP, S |
Audio Summit: Haptic Design and Implementation of 'Marvel's Spider-Man 2' 2:10 – 2:40pm Pass Type: AA, AP, S |
Audio Summit: How Sound Can Make You Feel 5:30 – 6:30pm Pass Type: AA, AP, S |
Wednesday,
|
10:30 – 11:30am Pass Type: AA, AP, C |
In Your Head: Audio-Driven Everything in 'Alan Wake 2' and its Mind Place 11:30am – 12:00pm Pass Type: AA, AP, C |
The Music of 'Tchia': Channeling the Soul of New Caledonia
4:00 – 5:00pm Pass Type: AA, AP, C |
5:00 – 6:00pm Pass Type: AA, AP, C |
Thursday,
|
Creature Vocalizations: The Art of Creating Audio Nightmares with a Human Voice 10:00 – 11:00 am Pass Type: AA, AP, C |
2:00 – 2:30pm Pass Type: AA, AP, C |
Hearing Health in Video Games
3:00 – 3:30pm Pass Type: APT* |
22nd Annual Game Audio Network Guild Awards 7:30 – 9:30pm Pass Type: APT* |
Friday,
|
Finding Space For Sound: Acoustics in 'Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora' 10:00 – 11:00am Pass Type: AA, AP, C |
Haptics: A Playful Collaboration Between Audio and Design 11:30am – 12:00pm Pass Type: AA, AP, C |
1:10 – 2:10pm Pass Type: APT |
|
Basic Information
The Game Developers Conference isn't just about standout sessions and events: It's also where careers get made. In our Game Career Development track, discover strategies for pitching your game, effective communication, how to land an investor/publisher, business development, and how to build your career in game development directly from industry experts.
Passes: All Access Pass will get you into all GDC 2024 sessions, roundtables, and workshops. Attendees can also sign up for the Friday-only Expo Pass, which will grant access to Friday's Game Career Seminar. Register for GDC 2024 here.
Summits and Sessions
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Game Career Seminar takes place on Friday (March 22). Find Game Career Seminar Sessions Here
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GDC Encounters: Speed Networking sessions take place Wednesday-Friday (March 22-22). Find All Speed Networking Times Here.
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Core Concepts sessions take place Wednesday-Friday (March 20-22). Find All Game Career Sessions Here
Roundtables
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Games Industry Layoff Preparedness Roundtable
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Ask Game Lawyers Anything Roundtable: Day 1 and Day 2
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Freelancers and Independent Contractors Roundtable: Day 1 (New Freelancers) and Day 2 (Veterans)
Watch and Read (Before GDC)
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(VIDEO) Starting Your Career In a Post-Pandemic World: Sanjay Madhav, Dennis Gilham, Adinda van Oosten, Lynette Fernandes, Nathalie Galla, Luke Piazza (GDC Vault)
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(VIDEO) "Soft" Skills Are Hard! Acing the Non-Technical Interview Questions: Sonia Michaels (GDC Vault)
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(ARTICLE) Find the Right Job or Candidate on the Game Developer Job Board: Beth Elderkin (Game Developer)
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(ARTICLE) In Defense of Fanfiction: Game Devs Share How Writing Fanfiction Kickstarted a Career in Games: Bryant Francis (Game Developer)
Sample Schedule
AA = All Access | AP = Audio Pass | C = Core Concepts | S = Summits | IGS = Independent Games Summit Pass | All Pass Types = APT, APT*
*does not include Friday-only Expo Pass
Basic Information
Discover the latest tools and tricks for creating standout games. In our Design track, learn methods to create compelling interactions with realistic physics, facial expressions, and lighting. Get ideas for new games, tips to push your project forward, and learn how to understand and tune the interactions of an ever-increasing number of tools, systems, and techniques required to design great games.
Passes: All Access Pass will get you into all GDC 2024 sessions, roundtables, and workshops. Register for GDC 2024 here.
Summits and Sessions
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UX Summit takes place on Monday (March 18). Find UX Summit Sessions Here
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Level Design Summit takes place on Tuesday (March 19). Find Level Design Summit Sessions Here
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Core Concepts sessions take place Wednesday-Friday (March 20-22). Find All Design Sessions Here
Roundtables
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Tools Design Roundtable: Day 1 (Design & UX), Day 2 (Production & Strategy), and Day 3 (User Research)
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Game Narrative Roundtable: Day 1: Professional and Day 2: Conceptual
Watch and Read (Before GDC)
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(VIDEO) Designing 'MARVEL SNAP': Ben Brode (GDC Vault)
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(VIDEO) Designing Cauldrons for 'Horizon Forbidden West': Dennis Micka (GDC Vault)
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(ARTICLE) Level Design Process #01: Cube to Temple: Amin Montazeri (Game Developer)
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(ARTICLE) Why This Dev Made a Spiritual Sequel to the Infamous CD-i Zelda Games: Paul Cecchini (Game Developer)
Sample Schedule
AA = All Access | AP = Audio Pass | C = Core Concepts | S = Summits | IGS = Independent Games Summit Pass | All Pass Types = APT, APT*
*does not include Friday-only Expo Pass
Basic Information
Change is happening in the video game industry, and it's important to be part of it. In our Advocacy track, address topics ranging from diversity to censorship to quality of life within the realm of social advocacy in the game industry—topics include diversity, equity, and inclusion, sustainability, accessibility, and achieving a healthy workplace. As part of our mission to support growth in the game industry.
Passes: All Access Pass will get you into all GDC 2024 sessions, roundtables, and workshops—most Advocacy sessions are accessible at all pass levels (except Friday-only Expo Pass). Register for GDC 2024 here.
Summits and Sessions
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Fair Play Workshop takes place Tuesday (March 19). Find Fair Play Workshop Sessions Here (also shown below)
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International Game Developers Association is hosting a series of Roundtables covering a variety of topics. Find All IGDA Roundtables Here
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Core Concepts sessions take place Wednesday-Friday (March 20-22). Find All Advocacy Sessions Here
Fair Play Workshop (Tuesday, March 19)
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Harmonizing Multiplayer Experiences (9:00am-12:00pm)
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Crafting Thriving User Generated Content Communities (1:30-2:00pm)
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Non-Binary By Design (2:20-2:50pm)
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Designing for a Dark Night of the Soul (3:10-4:10pm)
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Kind Games: Designing for Prosocial Multiplayer (4:30-5:30pm)
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Digital Thriving in a Post-Pandemic World: A Prosocial Blueprint (5:50-6:50pm)
Roundtables and Other Workshops
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Building a Resilient Industry Through Worker Organizing & Empowerment Roundtable
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Climate Crisis Workshop: Use Your Game Developer Superpowers to Fight the Climate Crisis
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Games Industry Layoff Preparedness Roundtable
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Global Game Jam Roundtable
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Local Game Community Organizers Roundtable
Watch and Read (Before GDC)
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(VIDEO) Advocacy Microtalks: Cultivate Your Karass (GDC Vault)
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(VIDEO) Douglass Knew it and Now You Do, Too: Farley Chery (GDC Vault)
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(ARTICLE) Why Your Diversity Programs Need to be "Foundational," and Not "Band-Aids": Bryant Francis (Game Developer)
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(ARTICLE) Most Developers Are Sold on the Idea of Unionization, but Many Still Aren't Discussing It: Chris Kerr (Game Developer)
Sample Schedule
AA = All Access | AP = Audio Pass | C = Core Concepts | S = Summits | IGS = Independent Games Summit Pass | All Pass Types = APT, APT*
*does not include Friday-only Expo Pass
Monday,
|
Game Narrative Summit: Creating Diverse Characters: Writing What you Know and Don't 10:50 – 11:30am Pass Type: APT*
|
Fair Play Workshop: Non-binary By Design 2:20 – 2:50pm |
4:30 – 5:30pm
|
Fair Play Workshop: Digital Thriving in a Post-Pandemic World: A Prosocial Blueprint 5:50 – 6:50pm |
Tuesday,
|
10:00am – 6:00pm
|
|
|
|
Wednesday,
|
9:00 – 10:00am |
2:00 – 3:00pm |
3:30 – 4:30pm |
5:00 – 6:00pm |
Thursday,
|
11:30am – 12:30pm |
2:00 – 2:30pm |
4:00 – 5:00pm |
Breaking Boundaries Roundtable: Transgender, Non-Binary, and Non-Gender Conforming Game Developers 5:30 – 6:30pm |
Friday,
|
Age-Friendly Design for the 50-Plus Gamer 10:00 – 11:00am |
11:30am – 12:30pm
|
Authentic Representation of Black Hair in Games 1:30 – 2:30pm
|
Building a Resilient Industry Through Worker Organizing & Empowerment Roundtable 3:00 – 4:00pm |
Basic Information
Are you going to the Game Developers Conference for the first time? Eager to know about the best talks and networking events for fresh faces at GDC 2024? This guide features some of the "Greatest Hits" GDC is known for.
For first timers, we highly recommend GDC 101 (your one-stop shop to learning how to navigate the event), the GDC Main Stage presentation, at least one Classic Game Postmortem, and the GDCA and IGF Awards.
Below our Tips Sheet and Video/Article Picks, you will find a Sample Schedule with all the talks and events we recommend for first-time attendees. Register for GDC 2024 here.
10 Tips for Making the Most of Your First GDC
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Complete your Swapcard profile: GDC is using Swapcard as the go-to system for all GDC networking activities. Make sure to fully complete your profile to stay connected during GDC. You can also request meetings with any fellow attendee registered through Swapcard—with the ability to search attendees by job title, professional interest, and other filters.
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Book your hotel with us: Don't try your luck with some random travel website—GDC has discounted rates on hotels near the event for attendees. It's the best way to get the best room near the convention center.
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Join a roundtable: Our talks and panels are amazing, but be sure to bookmark at least one roundtable during your time at GDC. They're a great way to get hands-on with a topic of interest, as well as network with your industry colleagues.
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Do a speed networking session: There are many ways to network at the Game Developers Conference, like using Swapcard (once available) to set up meetings in our Connect Lounge. But if you're looking for variety and entertainment, join one of our Speed Networking sessions!
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Attend a sponsored talk: Many of our wonderful sponsors host sessions and talks throughout the Game Developers Conference. Some of them showcase latest products and services, while others are about helping game developers navigate opportunities and challenges that they themselves have experienced. They're open to attendees of all pass levels. It's worth checking out what studios and companies are speaking at GDC that are of interest to you!
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Plan your Expo tour... then wing it: The GDC 2024 Expo Floor features many booths and exhibitors, showcasing some of the latest games, technologies, and career opportunities. Be sure to visit our interactive Floor Plan so you can map out the booths you want to visit. But don't forget to set aside some time for an unstructured lap around the Expo Floor. You might be surprised by what you find—one time I discovered a popcorn machine! A vital snack in the afternoon.
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Check out alt.ctrl.GDC: If you're wanting to see the latest innovations in game programming and alternative controllers, look no further than alt.ctrl.GDC on the Expo Floor. Several developers have brought their groundbreaking (and often unexpected) games and controllers to showcase at GDC. Attendees of all pass levels can play them for free, and chat with the devs.
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Relax in our community spaces: Not only are they a place to unwind during the day, they're also the perfect spot to network with industry colleages and prospective employers. Head to our Floor Plan to see our community spaces throughout the Expo Floor, including fun interactive spaces and the GDC Play Lounge.
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Get food recs from an SF ambassador: Trying to find something to eat in between sessions? Keep an eye out for the city’s official Welcome Ambassadors–in their signature bright orange jackets, with the words “Welcome Ambassador” written on the back. They'll be hanging around GDC and may have recommendations on interesting spots to grab a quick bite or a more hearty meal.
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Attend the GDCA and IGF Awards: Last but certainly not least! On Wednesday, March 20 at 6:30pm PT, the GDC Main Stage hosts the Independent Games Festival Awards and the Game Developers Choice Awards—two prestigious ceremonies that celebrate the game industry and standout games and developers of the past year. Best part: It's free for attendees of all pass levels.
Watch and Read (Before GDC)
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(VIDEO) GDC 101, for GDC 2023: Brandon Sheffield (GDC Vault)
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(VIDEO) GDC Main Stage 2023: The Future of Play (GDC Vault)
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(ARTICLE) GDC 2024 State Of The Game Industry: Devs Discuss Layoffs, Generative AI, and More: Beth Elderkin (Game Developer)
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(ARTICLE) The Best Business and Marketing Talks at GDC 2023: Daneille Riendeau (Game Developer)
Sample Schedule
AA = All Access | AP = Audio Pass | C = Core Concepts | S = Summits | IGS = Independent Games Summit Pass | All Pass Types = APT, APT*
*does not include Friday-only Expo Pass
Tuesday,
|
12:20 – 1:50pm Pass Types: AA, AP, S
|
|
|
|
Wednesday,
|
Tunes of the Kingdom: Evolving Physics and Sounds for ‘The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom’ 10:30 – 11:30am |
GDC Main Stage: A Developer's Concert 12:30 – 1:30pm |
Now Is the Time! Workers in Games Are Ready to Form Unions 3:30 – 4:30pm |
2024 Independent Games Festival Awards and Game Developers Choice Awards 6:30 – 9:30pm
|
Thursday,
|
The Secrets of 'Baldur's Gate 3' 10:00 – 11:00am
|
11:30am – 12:30pm
|
GDC Pitch: Day 2 12:45 – 1:45pm |
3:00 – 3:30pm |
Friday,
|
10:10 – 10:40am
|
11:30am – 12:30pm
|
Classic Game Postmortem: 'Star Wars: TIE Fighter' 1:30 – 2:30pm
|
The Future of Hybrid, Remote and In-Office Work 1:30 – 2:30pm |
Basic Information
Generative AI, virtual reality, and augmented reality are exploding in the games space—and paving the way for the future. In our Future Realities track, learn to create amazing, immersive VR and AR experiences for games and entertainment. Be inspired, learn from experts, and share best practices to create augmented and virtual reality for games, films, and other forms of entertainment. In the Artificial Intelligence (AI) sessions, learn the latest tools and techniques for Generative AI and other AI.
Passes: All Access Pass will get you into all GDC 2024 sessions, roundtables, and workshops. Register for GDC 2024 here.
Summits and Sessions
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Future Realities Summit takes place Monday-Tuesday (March 18-19). Find Future Realities Summit Sessions Here
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AI Summit takes place Monday-Tuesday (March 18-19). Find AI Summit Sessions Here
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VR/AR Core Concepts sessions take place Wednesday-Friday (March 20-22). Find All VR/AR Sessions Here
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Generative AI Core Concepts sessions take place Wednesday-Friday (March 20-22). Find All Generative AI Sessions Here
Roundtables
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AI Roundtable: Day 1 (Deep Dive With Experts), Day 2 (Quick Q&A For Beginners), and Day 3 (Open Discussion)
Watch and Read (Before GDC)
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(VIDEO) Advancing Content Creation with Generative AI: Stefano Carazza (GDC Vault)
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(VIDEO) Emergency Meeting! It's the 'Among Us VR' Postmortem: Michal Ksiazkiewicz, Shawn Patton, Jennifer Rabbitt (GDC Vault)
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(ARTICLE) GamerGPT: What to Consider When Considering Generative AI in Gaming: Andrew Tibbetts, David I. Schulmanand 1 more (Game Developer)
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(ARTICLE) The VR Industry Can Learn from Filmmaking to Portray Immersion: Wesley Herbst (Game Developer)
Sample Schedule
AA = All Access | AP = Audio Pass | C = Core Concepts | S = Summits | IGS = Independent Games Summit Pass | All Pass Types = APT, APT*
*does not include Friday-only Expo Pass
Monday,
|
1:20 – 1:50pm Pass Type: AA, S |
Future Realities Summit: Techniques for Efficient Development of VR Games Using Unreal Engine 5 3:50 – 4:20pm Pass Type: AA, S
|
AI Summit: From Text to Gameplay: Generative AI's Influence on Behavior Trees 4:40 – 5:10pm Pass Type: AA, S
|
AI Summit: Little Learning Machines Postmortem: A game about training Neural Networks 5:30 – 6:30pm Pass Type: AA, S
|
Tuesday,
|
AI Summit: Practical Utility AI 9:30 – 10:30am Pass Type: AA, S |
10:50 – 11:50am Pass Type: AA, S |
2:10 – 2:40pm Pass Type: AA, S |
AI Summit: The Simplest AI Trick in the Book 4:40 – 5:10pm Pass Type: AA, S
|
Wednesday,
|
AI Roundtable Day 1: Deep Dive with Experts 10:00 – 11:00am Pass Type: APT*
|
11:30am – 12:00pm Pass Type: APT* |
Asgards Wrath 2: How We Built VR's Largest Open-World RPG (Presented by Meta) 2:00 – 3:00pm Pass Type: APT*
|
ARTificial: Ethics and Aesthetics of AI and Copyright 5:00 – 6:00pm Pass Type: APT* |
Thursday,
|
How Generative AI is Transforming Game Development, Discovery and UGC (Presented by Roblox) 10:00 – 11:00am Pass Type: AA, AP, C |
Navigating Legal Challenges with Generative AI 11:30am – 12:30pm Pass Type: AA, C |
AI Roundtable Day 2: Quick Q&A for Beginners 2:00 – 3:00pm Pass Type: AA, C |
|
Friday,
|
AI-Assisted Player Support in the 'Among Us VR' Community 11:30am – 12:00pm Pass Type: APT |
AI's Impact on Voice in Games Roundtable (Presented by the IGDA) 1:30 – 2:30pm Pass Type: APT |
AI Roundtable Day 3: Open Discussion 3:00 – 4:00pm Pass Type: AA, C |
Basic Information
Indie games and their creators breathe life into the game industry—uplifting voices, challenging norms, and paving the way for the future of the field. In our Independent Games track, hear from the best and brightest indie game creators. Attend lectures, postmortems, microtalks, and panels representing diverse voices, experiences, and perspectives, including many former and current Independent Games Festival finalists and winners.
Passes: All Access provides access to all GDC 2024 sessions. Attendees can sign up for the specialty Independent Games Summit Pass, which provides access to IGS-related sessions (limited availability). Register for GDC 2024 here.
Summits and Sessions
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Independent Games Summit takes place Monday-Tuesday (March 18-19). Find Independent Games Summit Sessions Here
-
International Game Developers Association is hosting a series of Roundtables covering a variety of topics related to indie creators and studios. Find All IGDA Roundtables Here
Watch and Read (Before GDC)
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(VIDEO) Business Development for Self-Publishing Studios and Developers: Lucas Pessoa de Freitas, Richie de Wit (GDC Vault)
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(VIDEO) Indie Soapbox: Chris Wilson, Nick Kaman, Paige Wilson, Kirsty Gillmore, Charis Reid, Phillipe Bosher (GDC Vault)
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(ARTICLE) Inside the Game Development Stories of the 2023 Independent Games Festival Winners: Alissa McAloon (Game Developer)
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(ARTICLE) The Best Places to Publish Your Indie Game: Danielle Riendeau (Game Developer)
Sample Schedule
AA = All Access | AP = Audio Pass | C = Core Concepts | S = Summits | IGS = Independent Games Summit Pass | All Pass Types = APT, APT*
*does not include Friday-only Expo Pass
Monday,
|
9:30 – 10:30am Pass Type: AA, IGS, S |
Independent Games Summit: Making Accessible Games with Indie Resources 3:50 – 4:20pm
|
4:40 – 5:10pm
|
Independent Games Summit: Indie Soapbox 5:30 – 6:30pm |
Tuesday,
|
10:50 – 11:50am
|
Independent Games Summit: Growing a Studio in a Post-Indie Industry 2:10 – 2:40pm |
Independent Games Summit: How Poetry Can Help Us Make Better Games 4:40 – 5:10pm |
5:30 – 6:00pm |
Wednesday,
|
'Against the Storm' Postmortem 9:00 – 10:00am
|
10:30 – 11:00am |
12:30 – 1:30pm |
Take My Money! Everything You Need to Know to Score Funding 3:30 – 4:30pm |
Thursday,
|
10:00 – 11:00am |
11:30am – 12:30pm |
2:00 – 2:30pm |
4:00 – 5:00pm |
Friday,
|
Game Career Seminar: Who Are You? Building Your Profile Outside the Job 10:10 – 10:40am |
|
1:30 – 3:30pm |
Basic Information
Video games are serious business, and leaders help pave the way to success. In our Leadership focus, learn tactics for managing game production and guiding your team and studio to success.
Core Concepts sessions take place Wednesday-Friday (March 20-22). Scroll down for recommended sessions for developing core leadership skills, managing your team, and growing your career.
Passes: All Access Pass will get you into all GDC 2024 sessions, roundtables, and workshops. Register for GDC 2024 here.
Roundtables
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Hybrid and Remote Work Roundtable: Day 1 (Hybrid) and Day 2 (Remote)
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Starting a Game Studio Roundtable: Day 1 (Funding Choices), Day 2 (Building a High-Performance Culture), and Day 3 (Communications)
Watch and Read (Before GDC)
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(VIDEO) Leaders Working at the Heart of the Team in 2023: Grant Shonkwiler, Erika Olsen, Richard Atlas, Roger Collum, Carolina Mastretta (GDC Vault)
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(VIDEO) New Ways to Rethink Hiring: Cami Smith, Alejandro Rodriquez, Iris Moon, Niccole Minka, Keith Guerrette, Josh Huang (GDC Vault)
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(ARTICLE) Some Factors to Managing a Team: Jonah Lukin (Game Developer)
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(ARTICLE) Pushing the Button....Wait. Not That One: The Launch of Fish Game: Gordon McGladdery (Game Developer)
Sample Schedule
AA = All Access | AP = Audio Pass | C = Core Concepts | S = Summits | IGS = Independent Games Summit Pass | All Pass Types = APT, APT*
*does not include Friday-only Expo Pass
Basic Information
Finding the best ways to market and sell your games can make all the difference. In our Business and Marketing track, gain insight into game industry trends, identify business opportunities and partners, and learn new strategies for marketing games.
Passes: All Access Pass will get you into all GDC 2024 sessions, roundtables, and workshops. Register for GDC 2024 here.
Summits and Sessions
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Community Management Summit takes place on Monday (March 18). Find Community Management Summit Sessions Here
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Core Concepts sessions take place Wednesday-Friday (March 20-22). Find All Business and Marketing Sessions Here
Watch and Read (Before GDC)
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(VIDEO) A Discourse on Discourse: Understanding Fandom and Online Communities: Bria Davis (GDC Vault)
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(VIDEO) Finding Your Voice on TikTok: Grace Curtis (GDC Vault)
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(ARTICLE) Top Tips for Marketing Your Game on TikTok: Patricia Hernandez (Game Developer)
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(ARTICLE) Valve Breaks Down What Will (and Won't) Get Your Game Featured on Steam: Bryant Francis (Game Developer)
Sample Schedule
AA = All Access | AP = Audio Pass | C = Core Concepts | S = Summits | IGS = Independent Games Summit Pass | All Pass Types = APT, APT*
*does not include Friday-only Expo Pass
Basic Information
Video games love a good story. Tales that make us think, adventures that show us a good time, or even experiences that frighten or challenge us. In our Game Narrative track, learn about interactive narrative in all forms, including AAA blockbusters, indie games, mobile, and social projects from fundamentals of story development theory to practical case studies.
Passes: All Access Pass will get you into all GDC 2024 sessions, roundtables, and workshops. Register for GDC 2024 here.
Summits and Sessions
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Game Narrative Summit takes place on Monday (March 18). Find Game Narrative Summit Sessions Here
-
Core Concepts sessions take place Wednesday-Friday (March 20-22). Find All Narrative Sessions Here
Watch and Read (Before GDC)
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(VIDEO) The Best and Most Stealable Mechanics from Tabletop RPGs: Evan Hill (GDC Vault)
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(VIDEO) It's Not in the Writer's Manual: A Q&A Session for New Writers: Toiya Kristen Finley, Jennifer Allaway, Beth LaPense, Jeremy Bernstein, Whitney "Strix" Beltrn (GDC Vault)
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(ARTICLE) The Realities of Narrative: Juliana Hand (Game Developer)
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(ARTICLE) The Best Free Tools for Narrative Games: Danielle Riendeau (Game Developer)
Sample Schedule
AA = All Access | AP = Audio Pass | C = Core Concepts | S = Summits | IGS = Independent Games Summit Pass | All Pass Types = APT, APT*
*does not include Friday-only Expo Pass
Basic Information
Knowing how your players think is key to a game's success. In our Product Management and Business Intelligence focus, learn from industry leaders, Omdia analysts, and more on how to find success.
Passes: All Access Pass will get you into all GDC 2024 sessions, roundtables, and workshops. Register for GDC 2024 here.
Core Concepts sessions take place Wednesday-Friday (March 20-22). Scroll down for recommended sessions for product management and business intelligence.
Watch and Read (Before GDC)
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(VIDEO) Understanding the Games Tech Market: Liam Deane (GDC Vault)
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(VIDEO) Equity and Project Investment for Indies to AAA and Everything In Between: Leveraging New Models of Funding in Games: Kelly Wallick, Ed Fries (GDC Vault)
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(ARTICLE) Omdia Research Reveals $62 Billion Market for Technology Services in the Games Industry: Liam Deane (Game Developer)
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(ARTICLE) GDC 2024 State Of The Game Industry: Devs Discuss Layoffs, Generative AI, and More: Beth Elderkin (Game Developer)
Sample Schedule
AA = All Access | AP = Audio Pass | C = Core Concepts | S = Summits | IGS = Independent Games Summit Pass | All Pass Types = APT, APT*
*does not include Friday-only Expo Pass
Basic Information
Video games are serious business, and production leads the way to success. In our Production and Team Leadership track, learn tactics for managing game production, no matter the size or scope of your game. From AAA console games to emerging platforms with new challenges, producers need to keep teams and projects on track and increase efficiency along the way to ship games on time.
Passes: All Access Pass will get you into all GDC 2024 sessions, roundtables, and workshops. Register for GDC 2024 here.
Core Concepts sessions take place Wednesday-Friday (March 20-22). Find Related Sessions Here.
Roundtables
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Hybrid and Remote Work Roundtable: Day 1 (Hybrid) and Day 2 (Remote)
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Making Player Data Work Roundtable: Day 1 (Pre-Production), Day 2 (Production), and Day 3 (Live-Operations)
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Starting a Game Studio Roundtable: Day 1 (Funding Choices), Day 2 (Building a High-Performance Culture), and Day 3 (Communications)
Watch and Read (Before GDC)
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(VIDEO) Career Progression and Value: Set Your Teams Up for Success: Hannah Mackintosh (GDC Vault)
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(VIDEO) How We Almost Wrecked Our Second Game, 'The Wreck': Florent Maurin (GDC Vault)
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(ARTICLE) 5 Anti-Patterns Found in Agile (or Not) Project Management and How to Deal With Them: Felipe Fernandes (Game Developer)
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(ARTICLE) A Whole Lot of Developers Think Conglomeration Is a Very Bad Idea: Chris Kerr (Game Developer)
Sample Schedule
AA = All Access | AP = Audio Pass | C = Core Concepts | S = Summits | IGS = Independent Games Summit Pass | All Pass Types = APT, APT*
*does not include Friday-only Expo Pass
Tuesday,
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10:00am – 6:00pm |
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Wednesday,
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9:00 – 10:00am
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10:30 – 11:00am
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Creating Accountability: 4 Simple Steps for Managers 2:00 – 3:00pm |
Accountability Matters! How Owlchemy Labs Leverages Ownership-first Production 3:30 – 4:30pm |
Thursday,
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10:00 – 11:00am |
11:30am – 12:30pm
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The Way We Work: Embracing Human Sustainability in Game Development 4:00 – 5:00pm |
Developing and Sharpening Your Design Sense 5:30 – 6:30pm
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Friday,
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10:00 – 11:00am |
Agile Spikes in Game Dev: Getting to the Point 11:30am – 12:00pm
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1:30 – 2:30pm
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3:00 – 4:00pm |
Basic Information
Programmers from all over the world come to the Game Developers Conference to learn the latest tools, tips, and methods for developing incredible games. In our Programming track, learn the latest tools, middleware, and technical skills to develop games across platforms and solve difficult development problems.
Passes: All Access Pass will get you into all GDC 2024 sessions, roundtables, and workshops. Register for GDC 2024 here.
Summits and Sessions
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Advanced Graphics Summit takes place Monday (March 18). Find Advanced Graphic Summit Sessions Here.
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AI Summit takes place Monday-Tuesday (March 18-19). Find AI Summit Sessions Here.
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Machine Learning Summit takes place Monday-Tuesday (March 18-19). Find Machine Learning Summit Sessions Here.
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Core Concepts sessions take place Wednesday-Friday (March 20-22). Find All Programming Sessions Here.
Roundtables
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AI Roundtable: Day 1 (Deep Dive With Experts), Day 2 (Quick Q&A For Beginners), and Day 3 (Open Discussion)
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Automated Testing Roundtable: Day 1 (Process), Day 2 (Legacy), and Day 3 (Implementation)
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Game Audio Programming Roundtable: Day 1 (Game Integration), Day 2 (Low-Level Topics), and Day 3 (Free-For-All)
Watch and Read (Before GDC)
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(VIDEO) Case Study: Creating Realistic Facial Motion for 'The Quarry': Rickey Cloudsdale, Aruna Inversin, Peter Rabel (GDC Vault)
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(VIDEO) Rendering 'God of War Ragnarok': Stephen McAuley (GDC Vault)
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(ARTICLE) The Art to Programming Conversation: Kenneth Harper (Game Developer)
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(ARTICLE) Preparing the Sprawl: On Developing Lil’ Guardsman’s Code Foundation: Italo Capasso (Game Developer)
Sample Schedule
AA = All Access | AP = Audio Pass | C = Core Concepts | S = Summits | IGS = Independent Games Summit Pass | All Pass Types = APT, APT*
*does not include Friday-only Expo Pass
Basic Information
Games continue to grow in size, scale, and depth—and having the right tools to make them is more important than ever. In our Tools focus, learn the latest advancements in game tools to develop your games.
Passes: All Access Pass will get you into all GDC 2024 sessions, roundtables, and workshops. Register for GDC 2024 here.
Roundtables and Sessions
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Tools Design Roundtable: Day 1 (Design & UX), Day 2 (Production & Strategy), and Day 3 (User Research)
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Tools Roundtable: Day 1 (Engineering), Day 2 (Assets), and Day 3 (Build)
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Core Concepts take place Wednesday-Friday (March 20-22). Find All GDC Sessions Here
Watch and Read (Before GDC)
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(VIDEO) Tools to Build a World in One Day: Thomas Tobin (GDC Vault)
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(VIDEO) How 'Fortnite' Designers Made Their Own Tools: Eric Carter (GDC Vault)
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(ARTICLE) The Best Low Cost Game Development Tools: Danielle Riendeau (Game Developer)
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(ARTICLE) Near Half of Game Devs Say They're Working with Generative AI Tools: Justin Carter (Game Developer)
Sample Schedule
AA = All Access | AP = Audio Pass | C = Core Concepts | S = Summits | IGS = Independent Games Summit Pass | All Pass Types = APT, APT*
*does not include Friday-only Expo Pass
Monday,
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3:00 – 3:30pm |
Visual Effects Summit: Climb Your Mountain: Tools for Intentional Learning 5:30 – 6:30pm |
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Tuesday,
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1:20 – 1:50pm
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4:10 – 5:10pm
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Wednesday,
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Automated Testing Roundtable Day 1: Process 10:30 – 11:30am
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2:00 – 3:00pm
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Tools Design Roundtable Day 1: Design & UX 3:30 – 4:30pm
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5:00 – 6:00pm |
Thursday,
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11:30am – 12:30pm |
Tools Roundtable Day 2: Assets 2:00 – 3:00pm
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3:00 – 3:30pm
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4:00 – 5:00pm
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Friday,
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10:00 – 11:00am
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11:30am – 12:30pm
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Pondering Orbs: The Rendering and Art Tools of 'COCOON' 1:30 – 2:30pm
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Basic Information
When it comes to video games, it's not just about how they play: It's about how they look and feel as you're playing them. In our Visual Arts track, be inspired by leading artists' work from stellar concept art to post-production and learn about the process behind the work. Acquire methods to create quality art and animations for all kinds of games under tight deadlines; from stellar concept art techniques to post-production best practices and everything in between.
Passes: All Access Pass will get you into all GDC 2024 sessions, roundtables, and workshops. Register for GDC 2024 here.
Summits and Sessions
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Animation Summit takes place Monday (March 18). Find Animation Summit Sessions Here.
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Visual Effects Summit takes place Monday (March 18). Find Visual Effects Summit Sessions Here.
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Art Direction Summit takes place Tuesday (March 19). Find Art Direction Summit Sessions Here.
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Technical Artist Summit takes place Tuesday (March 19). Find Technical Artist Summit Sessions Here.
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Visual Art Core Concepts sessions take place Wednesday-Friday (March 20-22). Find All Visual Art Sessions Here.
Roundtables
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The Universal Scene Description (USD) Roundtable
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Animation Roundtable: Day 1, Day 2, and Day 3
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External Development (Outsourcing) Roundtable: Day 1 and Day 2
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Technical Artist Roundtable: Day 1, Day 2, and Day 3
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Visual Effects Roundtable: Day 1, Day 2, and Day 3
Watch and Read (Before GDC)
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(VIDEO) Case Study: Creating Realistic Facial Motion for 'The Quarry': Rickey Cloudsdale, Aruna Inversin, Peter Rabel (GDC Vault)
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(VIDEO) Rendering 'God of War Ragnarok': Stephen McAuley (GDC Vault)
-
(ARTICLE) The Art to Programming Conversation: Kenneth Harper (Game Developer)
-
(ARTICLE) Preparing the Sprawl: On Developing Lil’ Guardsman’s Code Foundation: Italo Capasso (Game Developer)
Sample Schedule
AA = All Access | AP = Audio Pass | C = Core Concepts | S = Summits | IGS = Independent Games Summit Pass | All Pass Types = APT, APT*
*does not include Friday-only Expo Pass
Monday,
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10:50 – 11:50am |
2:10 – 2:40pm |
4:40 – 5:10pm
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5:30 – 6:30pm
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Tuesday,
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10:50 – 11:50am
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1:20 – 2:20pm |
2:40 – 3:40pm
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Art Direction Summit: Deciphering Dogtown: How We Built the Last District of Night City 4:10 – 5:10pm |
Wednesday,
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Building a User and Developer Friendly Cross-DCC Animation Pipeline 10:30 – 11:00am
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2:00 – 3:00pm
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3:30 – 4:30pm |
5:00 – 6:00pm
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Thursday,
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11:30am – 12:30pm
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2:00 – 2:30pm |
From Firefighters to Service Providers: Technical Art as a Service 3:00 – 3:30pm |
5:30 – 6:30pm |
Friday,
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10:00 – 11:00am
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11:30am – 12:00pm
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Pondering Orbs: The Rendering and Art Tools of 'COCOON' 1:30 – 2:30pm |
3:00 – 4:00pm |
