GDC China News and Information Blog

The call for English and Mandarin submissions to present talks for the 2013 Game Developers Conference China ends May 10, officials are reminding.

Organized by UBM Tech Game Network, GDC China, now in its sixth year, will run September 15-17 at the Shanghai International Convention Center in Shanghai, China.

Submissions will be accepted until May 10th for papers on Game Design, Production, Business & Marketing, Smartphone & Tablet Games, and Independent Games.

As always for the GDC shows, organizers are looking for leading industry practitioners to propose lectures and panels with significant, applicable takeaways for today's video game community.

GDC China continues to be the premier professional conference for the creators of games and interactive entertainment in Asia. Chosen speakers can join the world's leading developers to exchange ideas, be inspired, and to further advance the business, knowledge and technology behind game creation in Asia.

Continue reading "Reminder: GDC China 2013 talk submissions due Friday" »

Posted by Staff at 9:47 AM | Permalink

The Independent Games Festival China - which will take place alongside this September's GDC China in Shanghai - has opened its call for submissions and is accepting indie game entries from the pan-Pacific area from now through July 19.

Following its success from previous years, GDC China will once again host all three main elements of IGF China, including the Independent Games Summit, the IGF Pavilion, and the prestigious IGF China Awards.

Now in its fifth year, the IGF Summit at GDC China will feature sessions from some of the world's top developers, while the IGF Pavilion will showcase some of the region's best independent and student games.

And of course the IGF China Awards - which are split into both Main and Student competitions - will honor the many talented developers in the pan-Pacific area.

Last year's event saw 159 high-quality entries from regions including Mainland China, Taiwan, Singapore, Japan, Indonesia, Thailand, India, Serbia, Montenegro, and more.

Last year's recipients included the Best Game winner, the retro-inspired puzzler Cubetractor, and abstract action Best Student Game winner, Fish - and other previously honored games (from 2011 and before) include acclaimed strategy title FTL: Faster Than Light and unconventional retro game Pixel May Cry.

Continue reading "IGF China seeking pan-Pacific indie game submissions for 2013 event" »

Posted by Staff at 9:24 AM | Permalink

The call for Mandarin and English submissions to present talks for the 2013 Game Developers Conference China is now open until May 10.

Organized by UBM Tech Game Network, GDC China, now in its sixth year, will move up to September this year, running the 15th to the 17th at the Shanghai International Convention Center in Shanghai, China.

Submissions will be accepted until May 10th for papers on Game Design, Production, Business & Marketing, Smartphone & Tablet Games, and Independent Games.

As ever for the GDC shows, organizers are looking for leading industry practitioners to propose lectures and panels with significant, applicable takeaways for today's video game community.

GDC China continues to be the premier professional conference for the creators of games and interactive entertainment in Asia. Chosen speakers can join the world's leading developers to exchange ideas, be inspired, and to further advance the business, knowledge and technology behind game creation in Asia.

Continue reading "GDC China 2013 announced for Sept 15-17th: call for talks now open" »

Posted by Staff at 9:43 AM | Permalink

While touch controls are a fantastic way to attract a wider and more diverse audience, developers need to be careful to get things right, as poor touch controls will often make a game fall flat on its face.

Indie developer Zach Gage (SpellTower, Bit Pilot) has spent the last few years honing his skills making touch-based iOS games, and this Sunday at GDC China, he'll host an in-depth session to help other developers learn from his experience.

During his session, Gage will examine both classic and emerging control schemes, noting whether they succeed and discussing the lessons developers can draw from them. He'll also take a moment to look at a number of different touch-based games to pick apart their triumphs and failures.

Although the session is focused primarily on touch-screen games, attendees will be able to use Gage's lessons learned when moving to any type of new game hardware.

His session, titled "Controls You Can Feel: Putting Tactility Back Into Touch Controls," will take place as part of GDC China's Smartphone & Tablet Games Summit, and will be open to GDC China's All Access and Summits & Tutorials pass holders. Online registration is now open on the GDC China website, and the show itself will take place November 17-19 at the Shanghai Convention Center in Shanghai, China.

In addition to the above presentation, GDC China organizers have also added the following talks to the Smartphone & Tablet Games Summit:

- In "From Japan to the World -- the Status and Future of Mobile Social Card Games," D2C Inc.'s Xiaolei Zhang will take a close look at the growing popularity of mobile card games. These titles are already a phenomenon in Japan, and Zhang believes the craze will soon expand into the rest of the world. He'll pick apart D2C's own card games like The Sekigahara Kingdoms and Pirate Fantasy to help other developers understand why these games are so popular.

- Elsewhere, Game Insight's Darya Trushkina will explain how Chinese developers can succeed in North America during a session titled "How Chinese Mobile Can Win the West. Drawing from Game Insight's international publishing experience, Trushkina will compare the Eastern and Western game markets, while offering tips to help Chinese developers expand their reach into brand new territories.

Continue reading "SpellTower's Zach Gage to discuss tactile touch controls at GDC China" »

Posted by Staff at 11:24 AM | Permalink

While mobile game developers often earn much of their revenue from North America, regions like China, Japan, and Korea are still extremely valuable.

The Korean market in particular has plenty of opportunities for mobile developers, and at next week's GDC China in Shanghai, attendees will learn the ins and out of breaking into this lucrative market.

During the show, Neowiz China's Eliot Shin will take an in-depth look at the Korean mobile market, detailing how it differs from other regions and why it's so appealing to developers around the world.

Korean mobile games often have an extremely high average revenue per user, but Shin believes it can take a fair bit of trail and error to really capitalize on that potential. While his talk primarily focuses on helping Chinese developers, Shin will offer plenty of insight to help both Western and Asian studios launch successful mobile games in the Korean market.

His talk, "Korean Mobile Market and Penetration Strategy for Chinese Developers," is part of GDC China's Smartphone & Tablet Games Summit, and will be open to All Access and Summits & Tutorials pass holders. Online registration is now open on the GDC China website, and the show itself will take place November 17-19 at the Shanghai Convention Center in Shanghai, China.

In addition to the above presentation, GDC China organizers have also added the following talks to the show's Smartphone & Tablet Games Summit:

- In "The Battle Royale of Mobile Social: Friends or Players?," Applifier CEO Jussi Laakkonen will pick apart the increasingly competitive mobile social market. He'll examine heavyweights like Gree, DeNA, Tencent, and more, noting how developers can make mobile games that have better global appeal.

- Elsewhere, Appy Entertainment brand director Paul O'Connor will discuss how his studio converted two premium apps to a free-to-play model, and saw a large boost in revenue in the process. His talk, "Premium to Freemium: Pivoting Monetization Method for Best-Selling Apps," will offer specific advice for other developers looking to make a similar shift.

Continue reading "Learn to break into the Korean mobile market at GDC China" »

Posted by Staff at 3:37 PM | Permalink

In global social market, few companies are as prominent as the Japanese game firm Gree. Its social mobile games are some of the most lucrative in the industry, and at this month's GDC China in Shanghai, the company will reveal just a few of the tricks it uses to launch and maintain its successful free to play titles.

Gree Beijing VP Dr. Shumian He will take a close look at the company's first mobile social game, Fishing Star (Tsuri-Sta, pictured), noting how it attracted a large base of loyal players and has maintained a high level of revenue since its launch in 2007.

Using this title as a case study for Gree's business at large, He will discuss how the international company drives in-app purchases, and how it uses its proprietary Gree Platform to sustain and grow its burgeoning game catalog.

His talk, "Unveiling the Secrets of Mobile Social Game Operation," is part of GDC China's Business & Marketing track, and will be open to All Access and Main Conference pass holders. Online registration is now open on the GDC China website, and the show itself will take place November 17-19 at the Shanghai Convention Center in Shanghai, China.

In addition to the above presentation, GDC China organizers have also added the following talks to the show's lineup:

- As part of the Game Design track, Carla Fisher of children's game design studio No Crusts Interactive will explain how developers can leverage developmental psychology to create better games for kids. Her talk, "Little Hands, Foul Moods, and Runny Noses: Developmental Research Meets Emerging Technologies," will equip developers with the knowledge they need to craft better UIs, cooperative mechanics, and storytelling systems for kids on a wide variety of platforms.

- Elsewhere in the Game Design track, Henric Suuronen of NonStop Games (Dollar Isle, Paint Stars) will focus on emerging multiplatform technologies in "Making Games for Gamers in HTML5." Here, Suuronen will examine the current trends on smartphones and tablets, noting that developers might want to focus on more on hardcore players if they wish to create a successful game in HTML5.

Continue reading "Discover Gree's secrets for mobile game success at GDC China" »

Posted by Staff at 2:48 PM | Permalink

As video games go, Die Gute Fabrik's Johann Sebastian Joust is a bit of an odd case, as it really have any video to speak of. The graphics-free game relies only on music and motion controllers, and encourages players to get physical in a unique game of elimination.

While it hasn't yet seen a commercial release, the game has won numerous awards, and has been featured at major industry events such as the Game Developers Conference, PAX, and more. And later this month, the game's creator, Douglas Wilson, will head to GDC China to discuss the how this quirky title evolved from a simple game jam prototype into a full-fledged indie darling.

Douglas will chronicle the game's development from the very beginning, and will share the numerous lessons he's learned along the way. He'll examine how folk games and playground games can inspire developers working on their own physical games, and will explain why it's helpful to think of motion-controlled games "in terms of slapstick and subversion."

Wilson's talk, "The Unlikely Story of Johann Sebastian Joust," is part of GDC China's Independent Games Summit, and will be open to GDC China's All Access and Summits & Tutorials pass holders. Online registration is now open on the GDC China website, and the show itself will take place November 17-19 at the Shanghai Convention Center in Shanghai, China.

In addition to the above presentation, GDC China organizers have also added the following talks to the show's lineup:

- Also in the Independent Games Summit, Dejobaan Games' Ichiro Lambe (who created the award-winning AaaaaAAaaaAAAaaAAAAaAAAAA!!! -- A Reckless Disregard for Gravity) will outline how you can get your career as an indie developer off the ground. During his talk, "First Steps: Starting as an Independent Game Developer," he'll discuss how you can manage a brand new team, explore new publishing opportunities, avoid common pitfalls, and more.

- Over in the Programming track, Adisak Pochanayon of Mortal Kombat house Netherrealm Studios will offer an advanced talk on code instrumentation. His session is titled "Runtime CPU Performance Spike Detection Using Manual and Automated Compiler Instrumentation," and will cover "manual instrumentation, code detours and function trampolining and compiler specific options including compiler automated (or compiler assisted) instrumentation (CAI), naked functions with platform specific inline assembler, and linker function wrapping."

Continue reading "GDC China 2012 to reveal the unlikely story of Johann Sebastian Joust" »

Posted by Staff at 4:20 PM | Permalink

We live in a world that has always been shaped by the media we consume, and with video games growing more popular by the day, their influence is only getting stronger.

And at next month's GDC China in Shanghai, Ultima Online and Star Wars Galaxies veteran Raph Koster will examine that very topic, noting how games not only affect the world we live in, but also the way we think.

As Koster sees it, video games inherently support certain ways of thinking, and by playing these games, we end up viewing the world through their unique lens, which ultimately affects the society we live in.

During his keynote, "How Games Think," the Playdom VP will examine how games are changing the world, how they influence the way we think, and what that means for our future.

This keynote will be open to GDC China's All Access and Main Conference pass holders. Online registration is now open on the GDC China website, and the show itself will take place November 17-19 at the Shanghai Convention Center in Shanghai, China.

Koster's talk joins numerous other sessions already announced for GDC China. For more information on any of the sessions in the show's growing lineup, check out the "Announced Sessions" page on the show's official website.

Continue reading "Raph Koster to examine 'How Games Think' at next month's GDC China" »

Posted by Staff at 4:06 PM | Permalink

[In her Bosslady Blog update for the 2013 cycle, Game Developers Conference events GM Meggan Scavio details the official code of conduct for GDC and all of its related events.]

As the General Manager of all GDC events, I've been looking closely at how we explain to attendees what is -- and is not -- allowed at our shows. So I would like to take a moment to remind you that offensive behavior of any kind will not be tolerated.

As GDC enters its 27th iteration, I want nothing more than for it to remain a place where everyone is welcome, treated equally, and leaves feeling as if it was a week well spent.

I also want people to enjoy themselves -- whether waiting in line for a session, visiting the expo floor, or partaking in drinks at a hotel bar or after-event party. I don't know about you, but I enjoy myself most when I am not being threatened, discriminated against, or fending off unwelcome advances. So don't do that.

And more importantly, if someone tells you that they are bothered by your behavior, stop doing it. As has been the case in the past -- but as we are making absolutely explicit now -- any Game Developers Conference attendee, speaker, press member, or exhibitor behaving offensively or found to be harassing others will have their GDC badge confiscated and be asked to leave. Depending on the severity of the offense, we may consider a multi-year ban from our shows.

All of this only works, of course if you report harassment immediately. Every GDC has a Show Office where you will always find a staff member willing to help. And I can always be reached by email at Meggan.Scavio@ubm.com, if you don't feel comfortable initiating a report face to face. But it's important that you tell us at the time of the incident while we are onsite and can do something about it.

Our GDC official code of conduct is modeled on Open Source Bridge's original. Let's work together to keep GDC an open and safe place for all.

Here is the official Game Developers Conference Code of Conduct.

Posted by Staff at 12:18 PM | Permalink

With its successful Kickstarter and clever approach to sci-fi strategy, Subset Games' FTL - or Faster Than Light - has been one of the most talked-about indie titles of 2012.

The game's massive popularity certainly took the two-man development team by surprise, and at next month's GDC China, Subset Games' Matthew Davis will look back on FTL's development to provide a full postmortem on how this quirky space combat game came to be.

During his presentation, Davis plans to tell the story of how "two guys who didn't really know what they were doing managed to make something people wanted to play." He'll examine FTL's early prototypes, its popular Kickstarter, and its eventual launch on Steam, noting how a small indie project can turn into a runaway hit.

Along the way, Davis will discuss what he and co-developer Justin Ma learned while creating FTL in the hopes of inspiring and empowering other indie developers.

This FTL postmortem is part of GDC China's Independent Games Summit, and will be open to GDC China's All Access and Summits & Tutorials pass holders. Online registration is now open on the GDC China website, and the show itself will take place November 17-19 at the Shanghai Convention Center in Shanghai, China.

In addition to the above presentation, GDC China organizers have also added the following talks to the show's lineup:

- As part of the show's Business & Marketing track, Tenshi Ventures' Ian Baverstock will offer some tips for reaching out to a European audience in "Working in the European Market." Baverstock will provide a general overview of this valuable market, noting the opportunities and challenges developers can expect if they hope to bring their games to Europe.

- Elsewhere, Final Form Games' Tim Ambrogi will host the Production track lecture "Small Steps in the Dark: Embracing the Continuous Prototyping Mindset." Here, he will explain how developers can more effectively integrate prototyping into their entire development process. By prototyping every step of the way, he believes developers will be better prepared to adapt to change and make better games.

Continue reading "Discover the origin of FTL at next month's GDC China" »

Posted by Staff at 11:56 AM | Permalink