Category Archives: GDC Europe 2009

CCP have announced their newest project at GDC Europe in Cologne, known as Dust 514.

It’s a hybrid of an FPS and MMO with RTS elements coming to the consoles, although no platforms were announced. The developer also confirmed it will tie into the EVE Online universe.

“Our success with EVE Online has afforded us the highest caliber global design and production talent in gaming. With a team of the best minds in the industry, we conceived an ambitious new take on virtual world development with DUST 514,” said CEO of CCP, Hilmar Petursson.

Their Shanghai studio will be developing it.

No date yet. More details will be announced at it’s fan event in Iceland in October.

Get the PR, after the jump. First screens are over at Eurogamer.

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Crytek president Cevat Yerli has said, speaking during a keynote at GDC Europe, that he doesn’t expect the next generation of consoles until 2012 at the very latest, although he and the studio has doubts to if there will be a next-gen.

“…there’s a big debate about whether there will be a next generation at all”, said Yerli.

During the speech, he also mentioned the criticism the studio got for Crysis when it was released in 2007 for making the game high spec, meaning most computers wouldn’t have had a chance of running it.

“We are very often criticized for this but it’s the company’s intent to make things highly scalable. Therefore, users can play the game now, and then, “when you buy a PC in two years time, the game will look better.”

Find out more on Yerli’s keynote at Gamasutra. The studio currently have Crysis 2 in development for PS3, PC and 360.

More than 420 exhibitors from 30 countries are expected to descend upon Cologne for GamesCom.

Loads of premieres, events and entertainment are expected along with seminars on Youth Protection.

According to the press release issued by organizers, stands are already being set-up at the over 120K square meters or exhibition space.

It’s gonna be huge, and we will be there for the entire thing August 19-23.

Full thing through the break.

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GamesCom’s just around the corner and Activision, Electronic Arts, and Square Enix have all revealed a list of games that will be present for the event.

• Activision: Bakugan, Band Hero, Blur, DJ Hero, Guitar Hero 5, Modern Warfare 2, and Tony Hawk RIDE.

• EA: APB, Army of Two: The 40th Day, Battlefield Bad Company 2, Brutal Legend, Command & Conquer 4, Dante’s Inferno, Dead Space Extraction, Dragon Age: Origins, FIFA 10, Mass Effect 2, MySims Agents, Need for Speed SHIFT, Need for Speed NITRO, NHL, RAGE, The Beatles: Rock Band, The Saboteur, and Tiger Woods Online.

• Square Enix: Batman: Arkham Asylum, Dissidia Final Fantasy, Final Fantasy XIII, Final Fantasy XIV, Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, Mini Ninjas, Order of War and Supreme Commander 2.

Huge bunch of games, there. Be on the look out for Sony’s list soon.

We will be there through the whole shebang with interviews, live-blogging, the works – so stick with us during the event.

EVE developer and publisher CCP’s trademarked Dust 514, as reported by MMOsite.

What is it? Probably the first-person game company boss Hilmar Petursson’s heavily tipped to announce at GDCE the week after next in Cologne.

Hit the link for more. We’ll know soon enough. Thanks, Jim.

Square Enix has announced the games it will have on had at GamesCom next month.

Looks like attendees can look forward to seeing Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts 385/2, Nier, and Supreme Commander 2, among others.

Here’s the full list:

• Batman: Arkham Asylum (PS3, Xbox 360, PC)
• Dissidia Final Fantasy (PSP)
• Final Fantasy XIII (PS3, Xbox 360)
• Final Fantasy XIV (PS3, PC)
• Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers (Wii)
• Front Mission Evolved (PS3, Xbox 360, PC)
• Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days (DS)
• Mini Ninjas (Wii, DS, PS3, Xbox 360, PC)
• Nier (PS3, Xbox 360)
• Order of War (PC)
• Pony Friends 2 (Wii, DS, PC)
• Supreme Commander 2 (Xbox 360, PC)

We will be on hand during the event, so hopefully we will have some decent stuff to tell you about.

Full press release through the link.

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Quantic Dream founder and CEO, David Cage, has been confirmed to deliver a keynote at GDC Europe.

Cage will deliver an address entitled ‘Writing Interactive Narrative for a Mature Audience’, which will focus on the necessity of mature games that explore difficulties through interactive story-telling and solutions.

“I am excited to participate at GDC Europe and to represent France in such a well-rounded European keynote roster,” said Cage. “With the game audience maturing, we feel it’s important to share visions and ideas to define how our industry should now evolve.

“I am convinced more than ever that the most important next gen feature is emotion. How to trigger more complex emotions is our biggest challenge in the coming years.”

GDC Europe takes place August 17-19 in Cologne.

More over on GI.biz.

It is being reported that Lionhead’s set to make an announcement at GamesCom in Cologne.

The news comes from German site Gamefront, which claims Peter Molyneux will front the Microsoft press conference at the event.

Molyneux was confirmed for earlier in the month as a keynote speaker, but this is the first we have heard that he will head the Microsoft presser, scheduled for August 19 from 10-11 am.

We have sent an email off to Lionhead for confirmation. In the meantime, hit the links for more.

Via CVG.

Nordic Game will be participating in Gamescom on August 19-23, and the game booth will showcase 24 Nordic game companies and organizations.

Some of the highlights:

• Amazing Games
• Boomtown
• Donya Labs
• Fatshark
• Gogogic
• Hansoft
• Pixolane
• TeliaSonera International Carrier
• Tonic Games
• Unity 3D
• Zordix

These companies will be joined by: Artplant, Coldwood, Gotland University, Housemarque, Neogames, Nordic Soft Sales, PAN Vision, Producentforeningen, Redlynx, The Bearded Ladies Consulting, The Game Incubator, Tumbleweed and Virtual Air Guitar.

Cevat Yerli, CEO and president of Crytek, will be giving a keynote titled The Future of Gaming Graphics at GDC Europe in August.

“As a German based company, we are proud to participate in GDC Europe in Cologne,” said Yerli. “We are very excited to share and communicate our success story with our fellow European developers and inspire the newer generation.”

The keynote will focus on Crytek’s success in developing 3D technology on PC and consoles, and what the future holds for gaming graphics.

More through GI.biz.

Remedy’s managing director Matias Myllyrinne has been announced as the second keynote speaker for GDC Europe.

His keynote will be titled “From Max Payne to Alan Wake: Creating Intellectual Properties the Remedy Way,” and will focus on maintaining a small, independent company while remaining passionate about new IPs.

“Remedy revolutionized the action genre with Max Payne in 2001,” said Frank Sliwka, Vice President European Business Development of Think Services Game Group. “Their keynote exemplifies a success story of high quality games produced in Europe and enjoyed worldwide.

“We are honored to welcome Myllyrinne to the stage.”

Colonge will be THE place to be August 17-19 as GDC Europe and GamesCom will be taking the town by storm.

More over on GameSetWatch.

CCP’s Hilmar Pètursson will be one of the keynote speakers at GDC Europe in August.

The CEO’s speech is titled “CCP: Winning the War”, which discusses the company’s success stemming from near obscurity to producing one of the largest MMOs out there, EVE Online.

“GDC Europe is gearing up to be one of the industry’s most essential events,” said Petursson. “I am honored to have this opportunity to share some of the valuable lessons CCP has learned with such a prestigious audience.”

Pètursson will also provide an exclusive first look at CCP’s latest project, which is currently in pre-production and could be any number of titles the firm is working on.

More than likely it’s either the MMO World of Darkness or the upcoming first-person shooter set in New Eden.

Press release through the jump.

Thanks, GI.biz.

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Initial speakers for GDC Europe 2009 were announced this morning for the August event in Cologne, Germany.

Taking place August 17-19 at the Cologne Congress East Center in Germany, the first set of speakers and their subject matter are as follows:

• Flower – Design Postmortem by ThatGameCompany’s Kellee Santiago.

• Surviving Project Cancellation in the Economic Downturn by Zootfly’s Bostjan Troha.

• Advanced Racing Game AI in, by Black Rock’s Eduardo Jimenez.

• Compressing Loads of Content Into Only 20MB: A Case Study Of Swords & Soldiers for WiiWare by Ronimo’s Joost van Dongen.

• Off-Road Racing Physics, Indie Style by Twitchy Thumbs Entertainment’s Jim Buck

More speakers are to be announced soon, and you can view the current schedule over on the official website.

Online registration for GDC Europe has gone live.

The event will take place alongside Gamescom in Cologne from August 17-19 at the Cologne Congress East Center.

Over 80 lectures, panels and keynotes will take place.

“GDC Europe will serve as the premier pan-European developer event in 2009,” said Frank Sliwka, event director.

“Bringing together the best speakers and peers on the most important issues and opportunities in European game development today. Together, we will bring the quality, and reach of the GDC to Cologne but with a uniquely European flare and global outlook.”

If you plan to attend, sign up through the link.

GI’s reporting that GDC Europe will take place next year as a gamescom event in Cologne, as GDC owner Think Services has acquired Frank Sliwka’s Global Games Media.

Swilka joins Think Services VP of European business development.

“We are thrilled to present GDC Europe during gamescom,” said Kathy Schoback, Think Services global events boss.

“With the support of Koelnmesse, BIU, and the City of Cologne, Europe’s most significant games gathering will definitely be a great success, and we couldn’t be more excited to have Frank Sliwka bring his deep experience to helping deliver GDC Europe.”

The people behind GDC have been trying for years to cut a tradeshow deal in Germany: Leipziger Messe steadfastly refused to allow a GDC product to take place alongside Games Convention as it was committed to its own GCDC brand – which was headed by Sliwka.

More through there.