GDC Europe adds Witcher 2, Love postmortems, and more

The lineup for GDC Europe 2012 continues to grow this week, as show organizers have released three new talks featuring a look at the production of CD Projekt RED's The Witcher 2, a programming-heavy postmortem on the online indie game Love, and a look at Cryptic's approach to user-generated content in MMOs. Like the rest of the sessions at GDC Europe, these talks will take place Monday through Wednesday, August 13-15, 2012 at the Congress-Centrum Ost Koelnmesse in Cologne, Germany. The full details on these new sessions are as follows: - As part of the Game Design track, CD Projekt RED developers Maciej Szczesnik and Marek Ziemak will host "The Witcher 2: Between Dreams and Deadlines: AAA RPG Design and Pre-Production," offering a behind-the-scenes look at the Polish developer's recent RPG hit. During this session, the pair will look back on The Witcher 2's production cycle to explain how CD Projekt RED crafts its complex hardcore titles from pre-production to full-scale development and beyond. Along the way, they'll share some of the studio's missteps, and explain how those hard lessons have informed the team's approach to production going forward. - Over in the programming track, independent developer Eskil Steenberg will peel back the curtain on the tech behind his 2010 release Love, an unusual online game that combines procedurally-generated elements with the structure of an MMO. The session, "Love Engine Postmortem: Lean and Mean C Engine Design," will detail how Steenberg single-handedly wrote the game's engine, noting the unconventional techniques he used to create a complex game with some surprisingly simple code. - Finally, Cryptic Studios COO Craig Zinkievich will host a talk in the Social Games Summit dubbed "User-Generated Content In MMOs - From Champions Online To Neverwinter." Here, Zinkievich will showcase Cryptic's user generated content tools known as "The Foundry," and will share insight on how the studio aims to extend an MMO's lifespan by letting the users influence how the game evolves. Of course, allowing players to create their own content can really affect a game's balance and overall appeal, so Zinkievich will make sure to outline the various factors developers need to consider to ensure such a model succeeds. These talks join a number of other previously-announced sessions, including postmortems on thatgamecompany's Journey and the N64 classic GoldenEye 64, as well as talks covering Game of Thrones, tips for designing new gameplay mechanics, and more. For a full list of all GDC Europe sessions announced thus far, check out the show's newly launched Schedule Builder. Keep an eye out for even more exciting keynotes and sessions, and GDC Europe organizers have plenty more in store before the event opens its doors this August. Those interested in attending GDC Europe can secure their pass for the Gamescom co-located event now, as early registration is now open until July 18th. For more information on GDC Europe, visit the show's official website, or subscribe to regular updates via Facebook, Twitter, or RSS. GDC Europe is owned and operated by Gamasutra parent company UBM Technology.