GDC 07, Leipzig GC 2007 Dates And Details

New details have emerged about two of next year's most imposing gaming shows: GDC 07 and the Leipzig GC 2007. As we mentioned last month, the CMP Game Group is already gearing up to turn their Game Developers Conference into the world's largest trade event dedicated to the game industry in 2007. Once again set to take place in San Francisco, after a year of absence from the hilly city, GDC 07 will open its doors between March 5-9 at the Moscone Convention Centre.

Thanks to a couple of reports from GamesIndustry.biz, today we get to know some of the first companies that signed up for the show. Among them are Sony, Microsoft, Epic, Havok, Rare, Vicarious Visions, Factor 5 and Volition.

"The next-generation of console gaming is represented with Epic Games' Cliff Bleszinski discussing the design of Gears of War for Xbox 360, while Factor 5's Mark Teare will talk about upcoming PlayStation 3 title Lair.

Other highlights include a session entitled 'PC Gaming in the Age of Connected Consoles' with contributions from Microsoft's David Edery, acclaimed designer Warren Spector, Soren Johnson of Firaxis and Epic's Michael Capps."

Sony Online will also be represented at GDC 07 for a discussion regarding the licensing relationship with DC Comics, for their upcoming MMO based on the DC universe. Other big names are also expected to take a stand, and all in all the show's organizers hope to attract over 12,500 industry professionals, and around 1000 press figurants.

Fast forward half a year, and the month of August will bring yet another edition of the Leipzig Games Convention. The venue will be the same as this year (the Leipzig Messe), and the dates confirmed on GI.biz are August 22-26. Compared to the specialist-only GDC 07, the German GCDC 2007 will also be open to visitors, and over 100,000 of them are expected to attend the show. To that, add another 5000 or so industry hotshots, and you got yourself something more closely resembling "the world's largest trade event".

And to top it all off, the German organizers have announced that they are teaming up with CEMS to launch a new convention in Singapore, tentatively called Games Convention Asia (GCA), and scheduled for September 7-9, 2007.

At this rate, by next year not many people will still miss the old E3.

(N.B. Archive text, links removed)