With the Gaming Developer Conference, or GDC, losing the participation of so many companies due to the ever-expanding reach of the coronavirus, it must be asked whether the annual convention should consider delaying the event. With PlayStation, EA, and Kojima Productions all opting against traveling to San Francisco to conduct talks on their most popular games, it seems as though attendance for the conference will be at an all-time low.
To add fuel to the fire, it seems as though Microsoft has decided to join the companies electing to stay away from this year's conference, with the console manufacturer releasing a statement on its site. "After a close review of guidance by global health authorities and out of an abundance of caution, we’ve made the difficult decision to withdraw from participating at Game Developers Conference 2020," Microsoft states, following on by claiming: "the health and safety of players, developers, employees, and our partners around the world is our top priority. Especially as the world is experiencing growing public health risks associated with coronavirus."
It appears Microsoft is aware this might disappoint fans, with the company also promising to make up for its absence with a "digital-only event [on] March 16-18th." Supposedly, Microsoft's event will look to showcase what it had already planned for GDC on this digital show, revealing that "the event will feature the majority of our planned game developer sessions and experiences, which will be streamed live and available on demand."
Microsoft goes on to announce what fans can expect from the digital showcase, including "cloud and game development technologies," a number of "panel discussions with industry leaders," and a behind-the-scenes look into "development decisions made by the creators of Minecraft and Gears of War." It's undoubtedly a classy move on Microsoft's behalf, who once again proves its dedication to being the most player-friendly platform in the console market.
GDC will no doubt suffer greatly from losing yet another major console provider. While Nintendo is seemingly still set to grace the show, the loss of PlayStation and Xbox must be a crushing blow for a conference that's quickly beginning to lack in big-name appeal. Regardless, it's positive to see so many companies focus on the wellbeing of their employees, with many attempting to limit the travel of staff as not to increase their chances of getting swept up in the terrible coronavirus epidemic. Here's to hoping GDC can still go ahead despite these unfortunate series of cancelations.