Behind the scenes database update, road to GDC
Game Conference Guide Insights - March 2024
This month I want to highlight two things. Actually there are three, but the last one is on everyone’s minds anyway; GDC. Let’s start with those closely related to Game Conference Guide.
February 2024 broke all records when it comes to the number of interactions, number of sessions and the number of unique visitors. Incredible. Since last year, I am seeing continuously increasing engagement, and more visitors are having bookmarked the website leading directly to Deadlines and Showcases. It is amazing to see the numbers going up. Thank you for the support and the trust.
Those paying close attention to each entry in the database might have noticed a little changes happening behind the scenes. I am not usually highlighting these that often, even if they are bringing quality of life improvements. Overall, they are pushing the website closer to the Game Conference Guide 2.0. The database (except archive) has now uniformed look, the first rows are date, logo, and the title of the event, which are crucial for displays with lower resolution when the table is dynamically shrinking.
The more visible changes are some data points I have dropped and stopped tracking altogether, simple because they are used that often, or they are very hard to collect. Time zones displayed with GMT are no longer tracked, and prices for the booth are gone as well. This one was the least populated field among events.
Next in line is Attendance; I not planning to get rid of it, but switch it for a label and offer tier system similar to how Google is tracing how expensive the restaurant is. I would like to have events labelled from Small to Mega event. I haven’t figured it out yet but stay tuned.
The biggest behind the scenes change is the Location field. Instead of separating City and Country into two fields, the location is merging these two together. If you have been using filters based on cities or countries, don’t worry; you can still filter events by region, country, and city as well.
Let’s say you are looking for events in North America, then you can narrow the search by picking up Canada from the Country filter and then pick Toronto for your final destination.
BTW: this is the location of our Partner of the Month. Do check them out:
PARTNER OF THE MONTH
XP Game Summit Coming to Hyatt Regency Toronto, June 13-14, 2024
Join hundreds of video game professionals and unlock the potential of game Intellectual Property (IP)!
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Over two days, the XP Game Summit unites business leaders, developers, publishers, investors, artists, educators, and industry organisations for a comprehensive networking and knowledge-sharing experience. The event showcases industry experts, masterclasses, and exclusive panels. Also included is the Business Lounge with MeetToMatch matchmaking services, an exclusive VIP Lounge, and associated networking events like the VIP Welcome Dinner on the roof of the spectacular Malaparte in the heart of downtown Toronto.
Register now at www.xpgamesummit.com/register. Early bird discount pricing is currently available, offering the Conference pass at $299 and the exclusive VIP pass at $475. Early Bird discount ends on April 26th, 2024.
Opportunities are available for exhibitors, partners, sponsors, and volunteers. Discover how you can get involved at www.xpgamesummit.com. Follow @XPGameSummit on: LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook.
Road to GDC
It seems that almost everyone is talking about GDC. By the time you will be reading this, schedules are already locked, and many are playing Jenga or Tetris with it, myself included. It seems the upcoming GDC is going to be a wild ride.
If you are heading there for the first time or this is going to be your 10th, some things are worth repeating like preparation and making sure you have all your paperwork: ESTA, valid visas, and most importantly valid health insurance covering US.
Awesome folks over at Games Industry Gathering put together an updated version of the GDC guide with tips, tricks and how to survive the madness. The guide includes comprehensive list with links to bars, restaurants, places to shop, and tips for meeting places like POPOS. I never heard of them. And now I know I will have a meeting or two in one of those privately owned public parks!
Shortly after Gamescom last year, I have published my tips how to survive any event out there. These tips are transferable and below you can find them boiled down into bullet points. If you want to read commentary as well, head over to How to survive almost every event.
Top 10 tips to survive events:
Wear super comfy shoes.
Pack a protein bar / snacks with you. You might skip lunch, or you can share it.
Don’t forget to drink water.
Take a break to catch a breath between meetings / presentations.
Bring a power bank to charge yours or your friends’ device.
Play some games and check the merchandise.
Be nice.
Explore and discover what the venue and location have to offer, do not get lost.
Calendar can take a beating, your body won’t. Pace yourself.
Most importantly, don’t forget to hang out with your friends.
For those of you who are not attending GDC, pay attention to the Showcases, as there are multiple of them already lined-up with broadcasts, game updates and keynotes as well.
I will be in San Francisco for the whole week trying out something new, how to bring together like-minded people while stealing time from our busy schedules to recharge batteries. Will let you know how it went down.
Feel free to reach out if you want to meet or say hi during the GDC. Send me a message on Twitter or directly here. See you all in San Francisco. Safe travels!
[Game Conference Guide is tracking games industry & game developers events, trade shows, festivals, conferences and events around the world.]
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Pavol Buday, curator @ GCG