Still troubled by the same crisis that caused the delay of the summer rollout of the Games Developer Conference for 2020, GDC is launching the program in full digital mode.
The original Summer Game Developers Conference was slated for March, but was delayed in light of the ongoing pandemic.
In a short blog published by GDC, there it openly announced how the event is going full digital. That is, instead of opting for the social physical gathering that is traditional with the campaign.
GDC Summer is going fully digital https://t.co/mB52abYdSE
— GDC (@Official_GDC) April 30, 2020
Typically being held as a live event during March, the GDC was initially forced to be postponed for fear of the spreading virus. Where social distancing is enforced, everyone appears affected.
Expected Rather Than Surprising
The decision to go digital is a coming insight, however. When many have been adopting the idea of remote gathering, going full digital with GDC seems feasible. Game developers, especially, were among those who embraced the idea of remote working setup and online coaction.
Although going digital would be the first to many, it offers a unique perspective on the way social events are held. Not necessarily every person’s cup of tea, but it’s an ongoing phenomenon that we’ve been seeing in many places.
Regardless of whichever country you look, expect to see a form of gathering taking place among people happening online.
Pros and Cons of Going Digital with the Event
While not to say a better alternative than the tradition, going digital does come with its own conveniences. For instance, anyone who has decent internet and a device at home can easily participate in the event, albeit as a spectator. That is effectively an easier option than having to plan ahead of schedule to join the event.
To the right person, there are plenty of creative ways a digital-only can be enjoyed. Such as keeping multiple different streams while relishing the campaign as it unfolds. With our current technology becoming faster and abler of these things, it’s mostly just a matter of choice.
But as mentioned, shifting from being a social gathering to one conducted solely online is a concept that will not appeal to everybody. Some who are too social enough might see the experience as less than stellar as it would be seeing random people in actual persons.
That is also not to mention the amusement that comes with meeting familiar people during the event. But, in the end, it’s all about compromises. Considering the situation we are in, it is possibly the best that we could be having.
Image used courtesy of Twitter/Official_GDC