Intel’s Developer Forum conference in San Francisco has been a showcase of a broad range of technologies, many of which intersect with, or directly affect, gamers and the industries that support them. We take a quick and dirty preview, at some of what expect from the upcoming IDF show.
Bringing the Buzz Workshop Back to SF
Intel’s Buzz Workshop is back in San Francisco for a return engagement, partnered this time out with the IGDA and the MIX. This year, the 2016 Buzz Workshop event, held during day one of IDF, will be the only one dedicated to the city by the Bay and will arguably contain the most concentrated value for game developers during the conference.
Expect the features for attendees Intel has built their Buzz Workshop brand around, including a day of content, indie games showcased, lunch, giveaways, post-event reception. A big bonus for some is that attending the Workshop for either $10 or $20 gives attendees gives access to the entire Intel Developer Forum event and the proceeds go to the Child’s Play charity.
More Virtual Reality Reality News and Demos
No one wants to be left behind in the virtual reality (VR), and Intel certainly doesn’t want that either. Expect quite a few keynote and session mentions and showcases and demos of any and all of the technologies Intel is plugged into. From Intel’s preview blog post, here’s a couple of the key times and places to be at IDF 2016 if you’re interested in VR.
Technology Showcase
- When: Tuesday & Wednesday, August 16 & 17, 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.; Thursday, August 18, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.
- Where: Moscone West Convention Center, 1/F Technology Showcase
Technical Insights Session
- When: Wednesday, August 17, 1:15 – 2:15 p.m
- Where: NDSTI01 — Intel® RealSense Technology: Adding Human-like Sensing to Devices, Moscone West Convention Center, Level 2, Room 2016
File this one in the rumor section, but it’s also possible Intel is working on an accessory for HTC’s Vive VR headset, according to this teaser of an article on Hexus.net. This RealSense-powered “horn” which attaches to the VR headset, would appear to be designed to gather in plenty of sensory information in the user’s environment, which might help for smoother navigation with fewer risks of tripping and falling over things.
Don’t Forget Augmented Reality; Intel Isn’t
Intel appears to be hard at work positioning itself for the fast-evolving augmented reality (AR) technology and marketplace.
While Intel quietly nixed their $399 Project Tango and RealSense smartphone (via PC World), due to a variety of market factors, the company may have at least one big new AR conversation piece for IDF 2016. Intel is expected to announce its Remote EyeSight augmented reality glasses at IDF, according to ValueWalk. Preliminarily described as a cross between Google Glass and Microsoft’s HoloLens, these glasses may be targeted for enterprise collaboration. However, the uses for such a model or a line of glasses may not stop there, as the mobile gaming phenomenon Pokemon Go has revealed the tantalizing audience and dollar value potential of augmented reality using existing technologies.
State of the Giveaways
While this is more about the conference versus game developers per se, over half a year or so after Intel sent a limited edition Basis Peak smartwatch to attendees of the Intel Developer Forum 2015, the company was earlier this month forced to issue a recall on the entire line of watches, due to a persistent overheating problem that could cause blisters and burns. The product will no longer be supported and Peak services and data synchronization will shut down after year’s end.
With this recall a recent news item, will Intel take a chance on another giveaway to IDF attendees this year, and if so, with what product that they want to promote and highlight?
Stay tuned to Events for Gamers here or our social media channels for news from the 2016 San Francisco Intel Developer Forum.
