GameDaily BIZ: GDC seems to have really grabbed the spotlight in recent years. The conference stands out this year in particular because of the radical downsizing and change to the format of E3. How would you assess GDC's evolution?

Jamil Moledina: James, the GDC has been experiencing organic growth over the years, as a direct reflection on the size and evolution of the industry. And while you are correct to say that the E3 downsizing has increased perhaps the visibility on the events calendar for GDC and the volume of developer connections and studio dealmaking, the growth we have seen in terms of attendees and exhibitors maps to the growth trajectory over the last few years.

BIZ: With the D.I.C.E. Summit seemingly gaining more recognition as well, people like to make comparisons with GDC because both are somewhat intimate events (at least compared to the old E3). What separates GDC from D.I.C.E. in your eyes?

JM: The GDC is the largest industry event easily by a factor of at least 10.
We have about 400 sessions with 16 parallel tracks covering mainstream, mobile, serious, casual, and indie development in detail. We have two full-size show floors, covering platforms, tools, international consortia, and recruitment. Considering the scale, it seems inaccurate to me to compare the two. The fundamental differentiator among all key events is that GDC is the central forum for peer level discussion, inspiration, networking and celebration of the entire games industry.

BIZ: AIAS president Joseph Olin has said a number of times that he'd love to see the Interactive Achievement Awards become this industry's Oscars. Do you have similar aspirations for the Game Developers Choice Awards?

JM: The Game Developers Choice Awards is really the only peer recognition event open to all games of the calendar year. The awards are produced by the GDC, voting is independently managed by the IGDA, and developers nominate, vote, attend, and accept the awards. Considering the open nominations, individual peer recognition, and separation of voting management, one might argue that the Choice Awards are therefore more similar to the Oscars. But really the point isn't to challenge an analogy; we are all trying to accomplish a common goal. The objective is to be able to acknowledge and celebrate the standout efforts of individual developers.

BIZ: We understand that GDC will be hosting an invite-only mini-conference exclusively for a select group of developers and game industry people.
What was the impetus for partitioning this event from the rest of GDC?
What information can you share about this "GDC Prime" conference?

JM: GDC Prime is an exclusive executive summit, where high level executives can benefit from the candor, peer sharing and networking components of the central conference, among their peers. We created it so that they could have their own intimate space at the GDC, as we provide for virtually every other group at the GDC.

BIZ: Aside from the top keynotes from the likes of Shigeru Miyamoto, Phil Harrison and others, what do you believe will be the highlights of this year's GDC?

JM: There are more than I can spill here today but some key highlights I must mention beside the keynotes, the Independent Games Festival, and the Game Developers Choice Awards are some key talks that we think will get everyone talking:

Designing Next Generation Connected Games
Speaker: Scott Foe (Producer, Nokia)

The Future of Storytelling In Next-Generation Game Development
Speaker: Warren Spector (President, Junction Point Studios)

Tip of the Iceberg: Future of Games and Entertainment Resides Online
Speakers: Lars Buttler (Founder & CEO, Trion World Network), Jon Van Caneghem (Presidents & Chief Creative Officer, Trion World Network)

The First Year of Media Molecule
Speakers: Mark Healey (Media Molecule), Alex Evans (Media Molecule)

LucasArts: True Next Generation Gameplay in Service of Story & Character
Speakers: Haden Blackman (Executive Producer, Lucasarts Entertainment Co)

Innovations in Fable 2
Speaker: Peter Molyneux (Lionhead Studios)

BIZ: This is the first keynote from Miyamoto in many years. Did he/Nintendo come to you or did you have to plead your case to get this industry legend to keynote GDC?

JM: Each year, I present the platforms with a set of guidelines developed by the GDC Advisory Board, along with suggested speakers and topics. For Nintendo, we recommended Miyamoto-san and a particular focus, and Nintendo graciously accepted. Granted, the process takes months to develop keynotes, but we have great relationships with all of the platforms, built on mutual respect and understanding. The bottom line for us is that since it's still a GDC session, and part of the editorial content our attendees register for, a keynote has to be inspiring and relevant to our developer audience.

BIZ: Will Miyamoto have any surprising Nintendo announcements to share that you know of?

JM: If there were one, wouldn't that spoil the surprise?

BIZ: You told me at D.I.C.E. that on March 7, I'd be "very happy" that I'm a PlayStation 3 owner. What revelations will Phil Harrison have for us during his keynote that will make us go gaga for PS3? Care to give us some hints?

JM: Haha! Not to be coy but you'll just have to come to his talk James. All I can say is that I stand behind my comment regarding your future emotional state.

BIZ: Organizing GDC must be a monstrous task, but sometimes two sessions that both seem really intriguing end up running at the same time and attendees are forced to choose between them. Is there any way to avoid that?

JM: That don't involve time travel, cloning, or Tivo? Of course, you raise a good point. Since we have 16 overlapping sessions, which are designed to enable attendees to personalize their GDC experience exactly to their interests, there is the potential for compelling sessions to conflict.
However, we are recording most of the sessions and will make the audio files available online. So if you miss one of your favorite talks, you can get to it online.

BIZ: Every year GDC is introduced with a new theme. This time it's "Take Control." How should that be interpreted for attendees of GDC 2007?

JM: Take Control resonates in several ways. While it is a literal reference to taking control, as in the controls of a game, it is also about taking control of your creation process. With next gen now being new gen, and all the information on the table, we will meaningfully address how to take control of the knowledge and the new systems. It also alludes to taking control of your career, your production methods, your business model, and new directions for the game industry.

BIZ: A lot of people really loved the Fairmont Bar when GDC was in San Jose. What do you think is a suitable replacement for that venue in San Francisco?

JM: In San Francisco we will probably have a few gravity centers. We have booked Jillians across from Moscone West for Wednesday and Thursday nights, explicitly to leave it open for GDC attendees, so we're directing people there. Also, I suspect that the W and Argent bars will be hopping too.

BIZ: Finally, with GDC getting bigger and bigger each year, do you ever worry about it getting too large? After all, that's what ultimately led to the downfall of E3...

JM: That's a very valid question James; we are indeed being careful. Our guiding philosophy is to stay true to our core: focus on the developers.
While there's an expo component you'll find that the learning, sharing and networking conference elements drive the event. For that reason we are confident GDC will remain strong and relevant.

BIZ: Thanks for your time, Jamil.

JM: Anytime James; see you at GDC.