This year’s Game Developers Conference was a banner occasion, with many notable events and highlights over the week-long conference. Here’s a quick overview of GDC 2005’s standout sessions and disappointing developments.
The Venue
Held in San Francisco for the first time, the new host city managed to hold its own against the unprecedented flood of game developers that hit it like the proverbial tidal wave. A much-appreciated aspect of the Moscone Center’s three-floored layout was its widespread wireless access made available to all attendees for up-to-the-minute updates. On the flip side, there was no hot water in the bathrooms or anywhere in the building for that matter, which caused a few raised eyebrows. However, as pleasant as the change of scenery was in San Francisco, longtime conference goers were happy to hear the news that the GDC will be returning to its San Jose home in 2006.
The Keynotes
Keynote speeches this year were highly anticipated, with the Moscone’s Grand Ballroom filled to absolute capacity for both speakers. Nintendo President, Satoru Iwata, set the room ablaze with his unveiling of a new Legend of Zelda trailer, plus demonstrations of Mario Kart DS, Nintendogs, and the eccentric Electroplankton. To cap it all off, Iwata then announced that the impending Wi-fi capabilities for the DS will be issued free of charge!
On the flip side, Microsoft VP, J Allard’s speech about the impending