Christophe De bont 
14/03/2018There is just a few more days separating us from an exciting week at GDC in San Francisco. The schedules are almost set in stone and we’ve solemnly sworn we’re up to no good no genocidal maniacs on drugs so we should be able to enter the country. Now all that’s left to do is pack our suitcase and jot down a summary of what to expect from the #BelgianGamesIndustry on this second Mission San Francisco.
You’ll be able to find Belgian games all over San Francisco, both off and on the expo floor. We’re kicking off GDC in style with Dutch Courage meets Belgian Beers on March 18. Six Flemish game companies (Bazookas, Cybernetic Walrus, DAE Studios, HOWEST, Once Storytelling and Pepkarijnel Industries) will defend the Belgian colours and strutt their stuff alongside some of their Dutch colleagues. The pre-mixer has completely sold out so just keep a tab on our social media and this blog to feel like you were there.
Talking about Cybernetic Walrus: you’ll have a hard time dodging their supersonic arcade racer Antigraviator. Thanks to a nomination for the Unity art award, the game will be playable near the registration area. Next to that, they will be showcasing Antigraviator at the European Games Showcase on March 20. You’ll also be able to find the game at the Iceberg Interactive booth on the expo floor (PL4010 in the North Hall) from March 21-23 and if you just can’t get enough of the game, it will pop up at the IFG booth on March 23. Plenty of opportunities to go faster than you’ve ever gone before!
And there’s even more Belgian power to be found on the expo floor:
- The texture streaming wizards at Graphine have just released Granite SDK 5.0 and would love to tell you all about their newest tech at their very own booth. Find them in the South Hall at booth 2012 to have a nice chat with the co-founders.
- Game dev student Pepijn Willekens has been selected for the popular alt.ctrl.GDC showcase with his custom game installation Windgolf. That makes him the only Belgian that still has a shot at an award (the alt.ctrl.GDC prize is awarded as part of the IGF awards on Wednesday) this year. Exciting!
- Just like last year, Digital Wallonia has a shared booth showcasing a range of game/tech companies, including Fishing Cactus who are showing Shift Quantum.
- I-Ilusions captain Dirk Van Welden gets to talk about Space Pirate Trainer a LOT. On Tuesday he’ll discuss VR-performance with a panel of developers from Unity and Epic Games. On Wednesday he’ll talk about how he made SPT run on Intel Integrated Graphics and shine his light on the unique features of Microsoft’s mixed reality technology.
After the IGF awards ceremony on Wednesday March 20 it’s time to unwind at the Tradition bar during #BelgianGamesCafe, courtesy of Cronos Interactive and Digital Wallonia. At the time of writing, the event is sold out but there is a waiting list, so you can still sign up here (and hope for the best) if you want to enjoy a lovely evening to talk all things #BelgianGamesIndustry and meet our talented game studios outside the hustle and bustle of the convention center.
To wrap it all up there’s one last informal and private drink for all the Belgian studios at the Belcham offices on Friday night. The perfect opportunity to sit back, relax and look back at what will be no doubt another unforgettable week.
To make it extra memorable, we are honoured to have a very special guest this year. Flemish Minister of Culture, Media, Youth and Brussels Sven Gatz (link in Dutch) is joining the mission to support our industry and experience what the world’s biggest happening for game developers is all about. That’s a great appreciation for our industry in and of itself, but what’s even better is that he’ll be followed by a tv crew from VRTNWS. So for those of you joining us in San Francisco: smile, you might be on camera!
For those of you not making the trip: we will bring you three blog updates next week and will tweet like we’ve never tweeted before. Following our channels is the closest you’re going to get to actually feel the San Francisco breeze on your face. See you on the other side!
