2013 Game Developers Conference Opens Call For Submissions For Summit Sessions Through October 23, Debuts Three New Summits

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 26, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The call for submissions to present lectures for the specialized Summits kicking off the 2013 Game Developers Conference® (GDC) is now open through Tuesday, October 23 at 11:59pm ET. The GDC Summits, which take place the first two days of the five day conference, are one and two day events that cover relevant topics in emerging sectors of the game industry, with a focus on broadening the scope of games to incorporate new audiences, new platforms and new gameplay ideas. Organized by the UBM Tech Game Network, GDC 2013 will take place March 25-29, 2013 at the Moscone Convention Center in San Francisco, California.

The Game Narrative Summit comes to GDC this year after being held for seven years at GDC Online in Austin, Texas. The two day program covers interactive narrative in all its forms, from AAA blockbusters to indie games to transmedia projects. The summit is looking to feature an all-star lineup of speakers from every corner of the discipline, with session content ranging from the advanced and theoretical for writers, designers and others seeking to hone their skills. 

Returning advisors for the program include Tom Abernathy of Microsoft Studios, Lev Chapelsky of Blindlight, Richard Dansky of Ubisoft/Red Storm and Susan O'Connor of Susan O'Connor Writing Studio. Narrative Director, Mary DeMarle of Eidos Montreal (Deux Ex: Human Revolution) joins the returning advisors to assist in programming a robust Game Narrative Summit.

The introduction of the QA Summit marks the first time that the GDC will have dedicated content to quality assurance which is a critical component in game development. Since there is no standard methodology to QA, this summit will discuss new and/or current tools, processes and organization methods being used in QA today and to show how QA is an integral part of development. Attendees will gain some new insight and knowledge that will help existing QA Teams/Managers as well as those new to QA. Mario Vasquez, Sr. Director, North American QA at Electronic Arts, Ben Wibberley, Games Director at VMC Game Labs, and Daniel Pangelina, QA Lead/Manager of Double Fine Games will spearhead the QA Summit advisory committee.

The Free-to-Play Design & Business Summit (the successor to the Social & Online Games Summit) will be taking submissions covering a range of topics relating to free-to-play (F2P) titles - from postmortems on new and successful F2P games, to the latest and greatest monetization techniques, to lessons learned in designing F2P titles from the ground up, to experiences on social features, among other pressing trends that F2P developers face.  Steve Meretzky of Playdom/Disney, Sulka Haro of Makie Lab, John Welch of Making Fun, Juan Grill of Joju Games, David Edery of Spry Fox and Frank Cartwright of 2K/Gamers First, the original advisors of the Social & Online Games Summit, will return to serve as the advisors for the Free-to-Play Design & Business Summit.

The new summits join a lineup of popular and major returning summits, including the Independent Games Summit and the Smartphone & Tablet Games Summit; the complete lineup for the GDC 2013 Summits follows:

• Free-to-Play Design & Business Summit
• Game Narrative Summit
• GDC Education Summit
• Independent Games Summit
• Localization Summit
• QA Summit
• Smartphone & Tablet Games Summit

For more information regarding the submission process and guidelines for the GDC summits, please visit http://www.gdconf.com/conference/c4p/summits.html.

"The Game Narrative Summit has always been incredibly popular at GDC Online, so we're thrilled to offer GDC attendees the opportunity to explore that event. The introduction of the re-imagined Free-to-Play Design & Business Summit and the QA Summit demonstrates how the Game Developers Conference continues to grow and provide content that's relevant to developers today," said Meggan Scavio, general manager of all Game Developers Conference events.  

For more information about the Summits at GDC 2013 and advisory board members, please visit http://www.gdconf.com.

About the UBM Tech Game Network 
A core provider of essential information to the professional game industry, the UBM Tech Game Network offers market-defining content, and drives community through its award winning lineup of print, online, event and research products and services. These include the Game Developers Conference®, the Webby Award-winning Gamasutra.com and network of sites, the Game Advertising Online ad network, the Game Developers Conference® Online, the Game Developers Conference™ Europe, the Game Developers Conference™ China, Game Developer Magazine, the Game Career Seminars and GameCareerGuide.com, the Independent Games Festival and Summit, and the Game Developers Choice Awards. Visit www.jointhegamenetwork.com

About UBM TechWeb
UBM TechWeb, the global leader in technology media and professional information, enables people and organizations to harness the transformative power of technology. Through its three core businesses – media solutions, marketing services and paid content – UBM TechWeb produces the most respected and consumed brands and media applications in the technology market. More than 14.5 million business and technology professionals (CIOs and IT managers, Web & Digital professionals, Software Developers, Government decision makers, and Telecom providers) actively engage in UBM TechWeb's communities and information resources monthly. UBM TechWeb brands includes: global face-to-face events such as Interop, Web 2.0, Black Hat and Enterprise Connect; award-winning online resources such as InformationWeek, Light Reading, and Network Computing; and market-leading magazines InformationWeek, Wall Street & Technology, and Advanced Trading. UBM TechWeb is a UBM plc company, a global provider of news distribution and specialist information services with a market capitalization of more than $2.5 billion.  Visit: www.ubmtechweb.com

SOURCE UBM Tech Game Network

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