Informa Tech, the organizers of the Game Developer’s Conference (GDC), have announced GDC Summer. This comes after GDC was postponed due to the coronavirus.
The news comes via the official GDC website, stating “the event will host a new series of microtalks and fireside chats.” Much like GDC proper, the event will host developers sharing their knowledge with other developers, and “valuable roundtable discussions to foster conversation and connection.”
The event will also see the roll out of a “community partnership program.” This will help in organizing meetings, for various activities such as non-profit board meetings, and even podcast records.
“Organizations will have the opportunity to apply for space onsite to host meetings and gatherings alongside the main event. Qualifying organizations could include SIG meetings, non-profit board meetings, local meet-ups, hosted ‘office hours’ by community professionals, portfolio review rooms, podcast recording and more.
This program enables GDC as an organization to reach areas of the industry previously untapped due to space restrictions. Meanwhile, sponsorship packages are designed to be easy to execute, with a shorter-than-average runway compared to other industry events. “
Informa Tech also state they will be monitoring the coronavirus outbreak, “to ensure a safe and compelling event for everyone at GDC Summer, GDC 2021 and beyond.”
The coronavirus (also known as COVID-19 officially, or Chinese Flu to others) has affected many worldwide, from businesses to public gatherings and events. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7].
This includes the postponement and cancellation of GDC and E3 2020 respectively. At this time, Gamescom 2020 is still being prepared, with organizers monitoring local regulations and the virus’ spread.
The Johns Hopkins Whiting School of Engineering are mapping the virus’ spread [1, 2]. As of this time of writing, there have been over 259,000 confirmed cases worldwide, and over 11,200 deaths. Over 87,000 people have made a “total recovery.” On March 11th, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak “can be categorized as a pandemic.”
GDC Summer will be held from August 4th to August 6th, the Moscone Center in San Francisco, California.
