Tomorrow, Vancouver Film School (VFS) will officially open ticket sales for the 7th annual Game Design Expo, taking place in Vancouver January 19-20, 2013.
At Industry Speaker Day on Saturday, January 19, seven presenters from Canada and the U.S. will bring ticketholders behind the scenes of today’s hottest games, beginning with headliner Chris Haluke, Lead Designer at 343 Industries, the Microsoft studio behind Halo 4. The game is the most expensive Microsoft has ever developed and officially hit shelves today to rave reviews, with IGN calling it “a masterstroke”.
Haluke will be joined by Ubisoft Montreal designer Patrick Plourde, who has contributed to several acclaimed games in the blockbuster Assassin’s Creed franchise, and a diverse speaker lineup that includes big-budget developers, indies, and everything in between. Together, they’ll explore the future of video games and confront the biggest question facing designers and gamers alike—can AAA games survive as the market undergoes a seismic shift toward social, mobile, and free-to-play? It promises to be a unique weekend of learning, networking, and playing.
“Every year I am excited to see this event come together with lineups that have been able to inspire the game designer in everyone,” says Dave Warfield, Head of Game Design at VFS. “This year is no exception.”
Industry Speaker Day is aimed at a broad audience of game industry professionals, students, and gamers, but on Sunday, January 20, those aspiring game designers get a day to call their own at the annual VFS Game Design Open House. With an array of game design classes, presentations from award-winning alumni, and the chance to play student games in a special arcade at the VFS Game Design campus, the free Open House is an opportunity for registrants to take that first step toward a career in games.
Tickets to Industry Speaker Day go on sale at 9am on Wednesday, November 7, for $125 (CDN). Space is limited and the event has sold out every year, so attendees shouldn’t wait to buy tickets. For more information on this event and the Open House, visit gamedesignexpo.com.
Game Design Expo Industry Speaker Day
VFS Game Design Open House
Saturday, January 19, 2013, 9:00am-5:00pm
Sunday, January 20, 2013, 10:30am-5pm
Vancity Theatre
1181 Seymour St.
Vancouver Film School
88 East Pender St.
Vancouver, BC
