GDC 2020 – Augmented & Virtual Reality Confabulation

March 25, 2020

HTC to Hold All of Its GDC 2020 Talks Live Online, Including Audience Q&A

The Game Developers Conference (GDC) got canned this year due to the coronavirus outbreak (COVID-19), but that’s not stopping some companies from releasing their developer talks on the web for all to see. HTC is doing just that throughout the next few months in a live webinar happening every Tuesday, from now until mid-May.

Starting on March 31st and going to May 12th, HTC is streaming live developer talks that it would have otherwise given during GDC 2020.

Why live talks? Well, HTC is also hosting Q&A portions after each session, which will take place every Tuesday at 10 AM PT (local time here).

You can sign up at the registration page here, with registration links periodically going live on a week-by-week basis. If you’re not able to watch live, HTC is also uploading all of them to its YouTube channel.

GDC Summer Coming to San Francisco in Early August

After a string of cancellations by larger vendors amid the worldwide coronavirus outbreak (COVID-19), this year’s annual Game Developers Conference (GDC) was postponed. Exactly when it would reemerge, we weren’t sure. Now, GDC organizers say a summer conference will kick off in its place.

Update (March 20th, 2020): GDC Summer is slated to happen between August 4th – 6th, taking place in the original conference site at the Moscone Center in San Francisco.

The organizers say it will include expert-led talks along with a “freestyle two-day expo show floor” from August 5th – 6th.

Some of the details are still up in the air, so make sure to keep an eye on GDC’s website for updates.

Original Article (February 29th, 2020): GDC organizers announced the decision late Friday in a news briefing, saying that the mid-March gathering in San Francisco, which typically includes both a vendor expo and developer talks, will instead take place at some point later in the summer. Exactly when, we’re still not sure (see update).

Registered passholders should expect an email regarding full refunds, the organizers say, adding that people who made hotel reservations inside the GDC room block won’t pay penalties or fees associated with their reservations.

GDC organizers say that many of the developer presentations that would have been given at the conference will be available for free online via YouTube and the free section of GDC’s video vault. Event organizers have also planned to stream a number of GDC 2020 developer talks as well as the Independent Games Festival and Game Developers Choice Awards via Twitch during the March 16 – 20 conference time slot.

Game Developers Conference to Return as GDC Summer During August

The spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) worldwide has sent conferences, festivals and other events into chaos, with most having to cancel due to governments restricting large gatherings in a bid to halt the spread. That saw the annual Game Developers Conference (GDC) having to shut down this week’s show in San Francisco. Informa Tech, organizer of GDC has announced that proceedings will be moved to the middle of the year, for a new event called GDC Summer.

GDC 2019 Just like the usual spring show, GDC Summer will be a mixture of talks and demos on the expo floor, a chance for the gaming community to come together and celebrate the industry. There will be a new series of microtalks and fireside chats, a dedicated space for comprehensive career development sessions as well as a new community partnership programme.

As for the show floor where all the demos take place, Informa Tech mentions in a press release that it’ll be “a freestyle two-day expo show.” That seems to indicate massive stands from companies like Facebook, Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) and Epic Games won’t be present, possibly in favour of smaller booths or even table settings for minimal organisation.

This may be due to the very real issue that GDC Summer could be cancelled or moved (GDC Winter?) if assumptions that the pandemic will be over by then are wrong, and restrictions are still in place. “Safety remains the GDC organizers’ paramount concern and the GDC team will continue to monitor the latest information from health officials to ensure a safe and compelling event for everyone at GDC Summer, GDC 2021 and beyond,” the organiser notes.

GDC 2019 This new event also means new talks as GDC 2020 switched made a lot of the sessions digital, with speakers pre-recording their talks for the GDC Twitch Channel. One of those sessions was Mark Cerny’s (Lead System Architect for PlayStation 5) talk The Road to PS5 which SIE broadcast a couple of days ago, detailing the specifications of the new console.

GDC Summer will be taking place from 4th – 6th August 2020 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, with the two-day expo held between 5th – 6th August. For further updates, keep reading VRFocus.

March 19, 2020

GDC Summer Announced For August Despite Coronavirus Outbreak

Following the postponement of GDC proper as the coronavirus outbreak worsened, organizers behind the conference have decided to plan the follow up for this August, dubbed GDC Summer.

Informa Tecg, the organization behind GDC, announced the new GDC Summer event today for August 4-6 in San Francisco, CA. Current health expert analysts are still divided on whether or not life will return to normal by summer.

Reportedly, GDC Summer will be a bit different than a normal GDC. It is described as a “unique” experience with a focus on “high-quality technical content” but is not a digital event, it will take place in the Moscone Center of San Francisco, CA like usual.

In addition to the technical content, GDC Summer promises comprehensive developer sessions and panels on how to pitch your game successfully. From the sounds of it, the event will be focused much more squarely on the up-and-coming developer community.

Bolstering this aspect, GDC Summer will also debut a new community-partnership-program allowing organizations to apply for on-site space to host meetings and gatherings. This includes, “SIG meetings, non-profit board meetings, local meet-ups, hosted “office hours” by community professionals, portfolio review rooms, podcast recording and more. This program enables GDC as an organization to reach areas of the industry previously untapped due to space restrictions. Meanwhile, sponsorship packages are designed to be easy to execute, with a shorter-than-average runway compared to other industry events.”

According to the press release GDC Summer wants to bring people together “in a way that hasn’t currently been possible due to COVID-19” but the timing still feels risky given the current global situation. Reportedly they will continue to monitor things, so it sounds like there is still potential that this event is either cancelled outright or postponed once again.

What do you think of the news? Let us know down in the comments below!

The post GDC Summer Announced For August Despite Coronavirus Outbreak appeared first on UploadVR.

March 19, 2020

Watch All of Facebook’s GDC 2020 Developer Talks Here

The Game Developers Conference (GDC) was supposed to take place this week at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, however it was postponed amidst the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) alongside basically every conference relevant to the industry this year. Facebook typically holds a number of developer talks there, but thankfully the company is letting them out for free today in recompense.

The talks address a number of issues that would-be VR developers should definitely consider, including business practices, the future of multiplayer VR games, and best practices for launching VR games.

You can check them all out below. Now just pretend you bought a $15 club sandwich and a $6 Diet Coke and you’ll feel like you haven’t missed a single thing in San Francisco.

VR Business Best Practices

Summary: With last year’s launch of Quest and Rift S, VR is stronger than ever. Head of Developer Relations Dan Morris gives a no-holds-barred look at where we are with VR today, including what’s working, what’s breaking through, and what will happen next. That’s followed by Product Manager Greg Smith, who talks about some of the new impactful tools our developers can use to successfully market their games. From the benefits of a multiplatform launch and tips on how to properly scope your game to optimizing your promotional strategy and more, Morris and Smith offer a number of best practices to ensure your VR titles are positioned for success.

The Future of Playing Together and Where Multiplayer is Going in VR

Summary: Just like in traditional games, multiplayer titles are becoming an increasingly important part of the VR ecosystem. Product Manager Mike Howard and Content Launch Manager Bruce Wooden preview upcoming social features for the Oculus Platform and discuss lessons learned and best practices that are invaluable for those looking to bring the longevity and dynamics of online experiences to VR. Howard and Wooden addressed the community-building benefits of asynchronous multiplayer features and VR’s ability to move games beyond the screen. They predict the future of multiplayer VR is competitive, friction-less, and community-driven.

Best Practices for Launching Games on Oculus

Summary: Join Store Operations Manager Richard Duck to hear tips and tricks on how to successfully launch games on Oculus and help them stand out in the store. You’ll also learn what goes into a game submission review and common mistakes to avoid to help make your submission process smoother. Whether it’s testing on the right hardware, debugging your app prior to submission, or determining the optimum launch plan, Duck delivers tips and tricks to help ensure your success on the Oculus Store.

The post Watch All of Facebook’s GDC 2020 Developer Talks Here appeared first on Road to VR.

March 17, 2020March 18, 2020

How to watch Microsoft’s Xbox Series X and Project xCloud livestream

Microsoft will talk about the streaming future of gaming on Wednesday

March 16, 2020

Facebook Enhance the Oculus Quest Experience With New UI, Multitasking & More

The Game Developers Conference (GDC) might not be taking place this week but that isn’t stopping Facebook and Oculus from rolling out the announcements. Today sees the company reveal new improvements for standalone headset Oculus Quest, with a new user interface, immersive overlays and support for multitasking.

Oculus wants the headset to be more than just a gaming platform, more akin to a laptop or smartphones which everyone uses in their everyday lives. To that end, it has redesigned Oculus Quest’s menu so that your personal dashboard is clearer and easier to navigate, accessing popular apps like Explore, Store, Browser, and TV quicker. Other enhancements to the menu include putting frequently used apps front and centre for instant access.

Then there are the new immersive overlays which allow you to access content like the dashboard whilst still in your videogame or app. Finding information like how much battery is left in your controllers or digitally adjusting the volume no longer requires going all the way home. Even more useful are the social features. The overlay will enable seamless access to functions like making a friend request, casting, or livestreaming eventually. To begin with, only WebXR apps launched from Oculus Browser will have the option because developers will need to implement support.

Lastly, there’s multitasking or more accurately multiple window support in Oculus Browser. “You can open, close, and rearrange windows from a new control box above the window. Support for multiple windows will first come to Oculus Browser, with support for more 2D apps like Chats and Store coming later,” notes the Oculus Blog.

All of these new features aren’t available right away. They’ll begin rolling out in March. Once available you can opt-in by going to the Experimental Features section in Settings and toggling the new features on.

Expect there to be lots more Oculus Quest (and Oculus Rift S) news over the next couple of days, with Oculus previously mentioning Pistol Whip, The Room VR: A Dark Matter, Lies Beneath and Phantom: Covert Ops. VRFocus will continue its coverage, of course, reporting back with all the latest news and updates.

March 16, 2020

Facebook’s Game Developers Showcase Starts Today, Promising New Oculus Reveals

The 2020 Game Developers Conference (GDC) would have started today had it not been canned like basically every major expo from here until summer. To compensate, Facebook is hosting what it calls its Game Developers Showcase, and it’s starting today.

Running from March 16th – 19th, Facebook will be announcing new updates and trailers from what it calls “anticipated games” coming to both its Quest and Rift platforms.

Facebook additionally says that updates will be announced for VR titles Pistol Whip from Cloudhead Games, and Beat Saber from Beat Games. More info is also coming for Quest titles The Room VR: A Dark Matter from Fireproof Games, Lies Beneath from Drifter Entertainment, and Phantom: Covert Ops from nDreams, the company says in a blog post.

Ostensibly in place of its on-site dev talks, Facebook is making three video workshops available on March 19th, which covers “new and upcoming tools, as well as insider techniques and tips to help developers build world-class experiences on Quest and the Rift Platform.”

The workshops include ‘VR Business Best Practices’, ‘The Future of Playing Together and Where Multiplayer Is Going in VR’, and ‘Best Practices For Launching Games on Oculus’.

The post Facebook’s Game Developers Showcase Starts Today, Promising New Oculus Reveals appeared first on Road to VR.

March 12, 2020

Facebook to Host Online Game Developers Showcase due to GDC Cancellation

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has forced many events to cancel in an effort to slow the spread of the virus. The Game Developers Conference (GDC) was due to take place next week in San Francisco with organisers cancelling the show last month. This has lead companies to look at alternative ways of engaging with their audience, today seeing Facebook announce its online Game Developers Showcase.

Much like GDC itself, the showcase will take place over several days, beginning on 16th March at 17:00 GMT and running through to 19th March. You’ll be able to tune in see updates and trailers from anticipated titles coming to Oculus Quest and Oculus Rift as well as special announcements from developers themselves.

Plenty is expected with Facebook revealing there will be updates for current videogames like Pistol Whip from Cloudhead Games and Beat Games’ Beat Saber. As for upcoming titles soon to be released, The Room VR: A Dark Matter from Fireproof Games, Drifter Entertainment’s Lies Beneath and Phantom: Covert Ops from nDreams are all set to feature in some way.

On the very last day, 19th March, Facebook will release three video workshops covering a range of topics; from new and upcoming tools to insider techniques and tips to help developers building Oculus Quest and Rift experiences. These videos are:

VR Business Best Practices
The Future of Playing Together and Where Multiplayer Is Going in VR
Best Practices For Launching Games on Oculus

The Game Developers Showcase might also be used to start preparations for the one-year anniversary of both Oculus Quest and Rift S in May. Back in 2017 for the first anniversary of of the original Oculus Rift the company held a big software sale and followed suit in 2018. A software sale is most likely for Oculus Quest and Rift S but could the standalone headset see its first official discount?

This step into digital announcements will continue as the year progresses with HTC’s Vive Ecosystem Conference (HTC 2020 VEC) being held in VR and the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) now also cancelled. As further digital conference announcements are made, VRFocus will keep you updated.

February 27, 2020

Epic Games, Unity & Microsoft Have Cancelled Their Attendance at GDC 2020

It’s a day of tech company cancellations following on from Facebook just confirming F8 2020 will no longer be taking place. Epic Games, Unity Technologies and Microsoft’s Game Stack team have all issued statements announcing their withdrawals from March’s Game Developers Conference (GDC) 2020.

GDC 2020 header

Over on Unreal Engine’s Twitter account, the company said: “Here at Epic we were excited about participating in GDC 2020. Regrettably, uncertainty around health concerns has made it unviable to send our employees, and so we have made the difficult decision to withdraw attendance.”

Epic Games tends to have a very big presence at GDC, not only with two major stands filled with developers but also its State of Unreal keynote which tends to draw a big crowd.

As for Unity, the company issued a blog post saying:

“Unfortunately, this year, after much thought and deliberation, we have made the difficult decision to pull out of GDC 2020. While we did not make this decision lightly, the current conditions with COVID-19 (also known as Novel Coronavirus) present too much risk. We take our employees’ wellbeing very seriously. We do not want any Unity employee or partner to compromise their health and safety unnecessarily.

“We’re advising all employees to refrain from travelling to GDC. We will no longer have a physical presence with a booth, but will instead showcase the great GDC content we’ve been working towards online.”

GDC 2020 showfloor — GDC 2020 South Hall floorplan

Microsoft’s Game Stack team has also taken the same decision, saying: “After a close review of guidance by global health authorities and out of an abundance of caution, we’ve made the difficult decision to withdraw from participating at Game Developers Conference 2020 in San Francisco. The health and safety of players, developers, employees, and our partners around the world is our top priority. Especially as the world is experiencing growing public health risks associated with coronavirus (COVID-19).”

As the image above illustrates, the main hall at GDC is looking more and more empty. Completely understandable in light of the current situation. Yet, at the moment the event is still confirmed to be going ahead. VRFocus will continue to bring you the latest event news as it happens.