Four Things from GDC

𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗚𝗗𝗖

𝟭. 𝗪𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙚

This revelation insight from former Machine Zone CEO Gabe Leydon spun my head throughout the conference. He’s right: our passion isn’t dead, but it’s undoubtedly been crowded out. Mobile obsesses over acquisition, while HD fixates on fundraising. New platform dreams—web3, AR/VR, HTML5, UGC—have largely fizzled. Yet these platforms persist, surviving but not thriving. Mock AR/VR as the “Dippin’ Dots of Games” if you like, but at least those developers burn with genuine passion.

The rest of the industry must reignite the will to survive—the kind we see from firms like Supercell, Lessmore, and Hypehype.

𝟮. 𝗔𝗜 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗹𝘆-𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲; 𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄

Michail Katkoff made an excellent observation about the absence of the “world-changing” bravado heard from SF founders intoxicated by Paul Graham essays. Instead, the talks were pragmatic—topics like ” ‘Angry Birds’ and AI in Practice: Finding Our Own Way.” Games’ AI progress has been slower and more modest than I expected, but the supply-side evolution is well underway.

The indie game section demonstrated this shift, overflowing with polished 3D worlds instead of the usual charming 2D sprites.

There’s no shortage of seed AI ventures either, restoring my confidence that we’ll soon master this tool to advance the game-making craft. Realistically, we’re ~2-3 years from seeing a major mainstream AI-driven hit.

𝟯. 𝗠𝗼𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝗽𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁

It’s about time. While a decade late, HD developers and indies no longer dismiss “mobile” as trivial. I counted over 30 mobile-focused talks! Seeing companies like Scopely actively participate was an encouraging sign that mobile also wants to be a peer of the game industry, not the tech industry.

GDC is a conference of peers, and it feels like that at each talk. It talks about actual developers sharing lessons and perspectives that advance the craft of game-making. Talks like “Tabletop Summit: Timeless Design Lessons from 25 Years of ‘Duel Masters’ TCG”.

While many opt for the Expo-only pass (myself included in past years), I intend to get the full pass annually. I read a lot of copium from non-attendees, and they’re wrong; if you’re a developer, this is the place to be every year—if you’re serious about advancing the game craft, GDC is essential.

𝟰. 𝗦𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗽𝘀, 𝘀𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗽𝘀, 𝗯𝗮𝗯𝘆

One of the few EXPLOSIVE growth sections has been in sweeps, or games where players earn virtual currency they can redeem for real-world prizes. While this is a regulatory timebomb, the results so far are breathtaking. I understand the muted enthusiasm from the developers, but the reality is that we need to approach everything with an open mind, including one of the new growth sectors. Like hypercasual, sweeps may look messy now, but their innovation inevitably trickles down.