India Game Developers Conference (IGDC) 2023: A Gathering of Minds in Gaming
The conference featured a sprawling trade-entertainment zone, offering attendees a chance to explore the latest trends, technologies, and creative endeavors in the world of gaming.
The International Game Developers Conference (IGDC) 2023 concluded its annual event with a spectacular showcase of innovation, insights, and a glimpse into the future of the gaming industry. Boasting more than 180 speakers and 150 sessions, IGDC transformed into a bustling hub of creativity and expertise, attracting a diverse audience of students, professionals, indie studios, as well as representatives from publishing and tech companies.
The conference featured a sprawling trade-entertainment zone, offering attendees a chance to explore the latest trends, technologies, and creative endeavors in the world of gaming. Sessions on gaming art, technology, development, and marketing ran concurrently across various tracks, providing a comprehensive experience for participants.
One notable session, titled "Crafting Game Design for Market Success: A Publisher’s Perspective," saw Bluencore founder & CEO Shelly Sinha share insights into the challenges of publishing board games and strategies to overcome them. Sinha emphasized the importance of marketing games through demos, stating, “The best way to market your game is to demo it as much as possible. Get people to experience your game.”
In a session titled "The Future of Console Gaming in India: A Journey with the India Hero Project," Sony Interactive Entertainment’s Shuhei Yoshida and Hector Fernandez, along with Sony India Software’s Sujith Sukumaran, unveiled a new initiative aimed at identifying and supporting emerging game developers in India. The announcement sparked an overwhelming response, surpassing expectations by 200 percent within the first 72 hours. Surprisingly, applications flooded in not only from various cities across India but also from international locations such as the USA, France, UK, Singapore, and Iraq.
IGDC 2023 offered a thought-provoking talk titled "What makes some games great? An analysis of iconic games vs. their forgotten competition." The session, featuring University of Southern California’s Mike Fischer, MobilityWare’s Dave Yonamine, and author and video game historian Steven L. Kent, delved into case studies of both successful and failed games. Fischer highlighted the agility and creative risks that indie studios can take, drawing parallels with the success stories of games like Rocket League and Overwatch. Encouraging developers facing setbacks, Fischer advised, “If your game fails, take a step back to think, study, and bring it again if you really believe in it.”
IGDC 2023 stood as a testament to the dynamism and vibrancy of the gaming industry, providing a platform for collaboration, learning, and inspiration for both seasoned professionals and aspiring developers alike. As the conference came to a close, the echoes of discussions, insights, and newfound ideas reverberated, shaping the trajectory of the gaming landscape for the years to come.