The 3 C's You Don't Want to Miss at GDC 2014

Sean Bryant

GDC
Competition is everywhere and the gaming industry is no exception. Never has there been more of a need to create a conversation with a game’s bottom line -  its customer. Why? A game’s life cycle is only as strong as it’s company’s ability to understand the needs and wants of its consumer, the community it creates around the property, and its continuous collaboration.

Customer and QA

When gaming or software companies refer to QA, it is normally defined in the context of code development. Testing occurs the moment a piece of code is written for the property and throughout the development process. Another way QA can be utilized is directly with its users.

5th Planet Games CTO, David Lease will be presenting an insightful GDC summit lecture on how gaming studios benefit by including the customer; diving deeper into quality assurance by allowing the user to share their experiences and knowledge. The lecture “QA via the Masses: Tapping into Player Enthusiasm” is sure to be a knowledgable piece covering topics and elements of game design, development and the many aspects of QA testing.

Takeaway: By including your advocates and creating transparency in the game’s development, you increase bandwidth while decreasing workload.

The Online Community

What sustains an online virtual world is community. A community that thrives, engages and shares will extend a game’s life cycle far beyond its ability to visually impress. But what about the potential for abusive or negative user generated content?

Former Microsoft Studios controversial creative director Adam Orth will be presenting a detailed look at the dynamics of online behavior and the destructive mechanisms that occur not only online, but offline in the gaming and internet community.

Takeaway: Understanding the true “destructive” power of abuse and negativity in online communities, and who is at the forefront creating awareness and change in the gaming industry.

Collaboration

Gaming Developers Conference at its core is a collaboration. What better place to learn, grow and expand your network than at the conference for gaming industry experts. GDC attracts over 23,000 attendees (and growing). It is the central hub where programmers, artists, producers, game designers and the like come to learn, network and create the exciting gaming industry they wish to see.

GDC features over 400+ lectures, panels, tutorials and round-table discussions on a comprehensive selection of game development topics taught by leading industry experts.

Takeaway: You’re more the wiser.

While staying current with the industry is key to the success of your business, the team at Inversoft believes that building an online community around your business or brand  will set you apart from everyone else. Let Inversoft help you build an online community to engage your audience – call us to discuss your plans today.

 

Further Reading: 

Pokemon Testimonial

4 Hidden Costs of Integration

Executive Buy-In: A Community Managers Worth

 

 

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