FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — February 22, 2022 — The South by Southwest® Gaming Awards (SXSW®), celebrating the wide reach of gaming across areas such as art, design, narrative, gameplay, cultural innovation, and more, has today announced that this year’s virtual Ceremony will be co-hosted by two of TV’s freshest faces — Jana Morrison (“Astrid”; Dragalia Lost video game, voice talent, English version) and Samantha Aucoin (“Lilly”), the heroic leads of Astrid & Lilly Save the World, SYFY network’s new, critically acclaimed series hailed as a “charming” and “refreshing” modern take on Buffy The Vampire Slayer. In addition, a diverse roster of presenters from entertainment and sports has been assembled (see below), as well as some special partnerships and premiere content set to shape this ninth annual gaming industry celebration into a distinct, must-stream awards season event, Produced by Georgia-based Peach Maria Productions (pronounced muh-RY-uh), executive produced by Laurie Lockliear (upcoming esports reality competition series GameMaster), the Awards will stream for free as part of SXSW Online on March 12, 2022, at 7 p.m. CT.
Several platforms will be integrated to create the SXSW 2022 experience across web, mobile and TV. A dedicated SXSW TV app can be accessed via Apple TV, Roku, Fire TV, and Android TV. In addition, SXSW TV is now available on iOS and Android. Additional live content, including Keynotes, Featured Sessions and Music Showcases, can be found in each of the 24-hour channels, during the SXSW 2022 event dates (March 11-20, 2022).
In terms of content, this year’s Ceremony will feature a first-ever integrated animated narrative, produced by Web3 animation studio, Toonstar (The Gimmicks, the first community-driven animated NFT series), in partnership with 6th Wall, the Web3 arm of Mila Kunis’ Orchard Farm Productions (Stoner Cats), Featuring a signature quirky, expressive and fast-paced animation style, these NFT animated characters and their friends set on a misguided adventure to this year’s SXSW Gaming Awards and beyond. See “The Gimmicks Road to SXSW” teaser clip HERE. In addition, viewers of this year’s Ceremony on March 12 will have special access to an exclusive offer from The Gimmicks.
Plus, Tik Tok sensation, pop punk band Punk Rock Factory (YouTube; Disney’s “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” cover) has written a new song, with its wet-and-wild video making its world premiere during the show. According to the South Wales-based band, they “rehearse, write, record, mix, master and film everything themselves in one dedicated space affectionately called The Sausage Factory and frequently bring friends along to enjoy the fun.”
The presenters reflect the most dynamic talent, executives and storytellers across the film/TV/music/gaming industry and sports, and represent some of the most distinctive and acclaimed projects in entertainment.
Presenters and talent appearing include (in alphabetical order):
MichaelAnthony, (Raising Dion, upcoming Paramount family action film Secret Headquarters)
Kadeem Hardison, (upcoming AMC’s Moonhaven, A Different World)
“We’re so excited…NO… ECSTATIC to be your hosts for the 2022 SXSW Gaming Awards!,” said first-time co-hosts, Astrid & Lilly Save The World co-stars and on/off-set best friends Jana Morrison (“Astrid”) and Samantha Aucoin (“Lilly”). “As gamers and award show season stans, we promise an all-out good time with plenty of fun surprises.”
For more of the ladies’ reaction, watch HERE. Catch all-new episodes of Astrid & Lilly Save The World on Wednesdays at 10 P.M. ET/PT on SYFY.
As previously announced live on G4TV’s XPlay, leading nominees include: “Kena: Bridge of Spirits,” from developer and publisher Ember Lab, scored four nominations. Five titles – “Deathloop,” “Inscryption,” “Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker,” “Forza Horizon 5” and “Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart” – each took three nominations.
Additionally, 12 titles received two nominations each, including “Before Your Eyes,” “Chicory: A Colorful Tale,” “Hell Let Loose,” “It Takes Two,” “Loop Hero,” “Lost Words: Beyond the Page,”“Resident Evil Village,” “Returnal,” “The Medium,” “The Wild At Heart,” “Unpacking” and “Valheim.”
Each year the SXSW Gaming Awards honor excellence throughout the industry, celebrating the talent that influences the medium and culture of gaming. The annual Gaming Awards celebrate the technical, artistic and design achievements of each year’s best titles and their creators.
Following a rigorous process of nominee selections, this year’s Awards will feature 40 unique games contending for honors in 12 categories (see list of nominees below).
As with each year, the SXSW community voted between February 1-8, 2022. Final winners will be determined through a weighted total of public voting, advisory board and SXSW staff input. More information about the entry and judging process is available here.
Editor’s note: For the full list of SXSW Gaming Awards nominees in this press release, proceed to page 2.
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.
March is opening us up more to a very exciting year for game industry events. More and more events are becoming either hybrid or going back to on-site gatherings, especially we’ve noticed in the second half of the year. 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.
We’d like to emphasize that 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.
After a two year hiatus, Events for Gamers is curating a list of events in and around the 2022 Game Developers Conference (GDC). As a hybrid event, there are sure to be thousands of physical attendees flocking to San Francisco for this annual gathering of developers, businesspeople and others in and around the gaming space. With them, there’s a return of related events, meetups, and more in and around 2022 GDC.
We recommend keeping a few considerations in mind for this early 2022 version of normal. When these events take place, COVID-19-related guidance on social distancing, mask-wearing, vaccination, and general hygiene will be baked in as a part of the event experience and should be part of your planning. Also, with fewer attendees and companies likely to attend in person with GDC returning with a physical presence after a long pandemic pause, it’s reasonable to expect fewer events this year vs. recent pre-COVID-19 years.
In keeping with past party lists we’ve curated, only public events in and adjacent to GDC’s conference week (generally between Monday, March 21 and Friday, March 25) will be included.
So it’s been a long day or week at GDC. What are your options for extending the networking, learning, and fun outside of the Moscone Convention Center? There are plenty of options that follow to explore. (Image: Official GDC on Flickr)
Have you seen an event posting we should add here, or are you a host of an event you’d like to share with the community? Events for Gamers’ GDC 2022 party list will be periodically updated with new events or updated statuses with events until GDC is underway.
Event: 2022 11th Annual Pre-GDC Dinner Time: 4:00PM-6:00PM Cost: Free Tickets available: None needed Location: District Six 428 11th Street San Francisco, CA 94103 Link: https://www.facebook.com/events/4116286085140395/ Description: “It’s that time again! Get ready for the (hopefully) 11th annual Pre-GDC CA dinner! Come on out for food trucks, meeting new and familiar faces, fun times, and did I mention food trucks?”
Event: The Game Executives Cabal 2022: COVID safe edition Time: 9:30AM-6:00PM Cost: $299 Tickets available: Invite only Location: Minna Gallery, 111 Minna Gallery 111 Minna Street San Francisco, CA 94105 Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-game-executives-cabal-2022-covid-safe-edition-tickets-289855594887 Description: “This is an invitation-only event for C-level game executives, mostly CEOs and Founders of game studios; attendance is limited and like past years, we expect the event to be at capacity. The press is not allowed, nor are uninvited guests or walk-ins. As past attendees know, we focus on creating a private, exclusive, yet collegial, event for executive networking and knowledge sharing, with three short presentations of topical interest. We will take over the whole 4700 square feet of open space in Minna Gallery for the day.” Editor’s note: Make sure to read the rules on their Eventbrite page regarding attendance and tickets.
Event: Happy Players’ Happy Hour Time: 5:00PM-8:30PM Cost: Free Tickets available: Yes Location: Peacekeeper, SF, 925 Bush St, San Francisco, CA 94109 Link: https://get.unitq.com/gdc-happy-hour-03222022 Description: Hosted by unitQ, Helpshift and Kustomer, this networking and thought leadership event during GDC is intended for sr. managers+, CS/CX, product and engineering leaders. “Enjoy complimentary cocktails and hors d’oeuvres. Learn about innovations in customer retention from leaders in CX, Product, and Engineering. Network in Peacekeeper SF a trendy, new bi-level bar in Lower Nob Hill SF featuring a retractable roof and indoor fireplace. Attend the event for your chance to win a free VR headset.”
Event: It’s 5 O’Clock again Time: 5:30PM-8:00PM Cost: Free Tickets available: No Location: Fifth Arrow, 430 Mason St, San Francisco, CA 94102 Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/its-5-oclock-again-tickets-289720661297 Description: Due to the tremendous pent up demand to get back to networking parties for all, we are reserving this event for our Sponsors, Sponsor Guests, mobile growth experts, brand agencies, and mobile game developers with an overall limit of 300 guests.” This event features networking, a 360 photo booth, light appetizers, complimentary drinks, and raffle prizes.
Events such as AIXR’s GDC 2022 party will bring together networking opportunities with libations and new ideas and technology (Image: The Academy of International Extended Reality)
Event: AIXR GDC Party with HP and XR Games Time: 7:00PM-? Cost: Free Tickets available: Waitlist Location: Bar Fluxus,18 Harlan Place, San Francisco, CA 94108 Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/aixr-gdc-party-with-hp-and-xr-games-tickets-293260478987 Description: “AIXR is hosting the GDC party of the year with HP and XR Games for the VR & AR developer community. A night of networking, free drinks (Generously sponsored by HP & XR Games) and general celebration are to be expected from developers big and small from across the XR world on Tue 22 March – just 3 blocks away from San Francisco’s Moscone Center! Tickets are very limited and on a first-come, first-serve basis only and there will be a guest list on the door. Reserve now to avoid disappointment.”
Event: SausageFest: Fundraising for the Ukrainian Dream Time: 7:00PM-11:00PM Cost: Free Tickets available: Waitlist Location: 255 9th St, San Francisco, CA 94103 Link: https://paymentwall.com/events/e/sausagefest-ukrainian-dream Description: “In 2022, Terminal3 and Paymentwall will be hosting SausageFest for the 12th time during GDC. This year, we’ll take you on a trip to Ukraine where our company always had an office.” Donations to Ukrainian humanitarian charities are encouraged. Space is limited and having a GDC pass won’t guarantee entry.
Event:POW x 10 @ GDC: MC Frontalot, Nullsleep, Crashfaster, Janus Rose + More! Time: 7:00PM-2:30AM (3/23) Cost: $15 advance; $20 day of show; $10 door with GDC badge. Tickets available: Yes (some sold out) Location: DNA Lounge, 375 11th St, San Francisco, CA 94103 Link: https://www.dnalounge.com/calendar/2022/03-22.html Description: “In honor of the return of GDC, 8bitSF and Monobomb Records present the epic 10th installment of Pow! Join us for a ginormous night of live chiptune and video game music, lush visuals, and gaming.” Digital or physical proof of full vaccination (including booster shot) and a valid photo ID will required for entry to the event.
Event:Slava Ukraini Charity Comedy Show Time: 7:00PM-? Cost: $25-30 (donation optional) Tickets available: Yes Location: PianoFight, Cabaret Stage, 144 Taylor St., San Francisco, CA 94102 Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/slava-ukraini-charity-comedy-show-tickets-300877220867 Description: “Join us at PianoFight to laugh and drink for a good cause at a game-developer produced, nerdy benefit stand-up comedy show for the Ukrainian Humanitarian Fund. Seating is first come first served, with 100% net ticket sales being donated to the fund to help Ukranian refugees as they escape the conflict. Come see comics you’ve seen on Comedy Central, SF Sketchfest, Buzzfeed, the Sporkful podcast, and more!: Panda, Ian Levy, Jeff Dean, Marcus Williams, Emily Van Dyke and Andrew Orofolo. Produced by Brian “Panda” Choi (3D Character Artist, Snap Inc.) @jadeeyepanda”
Event:Substance Days at GDC 2022 After-Party Time: 7:30PM-10:00PM Cost: Free Tickets available: Yes Location: Press Club, 20 Yerba Buena Lane, San Francisco, CA 94103 Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/substance-days-at-gdc-2022-after-party-registration-288028861077 Description: Following a day of talks and networking during Substance Days at GDC comes an after party: “Don’t miss the Substance Days After-party at the Press Club. Meet and mingle with the Substance 3D team, and the event speakers. Enjoy some food, drinks and special goodies.” Also, attendees must be 21+ and have a completed vaccination to access the venue, with proof and ID checked at the door.
Wednesday, March 23:
Event: Brunch & Learn UA & Ad Monetization Post-iOS 14.5 Time: 10:00AM-12:00PM Cost: Free Tickets available: Request to attend Location: The Veranda San Francisco, 772 Folsom St, San Francisco, CA 94107 Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/save-the-date-brunch-learn-ua-ad-monetization-post-ios-145-tickets-269742847117 Description: Breakfast and a discussion about “challenges, strategies, and best practices when it comes to growing and monetizing your app in the new world of iOS 14.5+, and beyond, including Android and other emerging channels” are the highlights of this Wednesday morning event. No GDC pass is required to attend. Also, while the event is public, take note from the event page to: “Please contact your Digital Turbine/Fyber/AdColony contact to request an invite.”
Event: Games [4Diversity] Dinner Time: 6:00PM-8:00PM Tickets available: Yes Location: District Six 428 11th Street San Francisco, CA 94103 Link: https://courage.events/event/games-4diversity-dinner/ Description: “Every year we gather at District Six (formerly known as Soma Streat Food Park) to meet game professionals that wish to contribute to improved diversity & inclusion in the game industry. Feel free to join in! Everyone’s welcome!”
Event: Qweerty Gamers GDC Mixer 2022 Time: 6:00PM-10:00PM Tickets available: Yes Location: Oasis, 298 11th St, San Francisco, CA 94103 Link: https://www.qweertygamers.org/qweerty-gamers-gdc-mixer-2022-signup Description: “This event will take place at Oasis at 298 11th St, San Francisco, CA 94103 on March 23rd from 6-10 PM PT. The event will be capped at 80 attendees. We encourage LGBTQIA+ & allies in the video game industry to attend, including Content Creators, Game Developers, and more. This event is 21 +. The following will be available: Light snacks, Photobooth, cocktails, and more.”
Event: Tapjoy GDC Party Time: 6:00PM-10:00PM Tickets available: Waitlist Location: 620 Jones St, San Francisco, CA 94102 Link: https://gdcparty2022.splashthat.com/ Description: “Tapjoy’s inviting you out for a night of drinks, dancing, and delicious food … Please note, you must show proof of vaccination or a negative rapid antigen test taken within 48 hours.”
Event: GDC 2022 Party/Meetup feat: Sledgehammer Games, Microsoft & Twilio at DNA Lounge Time: 6:00PM-11:59PM Cost: Free Tickets available: Yes Location: DNA Lounge, 375 11th St, San Francisco, CA 94103 Link: https://www.meetup.com/Monthly-SF-Game-Development-Community/events/283657326/ Description: “Make sure to RSVP for our event on Meetup for free entry. Pizza will be served at 6pm and drinks will be available for purchase at the bar which will support the venue. We will have live DJs performing at the event, and technical talks starting at 7:30pm from gaming industry professionals. This is a professional networking event for game developers, artists, students, indies, or really anyone interested in game development. You do not need a GDC pass to attend, this is an event open to the public, so please RSVP, attend and show your support.”
Event: The MIX Time: 7:00PM-11:00PM Tickets available: Yes Location: Apply for confirmation with location information Link: https://www.mediaindieexchange.com/event/mix-10th-anniversary-showcase/ Description: “Play games, chat and enjoy complementary food and drinks! We’re planning for a showcase with fewer guests and games than our most recent events as the world is in this Covid transition phase so guest list passes will be limited. This will be in a comfortable, spacious venue a short drive / Uber from Moscone.”
Event: Relentlo x OP Games x Harmony Happy Hour Time: 4:00PM-6:00PM Cost: Free Tickets available: Waitlist Location: Louie’s Bar, 55 Stevenson Street, San Francisco, CA 94105 Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/relentlo-x-op-games-x-harmony-happy-hour-tickets-294066770627 Description: “Two of Silicon Valley’s hottest Web 2.5 gaming startups and a pioneer in the Web 3.0 space invite you to come join their Happy Hour after GDC to discuss all things gaming, monetization, advertising, Web 3.0, and the metaverse. Come debate the future of gaming, NFTs, and Web 3.0 over a free cocktail and get the inside scoop on how to make your game fly off the shelves (or NFT marketplace).”
Event: Women GDC2022 Hang out Time: 5:00PM-6:00PM Cost: Free Tickets available: Sold out Location: Yerba Buena Gardens 760 Howard Street San Francisco, CA 94103 Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/women-gdc2022-hang-out-tickets-288814982387 Description: “The girls that are participating in the Latam panel are also going to join us. We come from: Peru, Mexico, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, and more! If you also want to meet more women in the industry, come join our event. It doesn’t matter how much experience you have in the industry or where you come from, we’d love to meet you.”
Event: GDC 2022 Mixer + After Party Time: 6:00PM-1:00AM (3/25) Cost: $10-50 Tickets available: Sold out Location: Temple Nightclub San Francisco 540 Howard Street San Francisco, CA 94105 Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/gdc-2022-mixer-after-party-tickets-243559201127 Description: “We are taking over one of the most talked about and biggest successful venue in San Francisco’s nightlife scene – The Temple Nightclub! We are doing a Networking Mixer from 6pm-9pm and the After Party starts at 10pm till 2am. We sold out in mere 4 days from the previous events and expect a high demand for our next event to network with other GameDevs, IndieDevs, Publishers, Executives, Venture Capitalists, Programmers, Producers, Animators, Concept Artists, and more!”
Event: DumplingFest: Hotel Beijing | GDC 2022 Time: 7:00PM-11:00PM Cost: Free Tickets available: Yes Location: 255 9th St, San Francisco, CA 94103 Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/dumplingfest-hotel-beijing-gdc-2022-tickets-298905192477 Description: After a two-year hiatus, Terminal3 and Leaseweb have joined forces to bring back DumplingFest on Thursday evening during GDC 2022. Expect kicked-back relaxation along with networking, entertainment, plenty of Cantonese-style dumplings, lechon, and unlimited drinks for attendees.
Event: GDC 2022 Beach Party Time: 4:00PM-? Cost: Free Tickets available: None needed Location: Ocean Beach Fire Pits Link: https://www.facebook.com/events/262943079146602 Description: “As per tradition, it is setup towards the end of the conference where everyone wants to GTFO and chill to the other side of the city. We will setup camp at the fire pits like a penguin cluster, and we are allowed to grab snacks/drinks from the nearby Safeway, while pumping some music or bringing instruments (note: alcohol is not allowed on the beach.)”
As GDC 2022 nears, you’ll want to keep an eye on this party list as event information is updated and as more events are added.
UPDATE (2/26/22): The GDC 2022 party list has been updated with a fixed link, two revised listings, and two new events.
UPDATE (3/5/22): The GDC 2022 party list has been updated with two revised listings and four new events.
UPDATE (3/12/22): The GDC 2022 party list has been updated with two revised listings and five new events.
UPDATE (3/19/22): The GDC 2022 party list has been updated with six revised listings (several events now sold out) and twenty-two new events.
UPDATE (3/20/22): The GDC 2022 party list has been updated with four revised listings and two new events.
UPDATE (3/22/22): The GDC 2022 party list has been updated with five revised listings and six new events.
We’ve been sharing videos in recent months to share walkthroughs of shows that have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, like at last year’s PAX West. Those looks and takes can be pretty interesting and insightful for folks who can’t attend these shows because of distance, cost, or health-related risks. But this time, let’s take a look at what many might find to be an interesting talk from PAX Unplugged 2021, a hybrid event hosted last December that focuses on tabletop, card games and other analog game experiences.
Rym DeCoster, Producer at GeekNights, a “talk radio show for hobbyists, tinkerers, and, for lack of a better word, geeks,” presents this hour-long talk on the subject of rare game mechanics and shares it on YouTube. In the video description, Rym describes what common game mechanics are in tabletop games, like drafting cards, rolling dice, and choosing actions.
The description then asks these questions:
Ever play a game with a Rondel? Experience the glory of a ‘Promise Cube?’ Wait until we talk about what can only be described as ‘Bohnanza Hand!’
If these terms are unfamiliar to you, you are not alone. In his YouTube video, Rym explains in some detail how these rare game mechanics function in tabletop/card games, so players can identify them and game creators can consider including them. Take a look at the full PAX Unplugged 2021 session video to answer the questions posed in the description plus other unusual mechanics:
And, if you also want to take a look at a PAX Unplugged 2021 walkthrough, stop on by this snappy seven-minute look at the show from Czech Games Edition.
Enjoyed the video? Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel for more videos!
Whether you are an event coordinator, press, or general attendee, if you have an event video to share with us, please let us know and we’ll be happy to feature it!
The 2022 Game Developer Conference (GDC) is just around the corner. And with it, the details about the speakers and content are coming together for the hybrid iteration of this influential game developer show. GDC’s organizers have recently announced their agenda is now online, covering both the online and in-person portions of the show. And, without a doubt, there is plenty to talk about after two years without an in-person GDC event.
It’s been a wild ride for the game industry in the last couple years, including high-visibility change and upheaval around unionization (such as at Vodeo Games), workplace culture (like at Activision Blizzard and UbiSoft), work-life balance, and managing a post-pandemic form of work. These topics are reflected in many of the sessions. For example, this is one of the GDC 2022’s featured sessions, a multi-session exploration of the changing dynamic of what it means to work in game development:
David Anfossi (Head of Studio, Eidos-Montréal) Davina Mackey (Director & President, PlayStation Studios QA & Black@PlayStation) Mike Wilson (Founding Partner, Devolver Digital)
“In this installment of the GDC Main Stage, ‘The Developer’s Renaissance’ is a multi-part presentation about the future of game development and the evolving workplace. It’s an introspection about how the pandemic allowed the industry to reexamine how things are done—figuring out what’s important (and perhaps what’s not), and how things can be better moving forward. Topics include: 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.'”
One of GDC’s long-standing popular sessions are retrospectives, or “postmortems,” that look back on the good, bad, and the ugly from the development of classic and popular games — from the unique perspective of their creators. One such session includes a very familiar developer and first-person shooter game in the business and gaming development community:
Wolfenstein 3D is widely viewed as the breakthrough game that opened the doors to the development of many other FPS games, including the incredibly popular DOOM series that followed. (Image: id Software)
John Romero (Managing Director, Romero Games Ltd.)
“Wolfenstein 3D Postmortem: In early 1992, id Software had just shipped their latest 2D platform games and were ready for something different. Having released the first texture-mapped 3D shooter, Catacomb 3D, just a couple months earlier, they were planning what their next project would be. Wolfenstein 3D was an ambitious design for an MS-DOS PC in 1992. There were no GPUs, most games were 320×200 pixels, a lot of memory was 4GB, and mice were rarely used. Follow the journey that the four founders of id Software took to create a watershed moment in gaming history that showed the world that the PC could play a new kind of game that no other machine could replicate. Game designer, programmer, and id Software co-founder, John Romero, will take the audience through this short seven month timeline and show you just how much happened during Wolfenstein 3D’s development rollercoaster ride.”
The Virtual Reality Developer Summit was a standalone event that accompanied GDC, but it’s now reincorporated into GDC as the “Future Realities Summit.” There will be a broad number of sessions covering virtual reality, augmented reality, mixed reality, and, of course, the catch-all concept of the metaverse. One of the sessions an interested GDC attendee may want to check out is:
“Tech companies are working hard to create the metaverse, but a number of games already offer their version of it. This talk will assess and quantifiably rank the main games contenders by looking at what makes a successful metaverse, and how companies both inside and outside gaming can benefit from it.”
Besides the Future Realities Summit, another new summit added for GDC 2022 is the Open Source Game Development Summit. This summit is about developers who are using, or who are interested in, using open source tools in their developer tool stack. One example of a talk an attendee may find in this summit is:
“Game studios are using open source at an increasing pace, but that’s not necessarily good. Like many things, the devil lies in the details. There’s much more to open source than getting utilities for free. With just a little thought and effort, open source can be a strategic super power for studios, reducing staff recruiting and onboarding times while giving a big boost to branding.
Come learn from a corporate open source strategist and the founder of a popular (and open source!) narrative design tool, then take your studio to the next level with open source.”
Of course, these examples barely scratch the surface of the sessions available through “GDC week,” which you can check out here. GDC 2022 takes place from Monday, March 21 to Friday, March 25, returning to the Moscone Convention Center in San Francisco. Conference health and safety guidelines that reflect current COVID-19 guidance can be found at this link. The virtual GDC event has a longer window for participation, with the event starting on March 21 until Friday, April 1. Virtual sessions will be available for on-demand viewing through April 1. For folks anxious to build their agenda, they’ll be able to plan out their schedule on March 14, which is when the virtual GDC event platform and mobile app should be available.
For virtual and in-person GDC pass options, visit the GDC registration page for more information.
February 15, 2022 – New York City – 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 first wave of speakers participating in AWE 2022.
Following last year’s successful AWE show, which included keynote speakers such as John Hanke (CEO, Niantic®) and Bobby Murphy (CTO, Snap®), AWE is excited to now confirm industry legend John Riccitiello as a Keynote Speaker for 2022.
John is President & Chief Executive Officer at Unity® Technologies (NYSE: U), 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.
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.
A diverse range of speakers across 12 expertly-curated tracks, including high-level representatives from Autodesk®, Chick-fil-A®, Deutsche Telekom®, P&G®, Siemens® and Walmart®, are currently confirmed. With 250 exhibitors and 400 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, speaker or sponsor by reaching out to AWE staff via https://www.awexr.com.
“2022 is poised to be the biggest year in the history of XR and there is no better place to see it in action than at AWE USA,” said Ori Inbar, AWE CEO and co-founder. “Just 7 months after the very successful gathering in November, AWE will recreate the magic by bringing together the entire XR community – in person – under one roof. It will coalesce around 400 of the top speakers and thought leaders in the industry – continuing with our commitment for diversity and gender parity – and will feature the largest-ever exhibition for the XR industry.”
XR professionals and technology enthusiasts do not have to wait until the conference in June to get involved with AWE, thanks to AWE’s online ecosystem. The 24/7/365 community at www.AWE.live provides XR professionals and enthusiasts with:
Year-round online events and meetups in 25+ cities – an always-on platform that enables the XR community to learn, connect and grow;
High-quality educational classes and workshops with the best instructors from the XR community via the AWE Academy portal;
Resources for the XR industry in the form of news digests, talks and demos, jobs boards, enterprise research, and events listings;
The XR industry’s most prestigious and long standing awards competition – The Auggie Awards.
AWE USA 2022 will take place from June 1-3 at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA. Tickets are on sale now, with Super-Early-Bird rates available for a short time until March 1. To purchase tickets and save up to $800 before these rates expire, click here.
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.
February again brings a hopeful sign that the game industry events are starting to return to normal, even while we struggle with a resurgence in the pandemic. While 2022 is certainly going to be mixed for online-only vs on-site, part of that mix now includes online-only events not due necessarily to the pandemic but also due to simply good business. We shall see how the year progresses, but our estimate is by end of 2022 we will see the ‘new normal’ solidify for events moving forward long-term.
We’d like to emphasize that while a new normal is taking place, we don’t see the value in on-site events dropping, as they still have a valuable place for a variety of industry needs.
View this month’s event list below. You can also click here for the main calendar view that includes events into 2022 and beyond.
LOS ANGELES, CA–(January 24, 2022) – Recognized by Hollywood insiders, digital influencers and media-tech industry leaders throughout the world as a “must-attend” event, the 9th annual Digital Entertainment World (DEW) will assemble the leaders in the business of creating and monetizing digital entertainment content. This year’s event will be held online, reaching decision makers from across the globe.
DEW2022 will explore “Entering the Metaverse” – a theme that is central to the future of the entertainment, media & technology industries. The conference will explore this theme – including the explosion of businesses around blockchain games, NFTs, XR & virtual worlds – alongside other key digital & technology developments that continue to drive the “Creator Economy”, such as streaming, OTT, influencer marketing, esports, games, podcasting, licensing, UCG & branded content.
DEW includes 5 tracks and 75 speakers on topics essential to the future of video, music, brands, marketing, gaming, AR/VR, and AI, with keynotes and fireside chats from Vevo, UTA, WarnerMedia, Whip Media, Griffin Gaming Partners, and more. Speakers include:
Confirmed Speakers Include:
Chris Akhavan, Chief Business Officer, Forte
Adam Arrigo, CEO and Co-Founder, Wave
Alexia Bedat, Associate, Klaris
Eric Bergner, Partner, Digital and Technology Transactions, Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP
The fast-growing five-day conference includes 5 tracks: Streaming + TV, Brands + Entertainment, Games + Esports, RightsTech, and Music + Podcasts.
With sponsors and media partners including Vevo, Epic Games, Whip Media, Tipalti, Grant Thornton, Manatt, Eluvio, Comcast Technology Solutions, Metrological, GOAL Ventures, Signiant, HFA|Rumblefish, Anzu, Fusicology, Gary’s Guide, IGDA, Interactive Television Alliance, Parks Associates, Westside Digital Mix, International Association of Entertainment Lawyers, Women in Technology International, CMO Asia, 80 Level, The Game Audio Network Guild, M2 Insights, and Streaming Video Alliance.
Survey of Game Industry Professionals Also Shows Xbox and PlayStation Development Neck in Neck, Resilience of Studios in Pandemic; A Look Back at 10 Years Ago Versus Now
SAN FRANCISCO – January 20, 2022 – The Game Developers Conference (GDC) has released the results of the 10th annual State of the Industry Survey, revealing trends in the game industry ahead of GDC 2022, which will be held in-person and virtually at San Francisco’s Moscone Convention Center from March 21 – 25. The survey’s results reflect the responses of more than 2,700 game industry professionals, offers a look into the many issues that these professionals have on their minds and shows how the game industry is evolving and expanding. Some of the highlights from the results are below.
Almost 40% of respondents said their companies have reached out in an effort to combat toxicity in the workplace following outcries at Activision Blizzard and other companies
The ongoing conversation about diversity and inclusion in the game industry came to a head this year when the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing filed a lawsuit against Activision Blizzard, citing, “numerous complaints about unlawful harassment, discrimination, and retaliation.” Since then, reports of systemic sexism, harassment, and other misconduct have surfaced about Activision Blizzard and other game companies. This built on already disturbing reports coming out of a 2018 investigative report on Riot Games, which just recently agreed to pay $100 million to settle its class-action gender discrimination lawsuit. (Note: This survey was taken before the WSJ’s investigative piece on Bobby Kotick, before Riot’s settlement was announced and before Microsoft announced it will acquire Activision Blizzard).
This has started a trend of companies reaching out to address misconduct and toxicity within the game industry. At the time the survey was conducted, 38% of respondents said that their companies reached out to them to start a conversation about how misconduct and toxicity are handled in the industry; 62% said their companies did nothing. This shows a growing number of workplaces have taken at least some initiative to root out toxicity, while also pointing out the industry has a way to go. When asked about how their company responded, some respondents said their companies held group discussions on misconduct or reminded employees how to report improper behavior.
Interest in cryptocurrencies and NFTs grows, but game developers remain skeptical
Two of the hottest, and polarizing, topics being debated in the game industry are cryptocurrency and non-fungible tokens (NFTs). While the majority of developers said that they and their studio are not interested in cryptocurrency (72%) as a payment tool or in NFTs (70%), for such a nascent space, 27% percent of developers are at least somewhat interested in cryptocurrency at their studio and 28% are at least somewhat interested in NFTs. The current implementation of both technologies is still very limited, with just 1% of respondents saying that their studio already uses either.
Metaverse popularity expanding, but most game developers are not developing for it yet
The promise of the metaverse is growing in the game industry. One of its most popular and lucrative components is user-generated content (UGC), which is why game professionals were asked if they were developing or planning to develop content or experiences for a UGC platform. The majority (83%) said that they are not involved at all, but 17% are already working on a project.
The breakdown of the UGC platforms for the 17% working on them were Roblox (5%), Minecraft (4%), Fortnite (3%), Dreams (3%), Core (2%), and “other” (6%). The provided platforms for the “other” responses included The Sandbox, VRChat, Unreal Engine, and “prefer not to answer due [to] confidentiality restrictions.”
When asked what companies/platforms are best placed to deliver on the promise of the metaverse, the most popular response was Epic/Fortnite at 17%, followed by Facebook (8%), Microsoft/Minecraft (8%), Roblox (6%), and Google (5%). The survey was conducted before Facebook’s Meta was announced, which may have impacted responses on the topic. About one-third (33%) of the respondents reported that they believe that the metaverse concept will never deliver on its promise.
Union hopes grow; almost one-fourth have already talked about unionizing
Fifty-five percent of respondents said that workers in the game industry should unionize, which is the highest amount yet in the 10 years of the State of the Industry Survey, but 18% believed that the industry will unionize. While only a minority may believe the industry will unionize, almost one-fourth of respondents (23%) said that conversations about unionizing have happened at their workplace.
The respondents also shared how those companies have responded to union talks with their workers. Thirty-six percent reported that their companies were supportive, compared to 8% that said their company opposed the unionization talks. More than one-fifth (21%) of respondents said their companies didn’t know that some of their employees were talking about unionizing.
PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S virtually neck and neck for current game development
When asked what all of the platforms are that they are currently developing games for, the results showed that 31% were working on a game for PlayStation 5, just edging out Xbox Series X/S (29%), showing that both platforms are roughly equally popular for developers. On the mobile front, 30% of developers are working on a game for iOS and 30% for Android. 20% of respondents are working on a game for the Nintendo Switch (a slight increase from 2021), but PC is once again clearly the most popular platform for development with 63% of developers reporting to be currently working on a PC game.
Studios stave off closures amid the pandemic
The game industry has stayed resilient despite the ongoing pandemic. Fifty percent of respondents said their company expanded their number of staff during the past year. Thirteen percent of respondents said their company contracted during the past year, compared to 33% that stayed the same. Only 2% of respondents said that their studio closed entirely. These figures are similar to the previous year, signifying that the pandemic and shift to remote work did not have a lasting impact on the workforce.
Additional notable items from the results of the survey include:
In Epic Games v. Apple, more devs side with Epic
When asked who they felt was “in the right” in the case of Epic Games v. Apple, over one-third of respondents (34%) sided with Epic Games, making it the most-popular response—while the least popular was Apple (8%). Nearly a quarter (23%) said neither side was right, 10% said both made good points, and one-fourth (25%) said they weren’t sure.
The Steam Deck is met with both excitement and uncertainty
Developers were asked whether they felt the Steam Deck would be a viable game platform in the long run. The results found developers more positive than negative, but uncertain: 36% said yes, 17% said no, and 47% were unsure.
10th Annual Survey Provides a Look Back at 10 Years Ago Versus Now
The 10th iteration of the GDC State of the Industry Survey looks back at what developers were doing and their opinions compared to developers today, showing some interesting results:
PC is the house favorite
PC has consistently been the most developed platform, rising from 48% of developers working on a game for PC in 2013, to 63% in 2022.
Mobile took the plunge
Back in 2013, mobile was the hot trend in games with 55% of developers making games for phones and other mobile devices. In 2022, it’s down by almost half to 30%.
PlayStation beats Xbox
The platform war between PlayStation and Xbox has gone strong over the past 10 years, but the clear winner has been PlayStation. The second year of the survey, 2014 had more developers working on Xbox One than PlayStation 4. Every year after that, more developers reported working on a PlayStation game than are working on an Xbox game.
Has VR hit its peak?
In 2015 only 7% of developers were working on a VR game; this increased to 24% by 2017. However, the trend has reversed and in 2022, just 10% of developers reported working on a VR game.
The Nintendo surge
In 2013 the number of developers working on games for 3DS and WiiU was in the low single digits. The success of the Nintendo Switch has seen that number grow to 20%
The full survey, which includes more insight into the game development community’s thoughts on these topics and a multitude of other facts and details, can be downloaded for free here.
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.
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 visitwww.informa.com.
TOKYO – Jan. 19, 2021 – PLAYISM, Japan’s oldest indie game publisher, renowned for some of the most anticipated upcoming titles and popular recent releases including Bright Memory: Infinite, Gnosia and Mighty Goose, announces the latest edition of the PLAYISM Game Show live showcase.
The live event takes place Sunday, Jan. 23, 2021 at 2:00 AM EDT / 8:00 AM CET / 4:00 PM JST, and will include world premieres and all-new information for both upcoming and previously-released games in both English and Japanese on YouTube.
“We are incredibly grateful for the support and patience our partners, sponsors and community have shown us in our decade-plus of operation,” said Shunji Mizutani, Executive Producer of PLAYISM. “We are eager to celebrate our partnerships with some of the most prominent names in indie games for our third live showcase and finally show the world the incredible work our team and partners have prepared.”
PLAYISM Game Show occurs Sunday, Jan. 23, 2021 at 2:00 AM EDT / 8:00 AM CEST / 4:00 PM JST with an expected runtime of two hours in English, Japanese and Chinese on YouTube, Periscope, Niconico, and Bilibili.
INDIANAPOLIS (January 18, 2022) — Gen Con, the largest and longest-running tabletop gaming convention in North America, has chosen Jasper’s Game Day and The Patachou Foundation as its official charity partners for 2022. Since moving to Indianapolis in 2003, the annual convention has raised more than $350,000 for its charity partners.
“We’re proud to support these two incredible organizations, who are doing vital work in our gaming and local Indianapolis communities,” said Megan Culver, Gen Con’s Vice President of Sales, Marketing & Events. “Every year, we are moved by the generosity of our attendees as they partner with us to raise funds for our charity partners.”
As part of this agreement, both organizations will receive proceeds from Gen Con’s 2022 fundraising efforts, including longstanding charity events such as the popular Cardhalla, a mass destruction of giant playing card structures. Both groups will also receive promotional marketing and table space at the convention to connect with attendees and share information about their work.
“The Patachou Foundation is thrilled to be named one of the official charity partners for the 2022 convention and to have Gen Con as part of our hunger-fighting team,” said Matthew Feltrop, executive director of The Patachou Foundation. “We believe in the value and power of shared experiences — whether around a board game or the lunch table — to shape a bright future for kids. With partners like Gen Con, we’ll be able to serve more than 75,000 scratch-made meals in 2022 and attack the root causes of childhood hunger in our community.”
“Jasper’s Game Day is honored to be named one of the official charity partners for the 2022 convention,” said Fenway Jones, executive director of Jasper’s Game Day. “Jasper’s Game Day strives to spread a message of hope and reach those in need of mental health services. Working with Gen Con will allow us to raise funds and reach a broader audience. During the pandemic, mental health care is more important than ever, and we will leverage this partnership to help save lives across the country and reduce the stigma that surrounds asking for help.”
Gen Con Indy 2022 returns to the Indiana Convention Center and Lucas Oil Stadium this August 4-7, 2022, operating in a hybrid format incorporating Gen Con Online virtual programming and Pop-Up Gen Con activations at game stores across the country. Badges will be available at gencon.com starting January 30.
In November last year we wrote about Computex and the Outlook of PC Hardware in 2022, detailing processor, graphics, and other component upgrades you can look forward to acquiring for your upgrade needs. Assuming supply chains improve this year, which we are seeing early signs of happening, this year is going to be very exciting indeed.
CES 2022 wrapped up earlier this month and with it a bunch of teaser announcements were released related to the hardware we both knew and suspected was coming down the pipe. Here is a quick summary of the exciting things we can now confirm for you from the previous Computex article.
Faster CPUs
We already knew Intel’s Alder Lake CPUs were just being released at the time we wrote the last article, but now we have a plethora of additional CPU related news to share.
Start with Intel, a new offering of Alder Lake CPUs, mostly in the mid-range, were launched. These processors are seriously fast – fast for anything you really can throw at them in fact. Are you a gamer needing a fast single core for games? Check. Are you a video producer needing the core count but still in a reasonable consumer package? Check. While power hungry and hot, the mid-range especially is quite price competitive.
AMD is working on several competitive offerings to counter Intel called Zen 4, due to be released in the second half of this year (probably late Q3 or Q4). Of course, Intel has a new series named Raptor Lake that is already being readied to counter that counter.
As a gamer, both of these series are going to be especially interesting to watch for potential buys as both are expected to increase CPU cache sizes dramatically. Cache is the part of a CPU where information can be stored briefly for processing and reused for subsequent tasks. This part of a processor benefits just about any game out there.
Faster Graphics
Speaking of cache, AMD is kicking off the year with updates to their GPUs (and a mid-step upgrade for their existing CPUs) using Infinity Cache. As you might have suspected, this will also help boost gaming performance and catch up with what Intel again, as well as keep pace with Nvidia on the GPU front.
The second half of the year is going to get even more exciting though with the release of AMD’s next generation of graphics cards named RDNA4. Nvidia will also be (probably at the exact same time) releasing their next generation of cards called Lovelace.
If what we’ve heard is going to come true, the performance of graphics cards this year is going to be an insane 2-3x the performance of the previous generation, which is absolutely mind-blowing (and will be probably be mind-blowing on the wallet too).
Other Hardware
In the earlier Computex article we covered a bunch of other hardware, including the faster PCI Express 5.0 standard now available on Intel’s platforms, Thunderbolt 4 (and the suspected Thunderbolt 5), Wireless 6E, and a review of the new DDR5 memory standard.
You’ll want to read the Computex and the Outlook of PC Hardware in 2022 article to see what else you’ll want in your PC this year! Also be sure to check it out if you’re especially interested in a GPU upgrade, as there’s some important information in there regarding increased power supply needs.
