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A Rundown Of San Diego Comic-Con 2016's Video Game Panels
Update: We've added the panel schedules for Saturday and Sunday. To see those, head to pages 3 and 4.
Original Story (July 8, 2016 at 4:21 p.m.):
San Diego Comic-Con has grown each year, integrating more and more elements of pop culture with each annual celebration. This year is no different, as the gaming panels on offer continue to expand. From Gears of War 4 to Injustice 2 to Overwatch, check out the biggest games that are set to appear in a panel.
Even if you aren't able to make it to SDCC this year, the bigger panels usually bring with them some pretty big reveals and fun insights, so we thought you'd like to know when to keep your eyes open. We've listed the room number for those of you who are heading to San Diego for the expo. If more gaming panels pop up for Saturday or Sunday, we'll be sure to add them to our list.
All times listed are for the Pacific timezone.
Thursday, July 21
Sea of Thieves: Art of Adventure
Who: The Sea of Thieves team at Rare
What: A look at the art in Sea of Thieves, the upcoming shared-world pirate game from Rare
When: 10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
Where: Room 24ABC
Street Fighter Nation
Who: Capcom team members
What: An exclusive look at the latest information on Street Fighter. The description teases looks at licensed goods and collectibles, updates on the Capcom Pro Tour, and "a few surprises as well."
When: 11:45 a.m. - 12:45 p.m.
Where: Room 6BCF
Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare - Behind the Scenes of the Immersive Narrative
Who: Taylor Kurosaki (narrative director at Infinity Ward), and the cast of actors behind Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare
What: A behind-the-scenes look at the world of Infinite Warfare and never-before-seen footage. Fans in attendance also receive a limited edition Infinite Warfare poster.
When: 1 p.m. - 2 p.m.
Where: Room 6BCF
Gears of War 4: Creators, Characters, and Cast
Who: Rod Fergusson (co-creator of the Gears of War franchise), the cast, and guest panelists. Moderated by Xbox's Major Nelson.
What: A behind-the-scenes look at Gears of War 4 including the characters and storytelling. The description also teases special announcements and surprises.
When: 2:15 p.m. - 3:15 p.m.
Where: Room 6BCF
Warcraft: The Road to Legion
Who: Alex Afrasiabi (creative director of World of Warcraft), Chris Robinson (senior art director of World of Warcraft), Matt Samia (creative director of World of Warcraft), and James Waugh (director of story & creative development)
What: The team talks about World of Warcraft: Legion's content and takes part in a Q&A session.
When: 3:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Where: Room 6BCF
Re-Imagining Reality: Bringing Games into the Real World with Ingress and Pokémon GO
Who: James Hanke (founder of Ingress and Pokémon Go developer Niantic)
What: An examination of the past, present, and future of extending games beyond the screen with examples from Ingress and Pokémon Go
When: 5 p.m. - 6 p.m.
Where: Room 25ABC
Video Game Comics: Level Up
Who: Ian Tucker (editor at Dark Horse) and representatives from DICE, 343 Industries, Microsoft, Blizzard, and BioWare
What: News and announcements for various video game tie-ins
When: 5 p.m. - 6 p.m.
Where: Room 23ABC
World of Capcom
Who: Matt Dahlgren of Capcom moderates a panel of Capcom team members
What: A look at the latest games lineup from Capcom
When: 5 p.m. - 6 p.m.
Where: Room 7AB
Streetpass San Diego: Gaming Communities and Changing with Time
Who: The admins of Streetpass San Diego: Adolfo Coronel, Michelle Hernandez, Ben Avecilla, Chris McAtamney, and Jahaziel Aguilera. Moderated by Ian Lucky of Kirby's Dream Band and Patient Corgi.
What: A discussion on the problems and solutions of keeping gaming communities alive through adapting to the time. A Q&A will follow the initial discussion.
When: 6 p.m. - 7 p.m.
Where: Pacific 24, North Tower, Marriott Marquis & Marina
Behind The Scenes of Overwatch's Newest Hero
Who: James Waugh (director of story & creative development), Michael Chu (senior designer of Overwatch), and Arnold Tsang (assistant director of Overwatch). Moderated by Kim Phan (senior manager of eSports).
What: A behind-the-scenes look at the process of creating the art, design, and story of the new Overwatch character. A Q&A session will follow.
When: 6:45 p.m. - 7:45 p.m.
Where: Room 6A
On the next page, we look at Friday's panel offerings.
[Source: Sched for Comic-Con 2016]
Friday, July 22
Halo Wars 2: Know Your Enemy
Who: 343 Industries members Frank O'Connor, Dan Ayoub, and Kevin Grace, Dave Wilson of Blur Studio, and actress Erika Soto. Moderated by Kiki Wolfkill.
What: A look at the process of bringing Halo Wars 2 to life including new footage and discussions. The description teases surprises.
When: 10:15 a.m. - 11:15 a.m.
Where: Room 6BCF
Resident Evil's 20th Anniversary
Who: Capcom team members
What: A look at 20 years of Resident Evil and a look ahead at what's in store for fans this year
When: 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Where: Room 6BCF
Injustice 2 Sneak Peek
Who: Ed Boon (creative director) and voice actors George Newbern, Phil LaMarr, and Laura Bailey, as well as potential surprise panelists
What: An exclusive look at the upcoming superhero fighting game including a discussion on new gameplay, features, and customization. The panel will also touch on the comic series that ran alongside the first game, Gods Among Us
When: 12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Where: Room 6DE
Bandai Namco Entertainment Fighting Games 2016
Who: Katsuhiro Harada (Tekken series director), Michael Murray (senior producer at Bandai Namco), and special guests. Moderated by fighting game community leader Mark "MarkMan" Julio
What: A discussion of Tekken 7 including new game updates, and Tekken merchandise. A discussion of the 20th anniversary of the Soulcalibur series will also take place
When: 1 p.m. - 2 p.m.
Where: Room 25ABC
The Art of Video Games
Who: Long Vo (artist of Street Fighter HD Remix) Arnold Tsang (artist on Overwatch), and others
What: A discussion on the artistry behind game design
When: 3 p.m. - 4 p.m.
Where: Room 32AB
Gears, Green Screens & Gaming: Behind the Scenes of Your Favorite Video Games
Who: Austin Wintory (composer of Abzu, Assassin's Creed Syndicate, and more), Neal Acree (composer of World of Warcraft, Overwatch, and more), Eric Grimenstein (senior FX artist at Blizzard), Vince Argentine (CEO of Mocap Militia), and Jesse Harlin (composer of Mafia III and Star Wars: The Old Republic). Moderated by actor Christopher Gorham and publicist Jordan Von Netzer.
What: A look behind-the-scenes of bringing games to life with motion capture producers, composers, artists, and more
When: 4 p.m. - 5 p.m.
Where: Room 29AB
South Park: Season 20
Who: The team behind South Park with special guest panelists. Moderated by Chris Hardwick
What: A celebration of 20 years of South Park and an exclusive look at the upcoming game, South Park: The Fractured But Whole. A Q&A session will follow the initial discussion
When: 5 p.m. - 6 p.m.
Where: Hall H
Writing for the Computer Gaming Industry
Who: Neal Hallford (Betrayal at Krondor: Remastered), Chris Avellone (Divinity: Original Sin), Anne Toole (Horizon Zero Dawn), John Zuur Platten (Ingress), Geoffrey Thorne (The Librarians), Jean Leggett (Betwixt), and Blair Leggett (StoryStylus). Moderated by Jana Hallford (Swords & Circuitry: A Designers Guide to Computer Role-Playing Games)
What: A discussion of the panelists experiences in writing and creating storytelling for video games
When: 5 p.m. - 6 p.m.
Where: Room 9
Community Video Gaming, Local LAN and Live Events
Who: Local gaming insiders
What: A discussion of the gaming scene in San Diego and an informational session on how you can get involved
When: 7 p.m. - 8 p.m.
Where: Pacific 24, North Tower, Marriott Marquis & Marina
Creating Your Own Universe
Who: James Lopez (creator of Hullabaloo), Mark Murphy (co-creator of Neil deGrasse Tyson Presents: Space Odyssey), Peter S. Beagle (author of The Last Unicorn), and representatives from HTC Vive and Samsung Gear VR. Moderated by Len Win (co-creator of Swamp Thing and Wolverine)
What: A look at what it takes to create a universe, whether in comics, novels, gaming, TV, film, or VR
When: 7:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Where: Room 5AB
Mega64 Rogue Two Galactic Civil War Trilogy Reboot
Who: The cast and crew of Mega64 including Rocco Botte, Derrick Acosta, Shawn Chatfield, Garrett Hunter, and Eric Baudour
What: A look at some new videos and secrets
When: 8 p.m. - 9 p.m.
Where: Room 6DE
On the next page, we look at Saturday's offerings.
[Source: Sched for Comic-Con 2016]
Saturday, July 23
Career Paths into Game Development
Who: Chris Avellone (writer, co-founder of Obsidian), Morgan Romine (FragDolls founder, director of initiatives at AnyKey), Martine Spaans (owner of Tamalaki), and Peter Alau (business developer at Crytek). Moderated by Kate Edwards (executive director of the International Game Developers Association)
What: A panel focused on what it takes to launch a game development careers and them any paths you can take to achieving your goals
When: 12 p.m. - 1 p.m.
Where: Room 28DE
Game On: Teach Students to Create Content-Themed Games
Who: Illya Kowalchuk (director of education at Pop Culture Classroom), Adam Kullberg (PCC's education program manager), Layman Kingsford (Elf Quest Adventure Game, HouseBoy, Dog Walker)
What: A discussion on how teachers can use game design to enhance content retention and strengthen essential student skills
When: 12 p.m. - 1 p.m.
Where: Shiley Special Events, San Diego Central Library
NASA & Angry Birds on a Journey to Mars
Who: Kjell Lindren (NASA Johnson Space Center), Bobak Ferdowsi (Mohawk Guy, flight systems engineer at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory), Jay Falker (early stage portfolio executive, space technology mission directorate NASA), Ville Heijari (CMO at Rovio Games). Moderated by Phil Hickey
What: Rovio and NASA discuss their collaboration on learning about Mars. The panel will include video content and a special preview of a new NASA and Angry Birds short called Rocket Science Show: Next Stop Mars
When: 1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Where: Room 5AB
Creating Immersive Game Story
Who: Chris Avellone (Divinity: Original Sin 2, Pillars of Eternity, Fallout: New Vegas), Leah Hoyer (Guild Wars 2, Quantum Break), and Elbert Perez (HTC Vive, Xbox)
What: A discussion of strategies and challenges for making innovative game narratives
When: 2 p.m. - 3 p.m.
Where: Room 28DE
World of Monster Hunter
Who: Capcom team members
What: A behind-the-scenes look at Monster Hunter Generations for 3DS. The description teases exclusive new footage, announcements, and special surprises
When: 3 p.m. - 4 p.m.
Where: Room 25ABC
20 Years of Tomb Raider: Lara Croft's Multimedia Empire
Who: Camilla Luddington (voice and performance artist for Lara Croft), Noah Hughes (franchise creative director), and Andy Park (comic and concept artist)
What: A panel that explores Lara Croft's appearances in video games, comics, movies, and more
When: 3:30 p.m - 4:30 p.m.
Where: Room 24ABC
The Road to Pro-Gaming and E-Sports
Who: Joshua Gray (ESL creative producer), James Bardolph (FACEIT media VP/Eleague shoutcaster), Christina Alejandre (e-league general manager), Jace Hall (EchoFox CEO), and Dennis Fong (Raptr CEO). Moderated by Fast Company's Susan Karlin
What: A discussion on the landscape of pro gaming and what it takes to get into the industry
When: 4:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Where: Room 24ABC
Pop Culture Influence: Zombie Video Games
Who: Developers of Dead Rising 4, Jesse Metcalfe (actor in the Dead Rising films), Tomas Harlan (producer of the Dead Rising films), Tim Carter (writer/producer of the Dead Rising films), and Greg Miller (Kinda Funny Games)
What: A look at how zombies have penetrated every avenue of entertainment. The team behind Dead Rising 4 will also debut new video from the game
When: 5 p.m. - 6 p.m.
Where: Room 25ABC
How to Get a Job in Video Games
Who: A panel of industry insiders. Moderated by Francis Mao
What: A discussion of how to get into the industry and what a day in the life of a person working in the video game industry looks like
When: 6 p.m. - 7 p.m.
Where: Room 25ABC
Ready Writer One: How to Write for Video Games
Who: Andy Schmidt (Transformers: Devastation)
What: A panel examining the ins and outs of writing for video games and how it differs from writing for other media
When: 8 p.m. - 9 p.m.
Where: Room 30CDE
On the final page, we run down the full offerings for the final day of SDCC 2016.
[Source: Sched for Comic-Con 2016]
Sunday, July 24
Lego Dimensions
Who: Key members of TT Games' development team, voice talent
What: A look at the expanding world of Lego Dimensions including a new trailer, new characters, and new features. All attendees will receive a limited edition Green Arrow minifigure
When: 11:15 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.
Where: Room 6DE
Crackle Dead Rising: Endgame
Who: Jesse Metcalfe (actor), Marie Avgeropoulos (actor), Jessica Harmon (actor), Keegan Connor Tracy (actor), Pat Williams (director), Tim Carter (co-writer and producer), and Tomas Harlan (executive producer)
What: A discussion about the recent film release
When: 12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Where: Room 8
Assassin's Creed Last Descendants Author Matthew J. Kirby
Who: Aymar Azaizia (head of content), Andrien Gbinigie (community manager), and Matthew J. Kirby (author of novel series Last Descendants)
What: A discussion of bringing the Assassin's Creed games to life through books. Prizes will be awarded to Assassin's Creed cosplayers
When: 2:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Where: Room 23 ABC
Pac-Man to Mario: Retro Video Games and Video Game History
Who: Pat Contri (author of Ultimate Nintendo: Guide to the NES Library and Pat the NES Punk), James Rolfe (The Angry Video Game Nerd, Cinemassacre), Ian Ferguson (Completely Unnecessary Podcast), Andre Meadows (Black Nerd Comedy), and Dan Eardley (Pixel Dan toy reviews)
What: A look at the rich history of video games and an exploration of the draw they've held over the years. The panel will also include a brief overview of video game history as well as a recent discussion on the recent resurgence of retro gaming
When: 3 p.m. - 4 p.m.
Where: Room 32AB
Geektastic Careers in Video Game Media
Who: Genese Davis (The Holder's Dominion) Michael Annetta (Nevermind, Flying Mollusk), Kiri Callaghan (Geek and Sundry Kiriosity), and Aaron Carter (Video Game Bang)
What: A look at the ins and outs for breaking in and producing quality content including tips, tricks, and dos & don'ts.
When: 4 p.m. - 5 p.m.
Where: Room 29AB
[Source: Sched for Comic-Con 2016]
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