As you gear up to attend the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco next month, organizers want to make sure you don't overlook some of the great eSports-related content on offer at the show!
The focused Esports Day is just one of many great Bootcamps and Tutorials scheduled during the first two days of GDC (Monday and Tuesday, March 19th and 20th this year), and it offers a focused look at the art and business of games that can support significant, high-level professional play.
GDC 2018 attendees who come to the Esports Day (Monday, March 19th) will learn how to attract and support professional players and teams, journalists, content creators, and grassroots player organizations in a day-long series of panels and presentations. If you want to learn about growing your eSports ecosystem alongside long-time developers, publishers, and eSports community leaders, this is where you want to be.
For example, in "Developing Competitive Communities through Conventions" Twitch's Rick Thiher will explore how the events he helped develop, particularly the fighting game convention Combo Breaker in Illinois, have helped empower communities by celebrating and improving niche activities.
He will share how his goal has, and will continue to be, improving event experiences that instill camaraderie and create life-long community members; so that one day the culture is pervasive enough to support non-endemic fandom. It's a goal he'd like to see shared in eSports at large.
And in "Crossing Over: Traditional Sports Come to Esports" ESPN senior editor Ryan Garfat will present an overview of the traditional sports world coming into the eSports scene with big money investments, with a specific focus on League of Legends and the Overwatch League.
Notably, you'll see the timeline that got the industry to this point, the names involved, the teams, how involved these traditional outlets are in the scene, is/was it needed, and what it means for eSports!
Trust us, you won't want to miss any of these talks. For more details on these and all other announced talks head over to the online GDC 2018 Session Scheduler, where you can plan out your week at the show.
For more information on GDC 2018, visit the show's official website, or subscribe to regular updates via Facebook, Twitter, or RSS.
