Introduction, Virtual Insanity and Game of Making Games panels

Game developers discuss gaming philosophies; virtual reality takes center stage

Our second day at Quakecon 2012 started bright and early with expert panel discussions led by some of the gaming industry's elite game designers and programmers from around the globe. These panel discussions focused primary around the process different game studios go through to produce triple AAA titles and current developments in virtual reality headset technology. There was also more discussions about creating mods for games like Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and utilizing modding communities as resources to produce higher quality games.

 

In between panel discussions, Quakecon hosted the first round of their annual Bawls chugging competition. BYOC gamers and event attendees were also able to try out a few game demos of Smite, Rise of the Triad, Dishonored, and Doom 3 BFG Edition. There were also several "quick draw" Quake Live matches to give out raffle tickets for a chance to win a new 2012 Ford Shelby GT500 Coupe. 

 

Read more about our coverage from Quakecon 2012!

 

 

One of the most interesting panel discussions involved id Software co-founder John Carmack and Valve game programmer Michael Abrash who were showcasing current developments in virtual reality technology produced by Oculus Rift. Carmack and Abrash are putting some serious firepower behind Oculus Rift's new virtual reality headset technology that uses a wide field of view, high-resolution display, and ultra-low latency head tracking to provide gamers with a unique and immersive gaming experience. Since the start of Quakecon on Aug. 2, Oculus Rift's project on Kickstarter has increased to more than $1.16 million.

 

Game programmers Jens Matthies from Machine Games, Raphael Colantonio from Arkane Studios, Ted Price from Insomniac Games, and Todd Howard from Bethesda Game Studios gave Quakecon gamers an inside look into each studio's game creation philosophies and their varied approaches to game design and development. They also shed some light on their pesonal views about how current technology enhancements are altering how they view the overall game design process. The crowd also participated and asked some tough questions about lengthy game production schedules and memorable "bugs" that eventually turned into successes in different game titles. 

 

Bethesda Softworks' Nick Breckon, Valve Software's Chet Faliszek, and Bethesda Game Studios' Joel Burgess were on hand to talk about the explosion of mods that have occurred for Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and the recent release of the Dawnguard expansion. We weren't able to stay for the entire panel, but we did hear that gaming studios will continue to work with their dedicated modding communities for better ideas and solutions for new game content and design techniques.

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