Since I was out during GDC which ran from March 22-24, here’s a full recap:

• AGEIA conference coverage on FiringSquad, Hot Hardware, Techgage and GDHardware.
  
• FiringSquad has a “Reporter’s Notebook” feature that covers the full event – part 1, part 2 and part 3.
  
• On Techgage you’ll find daily coverage – day one and day two. Daily coverage is also provided by Ten Ton Hammer and 1UP. Quarter to Three has also covered the event.
  
• Sony’s GDC keynote was covered by a plethora of websites including FiringSquad, GamersInfo, Joystiq and EuroGamer.
  
• Over on FiringSquad you’ll find coverage of Nintendo’s GDC keynote.
  
• Further keynotes include the “Disrupting Development” on GamersInfo and Battlestar Galactica on Ten Ton Hammer.
  
• Epic showed off Unreal Engine 3 at the show. Coverage can be found on Ten Ton Hammer, Gamespot and IGN.
  
• Developers also had their fair share of coverage – Will Wright’s keynote has been covered by Gamespot, GamesInfo and 1UP; God of War creator David Jaffe gets a feature on Gamespot; and Ten Ton Hammer interviews Richard Garriott (Lord British) and Codemasters.
  
• The GDC and IGF Awards ceremonies were covered by Ten Ton Hammer.
  
• Pictures tell a thousand words. So, here are links to pictures from the event: Ten Ton Hammer and Yahoo! Video Games.
  
• The issue of Physics has been covered by Slashdot and PC Perspective.
  
• Game Developers Rant II on Wonderland is a wonderful look into the minds of game developers.
  
• This IGN article covers the Hot Coffee discussion, while Gamasutra covers Murder, Sex and Censorship and Creating a Global MMO.
  
• As for postmortems – Gamespot has a nice one on Stubbs the Zombie and GamersInfo has one on Xbox 360 design.

The Nintendo GDC keynote didn’t reveal anything shockingly new, but it did unveil Zelda: Phantom Hourglass for the DS, as well as word that the Revolution’s Virtual Console service will also play games developed for Sega Genesis and the Turbografx consoles.

Satoru Iwata’s full keynote address can be found after the jump (it’s huge).
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SNK has announced at GDC that it will be releasing a Metal Slug compilation on the PSP. The collection will consist of Metal Slug 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, as well as Metal Slug X. All titles will feature co-op play via local wi-fi.

The compilation is slated for release this November.

The license holder for Spider-Man games – Activision – has revealed to IGN that it will publish a version of Spider-Man 3 developed specifically for the Revolution. As usual, no exact details were provided, but IGN is speculating that the remote-styled controller could be utilized to aim and cast webs, which would in turn accurately guide the hero through the city.

More details are expected at E3 this May.

The Game Developer Choice Awards have been announced, with Lord British (Richard Garriott) picking up his lifetime achievement award and Double Fine Productions winning Best New Studio and its game Psychonauts getting the best writing award. Shadow of the Colossus picked up a total of five awards, including Game Design, Character Design and the Best Game award.

In more awards news, the 7th Annual Independent Games Festival awards were announced, with Introversion’s Darwinia winning the grand prize of $20,000 for Best Independent Game. The game picked up three prizes, including the Seumas McNally Grand Prize. Other winners include Weird Worlds: Return to Infinite Space, as well as modifications for games including Dystopia for Half-Life 2, the Last Man Standing Co-op for DOOM 3 and Path of Vengeance for Unreal Tournament 2004, among others.

A trailer of the game was shown during Sony’s GDC keynote. Here’s a leaked version of it:

Hoping for a direct-feed version soon!

The Sony GDC keynote didn’t reveal much information in way of the PS3, but it did have some delicious tidbits.

• PS3 games will be region free. Developers can choose to restrict region on their software.
  
• The console is due in early November – a more specific timeframe than its previous “November” release date.
  
• Sony expects the PS2 to sell past 2010.
  
• God of War 2 was officially announced. Please refer to its own post for more details.
  
• Hard drive will be included with the PS3. No doubts about it.
  
• Final development kits will ship to developers this June.
  
• The PlayStation Network Platform was detailed. It’ll be a free service, offering the same features that Xbox Live offers… with no price tag attached.
  
• Games can be downloaded and run from the hard drive.
  
• Several real-time demos were shown: Warhawk, Motor Storm, Ratchet & Clank, Resistance (previously known as i-8) and Singstar.

GarageGames has shown off demonstrations of its technology at the Game Developers Conference which ran throughout March 22-24.

The company showcased Legions, a tech demo for its Torque Shader Engine; a tech demo of Marble Blast Ultra on Xbox Live! Arcade; a Mighty Fist demo built with Torque Game Builder, a professional 2D grade engine; and Torque Constructor, the CSG level builder created in Torque for level design with all map based games.

In its latest press release, Quazal announced that they have been approved by SCE’s Tools and Middleware program for PlayStation 3, letting developers make use of their Net-Z and Rendez-Vous online multiplayer middleware technologies, as well as the Spark! Lobby technology, in their games.

Quazal’s tools are also available for the PS2 and PSP, among other platforms.

Word comes from Philips that Revolution Software and Sumo Digital have signed on to develop their games to take advantage of the company’s amBX technology. Here’s a bit on the new technology:

Due for release in May 2006, amBX technology will offer a full ’sensory surround experience’ to computer and video gamers by empowering developers with the ability to use light, colour, sound, heat and even airflow in the real world during gameplay – creating an Ambient Intelligent environment in the process.

Blending a scripting language, software engine and architecture, amBX has been designed to deliver all-new player experiences through enabled devices such as LED colour-controlled lights, active furniture, fans, heaters, audio and video, all placed strategically around a player’s room. amBX goes even further to provide the support framework for peripheral manufacturers to develop these enabled products, empowering both developers and publishers to amBX-enable and enhance their games.

Devices and peripherals supporting amBX technology will be officially launched this May.

Irish company Star Cave Studios has announced the development of Terra: Formations, its first “AAA” title and multiplatform game. Terra: Formations ties together the three most popular genres into one title: players get to take part in FPS sequences to more strategic RTS parts in a ranking system set up much like a RPG. Here’s the deal:

By the year 2157, mankind had depleted the resources of planet earth with his lust for power, technological advancements and greed. Ironically, the very machines that played a role in mankind’s irrevocable position were the only chance of survival! After several years of uncertainty, hope was reborn with the efforts of the Global Military Alliance to Terraform one of earth’s celestial neighbours, Jupiter’s moon called “Europa”. It wasn’t until the excavation of the satellite’s icy crust that mankind learned the truth; he was not alone and something, somewhere, was waiting, watching, learning and preparing for battle!

As a player in Terra: Formations, you join the ranks of an elite military force with the objective of reshaping the environments of inhospitable worlds, experience the evolution of a developing planet, and take command to become humanities only hope for survival in an epic struggle for control of the solar system.

Four classes of characters offer different insight to the chaotic world, each providing a unique blend of interaction. The Soldier faction allows for adrenaline pumping action that players have come to expect from traditional FPS games. As a member of the Engineer class, the player becomes the key element in the development of the environment by constructing and repairing mankind’s lifeline to the world. The Researcher class explores the evolution of the world to enhance society’s tools and develop new technology, and finally the player can opt to take command of the action from the perspective of the commander class to bring order to an uncertain future, tying RTS elements into Terra: Formations.

The studio is currently seeking global distribution and publishing partners. Terra will be shown off at GDC by appointment only.

Another GDC announcement comes in from Vicious Cycle who sends word that it will be showing the Vicious Engine at the event; it will also be accepting resumes and demo reels from potential applicants at their booth in the Career Pavilion.

The company will be showing off the engine at expo booth 1042 and will be accepting job applications at booth 1846 in the Career Pavilion.

With the Game Developers Conference coming up soon, many have announced their plans for the event. First up is Macrovision, who sends word that its Trymedia Games Division will be participating in three sponsored panels to cover game business and technology topics. The sessions will take place on Wednesday March 22nd and will be open to all attendees. Details of the panels can be found after the jump.

Dutch developer Woedend! Games (W!G) will be present at the event to present their first game title and introduce the studio to potential publishers. No details of their project is known at the moment, but the company has made it known that they are focused on making “triple A” quality game titles for a mass market audience. W!G currently has a number of projects in the pipeline, with the first to be unveiled at GDC.

Today’s last GDC announcement comes from Lifemode Interactive, who announced that it’ll be launching its facial animation software Lifestudio:Head 2.7 and Xbox 360 support at the event. The company will be set up at booth 548, letting attendees get information and demo the multi-platform SDK for realistic facial animation.
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BioWare today announced the opening of a new studio in Austin, Texas. The company’s second studio, and the first to be located outside Canada, BioWare Austin has begun work on a yet-unannounced MMORPG, marking the debut of the company in the MMOG space.

The Austin studio has seen the hiring of a couple of new developers: joining the Austin team as lead designer is James Ohlen, who previous credits include work on Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, NeverWinter Nights and the Baldur’s Gate series; MMO veterans Richard Vogel and Gordon Walton, both of whom have worked at Sony Online Entertainment, among other companies.

There are currently job openings at both BioWare Austin and Edmonton; the developer is looking for new programmers, designers, artists, animators, world builders and writers. BioWare will be present at GDC at the San Jose Convention Centre in California, March 20 through 24, to recruit fresh blood.

Planning an expanded presence at GDC 2006 is Epic Games, who announces that it will be showcasing Unreal Engine 3 at the event as well as presenting key technical achievements over the past year.

The studio will demonstrate the engine within their ExpoSuite, ES128, located in the main exhibition hall. Epic will be showcasing PS3 and Xbox 360 support, FaceFX cinema-quality facial animation, new physics-based animation and other technical stuff.

The company will also include dedicated space in the Career Pavilion to “search for the industry’s best game developers.”