Video Game Developers Descend on Moscone

The 2009 Video Game Developers Conference kicked off today, and so the city is more filled than usual with the designers and programmers who bring you everything from Grand Theft Auto to iPhone Tetris. The economy is expected to impact travel budgets and bring attendance in perhaps just under last year's, at around 18,000. Workshops on the first day included several related to creating games for the iPhone and iPod Touch. The video game industry has seen consistent year-over-year growth ($21 billion in 2008) so expect to see the hotel bars and downtown restaurants chock full of gaming geeks.