In its 30th Edition, GDC Adds Visceral Games' Amy Hennig to Advisory Board, Launches Virtual Reality Developers Conference Focusing on Immersive VR Experiences

SAN FRANCISCO, July 30, 2015 — (PRNewswire) —  UBM Tech Game Network, the organizers of the Game Developers Conference® (GDC) 2016, are accepting submissions to present lectures, roundtables, panels and tutorials until Thursday, August 27th. Now entering its landmark 30th edition, GDC is expanding its Advisory Board, which reviews and refines submissions for the event, by welcoming pioneering developer Amy Hennig to help guide the content of the show.  GDC is the world's largest and longest-running event serving professionals dedicated to the art and science of making games, hosting thousands of game developers from around the world for a week of learning, networking and inspiration. GDC 2016 will take place March 14th-18th at the Moscone Convention Center in San Francisco, California.

GDC organizers have also revealed the debut of the standalone Virtual Reality Developers Conference (VRDC), which will tap expertise from the video game, entertainment and tech fields to discuss the state of the art in making immersive virtual reality and augmented reality (AR) experiences.

For the main conference, the GDC Advisory Board is considering session submissions for seven tracks: Audio, Design, Production, Programming, Visual Arts, and the Business, Marketing & Management track,  as well as a track on Advocacy, which covers social issues from diversity to quality of life. Proposals can be submitted via the official GDC website at: http://www.gdconf.com/conference/c4p/. The call for submissions to present talks at the GDC Summits specific to a variety of sectors within the industry, including the VRDC, will open in September 2015.

The GDC Main Conference advisory board includes game industry leaders such as ID@Xbox's Chris Charla, Bungie's Chris Butcher, Media Molecule's Siobhan Reddy, Oculus VR's Laura Fryer, and Double Fine's Lee Petty. This year the board is honored to add acclaimed developer Amy Hennig, who can draw from her years of experience on genre-defining titles to help other developers gain insight and inspiration from the sessions at GDC.

Amy Hennig was the Creative Director at Naughty Dog Studios for one of the most critically-acclaimed titles of all time, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, a title that received top industry accolades for the game's funny, tense, and captivating dialogue and narrative. For her work on this title, she earned the Writers Guild of America Award for Videogame Writing. With more than three decades of experience at trend-setting game development teams, Amy has been instrumental in the production of key titles at Electronic Arts (EA), Crystal Dynamics and Naughty Dog. Her development contributions include work on Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception, Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver, Soul Reaver 2, Jak 3 and many more. Her current role sees her leading a team as Creative Director of an upcoming Star Wars project developed by Visceral Games and EA. 

The inaugural VRDC will take place on the first two days of GDC, Monday, March 14th and Tuesday, March 15th. VRDC will allow developers of all stripes to explore interactive experiences including both linear and non-linear VR and AR projects. Programming for the conference will include valuable content for the burgeoning masses of VR game developers, storytellers and all creators looking to harness the uncharted potential of VR technology for 3D games, computer graphic movies, filmed experiences and beyond. Passes to attend VRDC will also allow entrance to the main GDC Expo Floor from March 16th-18th, where many of VR's biggest names will be showcasing their latest technology. GDC Summits and GDC All-Access Pass holders will also have access to all VRDC content. Submissions for VRDC and all summit content will be open in September 2015.

"The last 30 years of game development are marked by a true evolution in the technology, artistry and heart that developers have put in their projects. From the immersion of VR technology to the razor-sharp writing of games created by visionaries like Amy Hennig, we're meeting the future of games head-on with GDC, and this occasion gives us a chance to reflect proudly on our past and our progress," Says Meggan Scavio, General Manager of the Game Developers Conference. "We look forward to meeting our friends and colleagues for an historic conference. GDC 2016 will be a week full of learning, networking and probably some games, too."

For more details on the submission process and to view the complete list of GDC 2016 Main Conference advisory board members, please visit http://www.gdconf.com/.

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