Microsoft Pushes Gaming Technology Event into 2010

For the time being, Microsoft has kept “2009” for what should now be Gamefest 2010. However, the Redmond company did announce that its gaming technology event had been pushed back into the next twelvemonth. Rather than holding Gamefest 2009 by the end of this year, the software giant revealed that the conference was re-scheduled for the start of 2010. The company explained that the new date for the event was the logical response to the feedback received from its partners.

“Gamefest is Microsoft’s premier conference on game development, and so it should revolve around game developers. We sought out feedback from developers who attended Gamefest 2008 and we found that, given development schedules and ship dates, the conference would be more impactful if held earlier in the calendar year rather than right before the busy holiday season. We are taking that feedback seriously and adjusting the timing of Gamefest to better accommodate developers’ schedules and offer the best experience possible,” Kathleen Sanders, XNA community manager, explained.

Held in July 2008, the Gamefest 2008 event was focused on the evolution of Microsoft's graphics technology and the upcoming DirectX 11. The successor of DirectX 10 will be made available not only for Windows 7, the next iteration of the Windows client, but also for its precursor, Windows Vista. Of course, just as it was the case with DirectX 10, Windows XP continues to be left out when it comes down to the next stage in the development of DirectX.

“Rather than say 'SURPRISE! GAMEFEST IS TODAY!' we opted to plan to hold the next Gamefest in the first quarter of 2010. In the meantime, we are committed to keeping developers for Microsoft platforms on the edge of technology innovation, and we will be exploring opportunities to provide updates through Live Meetings, Web seminars, and of course, through XNA Creators Club Online.While we haven’t officially locked on a date, you can expect Gamefest to be held in the earlier part of 2010,” Sanders concluded.