GDC Austin will feature a Blizzard keynote
by Eliah Hecht 
Jul 22nd 2009 at 4:00PM
The Game Developers Conference Austin, a spin-off of the original GDC in California, takes place every year in Austin, TX (home of our own fearless leader, Liz Harper). GDC is, as the name suggests, an industry conference for folks who make games. This year it's going to be held from September 15 to 18th, and it'll feature a keynote about our favorite MMO.
J. Allen Brack, Blizzard's Production Director (was that his title last month?), and Frank Pearce, Co-Founder and EVP of Product Development (that's a title for you), will be on hand to talk about "The Universe of World of Warcraft." I assume the discussion will include topics like "how to print money" and "how to secretly laugh at Shamans all day." So who's going?
Filed under: Events, Blizzard, News items
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Yroc-HoH Jul 22nd 2009 4:09PM
Hmm very interesting. I'm in Austin as well(actually Cedar Park just north of Austin) this could be fun... any details about past events being any good or is it going to be lame?
maniraptor Jul 22nd 2009 6:25PM
I went last year and will be going this year, too. Austin's smaller than the spring GDC, and more focused on special topics (ie indie developers, iPhone dev, social media and its gaming implications, ect). The keynotes can be really technical (like last year's one on Game Audio), but they tend to be more general (--> Bruce Sterling's performance art piece, lulz). I expect Blizz's will fall in the latter category.
Is it fun? If you are actually making games, are interested in the process/practice of making games, or otherwise work in the industry - yes, it's a pretty good time. Besides, it's in Austin! :D
Would it be fun for the average WoW player who doesn't make games, and just loves to play them? Probably not, particularly with badges costing $450 on up.
Phoenixblight Jul 22nd 2009 4:23PM
Its just talk more or less about what they have done with gaming maybe some tid bits about future games. This particular GDC is about MMOs
tophimos Jul 23rd 2009 5:56PM
San Fransisco GDC is the big GDC that focuses on everything every year, while Austin GDC focuses on MMO's, Audio, and Writing every year.
Sign up to volunteer! I watch the rooms and check badges every year and get the "full" pass for free. Check it out.
Otome Jul 22nd 2009 5:01PM
This takes place just under a month after Blizzcon, so perhaps they'll give a small update on things that were announced there?
Phoenixblight Jul 22nd 2009 5:21PM
The talk that goes on at these is about level designs, hurtles of managing employees, stuff like that nothing to the extent of going further then what is announced at E3 or Blizzcon.
sarnzzle Jul 22nd 2009 5:33PM
I went to the last one in SF, and I should be going to this one as well.
I can second the fact that this will be more about the process than about clues to future games.
fatboy_aidan Jul 22nd 2009 5:39PM
Liz Harper lives in Austin? Siick, I call for an impromptu LAN party in Austin. who's down?
Yroc-HoH Jul 22nd 2009 6:35PM
Thats sounds good! me and a group of friends(about 15 or so) get together twice a year. coming up though we are not really going to have a location, but one of our friends is a board member at a table tennis club and he might see if we can get that place for a night for the next one and there would be a lot of room...
Moar LAN!