GDC 2013 adds design lectures from Diablo III, Lili, Dear Esther creators

Game Developers Conference organizers have announced new Design Track lectures for the upcoming March 2013 conference, including a design postmortem for Diablo III, mid-core mobile lessons learned from Lili, and Dear Esther co-creator's case studies on apocalyptic games. The Design Track is just one of seven focused Tracks for the Main Conference to be held Wed-Fri, March 27-29 at the Moscone Convention Center in San Francisco, CA. The first new talk is a design postmortem from Blizzard's game director Jay Wilson entitled 'Shout at the Devil: The Making of Diablo III.' He will focus on the core design goals his developers set, focusing specifically on those they struggled with and the design lessons they learned during those struggles. In 'How to Build a Better Apocalypse,' Dear Esther creator thechineseroom's Dan Pinchbeck will assert that end-of-world games can show "perfect fusion of content and mechanics." He will use case studies to demonstrate how a strong, well-honed apocalyptic story and setting can support and enhance gameplay. Lastly, former Epic lead designer turned BitMonster president Lee Perry will present 'From Gears to Lili, Lessons About Mid-Core and Mobile.' Perry will focus on production, promotion, and design lessons that are shaping his company's choices and thoughts on "the next evolution in gaming" -- the mid-core mobile segment. For more information on these or others in the show's growing lineup, check out GDC 2013's official Schedule Builder, which continues to add new talks every week. Discounted early registration for GDC passes ends February 13, and GDC 2013 itself will take place March 25-29 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco. For more information on GDC 2013, visit the show's official website, or subscribe to regular updates via Facebook, Twitter, or RSS.