A growing trend.(in computer gaming consoles)(Game Developers Conference)(Editorial)

Computer game development is, well, no longer a game. It's big business. Retail sales have risen dramatically, thanks to the latest-generation consoles. These new platforms, along with suped-up PCs, advanced wireless devices, and powerful handhelds, are bringing a new level of realism and immersion to the genre that's great for gamers but challenging for developers. Looking for inventive ways to create unique, compelling content more efficiently, developers, designers, artists, and programmers last month descended on San Francisco for the 20th annual Game Developers Conference. Over the years, GDC has evolved from a programming show to one that embraces other aspects of game development, including design, audio, visual arts, production, and business and management for PCs, consoles, portable devices, and mobile gaming. As a result, attendance has been steadily rising. This year, GDC boasted more than 16,000 conference-goers, expo attendees, exhibitors, speakers, media, and analysts--a figure that represents a 30 percent increase from last year.

One factor contributing to that growth is the new consoles, which are requiring developers to look beyond standard game development tools and technology. To that end, it was not surprising to see a much bigger expo floor area filled with the latest software and hardware offerings geared to game development. This year, there were 262 exhibitors, including those in the Career Pavilion, representing a 32 percent increase from 2006.

"The game industry is growing, and GDC typically follows the budget growth of video games," says Jamil Moledina, executive director of GDC. "The new generation of game platforms require larger budgets, and developers need to hire more people and investigate new content-creation tools--and GDC can help make sense of those needs."

With E3 becoming an intimate, ...