GDC 2019 is nearly upon us. This year’s show promises to be one of the biggest yet for VR and AR. We’re hoping to see new headsets and experiences that paint a bright picture for the immersive industry’s next few years. But let’s not forget about one of GDC’s biggest selling points; the talks.
There’s a raft of sessions and workshops for VR developers to look forward to this year. Below, we’ve rounded up six that we think you won’t want to miss.
Digging for Fire: Virtual Reality Gaming 2019 with Adam Orth
Adam Orth has made VR games you’ve heard of. In 2016, he launched Adrift for Oculus Rift and HTC Vive. Last year, though, the developer was part of the team (First Contact Entertainment) that brought you Firewall: Zero Hour. Now Orth is off on his own again, working on something new. We’re not expecting him to share any updates on that in his GDC session, but we will be excited to hear his take on the current state of the VR industry.
Embracing Chaos: Designing for Emergent Gameplay in VR with Owlchemy Labs
No one knows interactivity better than Owlchemy Labs. That’s what we’re especially interested to hear from the studio in this session. We’re just weeks away from exploring Owlchemy’s latest creation, Vacation Simulator. Before then, we’ll be intrigued to hear what kind of new gameplay systems the developer is thinking up to bring VR immersion to a new level.
Galactic Lessons in Mixed Reality Storytelling with ILMXLAB
ILMxLAB has a lot going on in the immersive tech space right now. This session, however, will zero in on the company’s work with Magic Leap. ILMXLAB recently debuted Project Porg, a sort of Star Wars tamagotchi, on the AR headset. In this session Michael Koperwas, Mixed Reality Supervisor, ILMxLAB will give an insight into AR (or mixed reality) development at the studio. It’s sure to be packed with plenty of juicy tips.
Making of ‘ASTRO BOT Rescue Mission’: Reinventing Platformers for VR with Sony Japan
Astro Bot Rescue Mission was one of 2018’s best VR games. It combined rock solid platforming with VR spectacle to create an unforgettable experience. In this talk, Creative Director Nicolas Doucet goes in-depth on how the project came to be. Astro Bot is bursting with innovation and anyone that wants their VR project to be the same best pay attention to this session.
Developer Day Keynote: Platform Strategy for 2019 with HTC Vive
With the launch of the Vive Pro Eye and Vive Focus Plus on the horizon, HTC has a busy 2019. But the company’s next consumer headset, the Vive Cosmos, is also due to launch later on in the year. We’re hoping this session, which kicks off Vive Developer Day 2019, reveals a bit more about the anticipated device.
Down the Rabbit Hole with Oculus Quest with Oculus
Speaking of new headsets, it’s no secret that the much-anticipated Oculus Quest will be at GDC. We’re hoping to learn a lot about the headset at next week’s show. This session will probably provide some of the main sources of information, at least for developers. Oculus’ Chris Pruett promises to talk over the design considerations for getting into Oculus Quest and how it differs from Rift.
