TheRetroArcade
Veteran
Posts: 1,989
Joined: Feb 2026
Joined: Feb 2026
NFTs are out, generative AI is in at this year's Game Developers Conference—though much of the industry isn't on board with that, either.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.
Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team.
You are now subscribed
Your newsletter sign-up was successful
Want to add more newsletters?
Every Friday
GamesRadar+
Your weekly update on everything you could ever want to know about the games you already love, games we know you're going to love in the near future, and tales from the communities that surround them.
Every Thursday
GTA 6 O'clock
Our special GTA 6 newsletter, with breaking news, insider info, and rumor analysis from the award-winning GTA 6 O'clock experts.
Every Friday
Knowledge
From the creators of Edge: A weekly videogame industry newsletter with analysis from expert writers, guidance from professionals, and insight into what's on the horizon.
Every Thursday
The Setup
Hardware nerds unite, sign up to our free tech newsletter for a weekly digest of the hottest new tech, the latest gadgets on the test bench, and much more.
Every Wednesday
Switch 2 Spotlight
Sign up to our new Switch 2 newsletter, where we bring you the latest talking points on Nintendo's new console each week, bring you up to date on the news, and recommend what games to play.
Every Saturday
The Watchlist
Subscribe for a weekly digest of the movie and TV news that matters, direct to your inbox. From first-look trailers, interviews, reviews and explainers, we've got you covered.
Once a month
SFX
Get sneak previews, exclusive competitions and details of special events each month!
Not long ago, the annual Game Developers Conference in San Francisco was liberally sprinkled with ads for blockchain companies and sponsored talks about NFTs. They've all left.
Whereas GDC 2023 featured talks such as "So, You Want to Build a Blockchain Game" and "How Polygon Labs Is Optimizing Games for an Emerging Blockchain Future," I can't find a single session about that emerging blockchain future on the schedule for GDC 2026, which kicked off Monday and runs through Friday.
The closest thing I found is one talk whose description mentions "digital wallets and alternative payment methods preferred by players in emerging regions," and I saw a single banner advertising a blockchain-related company in the convention center today, but that's it so far.
Even all the way back at GDC 2017, there was a talk titled "Embracing Disruption: What Blockchains Mean for the Game Industry," but there's nothing like that this year. Disruption was not embraced, it seems.
Meanwhile, generative AI is well-represented at GDC 2026, with Nvidia and Google on the scene and talks coming up this week that include "Experimenting With AI-Powered Assistants in Games," "AI Trends of Today and Opportunities For Tomorrow," and "Build Living Games With AI."
The expo floor, which a few years ago featured some big blockchain booths, will this year be populated by Tripo AI, Arcade AI, Blueberry AI, Gamercury AI, Moonlake AI, Tesana AI, and a number of AI companies that didn't conveniently put "AI" in their names so that we'd know what they do.
There's tension between big tech and creative workers here: According to a survey published by GDC itself earlier this year, the majority of GDC's attendees are not on board with generative AI.
Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team.
52% of the surveyed games industry professionals said that "generative AI is having a negative impact on the game industry," while only 7% shared the opposite opinion, that generative AI is good for the industry.
"I'd rather quit the industry than use generative AI," one UK-based game design supervisor commented.
At GDC 2026, I've already met with one generative AI-focused game developer that hopes to alter...Read more: Full article on www.pcgamer.com
What do you think about this?
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.
Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team.
You are now subscribed
Your newsletter sign-up was successful
Want to add more newsletters?
Every Friday
GamesRadar+
Your weekly update on everything you could ever want to know about the games you already love, games we know you're going to love in the near future, and tales from the communities that surround them.
Every Thursday
GTA 6 O'clock
Our special GTA 6 newsletter, with breaking news, insider info, and rumor analysis from the award-winning GTA 6 O'clock experts.
Every Friday
Knowledge
From the creators of Edge: A weekly videogame industry newsletter with analysis from expert writers, guidance from professionals, and insight into what's on the horizon.
Every Thursday
The Setup
Hardware nerds unite, sign up to our free tech newsletter for a weekly digest of the hottest new tech, the latest gadgets on the test bench, and much more.
Every Wednesday
Switch 2 Spotlight
Sign up to our new Switch 2 newsletter, where we bring you the latest talking points on Nintendo's new console each week, bring you up to date on the news, and recommend what games to play.
Every Saturday
The Watchlist
Subscribe for a weekly digest of the movie and TV news that matters, direct to your inbox. From first-look trailers, interviews, reviews and explainers, we've got you covered.
Once a month
SFX
Get sneak previews, exclusive competitions and details of special events each month!
Not long ago, the annual Game Developers Conference in San Francisco was liberally sprinkled with ads for blockchain companies and sponsored talks about NFTs. They've all left.
Whereas GDC 2023 featured talks such as "So, You Want to Build a Blockchain Game" and "How Polygon Labs Is Optimizing Games for an Emerging Blockchain Future," I can't find a single session about that emerging blockchain future on the schedule for GDC 2026, which kicked off Monday and runs through Friday.
The closest thing I found is one talk whose description mentions "digital wallets and alternative payment methods preferred by players in emerging regions," and I saw a single banner advertising a blockchain-related company in the convention center today, but that's it so far.
Even all the way back at GDC 2017, there was a talk titled "Embracing Disruption: What Blockchains Mean for the Game Industry," but there's nothing like that this year. Disruption was not embraced, it seems.
Meanwhile, generative AI is well-represented at GDC 2026, with Nvidia and Google on the scene and talks coming up this week that include "Experimenting With AI-Powered Assistants in Games," "AI Trends of Today and Opportunities For Tomorrow," and "Build Living Games With AI."
The expo floor, which a few years ago featured some big blockchain booths, will this year be populated by Tripo AI, Arcade AI, Blueberry AI, Gamercury AI, Moonlake AI, Tesana AI, and a number of AI companies that didn't conveniently put "AI" in their names so that we'd know what they do.
There's tension between big tech and creative workers here: According to a survey published by GDC itself earlier this year, the majority of GDC's attendees are not on board with generative AI.
Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team.
52% of the surveyed games industry professionals said that "generative AI is having a negative impact on the game industry," while only 7% shared the opposite opinion, that generative AI is good for the industry.
"I'd rather quit the industry than use generative AI," one UK-based game design supervisor commented.
At GDC 2026, I've already met with one generative AI-focused game developer that hopes to alter...Read more: Full article on www.pcgamer.com
What do you think about this?