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.
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