Game Developers Conference Next organizers have added new sessions to the November event, including NBC Universal on second screen gaming and broadcast TV experiments, Disruptor Beam on making a story-driven social (and upcoming mobile) game based on popular IP, and Sean "Day[9]" Plott on designing games with an eSports edge.
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.
Continuing the shifted focus for GDC Next, organizers are announcing three new talks today, as follows:
Firstly, famed Starcraft II commentator and eSports personality Sean "Day[9]" Plott will explain how to design games with spectators in mind in 'The Observer Friendly Game.'
Plott will discuss what makes a game as fun to watch as it is to play, in order to tap into the community-building potential of streaming eSports events, Let's Play videos, and other spectator-friendly applications for games.
Elsewhere, in 'Game of Thrones Ascent: Creating an Engaging Social Game through Story,' Jon Radoff and Tim Crosby of Disruptor Beam will discuss what it takes to create content for a notable free-to-play, story-driven social (and upcoming mobile) game based on popular IP. Attendees will gain an understanding of what it takes to create engaging, steady content with low player acquisition costs for the high-profile licensed title.
Finally, NBC Universal's director of Universal Games Network Matt Dominianni will examine interactive TV second-screen games and forecast how they will shape TV content itself in '2nd Screen Games: Innovation from the Broadcast TV industry?'. His analysis will cover USA Network's Psych: Find the Famous Pineapple and Bravo's Watch What Happens Live: Play Along, along with the companion apps (Zeebox, Viggle, Shazam) that enable some of them.
Previously announced sessions include Google on the first year of its Play service, Journey developer thatgamecompany on its design philosophy and future, Disney on theme park design lessons for game developers, and Adam Orth on reforming toxic online behavior.
These talks will join a growing Business & Marketing discipline lineup, including veteran Starr Long on 'Nine Trends For The Next Decade Of Video Games', ESL organizer Turtle Entertainment on the eSports ecosystem, and Niko Partners' market research on China and Southeast Asia. More talks will be announced as the November event approaches.
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. For all the latest news on GDC Next, subscribe for updates via Facebook, Twitter, or RSS.
