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DreamHack and Wizards of the Coast Announce Partnership to Advance Popular Magic: The Gathering Tabletop Game at all U.S. DreamHack Festivals

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DreamHack and Wizards of the Coast Announce Partnership to Advance Popular Magic: The Gathering Tabletop Game at all U.S. DreamHack Festivals

COLOGNE / STOCKHOLM / NEW YORK — DreamHack, an ESL Gaming brand, and Wizards of the Coast, a Hasbro, Inc. subsidiary, just announced a new agreement that brings together the immensely popular card game, Magic: The Gathering, and global gaming lifestyle festival, DreamHack. With this partnership, DreamHack will become the Official Partner of all Magic: The GatheringRegional Championship Qualifiers and Regional Championships in the United States — which will lead up to the Magic: The Gathering Pro Tour and the Magic: The Gathering World Championship.

“We feel our lifestyle approach to gaming experiences will allow us to build a strong foundation on which the ‘Magic: The Gathering’ community will successfully grow and expand,” said Aaron Linde, Tabletop Product Manager at ESL Gaming. “Whether you are gaming in the Bring-Your-Own-Computer Lan Party at DreamHack, or competing in the festival’s cosplay championship, this partnership will help bring Magic to a larger audience by creating a safe, inclusive environment where everyone has a chance to be great.”

As part of the new partnership, Wizards Play Network stores all across the U.S. will have an exclusive opportunity to get back to the roots of the game by participating in an extensive, nationwide program built to entice players back to stores and events — in-store qualifiers. These qualifying events will lead into the DreamHack Magic: The Gathering Showdown Regional Championship, featuring a prize pool of up to $150,000. From there, the top 48 players at the Regional Championships will earn an invitation to the Magic Pro Tour, with the top two  players also earning automatic invitations to the Magic World Championship. The DreamHack Magic: The Gathering Showdowns are taking place at DreamHack’s U.S. festivals alongside everything gaming under one roof.

“Developing the tabletop gaming ecosystem is very important to us,” said Ian Atkinson, SVP Publisher Relations at ESL Gaming. “We are building a strong Magic community through DreamHack and by working with local retailers and businesses, we are now able to extend players’ experience and engagement to stores all over the country. This ecosystem will enrich the community and level-up the competitive experience for those players to compete at DreamHack festivals.”

EVENTS

  • JUNE 3-5: DreamHack Dallas
    • Experience Magic: The Gathering ahead of the first season while attending DreamHack Dallas, the first full-scale DreamHack festival in nearly 2.5 years.
  • JULY 2–SEP 24: In-Store Qualifiers
    • Stores all across the U.S. will host in-store qualifiers, which will lead into the DreamHack Magic: The Gathering Showdown Regional Championship in November.
  • NOV 18-20: DreamHack Atlanta
    • The first DreamHack Magic Showdown Regional Championship will take place at DreamHack Atlanta with a prize pool totaling $150K USD.
    • This Championship leads up to the Magic: The Gathering Pro Tour and the Magic: The Gathering World Championship.


Additional DreamHack dates and locations for future Magic: The Gathering events will be announced.

“DreamHack has been an excellent partner and leader in creating memorable Magic events for players around the world,” said William Jensen, Director of Play Programs for Magic: The Gathering at Wizards of the Coast. “We’re excited for players in the United States to see what experiences DreamHack has planned in and around the Regional Championships.”

In 2021 Wizards of the Coast generated $1.3 billion as a company for Hasbro Games. In addition, Wizards has demonstrated a proven the strongest track record for consistency, quality and competitive play out of all Hasbro’s business units.

“Magic: The Gathering Pro Shop and Ultra PRO are both excited to be involved with DreamHack’s efforts to bring organized play back! We look forward to sharing more details as we go forward,” said Elizabeth Peotter, Global Marketing Director at Ultra PRO.

AWE Announces First Speakers and Initial Agenda, Free Exhibit Space and Job Postings to Ukrainian XR Companies and Devs

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AWE Announces First Speakers and Initial Agenda, Free Exhibit Space and Job Postings to Ukrainian XR Companies and Devs

NEW YORK, March 30, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — AWE, the foremost XR (Extended Reality) community complemented with premier worldwide events focused on the business of Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR) and the Metaverse, today announced the event has just published its first round of speakers participating in AWE USA 2022, as well as all 12 tracks of its agenda at https://www.awexr.com/usa-2022/agenda-tracks. Speakers include key executives from companies such as Decentraland®, Epic Games®, HP®, HTC®, Intel®, Lenovo®, Magic Leap®, Meta®, Microsoft®, NVIDIA®, Qualcomm®, Roblox®, Sony®, Unity®, Verizon®, and Walmart®, as well as many others from Fortune 1000® companies blazing new trails in XR.

These industry luminaries join previously-announced Keynote speaker Unity CEO and Chairman John Riccitiello, with the currently-participating list of speakers to be found at https://www.awexr.com/usa-2022/speakers. John is President & Chief Executive Officer at Unity Technologies, one of the world’s leading platforms for creating and operating real-time 3D content for mobile phones, tablets, PCs, consoles, and AR/VR devices. Mr. Riccitiello will kick off this year’s June 1-3 in-person event in Santa Clara, CA. 

With 250 exhibitors and hundreds of speakers comprised of visionary leaders as well as up-and-coming startups from across the XR industry expected, now is the time to apply to become an exhibitor, attendee, speaker or sponsor by reaching out to AWE staff via https://www.awexr.com. In an industry-first, AWE is allowing any company headquartered in Ukraine or founded by a Ukrainian to not only have a free exhibit space at AWE 2022, but to also allow Ukrainians to post job listings at no charge online.

Every year at AWE, sponsors and exhibitors make some of the tech industry’s most compelling and important XR-related announcements. With this year’s conference focusing on ‘Where XR Business Thrives’, AWE 2022 will once again be held as a face-to-face, physical event featuring a wide range of hands-on demos available for the expected 5,000+ attendees. As in last year’s event, health and safety related to COVID-19 remains a paramount action item to maximize the safety of exhibitors and attendees alike, even as the pandemic begins to wind-down globally.

Accredited media and analysts may sign up for a free exhibition pass at https://www.awexr.com/usa-2022/apply_for_press_pass.

“AWE is very excited to be publishing the first tranche of our speakers list today, as well as our comprehensive 12-track agenda to provide the best information and leadership when it comes to the XR industry,” said Ori Inbar, AWE CEO and co-founder. “AWE is very proud to provide Ukrainian XR companies with free exhibit space as well as free online job postings for Ukrainian developers displaced or affected by the war. We remain grateful to all our sponsors and exhibitors for making this event possible as well as our loyal attendees for their ongoing participation as well.”

DreamHack Returns June 3–5 — DreamHack Dallas to offer the Ultimate Weekend Experience with First Full-Scale Gaming Lifestyle Festival in Nearly 2.5 Years

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DreamHack Returns June 3–5 — DreamHack Dallas to offer the Ultimate Weekend Experience with First Full-Scale Gaming Lifestyle Festival in Nearly 2.5 Years

COLOGNE / STOCKHOLM / NEW YORK — DreamHack is back! The three-day, immersive, gaming lifestyle festival will return to Dallas for the ultimate weekend experience with the first full-scale DreamHack festival in nearly 2.5 years. DreamHack Dallas will take place June 3–5, 2022, at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center, offering everything gaming under one roof. Tickets start at $39 for a one-day pass, and $94 for a three-day experience. More details are available at dreamhack.com/dallas/tickets.

DreamHack creates an arena where the community can come to connect, explore, win, play a part, and be yourself through the gaming lifestyle experience. Whether festival-goers are admiring cosplay costumes, participating in tournaments, watching pros compete, learning to stream, testing technology at the Expo, or attending a panel, DreamHack offers an unforgettable experience.

“We’re thrilled to bring DreamHack back to the great city of Dallas,” said Shahin Zarrabi, VP Strategy & Growth at DreamHack. “These last two years of the pandemic have been so hard for so many, but gaming has always brought communities together both online and in person. So it is especially meaningful to bring this electrifying event weekend to Dallas as we mark our return to in-person festivals all around the world. The DreamHack experience truly has no equal — we can’t wait to once again share it with the people of Dallas.”

The two pinnacle esports tournaments at DreamHack Dallas will both feature Counter-Strike:Global Offensive (CS:GO):

  • Intel® Extreme Masters (IEM), the longest-running global pro gaming tour in the world, will be the first IEM event to take place in North America since 2019. IEM is widely considered one of the most prestigious esports events in the world, and a total of 16 teams will compete for a piece of the $250,000 prize pool.
  • ESL Impact will bring the inaugural all-women CS:GO League Season 1 global finals to Dallas where a total of eight teams from five regions will compete for a share of the $150,000 prize pool.

“The CS:GO fans have some fantastic action to look forward to as we bring Intel® Extreme Masters and ESL Impact to DreamHack Dallas,” Zarrabi continued. “IEM has always been a stand-out moment for esports players and fans around the globe — and now we’re taking a solid step towards providing new opportunities and improving the representation for all women CS:GO players with the Season 1 Global Finals of ESL Impact.”

Among an array of professional, amateur and collegiate gaming tournaments will also be Fighting Game Tournaments (Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Super Smash Bros. Melee, Guilty Gear -Strive- and King of Fighter XV), the beloved and famous Bring-Your-Own-Computer (BYOC) three-day LAN party ; Cosplay Championship; Live Music concerts; Panels; Tabletop Gaming; Indie Games; Expo;and more to be announced.

DreamHack had its last in-person festival prior to the pandemic — February 2020 at DreamHack Anaheim. The next scheduled in-person U.S. event will be DreamHack Atlanta, November 18-20, 2022, part of DreamHack’s global tour including 10 festivals in seven countries.

Game Developers Conference 2022 Concludes and Return to San Francisco Announced for March 20, 2023

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Game Developers Conference 2022 Concludes and Return to San Francisco Announced for March 20, 2023

SAN FRANCISCO – March 28, 2022 – The 2022 Game Developers Conference (GDC), the world’s largest and longest-running event serving professionals dedicated to the art and science of making games, concluded its 36th edition today, after a week of networking, learning and inspiration. The conference was the largest in San Francisco in the past two years, with a total of 12,000 industry professionals attending at San Francisco’s Moscone Convention Center from March 21-25 and a further 5,000 joining on the virtual platform of the conference, which was available to increase attendee accessibility, for a total of 17,000 attendees. The conference prioritized health and safety for all attendees and required proof of vaccination and face masks to be worn indoors. GDC will be returning to the Moscone Convention Center Monday, March 20 to Friday, March 24, 2023. The call for submissions for GDC 2023 will open in the summer.

GDC 2022 featured over 1,000 speakers across over 600 lectures, workshops and roundtable discussions and networking events, physically reuniting the game development community. More than 200 exhibitors showcased their newest technologies, software and services on the GDC Expo Floor, including industry leaders such as Amazon, AMD, ARM, Google, Nintendo, Unity, Wemade and more. The Expo Floor also provided attendees with the opportunity to play some of the most exciting and boundary-pushing independent games, meet the developers at the Independent Games Festival (IGF) Pavilion and to experience the uniquely experimental games of the alt.ctrl.GDC exhibit that is home to games that use alternative controllers.

The conference featured sessions full of insights from some of the biggest names in electronic entertainment. Josh Wardle, creator of the international phenomenon Wordle, gave a talk on how he created, grew and sold the ubiquitous word game, with a focus on all the mistakes made along the way to its status as a huge hit. Top voices spoke on learnings from the creation of hit games including, Baldur’s Gate 3, Clash of Clans, Horizon Forbidden West, Life is Strange: True Colors, Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, Psychonauts 2, Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart, Sable, the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser experience at Disney World, classics such as Wolfenstein 3D and Q-bert and much more.

A centerpiece of GDC was the multi-part presentation “GDC Main Stage: The Developer’s Renaissance,” which focused on the future of game development and the evolving workplace with esteemed speakers from Eidos-Montréal, PlayStation Studios and Devolver Digital/DeepWell DTx. The speakers discussed finding the right balance in a remote/hybrid work environment, taking a stronger approach to addressing diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace and empowering developers to “kill it with kindness.”

GDC 2022 celebrated the top developers of the past year with the 24th annual Independent Games Festival (IGF) Awards and the 22nd annual Game Developers Choice Awards. Daniel Mullins Games’ genre-bending, deckbuilding roguelike game, Inscryption, made history by being the first game ever to win both the Seumas McNally Grand Prize in the IGF Awards and the Game of the Year Award in the Game Developers Choice Awards in the same night. An archive of the IGF and GDCA ceremonies can be viewed at http://twitch.tv/gdc.

“It’s been an honor to reunite the exceptional video game development community at GDC 2022 and to share in the love for games and each other that has brought so many people to San Francisco this week,” said Katie Stern, who oversees the GDC as VP of Entertainment Media at Informa Tech. “The learnings, accomplishments and people that have made up GDC 2022, have made it clear that the video game industry community is stronger than ever and we’re already so excited for what is to come in GDC 2023.”

For more details on the Game Developers Conference visit www.gdconf.com. The GDC Vault website – www.gdcvault.com – will offer access to a wide variety of GDC lectures and sessions in the coming weeks. GDC All Access Pass holders and individual Vault subscribers will get access to hundreds of video sessions from GDC 2022 and previous GDC shows. Official photos of the conference are available via the GDC Flickr account: www.flickr.com/photos/officialgdc/.


Inscryption Wins Game of the Year at the 22nd Annual Game Developers Choice Awards

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Inscryption Wins Game of the Year at the 22nd Annual Game Developers Choice Awards

SAN FRANCISCO – March 23, 2022 – Inscryption, the genre-bending, deckbuilding roguelike game that consistently surprises the player, developed by Daniel Mullins Games, transcends expectations once again to win the Game of the Year Award at tonight’s 22nd annual Game Developers Choice Awards (GDCA) ceremony, as well as the Seumas McNally Grand Prize during tonight’s Independent Games Festival Awards (IGF Awards), making it the first game to ever do so. The IGF Awards is the sister awards show which was held immediately before the GDCAs on the same stage. The ceremony was part of the Game Developers Conference (GDC) 2022, which returned in-person to the Moscone Center in San Francisco.

Inscryption by Daniel Mullins Games was one of the big winners of the night at the GDCA and IGF Awards (image: Steam storefront)

Inscryption’s unique blend of deck-building roguelike, escape-room style puzzles and psychological horror is the first game to ever be honored with the top prize at both the Game Developers Choice Awards and the Independent Games Festival Awards. Inscryption uniquely took top honors during the awards ceremony, leading an impressive lineup of some of the very best games of the year. Winners were selected by the Game Developers Choice Awards-specific International Choice Awards Network (ICAN), which is an invitation-only organization, composed of leading game creators from all parts of the industry.

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, the dimension-hopping latest adventure of the famous duo in the long-running series developed by Insomniac Games, won the Best Visual Art and Best Technology awards. The zen puzzle game about the familiar experience of pulling possessions out of boxes and fitting them into a new home, Unpacking by Witch Beam, received both the award for Best Audio and the Innovation Award. Iron Gate Studio won Best Debut for its work on Valheim, an exploration and survival game set in a mysterious procedurally generated world inspired by Norse mythology. Valheim also won the Audience Award, which was selected through a public vote.

The other big winners of the night include the quirky and cerebral platform game Psychonauts 2 developed by Double Fine Productions, which won the Best Narrative award. Hazelight Studios’ It Takes Two, the heartfelt cooperative action-adventure about a couple going through a divorce forced to work together, won the Best Design award. The Social Impact Award, which recognizes a game that advances equality, justice, intersectionality, and/or sustainability, and works to positively impact lives in a meaningful way, went to the dungeon crawler-dating sim, Boyfriend Dungeon by Kitfox Games.

In addition to the best games of the last year, the GDCAs also honor the dedicated individuals who have helped further the art, science and craft of video games with special awards. The Ambassador Award, which is presented to someone who has helped video games advance to a better place through advocacy and action, was given to Steven Spohn. Spohn is a driving force for accessibility in games and Senior Director of Development of the AbleGamers charity. The Lifetime Achievement Award recipient was Yuji Horii, the creator of the legendary Dragon Quest series. Horii’s groundbreaking work has influenced and inspired role-playing game design since the release of Dragon Quest in 1986.

“It’s always wonderful to be able to honor these individuals, who have created some of the most innovative and entertaining games from the past year, but it’s been extra special to be able hold the awards ceremony in person again tonight,” said Katie Stern, who oversees the GDC as VP of Entertainment Media at Informa Tech. “The return of the Game Developers Choice Awards and GDC to the Moscone made this a memorable evening that we were delighted to share with such talented people.”

The Game Developers Choice Awards winners are:

Best Debut

Iron Gate Studio for Valheim

Best Visual Art

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart (Insomniac Games / Sony Interactive Entertainment)

Best Audio

Unpacking (Witch Beam / Humble Games)

Best Narrative

Psychonauts 2 (Double Fine Productions / Xbox Game Studios)

Social Impact Award

Boyfriend Dungeon (Kitfox Games)

Innovation Award

Unpacking (Witch Beam / Humble Games)

Best Technology

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart (Insomniac Games / Sony Interactive Entertainment)

Best Design

It Takes Two (Hazelight Studios / Electronic Arts)

Audience Award 

Valheim (Iron Gate Studio / Coffee Stain Publishing)

Game of the Year

Inscryption (Daniel Mullins Games / Devolver Digital)

Ambassador Award

Steven Spohn

Lifetime Achievement Award

Yuji Horii

The awards were livestreamed on the official Twitch channel for the Game Developers Conference (GDC) at Twitch.tv/GDC and are archived both on Twitch and on the official GDC YouTube Channel at http://www.youtube.com/c/gdconf.

For more information about the 22nd annual Game Developers Choice Awards, visit: http://www.gamechoiceawards.com. For more details on the Game Developers Conference, please visit the GDC’s official website, or subscribe to regular updates via Facebook, Twitter, or RSS. Official photos are available via the Official GDC Flickr account: www.flickr.com/photos/officialgdc.

Inscryption Wins the Seumas McNally Grand Prize at the 24th Annual Independent Games Festival Awards

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Inscryption Wins the Seumas McNally Grand Prize at the 24th Annual Independent Games Festival Awards

SAN FRANCISCO – March 23, 2022 – Daniel Mullins Games’ Inscryption won the Seumas McNally Grand Prize at the 24th annual Independent Games Festival (IGF) Awards tonight. The ceremony, which honored some of the most innovative and excellent independent games of the past year, took place as part of the 2022 Game Developers Conference (GDC) at the Moscone Convention Center in San Francisco. 

In addition to the Grand Prize, Inscryption took home the awards for Excellence in Design, Excellence in Audio and Excellence in Narrative. Inscryption is a genre-bending love letter to video games that blends deckbuilding, roguelike escape-room style puzzles and psychological horror into a surprising mix. 

Inscryption by Daniel Mullins Games was one of the big winners of the night at the IGF Awards (image: Steam storefront)

The full slate of 2022 IGF Award winners features many notable independent titles. Papetura by Petums, a handcrafted puzzle adventure game with a unique world handmade entirely out of paper, and beautiful fragile music won the Excellence in Visual Art award. The Nuovo Award, which honors the title that makes jurors ‘think differently about games as a medium,’ went to developer Lily Zone for Memory Card, a collection of development builds, small creations, pictures, works in progress, and worlds in the process of coming together, captured as-is by their developer and laid out for the player to experience.

The Best Student Game winner, Live Adventure by the Live Adventure Team, is a second-person adventure game that follows the expedition of two young explorers in search of their parents. Mini Motorways by Dinosaur Polo Club won the community-driven Audience Award, which is chosen by fans through a public voting process.

All IGF titles, including both finalists and winners, are playable for any GDC pass holder at the IGF Pavilion located on the GDC Expo Floor in San Francisco’s Moscone Center through Friday, March 25th. 

The winners of the 24th annual IGF Awards are:

Best Student Game ($2,000)

Live Adventure (Live Adventure Team)

Excellence in Design ($2,000)

Inscryption (Daniel Mullins Games)

Excellence in Visual Art ($2,000) 

Papetura (Petums)

Excellence in Audio ($2,000)

Inscryption (Daniel Mullins Games)

Nuovo Award ($2,000)

Memory Card (Lily Zone)

Excellence in Narrative ($2,000)

Inscryption (Daniel Mullins Games)

Audience Award ($2,000) 

Mini Motorways (Dinosaur Polo Club)

Seumas McNally Grand Prize ($10,000)

Inscryption (Daniel Mullins Games)

The awards were livestreamed on the official Twitch channel for the Game Developers Conference (GDC) at Twitch.tv/GDC and are archived both on Twitch and on the official GDC YouTube Channel at http://www.youtube.com/c/gdconf.

The IGF was established in 1998 to recognize the best independent game developers and encourage creativity and excellence in independent games. For more information on the Independent Games Festival, please visit the official IGF website at www.igf.com. For more details on the Game Developers Conference, please visit the GDC’s official website, or subscribe to regular updates via Facebook, Twitter, or RSS. 

April 2022 Game Industry Events Calendar

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April 2022 Game Industry Events Calendar

To help you discover upcoming game industry events calendar that includes conferences, conventions, festivals and many other types of events, we post a consolidated list here on Events for Gamers each month.

April may mean the passing of GDC and other spring starter events, but it also comes with a big ramp up in events per month through the rest of the spring and summer! Events continue to become either hybrid or are online, but we did see a large uptick in onsite events going back to the normal way of things this month. We’re also seeing more events coming up that extend into industries like bitcoin, NFTs, and others that previously had little or nothing to do with games.

Just like last month, online events (both virtual/online and hybrid) are not going away, and in fact are also seeing continued growth. Just like with the working from home crowd, the event industry shift has been a monumental and permanent one.

View this month’s event list below. You can also click here for the main calendar view that includes events into 2022 and beyond.

APR 1-10: London Games Festival (Hybrid)
2-10: Gaming By Sea
2: Indie Showcase
6-7: Global Games Pitch (Online)
7-8: XP Game Developer Summit
7-9: WASD
8-10: Now Play This
9: Horizons (Online)
11: GAconf Europe (Online)
15-19: Insomnia Gaming Festival
19: East Coast Game Conference
21-22: Games Education Summit
21-24: PAX East
22-24: Games-Based Learning Virtual Conference
23-24: Gamedev & Creative Careers Expo
23-24: Tokyo Sandbox
25-26: Games-Based Learning Virtual Conference (Hybrid)
25-29: DiGRA
25-May 1: NZ Games Festival (Online)
26-28: GamesBeat Summit (Hybrid)
27-29: Games Job Fair Spring (Online)

And don’t forget to check out our GDC 2022 Party List!

Which events are you attending this month? Let us know by commenting on this article here or on Twitter and Facebook!

GAME DEVELOPERS CONFERENCE 2022 BEGINS TODAY AT SAN FRANCISCO’S MOSCONE CONVENTION CENTER

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GAME DEVELOPERS CONFERENCE 2022 BEGINS TODAY AT SAN FRANCISCO’S MOSCONE CONVENTION CENTER

World’s Longest-Running Professional Game Industry Event

Returns In-Person For a Week of Education, Inspiration and Networking

SAN FRANCISCO – March 21, 2022 – The 2022 Game Developers Conference (GDC), the world’s longest-running event for professionals dedicated to the art and science of making games, begins its 36th edition today, in-person at the Moscone Convention Center in San Francisco. The week-long conference, which also includes a virtual component, will feature more than 200 exhibitors, over 1,000 speakers and more than 600 lectures, tutorials, roundtable discussions and networking events. Safety is a priority for the conference, with proof of vaccination required at the event and face masks worn indoors in compliance with California and local requirements.

The GDC kicks off with two days of Summits, March 21 and 22, each of which offers in-depth insight on a wide range of game development disciplines, including: advanced graphics, AI, animation, art direction, community management, fair play, free-to-play games, game career, game narrative, game storytelling, independent games, level design, machine learning, math in game development, game educators, online game technology, open source game development, programming, production essentials, technical artistry, tools, visual effects, UX and VR/AR.

Following the GDC Summits, the main GDC conference will kick off on Wednesday, March 23 with the multi-part presentation “GDC Main Stage: The Developer’s Renaissance,” which this year will focus on the future of game development and the evolving workplace. Esteemed speakers from Eidos-Montréal, PlayStation Studios and Devolver Digital will talk on topics including finding the right balance in a remote/hybrid work environment, taking a stronger approach to addressing diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace and empowering developers to “kill it with kindness.” 

The main conference also features sessions full of insights from some of the biggest names in electronic entertainment. Top designers will lead sessions on Baldur’s Gate 3, Clash of Clans, Horizon Forbidden West, Life is Strange: True Colors, Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, Psychonauts 2, Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart, Sable, the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser experience at Disney World, Wolfenstein 3D, Q-bert and much more. Even Josh Wardle, creator of the international phenomenon Wordle will be in attendance to lead a talk on how he created, grew and sold the ubiquitous word game.

The 24th annual Independent Games Festival (IGF) Awards, which honor the most promising developers and projects from the world of independent video games, and the 22nd annual Game Developers Choice Awards (GDCAs), which recognizes and celebrates the creativity, artistry and technical ingenuity of the finest developers and games of the last year, will both take place back-to-back on Wednesday, March 23, starting at 6:30pm PT. Both the IGF and GDCA ceremonies are available to attend for all GDC 2022 pass holders and will be livestreamed on the GDC’s official Twitch channel.

“We are incredibly excited for this week and what it signals: the video game industry is able to join together again to share their learnings, celebrate their successes and breathe a collective sigh of relief,” said Katie Stern, who oversees the GDC as VP of Entertainment Media at Informa Tech. “This is the first GDC of many to come that will again be a space for game industry to meet and where professionals can learn and grow.”

GDC 2022 features an expo floor where top game industry companies exhibit their latest and meet with attendees, as well as special spaces such as the alt.ctrl.GDC and the IGF Pavilion. Returning for its eighth year, the alt.ctrl.GDC is an acclaimed exhibit where visitors can play games using alternative controllers and meet the developers behind these uniquely interesting projects. The IGF Pavilion hosts the finalists of the IGF Awards, providing attendees with a chance to play some of the most exciting and boundary-pushing independent games.

For more details on the Game Developers Conference, please visit the GDC’s official website, or subscribe to regular updates via Facebook, Twitter, or RSS. Official photos are available via the Official GDC Flickr account: www.flickr.com/photos/officialgdc/.

About GDC

The Game Developers Conference® (GDC) is the world’s largest professional game industry event with market-defining content for programmers, artists, producers, game designers, audio professionals, business decision makers, and others involved in the development of interactive games and immersive experiences. GDC brings together the global game development community year-round through events and digital media, including the GDC Masterclass, GDC Vault, gamedeveloper.com, Game Career Guide, Independent Games Festival and Summit, and the Game Developers Choice Awards.

GDC is organized by Informa PLC, a leading B2B information services group and the largest B2B Events organizer in the world. To learn more and for the latest news and information visit www.informa.com.

World’s Top Cyber Athletes Compete in Global Cyber Games–March 19, 2022

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World’s Top Cyber Athletes Compete in Global Cyber Games–March 19, 2022

ASHBURN, Va. , March 9, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — PlayCyber by Katzcy teams with SimSpace to bring the world’s top cyber athletes from around the globe together on March 19, 2022 to compete in the Global Cyber Games competition [https://www.playcyber.com/global-cyber-games]. Ten teams of cyber athletes from the International Cybersecurity Challenge (ICC) community (representing 64 countries) will compete in an attack and defend style game utilizing the SimSpace Cyber Range platform.

“For centuries, sports have served to foster global relationships through cooperation on common challenges. Today, cybersecurity as an esport is doing exactly that for our global workforce skills shortage,” says Jessica Gulick, CEO of Katzcy | PlayCyber. “We are excited and thankful to SimSpace for the opportunity to scrimmage before the June International Cyber Challenge in Greece.”

The game, provided by SimSpace, is designed to equally test the cyber-attack and defensive skills for each team. In this “Castle versus Castle” challenge, each participating country will be provided a network (their castle), composed of predominantly Windows and Unix boxes and VyOS routers in their DMZ, and a standard set of defensive tools. The 15 person teams will then need to protect their castle from both other team attacks, and APT-based simulated attacks. Scoring will be based on thorough reporting of successful attacks, defensive measures and steps taken to strengthen against persistent threats.

“We’re proud to power these Global Cyber Games with the SimSpace cyber range environment, upon which the next generation of cyber professionals can train, hone their skills, and defend against a wide variety of current and future cyberattacks,” said Shaun Walsh, Vice President of Marketing, SimSpace. “During the games, we’re excited to bring together the world’s elite cyber teams in the spirit of cooperation and competition, in order to both showcase their unique talents and to challenge one another to see which team rises to the top.”

Katzcy & PlayCyber have a shared vision for bringing the best of competitive cyber security to the esports style of viewership. To that end, we’ve partnered with one of the leading cybersecurity YouTube channels, Cyber Insecurity, to broadcast the competition. Cyber Insecurity’s Neal Bridges, in addition to other industry experts, speakers, and shout casters, will be LIVE commentating on the players actions, both offensively and defensively, throughout the competition. Throughout the stream, viewers will get updates on recent plays with inside viewing of the attack and defenses, in addition to great discussions with cyber experts, and commentary on the leaderboard standings!

Partners of the event include PlayCyber, SimSpace Corporation, Cyber Insecurity, CyCognito, and the International Cybersecurity Challenge (ICC). Sponsorships are available at https://www.playcyber.com/global-cyber-games.

SXSW GAMING AWARDS ANNOUNCES WINNERS, INCLUDING GAMES OF THE YEAR, EXCELLENCE AWARDS, AND MATTHEW CRUMP CULTURAL INNOVATION AWARD

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SXSW GAMING AWARDS ANNOUNCES WINNERS, INCLUDING GAMES OF THE YEAR, EXCELLENCE AWARDS, AND MATTHEW CRUMP CULTURAL INNOVATION AWARD
Produced by Peach Maria Productions, Tonight’s Livestream Ceremony Was Hosted by Jana Morrison and Samantha Aucoin from SYFY’s Hit Show “Astrid & Lilly Save the World”

Highly-Anticipated Games “Grit” and “Superior” Dropped World-Premiere Trailers

Viewers Received Special Offers from Omaze and Animated “The Gimmicks” in an Integrated Animated Narrative

TikTok Viral Sensation Punk Rock Factory Debuted New Song/Video, “Round One Fight”

Official Viewing Partner, Scener, Enabled Social Viewing Experience to Bring Fans and Gamers Closer Together
AUSTIN, TEXAS — Tonight’s ninth annual South by Southwest® Gaming Awards (SXSW®) celebrated the technical, artistic and design achievements of this year’s best video game titles and their creators. A total of 40 unique games were in contention for honors in 12 categories — see the winners below. (A complete list of nominees/winners is available here).

The virtual award ceremony was co-hosted by Jana Morrison (“Astrid”) and Samantha Aucoin (“Lilly”), the heroic leads of Syfy’s new Astrid & Lilly Save the World, and was livestreamed on the SXSW TV App, Apple TV, Roku, Fire TV and Android TV. The ceremony was produced by Executive Producer Laurie Lockliear of Georgia-based Peach Maria Productions.

“The last two years of the pandemic have been hard for so many — the entertainment industry was among those affected, but played a key role in providing adventure and escape for all — so we couldn’t be more excited to celebrate the gaming industry and its many creators through tonight’s event,” said Hugh Forrest, SXSW Chief Programming Officer. “We’d like to thank our production partner Peach Maria Productions, our hosts and presenters; and all of you in the gaming and esports community for continuing to bring the best in creativity and innovation to this industry.

SXSW Gaming Awards WinnersVIDEO GAME OF THE YEARDEVELOPERPUBLISHERFinal Fantasy XIV: Endwalker
Watch Acceptance SpeechSQUARE ENIX®SQUARE ENIX® INDIE GAME OF THE YEARDEVELOPERPUBLISHERKena: Bridge of Spirits
Watch Acceptance SpeechEmber LabEmber Lab TABLETOP GAME OF THE YEARDEVELOPERPUBLISHERDune: Imperium
Watch Acceptance SpeechDire Wolf DigitalDire Wolf Digital VR GAME OF THE YEARDEVELOPERPUBLISHERResident Evil 4 VR
Watch Acceptance Speech       Armature StudioOculus Studios MATTHEW CRUMP CULTURAL INNOVATION AWARD
Awarded to the game that best challenges the “norm” of everyday gaming and offers a culturally innovative view of a game world, character, or gameplay.DEVELOPERPUBLISHERUnpacking      
Watch Acceptance Speech                   Witch BeamHumble Games EXCELLENCE IN ANIMATION, ART & VISUAL ACHIEVEMENTDEVELOPERPUBLISHERForza Horizon 5
Watch Acceptance Speech       Playground Games      Xbox Game Studios EXCELLENCE IN GAME DESIGNDEVELOPERPUBLISHERInscryption
Watch Acceptance SpeechDaniel Mullins GamesDevolver Digital EXCELLENCE IN ORIGINAL SCOREDEVELOPERPUBLISHERFinal Fantasy XIV: Endwalker 
Watch Acceptance SpeechSQUARE ENIX®SQUARE ENIX® EXCELLENCE IN MULTIPLAYERDEVELOPERPUBLISHERIt Takes Two   
Watch Acceptance SpeechHazelightElectronic Arts EXCELLENCE IN NARRATIVEDEVELOPERPUBLISHERFinal Fantasy XIV: Endwalker 
Watch Acceptance SpeechSQUARE ENIX®SQUARE ENIX® EXCELLENCE IN AUDIO DESIGNDEVELOPERPUBLISHERResident Evil Village  
Watch Acceptance Speech       Capcom           Capcom EXCELLENCE IN TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENTDEVELOPERPUBLISHERRatchet & Clank: Rift Apart    
Watch Acceptance Speech       Insomniac GamesSony Interactive Entertainment
About this Year’s Virtual Gaming Awards
With this year’s Ceremony virtual and free via SXSW’s web, mobile and TV platforms, the world was able to watch live as the hosts and talent announced the 12 winners tonight. Rewatch the SXSW Gaming Awards ceremony here.

Viewers experienced an array of unique elements during the show, including an integrated animated narrative featuring a band of quirky, fast-paced NFT characters, The Gimmicks — including the vocal talents of Luke Gallows/“Sex Ferguson;” Franky Nines/“SupDuck”; Mila Kunis/“Fefe (Stoner Cat)”; and BennyDLowKey/“Deadhead” — who set on a misguided adventure to tonight’s Ceremony. [Watch“The Gimmicks Road to SXSW” teaser clip HERE.] Viewers also received special access to an exclusive NFT offer through a series of classic video game tributes.This integration was produced by Web3 animation studio, Toonstarin partnership with 6th Wall, the Web3 arm of Mila Kunis’ Orchard Farm Productions (Stoner Cats).

The evening also featured several debuts — including world premieres of trailers for the highly-anticipated video games Gritand Superiorfrom Gala Games; and the rocking first look at “Round One Fight,” the new song/video from Tik Tok sensation and pop punk band Punk Rock Factory.

In addition, SXSW Gaming Awards partnered with charity fundraising company Omaze to provide a special promo-code offer for bonus entries when entering for the chance to win dream prizes on Omaze and support great causes via any method of entry.

Finally, the SXSW Gaming Awards, Peach Maria Productions andScener, the leading social viewing platform for streaming services, partnered to host an Official Viewing Party of the Gaming Awards for fans and for the gaming community.

Presenters and Appearances
From sports and music, to gaming and film, this year’s presenters (full list below) represented a range of talent from the overall entertainment industry. Reflecting some of the most dynamic talent, executives and storytellers, they were:Michael Anthony, (Raising Dion, upcomingParamount family action film Secret Headquarters)Cast members from G4TV’s Attack of the Show, Invitation to Party and XPlayKadeem Hardison, (upcoming AMC’s  Moonhaven, A Different World)Ramon Hermann, SVP Americas, ESL GamingMaria Ho (Women in Poker HALL OF FAME 2018 inductee, The Amazing Race)Ryan Johnson, CEO, CxmmunityDoug Jones (Star Trek: Discovery, upcoming Hocus Pocus 2)Mercedes-AMG Petronas Esports TeamIvan Mbakop (Hawkeye)NASA (special message about Artemis 1 exploration mission launching this Spring)Taybor Pepper (NFL/San Francisco 49er’s long snapper, former Michigan State Spartan)Corey Reynolds (Resident Alien)Cory Strassburger  (a.k.a. “Blu,” visual effects artist and one-man-band creator of YouTube show Xanadu)Stephanie Sheh  (Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir, voice actress, ADR director, writer and producer)Alan Tudyk (Resident Alien, upcoming Disney’s Peter Pan & Wendy)World Boxing’s  Eric “Butterbean” Esch (3x Super Heavyweight Champion) &Larry Holmes (Hall of Fame Boxer & Former Heavyweight Boxing Champion of the World)Wrestle Quest’s Jeff Jarrett (My World with Jeff Jarrett)
SXSW dedicates itself to helping creative people achieve their goals. Founded in 1987 in Austin, Texas, SXSW is best known for its conference and festivals that celebrate the convergence of tech, film, music, education, and culture. An essential destination for global professionals, the annual March event features sessions, music and comedy showcases, film screenings, exhibitions, professional development and a variety of networking opportunities. SXSW proves that the most unexpected discoveries happen when diverse topics and people come together. SXSW 2022 is currently taking place March 11–20, 2022. For more information, please visit sxsw.com.

SXSW 2022 is sponsored by White Claw, Blockchain Creative Labs, Porsche, and The Austin Chronicle.
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For logos, past press releases, preferred photos, biographies and more,
please see the MEDIA FOLDER HERE.

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Brazil Games Ready to Kick of 2022 in Style with 25 Studios Headed to GDC

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Brazil Games Ready to Kick of 2022 in Style with 25 Studios Headed to GDC

SÃO PAULO, BRAZIL (March 10, 2022) — With the Game Developers Conference (GDC) 2022 just around the corner, Brazil Games, the Brazilian Games Export Program, which is carried out by Abragames (Brazilian Games Companies Association) in partnership with ApexBrasil (Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency), today revealed the 25 studios that will showcase at this year’s event. From PC to mobile, puzzlers to roguelikes, single-player, multi-player, and everything in between, the Brazil Games’ stable is set to show off some fabulous titles and put a spotlight on the thriving Brazilian game industry.

Registration for GDC 2022 will open March 14, 2022, and meetings must be booked via the GDC Swapcard.

The 25 studios set to appear at GDC 2022 represent nearly every corner of the video game spectrum, whether that be creating “roguelike-like” co-op management games like Spacelines from the Far Out by Coffeenauts, breaking new ground in the sports genre with the world’s first Jiu-Jitsu game like BEJJ: Jiu-Jitsu by Smash Mountain Studio, or Co-Development teams like Kokku Games partnering on massive Triple-A IPs like Horizon Zero Dawn and the highly-successful sequel Horizon Forbidden West. From in-house creation to external development, design, consulting, and more across every platform from PC to VR and mobile, these studios really showcase not just the incredible variety to be found in Brazil’s game industry, but also the talent, dedication, and creativity in one of the world’s fastest-growing development scenes.

“We are thrilled to get back to GDC. After two years without in-person networking, there is lots to catch up on with our partners,” said Eliana Russi Manager of Brazil Games. “Business should be great as Brazil is bringing 17 studios to San Francisco plus another eight that will attend online.”

 A full list of all the studios that will be present at GDC 2022 under the Brazil Games’ banner can be found below:

And that’s not all! A contingent of Brazil Games studios will be joining remotely and participating in MeetToMatch:

Studio Booths: By Aliens (Booth N3003), DX GameWorks (Booth N3005), Pagsmile (Booth N3007).

The Brazil Games Lounge will be hosted in booths N3102, N3104, and N3106.

More information about the studios set to be showcased at GDC can be found in the catalog here: https://uberstrategist.link/BrazilGames_GDC2022_Catalog and in this video reel highlighting the studios and their titles https://uberstrategist.link/BrazilGamesGDC_PreviewReel_YT.

Brazil is now the largest market by games revenues in LATAM and #12 in the world in 2022. The $2.3 billion (USD) Brazilian games industry has seen explosive growth over the last several years, with the number of local gamers reaching a staggering 94.7 million as of 2021. The mobile gaming market accounts for nearly half the revenue, and is the fastest growing sector, however, both console and PC account for $657 million and $556 million respectively.

Follow Brazil Games on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to learn more about the many talented studios and companies, and to keep up to date with their achievements.

Evolution Championship Series (Evo) 2022 Returns With Nine Game Lineup Headlined by Street Fighter V, TEKKEN 7 and Guilty Gear -Strive-

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Evolution Championship Series (Evo) 2022 Returns With Nine Game Lineup Headlined by Street Fighter V, TEKKEN 7 and Guilty Gear -Strive-

SAN MATEO, Calif. (March 8, 2022) – Evolution Championship Series (known as Evo), announced today the event is officially back and welcoming fans to its iconic home in Las Vegas with a combination of new and returning fighting games. The nine fighting games that will be featured at Evo on August 5-7, 2022 at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino are:  

  • Street Fighter V: Champion Edition – PS4 (Capcom)
  • Guilty Gear -Strive- PS4 (Arc System Works)
  • Mortal Kombat 11: Ultimate – PS4  (Warner Bros. Games)
  • TEKKEN 7 – PS4 (BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment)
  • THE KING OF FIGHTERS XV – PS4 (SNK)
  • MELTY BLOOD: TYPE LUMINA – PS4 (Project LUMINA)
  • DRAGON BALL FighterZ – PS4 (BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment)
  • Granblue Fantasy: Versus – PS4 (Cygames and XSEED)
  • Skullgirls: 2nd Encore – PS4 (Autumn Games)

The EVO 2022 lineup: Street Fighter V Champion Edition, Guilty Gear Strive, Mortal Kombat !! Ultimate, Tekken 7, King of Fighters XV, Melty Blood: Type Lumina, Dragon Ball FighterZ, Granblue Fantasy: Versus, and Skullgirls: 2nd Encore (Image: EVO)

“We are thrilled to present a slate of fighting games representing so many of the genre’s player-bases for Evo 2022,” said Rick “TheHadou” Thiher, General Manager of Evo. “Our team is incredibly excited to once-again host them in offline competition at Evo this August. There is nothing like the global Fighting Game Community’s energy when we gather for Evo, and I’m greatly looking forward to seeing what happens when we start the event series’ next chapter together later this year.”

As the largest and longest-running fighting game tournament, Evo’s storied history includes celebrating some of the best fighting game titles and players on the planet.

Street Fighter V: Champion Edition and TEKKEN 7 have been staples at Evo the last few years as two of the premier fighting games in the world. The popular newest entry in the series, Guilty Gear -Strive-, will be featured in the lineup at Evo along with the just-released THE KING OF FIGHTERS XV.

This year’s Evo will also mark the first appearances for Skullgirls: 2nd Encore, Granblue Fantasy: Versus and MELTY BLOOD: TYPE LUMINA in the lineup. Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate returns for the third time at Evo and DRAGON BALL FighterZ will once again feature unique  true-to-the-anime gameplay and team vs. team matches.

Registration is open now and fans can purchase tickets at evo.gg. Hotel rooms will be available at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino. For those who want to watch, tournaments will be streamed live for the entirety of the event.

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