As Game Developers Conference Next session selections are prepared, event organizers have revealed the industry notables curating content - alongside GDC staff - for the future-facing conference.
GDC Next is the spiritual successor to GDC Online - the new event aims to highlight the future of video games and will take place alongside the App Developers Conference on November 5th-7th, 2013 at the Los Angeles Convention Center.
GDC Next will offer six tracks that will cover new and rapidly expanding areas in video games. Event organizers have chosen 19 members for the Advisory Board with expertise in these evolving fields, including many of the key advisors from GDC Online.
The first lectures from the show, announced last month, include Google on the first year of its Play service, thatgamecompany on its design philosophy and future, Disney on theme park design lessons for game developers, and Adam Orth on reforming toxic online behavior.
New to the board for GDC Next is Double Fine brand manager Greg Rice. He will bring a keen eye to the Next Generation Game Platforms track, which includes those open to crowd-funded games, something the producer of the $3.3 million Kickstarter-funded Double Fine Adventure game (now called Broken Age) knows all about.
Returning, albeit in a new role, Kixeye executive producer Caryl Shaw brings her mobile game expertise to assist in planning for GDC Next tracks such as Smartphone & Tablet Games. Her previous experience also saw her as executive producer at mobile industry giant Ngmoco, working on games including We Rule, We City, and Godfinger.
Joining Shaw on the Smartphone & Tablet Games track will be Robot Invader CEO Chris Pruett, who at GDC 2013 sought to dispel iOS and Android rumors, diving into his development and release data from Rise of the Blobs and Wind-Up Knight. Pruett is an Android team alum, having worked on games at Google in the U.S. and Japan.
Elsewhere, Chris Enock is the VP of Central Publishing for League of Legends developer Riot Games, and Enock's background will assist in shaping the Free to Play & New Business Models and The Future of Gaming GDC Next tracks.
Joe McDonagh is a partner and designer at Blue Manchu Games (Card Hunter). He previously worked on 2K's BioShock series and served as creative director at LucasArts (Star Wars, Indiana Jones brands). His diverse, creative background will help form memorable content for GDC Next tracks including Independent Games.
These four board members are joined by a host of others, including BattleCry's Rich Vogel, industry veteran Raph Koster, SomaSim's Robert Zubek, Kabam's Valerie Massey, The Workshop's Laralyn McWilliams, Nexon's Min Kim, and a number of other notables.
Registration is now open for GDC Next and the co-located ADC. The first 500 attendees who sign up can save over 30% on ADC, GDC Next, or a combined VIP Pass.
GDC Next organizers will begin regularly announcing its sessions soon. For all the latest news on GDC Next, subscribe for updates via Facebook, Twitter, or RSS.
