GDC ‘moving forward as planned’ as developers pull out over coronavirus concerns
The annual Game Developers Conference will be “moving forward as planned” in San Francisco next month, despite concerns over the international coronavirus outbreaks. A spokesperson told The Verge that “the California Department of Public Health, the San Francisco Department of Public Health, and the San Francisco Travel Association continue to support the convening of public events.”
The new coronavirus has had an unexpected impact on the gaming industry, from delays to game league cancellations. Developers have pulled out of annual events like PAX East, citing health safety concerns. In the weeks leading up to March’s annual Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, companies like Sony, Electronic Arts, Facebook, and Kojima Productions have announced that they’ll be skipping the event.
Despite there being no reported cases of the virus in San Francisco, Mayor London Breed declared a state of emergency for the city on Tuesday; the move will allow the city to respond to potential infections more quickly. In a letter, San Francisco Travel Association president and CEO Joe D’Alessandro assured attendees that “the official agencies are being extremely proactive to keep visitors and residents safe and healthy.” Residents and attendees alike are encouraged to “practice common sense prevention,” such as hand washing, and avoid attending if they are ill.
It’s still unclear how the coronavirus scare will impact this year’s conference overall; last year’s event was its biggest yet with more than 29,000 people in attendance. For now, GDC’s slate of panels and speakers remains largely unchanged, with a handful of exceptions like Hideo Kojima’s canceled appearance. The conference is set to take place from March 16th–20th.
The annual Game Developers Conference will be “moving forward as planned” in San Francisco next month, despite concerns over the international coronavirus outbreaks. A spokesperson told The Verge that “the California Department of Public Health, the San Francisco Department of Public Health, and the San Francisco Travel Association continue to…
