The Game Developers Conference returned once again to San Francisco, bringing together over 30,000 attendees from the global game development community. Technicolor Games was represented by members of the Senior Leadership team, led by President, Andy Emery.
Mission: Possible
The team was on a mission to spread awareness of Technicolor Games within the development community. The goal was to highlight the studio’s quality by showcasing how our end-to-end arts services support developers in executing their titles while remaining focused on budgets.
We are frequently dubbed as one of the best-kept secrets in the business, and 2024 marks our continued commitment to excellence within the game industry.
Coming together
As with previous years, GDC’s calendar placement markedly meant talking about the year ahead and questioning who or what will be the next big thing. While there is an overhanging sense of ambiguity, there is also cautious optimism and a refusal to be beaten down by the challenging times. This year’s GDC provided more poignantly than before, an opportunity for those in the industry to get together and share in their passions and frustrations.
Food for thought
Speaking of what’s next, the Gaming industry shows signs of resilience and potential for the second half of 2024, investors are exploring the markets again and new projects are being green-lit. A shift towards outsourcing and external development is becoming increasingly essential for studios as they continue to do development with leaner teams.
Beyond this, AI and its implementation proved to be a hot topic. Discussions focused on AI’s impact in game development with legal hurdles like copyright infringement leading the conversation. These increasingly serious discussions highlight a growing interest among studios to leverage their content within datasets, signaling a quest for innovative solutions amidst uncertainty.
On site at the Moscone Center, the focal point of discussion revolved around tools, engines and AI. Key players such as Unreal, Adobe, Autodesk, Unity, Nvidia, InWorld AI, and other notable companies were prominently present, showcasing their latest innovations and solutions for the industry. It was a hub of activity as attendees engaged in discussions, demonstrations, and networking opportunities to explore the cutting-edge technologies shaping the future of game development.
The Technicolor Games take
For the Technicolor Games team, it was a jam-packed week filled with business meetings, catching up with old friends, making new ones, and taking in the very best of what GDC had to offer. Main topics of conversation spanned the uptick in offshore VFX/Tech Art teams, the growing demand for AI and productivity tools, the expected surge in external art development needs, and the shifting global markets.
There were a number of highlights, like the scale of the show and the amount of people that come in from all over the world. But for me personally, the standout was meeting with a vast number of developers and publishers from New Zealand and Australia.
Kas Rehman, Business Development Manager
A period of adjustment
It’s no secret that there was much anticipation around how this year’s GDC would transpire, given the recent and ongoing difficulties the Gaming industry has been fraught with. For many, it’s proving be a period of post-pandemic adjustment, and while it’s a mixed picture, the conversations that have materialised from GDC are largely ones of positivity.
Flying the Technicolor Games flag
- John Hegarty, VP of Business Development, Europe
- Eric Williams, VP of Business Development, North America
- Kasim Rehman, Business Development Manager
- Paul Houlders, VP, Global Head of Art
- Andy Emery, President
If you would like to get in touch with the Business Development team, please contact them here.
