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The Game Developers Conference (GDC) is undergoing a major overhaul, according to a report by the affiliated publication Game Developer. The “reimagined” conference is getting a name change, as it’ll now be called the GDC Festival of Gaming. It’s also changing up how passes work and transitioning the shift of its focus to “meet today’s broader, interconnected games industry.”
Let’s start with the new simplified pass structure. The newly-announced Festival Pass replaces the pre-existing All-Access pass and costs 45 percent less than its predecessor. Pricing starts at $649 and offers access to all of the event’s main content programming. Access to the main conference was previously segmented depending on a number of pass types.
There are two other main pass types. The Digital Pass offers access to online-only networking and costs $799. The Game Changer Pass is the baddest of the bunch, offering all of the above plus access to a facilitated meetings program. This invite-only program promises meetings with industry icons and access to a series of talks called the Luminaries Speaker Series. That one costs $1,700. Indies, start-ups and academics can apply for discounts that can knock another $200 to $300 off the price tag.
As for content, the organization seems to be placing a heavier focus on networking. Organizers say the event wants to serve the industry “across every state of a game’s life cycle” and that all changes were “informed and inspired by feedback from the community.”
The Expo Hall has been redesigned and renamed Festival Hall and will prioritize offering developers opportunities to connect with one another through game demos and social spaces. GDC president Nina Brown described the new event as “celebrating the vital interconnection between creators, leaders and partners that drive the industry forward.”
GDC starts next year in San Francisco on March 9. It goes until March 13 and passes are available now.
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Lawrence Bonk
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