GDC China 2011 Debuts Jenova Chen, Sworcery, Bastion Indie Talks

Author: by Staff

GDC China has debuted the first group of lectures in the show's Independent Games Summit, featuring talks from thatgamecompany co-founder Jenova Chen, Capybara Games on Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP, and Supergiant Games on its indie hit Bastion. Taking place November 12-14 at Shanghai Exhibition Center in Shanghai, China, the event will once again serve as the premier game industry event in China, bringing together influential developers from around the world to share ideas, network, and inspire each other to further the game industry in this region. This year, the show will feature two Summits in addition to the Main Conference, covering Independent Games and Mobile Games. The following are the first lectures to be announced for GDC China's Indie Games Summit: - While video games are undoubtedly a significant form of entertainment media, they are often treated more like software or technology than a valid means of expression. In "Video Games as a Medium for Entertainment & Artistic Expression," Jenova Chen, co-founder of Flower and Journey developer thatgamecompany, will look at the medium from an artistic perspective, demonstrating how games can deliver substantial experiences, feelings, and messages. - Occasionally, business and design decisions that look awful on paper can lead to surprising success. This certainly held true for Capybara Games' Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP (pictured), an eccentric iOS title that forced the team to take major risks with its design, business, and production processes. In "Perhaps a Time of Miracles was at Hand: The Business & Development of #Sworcery," Capybara Games co-founder Nathan Vella will provide an in-depth look at how this unusual game grew into a critical and financial success. - Finally, Amir Rao of indie startup Supergiant Games will discuss how his team of EA vets created one of the summer's most popular indie games in "Maximizing Risk: The Building of Bastion." Here, Rao will offer a look at Supergiant's "prototyping process, the production methodology and the conclusions reached from taking the high-risk endeavor of starting your own studio with your own money," offering tips for developers who hope to start their own indie studio. For more information on these or other sessions, please take a look at the official GDC China website. With registration for GDC China now open, interested parties can go to the event's official website to start the registration process and gain access to the numerous talks, tutorials, and events the show will have to offer. Keep an eye out for even more news as the show draws closer, as GDC China organizers have a number of exciting announcements planned for the coming weeks and months. For more information on GDC China as the event takes shape, please visit the official GDC China website, or subscribe to updates from the new GDC Online-specific news page via Twitter, Facebook, or RSS. GDC China is owned and operated by UBM TechWeb, as is this website.