8Bit/Digi

Game Developers Conference 2017 was a week long convention that offered professional insight into the game industry along with a chance to check out the latest trends in gaming. The event took place during the week of February 27 until March 3 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco.

8Bit/Digi was there to cover the event and to gain some insight from professionals in the industry. After a week of learning from industry experts and meeting new people, these are the highlights during our time at the GDC.

Paranormal Activities: The Lost Soul

Paranormal Activities: The Lost Soul is a VR horror title that continues the story of the film series. The demo that was on display had players solve a minor puzzle while exploring the environment. There were a few issues (like me tripping on the cables) but it was an overall solid experience.  Many of the gamers that I talked to compared the game to P.T. while others liked how it didn’t have the motion sickness problems encountered in Resident Evil 7.

The team at VRWERX expect Paranormal Activities: The Lost Soul to be YouTube gold when it comes out in the next few months. Based on our play through of the demo, they do have a good point.

Ubisoft Booth

Ubisoft set themselves up with a booth on the second floor of the Moscone West Hall were they held minor forums along with giving attendees to sample a few of their major titles. This was a great opportunity to learn more about the company and to get some insight into their community development plan.

Planet Alpha

I got to play many great indie titles at the Independent Games Festival, but Planet Alpha stood out to me because of its gameplay and visual design. This metroidvania title has players explore an alien planet while controlling the time cycle to solve the puzzles and overcome the obstacles.

Arxan

GDC was not just about the people who make games but also about those who help the industry thrive. Arxan works to protect software from being revered engineered or tampered with by unauthorized users. They work to protect the titles games love from  being tampered with.

Independent Games Festival and Game Developers Choice Awards

The Independent Games Festival and Game Developers Choice Awards was an opportunity for the industry to honor the best works of 2016. You could learn more about the award show from our coverage here.

Faceware Technologies

Have you ever wondered how they  create those realistic facial expressions in video games? If so then one should have visited Faceware Technologies booth and have a chat with Peter Busch and his team. Here I learned about their work along with how they are prearranging for the revolution that will be brought by the advancement of VR.

Optimism for VR

Walk around the expo floor and the first thing one will notice is domination of the industries optimism in VR technology. Attendees are greeted by the massive Occulus booth to the left and the PlayStation VR booth to the right. Behind them are several more booths hosted by industry leaders like nVidia and Google that are promoting VR gaming. Talking with developers and programmers, one gets a good idea of what the possibilities are with VR technology. More is discussed in our actually coverage here.

Games Career Seminar

This was the perfect panel to attend for those who are seeking career advice or guidance on how to break into the game industry. The panels offered insight into the challenges people will face when trying to find the right career path along with the hardships that come with trying to go independent. This was a must attend panel for anyone who has just graduated from college. The best part was that the panels offered insights for everyone, regardless of what their talent or skill set.

Did you get a chance to check out the 2017 Game Developers Conference? Is so then share your story in the comment section below.

Disclaimer: 8Bit/Digi had to purchase the passes for the week.

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