GDC 2008 breaks attendance records

Need more proof that the Game Developer’s Conference (GDC) is becoming the new E3? Look no further than the attendance numbers for the once-intimate conference: GameDaily is reporting that over 18,000 people attended the five-day event. This breaks the event’s previous attendance record, setting the bar even higher for next year’s iteration (which is set for March 23-27, 2009 in San Francisco).

It seems that in the wake of the “reimagined” E3, all the other major conferences (GDC, PAX, TGS, D.I.C.E etc.) are growing and filling the void of the once-mighty show. However, as noted in an earlier story, the directors behind GDC and D.I.C.E. are looking for ways to trim the proverbial fat from their shows. It’ll be interesting to see if the trend continues into 2009.

Read [GameDaily]