Game Developers Session
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| Game Developers Session (GDS) | |
|---|---|
 | |
 GDS hall audience view | |
| Status | Active |
| Genre | Video game development |
| Venue | National House of Smichov |
| Location(s) | Prague |
| Country | Czech Republic |
| Inaugurated | 4 July 2003 |
| Next event | 9 December 2023 |
| Organized by | Eventia |
| Website | www |
The Game Developers Session (GDS) is an annual Czech conference on video game development.
It is the oldest conference dedicated to game development, technology, businesses, and marketing in Central Europe.[1] It has been organized annually since 2003, most being held in Prague in the Czech Republic. It is notable for being the first event of its kind in the city with a tradition spanning around 20 years.
In 2009, the conference gained popularity outside of the Czech Republic by presenting a set of lectures by developers from 2K Czech, mainly on the technical background of the game Mafia II. From there, GDS began to grow, shaping the game development community within the country.
GDS has hosted 900+ game developers, producers, and journalists with over 150 game studios participating every year.[2] GDS includes the presentation of projects and talks from speakers from art, business, design, programming, and other backgrounds.
The GDS is backed by the Czech Game Developers’ Association. It represents an interconnected platform in the context of the European game industry and brings professional communities together from Slovakia, Slovenia, and Poland.[citation needed]
GDS has had the support of the City hall of Prague for many consecutive years.[citation needed]
In previous years the event was attended by government officials, investors, and government agencies including the Minister of Culture of the Czech Republic and the Director of The Business and Investment Development Agency CzechInvest.[citation needed]
Venue and format
The conference is designed as an international event. It is open and accessible to foreigners. The main program line and official conference's language channels are in English.
The 2022 GDS presented 40 speakers[2] over two days at the historical venue of National House Smíchov in Prague, with more than 1000 visitors confirmed. Sponsors included big names like Beat Games, Wargaming, and Microsoft.