On the heels of a legendary D.I.C.E. Summit celebrating 20 years of the studio’s success, Epic prepares to usher in the next wave of world-class games at GDC 2012
CARY, N.C. (February 27, 2012) – Epic Games, Inc. announces its participation in the Game Developers Conference (GDC) to be held March 5-9, 2012 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco. Epic will host press sessions and meet with developers and partners of its award-winning [Unreal Engine(http://www.unrealengine.com/ “Unreal Game Engine”) technology in Business Suite 800, West Hall, at GDC 2012. In addition, Epic Games Design Director Cliff Bleszinski is set to host the Game Developer Choice Awards, and a dozen senior members of Epic’s staff are scheduled to speak at the conference.
Leading the Way in Next-Gen
Epic will conduct business and technical meetings for Unreal Engine 3, which offers the best toolset available for AAA game development, from mobile platforms and web-based gaming to consoles, high-end PC and beyond. The Unreal Engine holds eight consecutive Game Developer magazine Front Line Awards, with Unreal Engine 3 receiving the most recent accolade for best engine last month.
Epic will also unveil a preview of its next-generation game technology, Unreal Engine 4, to select licensees, partners and prospective customers during the exhibition. Space is very limited, and appointments and non-disclosure agreements are required to see the Unreal Engine 4 presentation.
Those wishing to meet with Epic should email [email protected]. Please specify three possible meeting times, the number of people planning to attend and whether those individuals would like to see a technology demonstration, chat with Epic business representatives, speak with Epic technical representatives or discuss other matters.
Appointments are not required but priority will be given to those with confirmed arrangements. In addition, Epic will host free advanced training sessions for its game engine licensees. Representatives from Epic Games Korea, Epic Games Japan and Yingpei Games (formerly Epic Games China) will be on hand to speak with licensees and prospective customers from those regions.
Hours for Epic’s expo suite are as follows: Wednesday, March 7, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m., Thursday, March 8, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m., and Friday, March 9, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Announcing the Latest News
Epic will host media briefings on Wednesday, March 7, 2 p.m. – 3 p.m., and Thursday, March 8, 2 p.m. – 3 p.m. in its private expo suite. Thursday’s session will repeat content from Wednesday. Media wishing to attend either event should RSVP to [email protected] with representative and outlet name, number of attendees and day preference. Space is limited, and RSVPs must be confirmed to guarantee entry.
Emceeing the Choice Awards
Epic is honored for Design Director Cliff Bleszinski to host the 12th Annual Game Developer Choice Awards, one of the premier accolades for peer recognition in the digital games industry. Each year, the Choice Awards recognize and celebrate the creativity, artistry and technical genius of the finest developers and games created in the last year.
Sharing Valuable Knowledge
Staying true to tradition, Epic is supporting GDC with a bevy of talented speakers. The following sessions are listed in order of occurrence.
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Tuesday, March 6, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m., Room 2016, West Hall, 2nd Floor
- Level Design in a Day: Best Practices from the Best in the Business tutorial with the industry’s top level designers, including Epic Games Lead Level Designer Jim Brown
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Tuesday, March 6, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m., Room 3005, West Hall, 3rd Floor
- Producer Boot Camp tutorial featuring leaders in studio management and game production such as Epic Games Director of Production Rod Fergusson
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Wednesday, March 7, 11 a.m. – 12 p.m., Room 2009, West Hall, 2nd Floor
- Subtracting to Add - Environment Optimization Techniques lecture by Epic Games Senior Environment Artist Kevin Johnstone
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Wednesday, March 7, 11 a.m. – 11:25 a.m., Room 3009, West Hall, 3rd Floor
- Production Culture: How Two and a Half Artists Completed the FX for Gears of War 3 lecture by Epic Games Senior FX Artist Francois Antoine
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Wednesday, March 7, 3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m., Room 135, North Hall
- Back to the Garage: The Return of Indie Development panel featuring independent game development experts, including Epic Games Founder and Technical Director Tim Sweeney
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Wednesday, March 7, 3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m., Room 2012, West Hall, 2nd Floor
- Gears of War 3: Building a Better Pipeline (Presented by Autodesk) lecture by Epic Games Senior Technical Animator Jeremy Ernst
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Thursday, March 8, 10 a.m. – 11 a.m., Room 2002, West Hall, 2nd Floor
- Bringing AAA Graphics to Mobile Platforms lecture by Epic Games Senior Engine Programmer Niklas Smedberg
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Thursday, March 8, 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., Room 3014, West Hall, 3rd Floor
- Forgotten Tales Remembered: The Games that Inspired Leading Innovators panel consisting of industry luminaries, including Epic Games Design Director Cliff Bleszinski
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Thursday, March 8, 12:05 p.m. – 12:30 p.m., Room 2006, West Hall, 2nd Floor
- Tackling Large Scale Destruction FX: Lessons Learned From RAAM’s Shadow DLC lecture by Epic Games Senior FX Artist Francois Antoine
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Thursday, March 8, 4 p.m. – 5 p.m., Room 3014, West Hall, 3rd Floor
- GDC Microtalks 2012: One Hour, Ten Voices, Countless Ideas back-to-back talks on the theme of “Paying for Time,” featuring thought leaders such as Epic Games Design Director Cliff Bleszinski
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Thursday, March 8, 5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m., Room 2009, West Hall, 2nd Floor
- Evolution of the Cinematic Process: The Gears of War Trilogy lecture by Epic Games Cinematic Director Greg Mitchell
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Thursday, March 8, 5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m., Room 132, North Hall
- Re-orienting Development and Accelerating Production to Create Infinity Blade and Infinity Blade II lecture by ChAIR Entertainment Senior Producer Simon Hurley
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Friday, March 9, 10 a.m. – 11 a.m., Room 2016, West Hall, 2nd Floor
- Gameplay Data Analysis: Asking the Right Questions lecture by Epic Games Senior Web Developer Ian Thomas
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Friday, March 9, 10:10 a.m. – 11:10 a.m., Room 135, North Hall
- Killer Portfolio or Portfolio Killer: Advice from Industry Artists two-part panel featuring top talent from world-class studios, including Epic Games Lead Artist Wyeth Johnson
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Friday, March 9, 1 p.m. – 4 p.m., Room 300, South Hall
- Killer Portfolio or Portfolio Killer: 1-1 Portfolio Reviews one-on-one sessions with senior artists from half a dozen of the industry’s most successful studios, including Epic Games Lead Artist Wyeth Johnson and Epic Games Senior Environment Artist Kevin Johnstone
About Epic Games
Epic Games, Inc., based in Cary, NC and established in 1991, develops cutting-edge games and cross-platform game engine technology. The company has created multiple million-selling, award-winning titles in its “Unreal” series, including “Unreal Tournament 3” for PC, PlayStation®3 and Xbox 360®. The first two games in Epic’s “Gears of War” franchise have sold more than 13 million copies and won more than 50 game of the year awards. The third installment, “Gears of War 3,” sold more than 3 million copies within its first week of release, catapulting the franchise beyond $1 billion in lifetime sales. Epic’s Unreal Engine 3 holds more than 20 industry technology awards and powers many bestselling games. Additional information about Epic can be obtained at http://www.epicgames.com.