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Art
A Deep Dive into Technical Art
Does technical art seem mysterious and confusing? And why is everyone looking for it? During this talk Nina discusses what technical art is, the history behind how technical art started and how they fit into larger developer teams. Including examples & practical advice on cultivating a technical art skillset.
Session Takeaway
- An understanding of what technical art is & it’s history
- The skills needed to be a technical artist
- Approaching a problem from a technical art perspective
Building Cohesive Worlds with Traditional and Emerging Art Pipelines
This session is about world building and asset creation using traditional handcrafted art, photogrammetry, and Houdini driven tools. It is a demonstration of how a mid-sized team created lush expansive levels efficiently, with a high level of quality, yet remained flexible for design iteration. We will look at content creation, object placement, and play space creation via an intriguing fusion of methodologies.
The team will give insight into a broad range of artistic challenges, and our solutions to them. We used an interesting bag of tools to create an English village, assemble stone structures, ensure accuracy in vegetation ecosystems, and build entire levels. We will go through various case studies in the creation of both natural and man-made areas from one of Rebellion’s upcoming games. (Currently unannounced!)
Session Takeaway
- Be clear on your vision, and what you want to achieve with your art
- Be flexible in your approach to art creation, and open to new methodologies
- Save time on the tricky and tedious bits, then spend that time on the fun stuff!
Everything I Learned Making Art for Illustrative Styles
With a stylised art direction, art which looks good in a screenshot isn't necessarily what makes for great art in motion. And, as we found out in a fast paced action game, can be complete cognitive overload . Oh no, we've overwhelmed the player! What are we going to do now?
Aubrey McCarthy will take you through 3 games worth of learning about illustrative art styles. Drawing from Rollerdrome, OlliOlli World, and John Wick Hex's development. Come learn practical lessons on what it's like to make a video game which audiences will look at and think is hand drawn.
Looking different requires a different art creation approach. As well as throwing up a abundance of visual challenges. This talk will help you navigate some of the early pitfalls you'll likely fall into.
Session Takeaway
- How we arrived at our illustrative art styles, things to consider when choosing your own, and how to make your life easier if you do
- Colours: Where art meets science. How to make colours do heavy lifting for you.
- Detail: How to balance making a game which is visually rich and stylised, while still looking great and not overwhelming in action.
Method & Madness: The Rocksteady Approach To Material Layering
A look at Rocksteady's journey into Material Layering, and the system we created to support character customisation. The "quality first" design philosophy and how we created and leveraged tools to create Rocksteady's highest fidelity characters ever! We will cover the rocky beginnings, the conversion of a team into Material Layering and the lessons we learned in the process, as well as the system's strengths and successes as well as its limitations and the aspects that could have been better.
Session Takeaway
- An overview of the character creation process at Rocksteady, with a focus on Materials & Textures
- An understanding of the challenges involved in creating a Material Layering pipeline almost from scratch
- How to overcome a team's initial resistance in order to successfully implement a new and "weird" pipeline
- A chance to peek under the hood and see how the system works
Mobile Game Artist: 2024 Edition
I will use my experience to offer practical advice on achieving success in every stage of your career as a mobile game artist, lead artist and art director. I'll talk about the current state of the industry and the ways AI tools are transforming the art pipeline and a required skill set. I will explore the challenging decision many artists face in their careers: whether to become a manager or focus on their artistic craft.
This session will primarily focus on mobile game development, given my background.
Session Takeaway
- Up-to-date advice on building a career in mobile game art
- Information on the impact of AI tools and how to adjust to the changes
- Advice on approaching an artist/manager dilemma
The Weird Science of Creature Design
Creature design is a weird science and YOU are the mad professor! Designing unholy abominations may be fun, but it is also hard work. There is method to the madness. Creature designers combine knowledge of real world animals and fantastic ideas with clear and communicative sketching. In this lecture, Molly Heady-Carroll will take you through the entire gruesome process of designing creatures. Her methods may be unconventional, but her creations might just be crazy enough to work. It's alive… IT'S ALIVE!
Session Takeaway
- DESIGN: creature design requires an evaluation, ideation, prototyping and testing cycle, just like the design thinking cycle that is applied to game design. Nature also "designs" her animals in the same way. Animals are an iteratively tested solution (evolution) within a design system (ecology). Every animal is a design loop (species) that works for one of millions of very specific circumstances (niche).
- ZOOLOGY: nature has millions of species and all are a functioning solution to fill a niche. You know they work because they exist in real life. Having an extensive knowledge of real world animals provides creature designers with a mental library of real world possibilities they can draw from for their fictional designs. Artist can do this by researching animal zoology, observation and life drawing.
- DRAWING: focus on how well you can design imaginary animals, how well you can communicate through drawing and that you can do this fast. Clear visual communication is NOT the same thing as being good at rendering. Creating a functioning, appropriate concept comes first, polish and rendering is the polish on an already functioning foundation. It won't save a bad design.
Unlocking The Power Of Paintings in ‘Please, Touch The Artwork 2’ (a double post mortem)
Solo-dev Thomas Waterzooi will explore the intersection of modern artist James Ensor’s paintings and accessible, yet deep, mobile game design. The session serves as a practical case study for game developers seeking insights into bridging traditional art with interactive experiences, but also designing for mobile. He’ll discuss and compare the different challenges faced during development of the first game versus the second game, and share things learned from his journey as a solo-developer, winning the Google Play Indie festival in 2022 and securing a Apple Design award nomination. From finding funding, game-design, PR, marketing to releasing a game on Steam, mobile, Nintendo Switch, and efforts post-release, there are lots of takeaways from this talk.
Session Takeaway
- How to stand out in an overcrowded gaming-landscape
- General insights into what it takes to be a solo-dev indie.
- Techniques to adapt public domain art into (mobile) games.
VFX Roundtable
An opportunity for VFX artists of all levels to meet and exchange knowledge and wisdom, and discuss the various challenges we have to deal with in our careers.
Non VFX artists are also welcome to come and gain an insight into how to work closely with their VFX colleagues to create visually stunning (and bug free) games!
Session Takeaway
- You will have a better idea of how VFX artists work in other studios
- You will get helpful advice about best practise in project and asset organisation
- You will get some tips to improve communication with other departments in your workplace
Audio
Alan Wake II: Staying in the Light on the Journey to Building an Audio Team & Achieving a Vision
Join Remedy Entertainment's Audio Director, Richard Lapington, and Senior Development Manager, Anika Neubert, as they explore the intricate interplay between audio vision, leadership, team dynamics, and meeting shipping deadlines. In this insightful session, they will dissect their approach to developing the BAFTA award winning audio of Alan Wake 2, offering valuable insights into the challenges and strategies involved in bringing the game's auditory experience to life.
Session Takeaway
- Creative Audio Vision: Gain insights into how we bring our audio vision to life for our development team.
- Collaborative Efforts: Discover how our collaboration between Audio and Production drives the unique needs of audio development.
- Innovative Team Building: Discover how we foster teamwork in the complex audio work environment.
- Effective Strategies: Learn about the strategies we've employed to overcome the distinctive challenges of the audio development cycle.
Avatar: Frontiers of Sound Propagation
New gen consoles and modern GPU hardware have opened new opportunities for how sound propagation can be handled in games. In Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, these new opportunities sent the sound crew on a journey to the realms of raytracing and voxelized path finding, towards the ultimate goal: a real-time propagation solution providing an obstruction and occlusion simulation that’s scalable, supports dynamic environments, uses existing data, requires no baking steps, no adding of rooms and portals, or tagging materials with absorption values. Spoiler alert: they did not quite get there! However, in this talk, two senior members of the audio team will present their intriguing and impressive final solution sharing what they learned along the way.
Session Takeaway
- Hear how Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora utilizes GPU raytracing for sound propagation.
- Learn how the team's understanding of obstruction, occlusion and attenuation changed through the development.
- Gain insights into the iterative workflow between audio code and sound design.
Battlefield 2042 - Growing the Audio Experience Through an Evolving Game
In this talk Danijel Djuric, DICE Sr Sound Designer, and Rasmus Thorup, DICE Sound Designer, will discuss working with audio in a game that continues to live and evolve after its release. How we adapted to a new perspective after the complex launch of Battlefield 2042. How we worked in a truly live environment balancing the player's real time feedback with the areas of biggest positive impact. And how we continued to evolve the sound and music of 2042 as the creative vision for the game continued to grow and develop post launch.
Session Takeaway
- Challenges of evolving the game audio vision with real time player feedback.
- Learning to pick your fights, what will result in the most “bang for the buck”?
- Daring to do things differently, engaging the players.
- Adapting to a new perspective of the game post launch.
Elevating Diegetic Music – Tuning into Dead Island 2’s Identity
Embark on an intriguing exploration of diegetic music through the lens of Dead Island 2 and its influences, as the Dambuster Audio team discuss evolving diegetic music beyond conventional boundaries. This often-untapped methodology is explored as they delve into creating unique cinematic moments, employing non-traditional implementation techniques, and collaborating across departments to achieve the standout moments of Dead Island 2.
Attendees are invited to unravel the concept of 'diegetic blurring' and its transformative impact on Dead Island 2's music design. Instances are explored where diegetic music seamlessly contributes to character development and enhances gameplay. Additionally, the team will share insights into using non-music technology to vividly depict the vibrant cultural environments.
The talk also touches on the practical aspects of production in diegetic music, from crafting bespoke assets to navigating the intricacies of working with licensed music. This is an insightful journey into the world of game diegesis, with practical learnings focused on increasing player immersion and drama, providing valuable takeaways for those eager to delve into the intricacies of diegetic soundscapes.
Session Takeaway
- How to approach the creative decisions and production of diegetic music in new and exciting ways.
- Implementation techniques that go beyond the normal radio/playlist approach and how these techniques inform the creative decisions.
- Learn varied approaches to presenting diegetic music to the player that provide more bang for buck.
- Insights into the developer experience of using licensed music, including the creative process and logistical implications.
From Ka to Boom – General Learnings From Creating an Explosion Sound Library
Expert sound designer and recordist Mattia Cellotto’s renowned sound libraries are used the world over in all manner of audio projects. In this insightful session he’ll lift the hood to reveal his planning, process, and post-production to execute on carefully considered design goals determined long before hitting record. Drawing on his recent experiences creating and recording explosions in a number of extraordinary locations using an impressive array of equipment, as well as other projects, he’ll guide you with tips, tricks and learnings to inspire and encourage you to successfully follow in his footsteps.
Session Takeaway
- Planning and executing complex recording sessions.
- Selecting audio equipment and tools based on the specific goals set for creating a sound library.
- Editing and processing content for the purpose of tailoring it to a specific aesthetic.
- High level tips on creative sound design.
Music of the Orbs: Real-time Synthesis in COCOON
Composer / programmer Jakob Schmid will discuss the motivation and benefits of using real-time synthesis for COCOON’s critically acclaimed game music, explaining the structure and operation of the instruments, how they are set up in FMOD Studio, and how they react to input from the game, focusing on a few experimentally developed control methods that might prove useful for any game audio developer.
Session Takeaway
- Learn how a soundtrack for a 5 hour game can be generated by 5 MB of plugins.
- Learn simple and effective methods for controlling synthesizer plugins.
- See an example of how a synthesizer design can be prototyped in Bitwig Studio.
- Gain insight in how a Bitwig Grid prototype is implemented as an FMOD plugin.
- Learn how the internal state of audio plugins can be debugged on Windows.
Task Force SFX: Exploring the Sound of Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League
Andrew Riley (Audio Director) and the audio team behind Rocksteady's SS:KTJL will take you on a reflective journey through the intricate sonic design behind the game. Starting from the key audio pillars and team ethos, we will explode selected key areas of the sound through to release. All the time looking at the creative and technical challenges we faced while we approached these areas, how we overcame them and how the challenges of reality alongside the initial intent of the pillars fundamentally shaped the realisation of the project.
Session Takeaway
- Learn about the value of setting out clear pillars at the start of of a project and how to work with them through the life of a project
- Be inspired and motivated by the Rocksteady audio team explaining their approach to sound design and mixing
- Learn about some key areas of sound design and how to record EVERYTHING on a AAA project
Business
BAFTA Games: How We Can All Level the Playing Field
Improving social mobility within the games industry is important now more than ever before. But how can we all play our part in levelling the playing field? In this talk, you will gain insights from other industries on how they identified issues and worked to rectify them as well as receive the opportunity to ask questions yourself. You will also get a short live demonstration of BAFTA’s Invisible Barriers resource, an interactive guide to assist hirers in the screen industries to support individuals from low socio-economic backgrounds.
Session Takeaway
- What actions have been taken to improve social mobility in other creative industries?
- How can we all play a part in the games industry when it comes to social mobility and why is it important?
- What is BAFTA doing in this area?
Dropping the Mask: Neuro-Inclusion for Wellbeing, Productivity and Staff Retention
Game development has long been recognized as a neurodiverse industry, but when neurodivergent people don’t feel supported or are afraid to be authentic to themselves in the workplace this can lead to ‘masking’ (hiding of neurodivergent traits that may be stigmatized) and burnout. In turn this has a detrimental effect on productivity and staff retention. Lab42 Games Studio Director Terry Goodwin, and Studio Neurodiversity Champion Cindy Archer explain what steps Lab42 has taken to create a safe and supportive workplace for its neurodivergent community to ‘unmask’ and reach their true potential.
Session Takeaway
- Our industry is far above the average for neurodiverse workers, and that’s okay
- An understanding of how common causes of neurodiversity related inefficiencies in a development environment are affecting your margins, and your staff retention
- Practical suggestions of small, medium and large changes you can make to your studio to support neurodivergent people and unlock their potential
How to Grow a Game Studio Through Challenging Times
Launched in 2015 by Lionhead alumni, Glowmade has grown to become a team of 60+ developers - but the journey has not always been easy. The Guildford-based game studio has weathered storms, made mistakes and learned from them, but is now thriving with the studio growing in size, and working on an exciting new IP which will be published by Amazon Games.
In this session Glowmade Studio Head Jonny Hopper presents a candid story about how to build and grow a studio through turbulent times, and how embracing core values and creating a positive culture is essential to success.
Session Takeaway
- Launching and growing a studio
- Adapting a business throughout turbulent times
- Defining company values
- The importance of staying honest and humble
How to Make Money in XR - 10 Tips for Success
What to expect:
- Learn from the best: Gain insights from David's extensive experience in traditional and XR game development.
- Master the XR: Understand the unique challenges and opportunities presented by AR and VR compared to "pancake" games.
- Become market savvy: Analyze successful VR/AR titles to identify winning genres, price points, and features.
- Embrace interactivity: Explore innovative interaction mechanics used in games like Walking Dead and Gorilla Tag.
- Craft remarkable experiences: Leverage VR/AR tech to create unique and unforgettable gameplay moments.
- Fuel your marketing engine: Discover social media strategies, targeted advertising, and impactful campaigns to reach your audience.
- Build for stability: Ensure a smooth and seamless experience with rock-solid performance and intuitive controls.
- Passion is key: Find a project that fuels your creative fire and leverages your expertise.
- Forge powerful partnerships: Learn how to build strong relationships with key players in the XR ecosystem.
- Market like a pro: Optimize your marketing spend for maximum impact and trackable results.
Session Takeaway
- Make something that's better in XR
- Make something there is an audience for
- Market it in the right way
Key Insights and Takeaways from My Kickstarter Journey
Last year, I embarked on a Kickstarter campaign and encountered a steep learning curve that encompassed everything from the critical importance of pre-campaign initiatives to the intricacies of setting up a compelling preview page, designing the page and rewards, and strategically planning stretch goals. I’m giving this talk to highlight several dos and don'ts and share these lessons and insights with anyone considering launching their own Kickstarter, aiming to equip you with the knowledge and strategies to navigate your campaign more effectively.
Session Takeaway
- Strategies to effectively build and engage a community before launching a Kickstarter campaign, including targeted advertising and email list growth techniques.
- Best practices for designing a captivating Kickstarter page, setting attractive rewards, and planning stretch goals to motivate backers.
- Insights into managing the live campaign through social media, cross-promotions, and navigating post-campaign logistics for continued success.
Maximising Impact with AI: Ethical Strategies for Developing a Top-Rated Game on a Modest Budget
The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) has been unstoppable, promising game developers a slew of transformative and time-saving benefits, yet for many, quality, ethical, and legal concerns stop them from integrating AI into their workflows. This session will explore how vTime Games used its proprietary AI tech stack ethically to create a 4.9/5 VR game on a modest budget, giving the team more time for the polish and feature additions that have seen it capture the hearts of its players.
Discover how we used innovative AI tech, including sentiment analysis and text-to-speech tools, to streamline the development process for Border Bots VR, resulting in significant time and cost savings. Learn how AI enabled our characters to express a wide range of emotions on a budget, making them feel alive and fostering a unique connection with players. Explore how we combined AI capabilities with real voice actors, striking a balance between technological efficiency and the irreplaceable human touch. In this talk, we’ll share insights into how these innovations not only elevate game design and development but can also offer players engaging, interactive, and personalised gaming experiences beyond the average development budget.
Session Takeaway
- Discover strategies for utilising AI to achieve top-tier game quality without overspending.
- Learn how AI tools like sentiment analysis and text-to-speech can optimise development workflows without replacing roles by augmenting your capabilities, elevating your game from good to exceptional.
- Explore how AI, combined with voice acting, can accelerate the creation of characters that resonate deeply with players, enhancing emotional connection.
Onboarding the Next Generation of Games Talent
The first members of Generation Z are approaching working age, and Generation Alpha are not far behind. The video game industry must adapt to attract, develop, and retain these future generations who have different motivations, values, and expectations around work. Studios that don't evolve their talent strategies risk missing out on an incredible pool of diverse, creative thinkers.
We will explore how the industry currently engages with young talent and provide practical takeaways for teams looking to work with the next generation of video game professionals, including those who may be unsure about taking any early steps into a career in games.
The talk will be delivered by mayamada co-founder Nigel Twumasi, who will explore the strategies needed to understand these generations' values and provide meaningful development opportunities. He will provide insight from his experiences working with young people through mayamada’s youth workshop delivery and Showrunners Work Experience programme.
For over 7 years, they have worked with young people across creative industries and bring a deep understanding of what motivates young talent that video game leaders can apply to their team-building process. By better understanding what drives the next generation and effectively partnering with grassroots organisations, the games industry can build an ecosystem to nurture young diverse talent. This will help fuel innovation, improve games, and create more inclusive workplaces.
Ultimately, our industry benefits from the continued injection of fresh ideas and perspectives, and there is much we can learn from younger generations if we can better understand how to effectively engage with the workforce of the foreseeable future.
Session Takeaway
- Identifying the hurdles to attracting and retaining Gen Z and Alpha talent to video game roles.
- What young talent can bring to improve game development, and where they fall short.
- Building the ecosystem: How to effectively partner with youth and grassroots organisations for a robust talent pipeline.
- Practical steps both game studios and young developers can take today to cultivate an inclusive, diverse and creative work environment.
Shaping Your Future: Ukie is Here to Help
After the exponential growth during a pandemic, the games industry has faced significant headwinds this year. From industry layoffs to a tight finance market, 2024 is proving to be a challenging year for UK games businesses. Ukie’s new CEO, Nick Poole, provides an assessment of the key challenges that industry is facing now, how Ukie plans to support developers over the next twelve months and why collective action is the key to unlocking government support for the next five years.
Session Takeaway
- The key trends shaping our industry in the next 12 months
- How can Ukie support developers in overcoming these challenges
- What can we collectively call for from Government to help the sector grow
Stuck in the Middle With You: Translating Between Business and Creativity as a Producer
A game producer’s role is an ill defined thing: Is it operational? Is it commercial? Is it creative? Is it organisational? Is it facilitation? Is it all of the above?
Drawing on a 17-year career ranging from work-for-hire production, game design and indie games, ustwo games Lead Producer John Lau sketches out a way of understanding the producer’s role not just as an organiser, but as a translator between two uneasy allies: the creativity of a game team, and the logistical realities of the businesses that employ them.
Session Takeaway
- Developing a commercial literacy helps a producer understand their stakeholder’s problems. Understanding your stakeholder’s problems allows you to do your job better.
- Understand that the ideal situation for a business is for things to be perfectly predictable. Not only is that impossible, it’s the opposite of what your team needs to be creative.
- Reframe conflicts between commercial and creative as mismatches of language: always try to translate the problems of one into the language of the other.
The Art of Leading Leaders
Executives and senior leaders are required to manage people who are experts in their respective fields, bringing together a variety of diverse (and often conflicting) points of view, and enabling them to output the highest quality work collaboratively.
This is no small feat. And not something most leaders are explicitly trained to do.
In this session, we’ll explore six key competencies that will allow you to confidently lead people who know more than you, in ways that empower everyone to succeed.
Session Takeaway
Learn how to:
- Use Trust as a framework for feedback and management
- Ask the right questions to unlock your team’s full potential
- Understand how small tweaks in your behaviour have an outsized impact on your team
The Games Industry 2024 Survival Guide
'Survive 2024' is a phrase that's been discussed a lot in the early months of this year, but now we've reached the halfway point (or at least we will have by the time we're in Brighton), it's worth sharing what we have learned in order ensure more businesses make it safely and comfortably to 2025.
GamesIndustry.biz editor-in-chief James Batchelor invites an array of industry veterans and up-and-coming entrepreneurs - both in the room, and via video - to share their best advice for games businesses looking to weather this tumultuous time in the industry - from how to make your teams more efficient, to how to future-proof your talent base and your product pipeline, and more.
Session Takeaway
- Hear advice from the best in the business on how to fortify your business in tough times
- Learn more about how successful games studios have dealt with the many difficulties presented by 2024 so far
- Leave with an optimistic outlook on how the industry and your business can thrive in 2025 and beyond
The Realities of Starting a Game Studio - From Knowing Nothing to Too Much
Join us for an intimate fireside chat with Abu, the visionary founder of Surgent Studios, where a simple idea blossomed into an immersive game. Abu will recount the journey from concept to shipping, exploring the challenges and triumphs of scaling a studio from a team of four to forty. Delve into the intricacies of running a studio, from securing funding to fostering a culture of innovation.
Explore The Legacy of Kenzera: Zau, a game that delves deep into themes of grief and loss within African culture and mythology. Discover how personal experiences influenced its mechanics and art style, infusing raw emotion into interactive gameplay while drawing inspiration from diverse traditions and folklore.
Whether you're an aspiring developer or a seasoned professional, this chat promises to reignite your passion for game development and inspire your own journey. Join Abu as he reveals the realities, challenges, and joys of bringing dreams to life in the dynamic world of gaming.
Session Takeaway
- Understand Game Development: Learn how games are made, from idea to launch, handling challenges, growing a team, and fostering creativity.
- Personal Stories Influence: See how personal experiences and culture shape games, affecting themes, mechanics, art, and storytelling.
- Get Inspired: Feel encouraged to start making games with practical tips, real stories, and a focus on storytelling's power in gaming.
The Truth About The 4 Day Work Week
This session is not about highlighting the obvious benefits of a 4 Day Work Week. It's about the rarely discussed negatives.
After running an 18 month 4 Day Work Week trial, BULKHEAD made it a permenant benefit for their staff. The 4 Day Work Week isn't perfect, but you'll struggle to find an article, paper, or report of anyone shedding light on the down sides of running a 4 Day Work Week. In this session Joe Brammer the Studio Lead of BULKHEAD opens the books and discusses all the gory details of their 18 month trial and subsequently how they graduated from trial to permenancy.
This talk is for everyone who has even the slightest bit of intrigue in changing from the 9-5 Monday to Friday that the working world opted into in the 1920s. Not only does Joe discuss their findings and results, Joe will also be sharing the alternatives they considered in an effort to 'rethink' the way we work.
With such an evocative topic, there will be lots of time at the end for questions.
Session Takeaway
- Fundamentals of The 4 Day Work Week
- A clear picture of the negative impacts The 4 Day Work Week
- How BULKHEAD chose to roll out their trial and subsequent new contracts
- Easy mistakes to make!
You’re Expensive for Just Dealing With Pronouns and Wokeness: The Real Cost of Workplace Inclusion
In a rapidly changing world, businesses on the surface seem to be stepping back from diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts and investments, while much our newly emerging talent in the job market is specifically seeking working environments with proven track records of prioritising the emotional and psychological safety of their people. Are inclusive practices really "too expensive" for business or have we been lead to think about this from the wrong angle?
This talk asks and seeks to answer the questions:
- Within this precarious market, are short-term savings costing us greatly in the long run, and are we missing out on opportunities to attract critical talent into our businesses by discounting inclusive working practices as simply "pronouns and wokeness"?
- What is the cost for companies who opt not to invest in people-first mechanisms and support, materially, financially, legally, reputationally and emotionally?
- Are inclusive practices really "too expensive" for business or have we been lead to think about this from the wrong angle?
Session Takeaway
- Taking inclusion seriously as a strategic component of business planning and analysis.
- The different ways in which overlooking, or down playing, the important of inclusive practices in the workplace, costs the business as a whole.
- The value of investing in people today paying dividends in products, reputation, and talent in the future.
Coding
Assassin’s Creed Nexus VR: Delivering A Performant Living World in Mobile VR
This session will explore the ways that the team behind Assassin’s Creed Nexus VR worked to bring a AAA experience from a much-loved franchise into mobile VR, and used the limitations of the Quest 2 as an opportunity to think innovatively to build an immersive living world.
It will include tangible examples with gameplay footage and performance numbers, and will also explore how the team looked into the franchise’s history (Assassin’s Creed Unity) to elevate the experience.
Session Takeaway
- Understand the challenges and trade-offs involved in achieving AAA quality in mobile VR
- Learn techniques to boost performance without sacrificing NPC fidelity
- Discover what it takes to achieve realistic NPC reactions in VR
Directional Light Shadows Compute Time-Slicing Optimization
In UE5, sun directional shadow calculations are expensive, even when using predominantly Nanite assets. Having a day/night cycle and recomputing the sunlight directional shadow every frame is not affordable for most titles.
In our presentation, we outline the problems that Virtual Shadow Maps in UE5 have with the day/night cycle and propose one solution that consists of distributing shadow computation generated by sunlight between multiple frames.
We present potential performance gains that reach up to 70% on shadow computation as well as talk about visual losses that you may get with this algorithm.
We believe that by sharing this idea with developers, we can provide a better understanding of how shadow mapping can be optimized in UE5, as well as in other engines. Furthermore, our goal is to encourage developers to optimize their graphic bottlenecks, so they can gain more frame time budget for other assets and technologies in their games.
Session Takeaway
- Low-level understanding of Virtual Shadow Map (VSM) Clipmap technology in Unreal Engine 5 (UE5) and its limitations
- How to use time-slicing to optimize VSM for a dynamic day-night cycle game in UE5
Future-Proofing Game Dev: Upcoming Trends & Strategies
This talk focuses on future trends in gaming, ensuring your career and game are prepared for what's ahead.
The talk will cover:
- Shift towards procedural generation (PCG) in game development.
- Increasing interconnectivity of IPs, with game assets used in virtual production and more.
- Exploding demand for content and supporting tools.
- Verse and why it will be important in a metaverse age and why they should consider learning it.
- Advantages of publishing to Unreal Engine's Fortnite (UEFN) for visibility and leveraging platform work.
Session Takeaway
Getting Started Developing for Apple Vision Pro Using Unity
In this talk, you'll learn the fundamentals of building to the Apple Vision Pro (or the Apple Vision Pro Simulator) using Unity. We'll explore the different modes of applications you can build for the device, learn about Unity's visionOS support (including Unity's PolySpatial package for visionOS development). You'll learn about the tools and workflows required to deploy to the device, and the samples and templates available to help you get started. This session is your gateway to unlocking the potential of creating immersive applications for Apple's innovative platform.
Session Takeaway
- The different types of applications you can build forApple Vision Pro
- Requirements for visionOS development
- How to deploy your first application to the Apple Vision Pro, using Unity
LLM Agents for QA - Potential & Limitations
With tight deadlines and a constantly evolving game, properly testing a game is challenging. Using AI agents to simplify this work sounds promising, but machine learning is often too slow, and manually implementing the agents takes time. As such, one particularly exciting application for QA is to use Large Language Models (LLMs) as zero-shot game-playing agents. LLM-based agents can play games without pre-training, making them a valuable asset to test a constantly changing game. But how well do they play games? What are their strengths, and what do they struggle with?
In this session, we will review how to implement zero-shot agents with LLMs and show examples of existing LLM-based game-playing agents. We will also show that although these agents have many limitations, they have the potential to be a valuable tool for QA to automate many repetitive tasks.
Session Takeaway
- An overview of the cutting-edge research on LLM-based zero-shot game-playing agents.
- Learn what these agents can do well and what their limitations are.
- Practical tips on how to utilize LLM agents as QA tools.
Practical Machine Learning for Game Developers, Publishers and Studios
A Journey from Theory to App.
Demystify machine learning’s complexities and showcasing its practical applications in game publishing. Starting with a foundational overview of ML concepts, Heimbach shares his journey of fine-tuning a machine learning model, offering a candid post-mortem analysis of the challenges faced and lessons learned. Attendees will gain insights into the iterative process of ML model development, from data gathering and model training to evaluation and fine-tuning, with a focus on actionable strategies and use cases. This talk aims to equip game developers with the knowledge and tools to leverage machine learning in their own projects.
Session Takeaway
- Foundational Understanding: Grasp core ML concepts and how they can be applied to game development.
- Practical Insights: Learn through a real-life case study of developing a machine learning model, including selecting the right algorithms, dealing with data, and overcoming obstacles.
- Actionable Strategies: Discover effective techniques for model evaluation and fine-tuning to enhance game features, such as AI behaviour, content generation, and player experience personalization.
Revolutionising Game Worlds: Development in Emergent AI
Dive into the innovative world of Utility AI and its transformative impact on non-player character (NPC) behaviour in video games with Dr. Vicky Bloom. She brings her expertise in AI and game development to introduce the fundamental concepts of Utility AI. A system that empowers NPCs to make lifelike decisions, providing a significant advancement over traditional AI by providing more dynamic and emergent interactions.
Vicky will introduce Utility AI's basics, including its decision-making models and scoring systems, which enable NPCs to exhibit varied and complex behaviours. She'll share insights from her experience as Lead Software Engineer at Astrid Entertainment, using practical examples from their current game to demonstrate how Utility AI can transform NPC interactions and game worlds.
The session will cover the integration of Utility AI into Unreal game development, focusing on rapid development with plugins and best practices. Attendees will learn how to start with Utility AI, from concept to execution. They will gain a foundation for applying this technology in their projects, paving the way for the next generation of interactive entertainment.
Whether you are a student eager to learn about the cutting edge of game AI, an entry-level developer looking to enhance your skill set, or simply curious about the future of game design, this talk will provide you with a comprehensive introduction to one of the most exciting advancements in game development technology. Don't miss this chance to see how Utility AI can animate your game worlds in new, exciting ways.
Session Takeaway
- An understanding of Utility AI basics and how it creates dynamic NPC behaviour with real-world examples.
- Learn how to seamlessly incorporate Utility AI into Unreal projects, emphasising plugin integration and best practices.
- Gain practical insights from applying Utility AI in Astrid Entertainment's current project, inspiring the creation of captivating game worlds.
Still Wakes the Deep: Tentacles and Water
Still Wakes The Deep is set on an oil rig in the North sea off the coast of Scotland circa December 1975. It’s “The Thing” on an oil rig. The sea, and water in general, plays a big role in our game. Not only are there sprawling vistas of the sea, but you have standing pools of water, flooding rooms and claustrophobic swimming sections.
Water is not your only enemy on the rig – something else came onboard.
For the first part, I will talk about our water implementation, which includes real-time water simulations.
And then in the second part, I will talk about our monsters – in particular procedural animation and how to make them move in a realistic way with their tentacles through a complex environment.
Session Takeaway
- Understand the challenges of having water in a game
- How to implement different kinds of water, including real-time simulated water and dirty water
- See how to make a monster move realistically through a complex environment.
- Niagara Systems and Control Rig in Unreal Engine
Testing Branching Narrative at Scale: Lessons from Mask of the Rose
Projects with complex narratives can be unduly time-consuming to test, requiring multiple human playthroughs for each story choice. Mask of the Rose, a game with thousands of individual choices and millions of unique narrative routes, presented developers Failbetter Games with a serious testing challenge. This talk covers how we addressed the challenge of testing and debugging a branching narrative at tremendous scale, with a guidable random playthrough system that evolved from finding showstopping quest bugs to evaluating the flow of procedurally-generated conversations.
Session Takeaway
- The challenges of testing big narrative games
- The benefits and downsides of manual testing vs automated testing
- Challenges and pitfalls in developing automated testing for narrative-heavy games
Design
Designing a Safer Gaming Environment: How Developers Can Mitigate Real-Life Threats
Join industry veteran Sharon Fisher, Head of Trust & Safety at Keywords Studios, for an enlightening presentation about the untapped potential of community in game development. She'll share five key strategies for constructing a game through a community-centered lens. Learn why crafting your own moderation tools may not be the best strategy and discover how prioritizing community features throughout game design can increase player engagement and reduce real-life threat cases. You'll also gain in-depth insights into how robust community and meticulous moderation can elevate the gaming experience while boosting profitability.
Session Takeaway
After attending this presentation, participants will:
- Understand the importance of incorporating community health principles across all stages of game production to minimize the chances of harmful and illicit content translating into real-world dangers
- Grasp the difficulties associated with creating an in-house moderation platform
- Discover the influence of community features on enhancing player experience, brand reputation, and financial returns
Designing Surprise: Treading The Fine Line Between Delighting and Infuriating Players
Surprise is a crucial part of what it is to be entertained. It can elicit a range of human emotions, from amusement and joy to confusion and fear.
In games, surprise in storytelling is both a powerful and hazardous tool with the potential for a high positive or negative impact on the player experience. Conditions, intensity, delivery, and the players themselves are all factors that influence the outcome of the surprise and must be carefully considered to ensure the desired reaction is achieved.
As part of a Master’s Degree in Indie Game Development at Falmouth Games Academy, Morwenna carried out a research thesis into creating effective surprise and its effects on players, drawing on influences and theories across the sciences and arts, including biology, psychology, narrative, music and game design. The study tested a theoretical framework through a mixed methodology of practice-based and practice-led research and produced some thought-provoking results.
This session provides a fun and accessible overview of the research findings. It proposes a new theory to explain the study findings and a practical model for the intentional design of surprise to understand, identify and minimise the risks that high surprise events can create.
Session Takeaway
- Some of the key physiological, neurological, and behavioural impacts of surprise.
- Some of the ways the human brain interprets sensory data to create assumptions.
- How 1 and 2 may affect and be leveraged in creating engaging experiences.
- The effects of high surprise in contexts of high uncertainty.
- Identifying potential areas of risk in your game.
- Ideas for how mitigate these risks.
Empathy Through XR
How can the development of XR games open conversations around well-being, neurodiversity, and general human to human connection? The possibilities of immersion and embodiment brought about by XR games unlock whole new worlds for non-main stream games. This session explores these ideas and potential.
Sarah from Hatsumi has a body of virtual reality games that has a proven track record of positively impacting the mental health and well-being of individuals of a wide age range. Boo from Way Studio has been pioneering well-being mixed reality experiences, bridging co-production opportunities between Singapore and the UK.
Together, they will be sharing case studies of games they have made, the lessons learnt, and the processes of making these applications. They are hoping to find collaborators and partners who are also interested in exploring possible social prescribing models to further human relationships, understand human experience, and support community and connection, through making VR and MR games.
Session Takeaway
- Exposure to wellbeing-centric VR and MR games
- Impact of virtual reality and mixed reality games
- Experience design notes when creating XR games
KEYNOTE: Crafting Multiplayer Story-centric Experiences: What Makes INTERIOR/NIGHT Tick
INTERIOR/NIGHT's founder and Creative Director Caroline Marchal will discuss why the studio is passionate about interactive narrative, a genre ripe with opportunities, and where it can go: the chance to break the invisible ceiling of video games and appeal to all generations, regardless of players' skills.
She will show how the studio approaches game development for multiplayer interactive narrative experiences and how they design and write with empathy to generate empathy.
Caroline will provide an overview of the team's bespoke development process with examples from As Dusk Falls, their award-winning debut game, and will also discuss why a good story isn't enough. How you play the story and what it reveals about who you are makes it a deep and memorable experience, beyond pure entertainment.
Playing With The House Of Mouse
When being tasked with creating a new innovative game with a 100 year old icon how do you approach it? How do you pay homage to the past but push things forward, In this session I will talk about the creative challenges that came with working and designing Disney Illusion Island and working with Disney Games to create the wonderful world of Monoth.
Session Takeaway
- Working with IP
- Working with Partners
- Game Design Processes
Relationship Storytelling in Games
Drawing not only from the experiences of being design feature lead for romance and companions on Baldur's Gate 3, but also a lifetime of growing up having crushes on fictional characters, I will present an analysis of how we craft interactive relationships which create real parasocial affection in players. This will be part history of romance features in video games, part analysis of why we crave this feature in the first place, and part suggestions for improving on past designs.
Session Takeaway
- This talk will establish some genre definitions and taxonomise types of romance design within gaming history.
- Simulation of romance in video games has historically led so many questioning LGBT+ individuals to have a safe environment with which to run experiments testing their sexuality.
- We are very good at showing escapist visions of relationships in video games, but we are not particularly good at showing the 'ugly'. I will analyse some of my work trying to depict arguments, drifting apart, power imbalances, and sexual trauma within video game relationships - and what those themes mean to players.
- The talk will overall try to provide insight into more realistic ways to think about relationship design - we aren't collecting 'sex' cards like in Witcher 1 any more.
The Longest Game – EVE Online’s Blueprint for Resilient Communities & Enduring Games
How do gaming developers and publishers think about their long-term strategy for success? For Hilmar Veigar Pétursson, CCP Games’ CEO, the longest game is exemplified by the power of strategy, innovation, and teamwork to create lasting entertainment experiences. In this talk, Pétursson will showcase how CCP focuses on community building and nurturing a positive culture through EVE Online’s growth and evolution with its players over time. By examining these principles and tools, Pétursson will showcase how to plan for the future while maximizing the present, ultimately creating better art and entertainment for all.
Session Takeaway
- Best practice for (and importance of) collaborating with players on the development of live titles.
- How to leverage and apply the inherent nature of MMO games as friendship-building engines to improve and enhance both your product and its community.
- The ingredients and grit necessary to create, sustain and grow a longtail game universe with the potential to go on forever.
Tips and Insights on Narrative Design from Leading Writers
Award-winning writers Rhianna Pratchett, Charles Cecil (Revolution, Broken Sword), Paul Cornell (Doctor Who, Marvel) and Judi Alston (Dreaming Methods) share their experiences, insights, learnings and tips for creating high quality narrative games with Dr Jackie Mulligan (Game Republic). The panelists will explore how to make narrative games on a budget, techniques to explore character, using new technology like AI and VR to enhance storytelling in games and trends in narrative design in particular stories being interpreted across multiple media. The session will also include a Q&A.
Host: Dr Jackie Mulligan, Game Republic
Session Takeaway
- Ways to create story-based games on a budget
- Techniques to develop characters in games
- Opportunities and challenges of taking stories into different media
Under Pressure: A Football Manager Narrative Design Journey
Football Manager is a vast sandbox full of endless possibilities, potential, and pressure. Join me on a journey and some of the challenges we face as narrative designers to ensure that setbacks and failure are just as important as progress and success in our parallel worlds, and how different ways of playing the game open up fresh and exciting opportunities for storytelling.
Session Takeaway
- The role of Narrative Design in sandbox games
- The importance of losing/setbacks in the narrative arc
- Solving ongoing Design Challenges in games with no fixed ending
Discoverability
Content Creators Meet Indies with Games to Launch
How do you find and engage the best content creators for your game in 2024?
It's long established that working with content creators is one of the most impactful ways to promote your indie game. But as an indie dev, you may not have the knowledge, time or resources to get to grips with the whole streaming scene and put your game in the right people’s hands.
How do you find the best people to approach for your particular game? How can you package what you’ve got to make it really streamable and exciting to them? What challenges are streamers facing that you might not know about? What kinds of campaigns are there that might work for a game like yours? And what can you do if you have absolutely no marketing budget?
Seasoned creators Hannah Rutherford aka Lomadia and Shaz Shanghari will join Hannah Flynn of Failbetter Games for a panel discussion touching on all of the current best practices for working with streamers and content creators.
Session Takeaway
- How to approach streamers to work on your launch
- Different types of campaign beyond 'please play my game'!
- Best practice for game features that make streamers' lives easy
Cracking Early Access – From Design to Development – Lessons From the Front Line
Do Early Access the right way. Is Early Access right for you? How finished should your game be? How will it impact your games development and future roadmap? How will anyone ever find you?
Russ Clarke CEO and Co-Founder of Payload Studios will answer these questions and many more in this session aimed at studios looking to launch a game into Early Access on Steam.
London-based Payload Studios is launching TerraTech Worlds into Early Access, coming off the back of a top-ten Steam Next Fest performance (#9 out of 1100 demos ranked by followers gained) and building on the legacy of TerraTech, an Early Access success which still sells strongly and maintains a keen community in its 10th year since launch.
Community driven development is in Payload Studios’ DNA and this approach has allowed the studio to sustainably grow to 50+ developers, attract investment and continue to grow its player base and revenue. Clarke will explain why Early Access is a mindset and a methodology which starts long before launch.
Topics:
- What is community driven development and is it right for you?
- Managing community feedback – how do you strike the right balance
- The risk and reward of a detailed public roadmap
- Managing hyper engaged players and what happens if something needs to change
- How to establish your credentials and build momentum as you approach EA
- Using Discord and closed playtests to engage your community
- Steam Next Fest, building wish lists & working with content creators
- What next – the development roadmap after Early Access
Session Takeaway
- How to decide if Early Access is right for your game and studio
- How to embed a true community driven development model
- How to prepare for Early Access to give your game the greatest chance of success
- What next – the development roadmap post Early Access
Dissecting the Marketing Magic Behind Balatro’s Successful Launch
Join Playstack for an insight-packed session delving into the pre-launch marketing strategy that propelled Balatro to commercial success and widely reviewed with critical acclaim.
As an experienced publisher, Playstack understands the importance of working in partnership with developers to execute an impactful launch that gives a game the greatest possible chance for success. In this talk, we’ll unravel the marketing strategies and tactics that led to Balatro becoming the fastest-selling title in our portfolio, doubling its Steam wishlist numbers in the month leading up to release.
By dissecting the anatomy of the successful launch of Balatro, attendees will gain practical insights and actionable strategies to enhance their own marketing efforts. Whether you're a seasoned publisher or an aspiring developer, join us as we unlock the secrets behind a triumphant game launch.
Session Takeaway
- Explore exactly how to utilise influencer marketing to grow your community before launching your game
- Learn critical strategies to increase your Steam wishlisting and conversions
- Discover how to analyse your marketing data and optimise your campaigns for success
- Hear the challenges and learnings from a real-life case study from the launch of Balatro, Playstack’s fastest-selling game to date
Game On: Navigating Crisis with Creative Video Game Marketing Strategies
In this talk, Patty Toledo will dive into the unique world of video game marketing during times of crisis. Discover how to craft compelling marketing campaigns that captivate gamers' hearts and minds, even when the going gets tough and budgets are limited. Patty Toledo will explore innovative approaches to storytelling, community engagement, and digital experiences that can help your game stand out in a saturated market. Learn how to leverage social media, influencer partnerships, and immersive events to build anticipation and loyalty, all while thinking outside the box and maintaining sensitivity to the challenges your audience faces. This presentation will provide game marketers with the insights and inspiration needed to adapt and thrive, turning crisis situations into opportunities for growth and connection.
Session Takeaway
- Adaptability is Key: Emphasis on the importance of being flexible and creative with marketing strategies, especially during crises.
- Community and Storytelling Drive Engagement: Highlight how building a strong community and using compelling storytelling can significantly enhance loyalty and interest in your game.
- Leverage Digital Innovations and Influencer Partnerships: Stress the effectiveness of digital experiences and influencer collaborations in extending the reach and impact of marketing campaigns.
Improved Storefront Visibility - Finding The Right Audience For Your Game
When it comes to storefront optimization everybody plays by their own rules, particularly with indie games. If you look at the store pages for three different indie publishers, you will often see drastic differences in their storefront decision making. How can you find the right path for your game with so many different options at your disposal?
Hooded Horse currently publish 11 of the top 200 most-wishlisted games on Steam. In this session we will dig into what made that possible and discuss how to use the platform tools and partnerships available to optimize the store experience for your games.
Session Takeaway
- Optimize store page design, providing an experience that will best appeal to your target audience.
- Learn to work with your partner managers to amplify your own marketing activities and drive store page visits.
- Improve cross-promotion between your titles to increase your incremental store page visits and wishlists.
TikTok for Discoverability: Content Do’s and Don’ts
TikTok has somehow gotten itself the reputation as the 'scary' app that we, as devs, would prefer not to deal with. However, TikTok is an ever growing social media behemoth that we can no longer skirt around in video game marketing and brand discoverability. Whether you're an indie dev trying to figure it out on your own or a marketer with a team beside you, this talk is designed to show you just how simple and approachable (and dare I say…fun?) TikTok can be. I've made an easy to follow list of the things you need to be doing when creating your content, and some things that you may want to avoid in order to get the most out of TikTok as a marketing and community tool.
Session Takeaway
- How to get the most out of TikTok as a marketing tool
- How to make the right kind of content for TikTok and what kind to avoid
- What tools you’ll need to create professional looking TikTok content
What Games Marketing Actually Works in 2024?
Led by experienced marketers from various marketing disciplines in games, this panel discussion is a chance for us to come together and discuss the state of play for discoverability and other marketing matters. We’ll be debating the challenges facing us in 2024, and how they can be overcome, to create an effective online presence for your games.
- Working with creators: when to pay for coverage
- Which social networks are still worth investing in?
- The challenge of multitasking as a marketer
- The job landscape for games marketers
- Creating an effective online presence for games
Whether you work in games marketing currently, or are just interested in it, you’ll be welcome as we reflect on the state of the industry, with regards to PR, social media, and more.
Host: Taya Beleanina, Etch Play
Session Takeaway
- A holistic sense of how the wider marketing industry is reacting to the latest industry trends
- How to create truly effective touchpoints online for greater discoverability
- Advice from peers about specific challenges facing games marketing departments and marketers in 2024
FREE - Indie BootCamp
A Hype-Free Examination of Generative AI in Videogames
Depending on your perspective, generative AI for games is something you're either incredibly hyped for, or sick of hearing about it. There's a lot of hype surrounding generative AI for games, but is there any substance? There are a myriad of tools emerging that offer to democratise development, but is adopting them going to introduce unnecessary risk to production? If you use a GPT plugin, will the game still be accepted on Steam? Does it actually save us any money in the long run?
This talk will provide a grounded, and hype-free overview of the current state of the art in generative AI. How these systems work, what tools are available, and what benefits and risks can emerge by adopting them into a production pipeline and later trying to publish the final product. The goal is to arm attendees with a greater knowledge of this technology trend, and how best to approach these tools and services in current and future projects.
Session Takeaway
- Understand the current state of generative AI developments and what impact it can and will have on specific areas of production.
- Learn what factors to be aware of when using a generative AI tool that could introduce additional costs, create legal issues or impede publication.
- Develop a broader understanding of the potential long-term benefits and risks of using generative AI tools in production.
Designing Games for Influencers (and Why that Might Not be the Best Idea)
Unbelievable exposure, countless eyes on your product and skyrocketing sales - whether on YouTube or Twitch, getting your game into the hands of the biggest names in the influencer and streaming ecosystem remains the holy grail for many game developers, especially those without the clout of a massive marketing budget. But does it ever really work out that way?
In this frank and honest case study, Niall - who has had millions of views across multiple titles after coverage from some of the biggest influencers in the industry - lays bare the reality of that coveted situation, sharing stories, sales figures and screenshots of some REALLY mean comments. From the design decisions that helped put his games in the spotlight, to the wildly unexpected financial outcomes, attendees will learn what happens when the dust settles and for some reason you’re still not a millionaire.
Session Takeaway
- What elements of your game’s design and marketing will appeal most to streamers and influencers, and how to capitalise on that.
- The reality of what achieving “influencer success” means for your game financially and otherwise.
- Understanding of what customer conversion is, and why it may mean you’re targeting the wrong people.
- The mental health toll that “influencer success” can have.
- Positive ways your game can target influencers.
Growing Pains - How to Scale Without Breaking the Thing You Love
In this talk, I dig into the subject of culture, its relevance when you’re a 3 person startup, and how it evolves as the company grows. Keen to get it right and make our company a great place to work, I studied for an MA in entrepreneurship and culture. As part of my dissertation I asked games industry CEO’s and founders what good and bad culture meant to them, whether current leadership styles were worthy of the hype and is there even any place for vulnerability at the top, especially in the current climate. Turns out good old fashioned strategy, process and planning were more important than the beer fridge in creating a secure environment for people to do great work.
I will explore what worked well and what didn’t:
- Why acting like a bigger company than we were was one of the key ingredients.
- Running weekly skill-share workshops is the secret sauce for happy creative people.
- Why not accepting every job you get offered protects your culture.
- Why no one is reading the Vision/Mission/Values statement.
Session Takeaway
- The culture of the company comes from the founders.
- Culture isn’t perks.
- Acting big - why planning ahead created stability and security.
- Beware new people bringing bad culture with them.
- No one reads values and vision statements so why bother?
How To Create A Games Studio In 10 Easy Steps (With Some Hard Lessons Along The Way)
Attendees will learn about his journey into game development; from selling Commodore Amiga games in the school playground to becoming the driving force behind one of the UK's fastest-growing VR games studios.
This talk uncovers the key lessons and insights from Bobby's entrepreneurial journey so far, including working from age 8 on his father's market stall - which not only instilled a strong work ethic, but also taught him the importance of communication - engaging with your audience, grit, determination and entrepreneurship.
Bobby Thandi's journey from working on his father's market stall to leading a successful VR games studio and working on multiple AAA titles with big studios epitomises the power of embracing one's past, combining work and passion, seizing opportunities, and persevering through adversities.
Session Takeaway
Attendees will gain a thorough understanding of what is required to succeed when setting up an indie studio in 2024:
- Learn how to identify a unique and compelling vision
- How to assemble the right team
- What to look for in investors
- How to scale for success
Indie Marketer’s Lament: Stop Winging It!
Marketing, that mysterious hard to describe elusive entity that far too often enters the consciousness of an indie developer when it is already too late. But what is it exactly that marketing does? Why it is not just tweets or a trailer? When should it start? And why is it necessary for a title's success in the current climate of gaming?
Intended for audiences with minimal or no prior experience with marketing games, this talk goes back into the very basics, covering marketing research in its simplest terms, importance of assets such as key art and your Steam page, planning an effective marketing timeline and activities, how to effectively spend your marketing budget and/or free tools at your disposal, and breaking some hard truths around marketing, or lack there of, versus the commercial success of a title.
We would all love to have just that one viral tweet that sets everything into motion, but in a climate where nearly 14,000 games launched on Steam in 2023, are you willing to risk it?
Session Takeaway
- How to go about planning and executing an effective marketing plan for your indie game
- Examples on how to spend your marketing budget
- What free tools and opportunities are available for you if you have minimal or no marketing budget to work with
- Marketing should be involved in a project from the very beginning, not only near launch
Kickstarting your Indie Game Studio as a Graduate / Student!
While getting a job in the game industry after graduating is definitely something to aim for, have you ever considered starting your indie game studio by yourself or with some friends to kickstart your game career?
As an indie game developer who is working on an enterprise program at the University of York, Marco kickstarted his indie game studio business - Overworld Games Studio around half a year ago - with the aim to combine different genres with rich non-linear stories, and craft intriguing gameplay experiences, as well as providing work-for-hire services for interactive experiences and games.
With his previous experience as a solo game developer and by doing a couple of internships with different organizations, he created his game studio with a small amount of business experience. In order to get an understanding of the game industry, he developed his knowledge of how things work through research, as well as attending events and networking throughout his journey as an indie dev.
Come to this session to listen to his journey as an indie game developer so far, and how he was able to create his branding, craft his game pitch, navigate within the game industry, etc. And hopefully, this will give you some inspiration on whether you would like to take this route!
Session Takeaway
- Learn about the different approaches to structuring your game studio business model
- Understand the types of things you will have to consider when approaching the branding of your studio
- Learn more about how you could create game prototypes and conduct player testing efficiently
- Gain knowledge of different resources that could help support your indie game studio
- Learn how to get the most out of networking events and create opportunities for your studio
- Get some tips on managing your time efficiently when you are working on your business
Maximizing AI’s Potential Without Diminishing Human Value
This session will cover Behaviour Interactive’s approach to Generative AI, demystifying the hype and fear. Learn how a pragmatic, human-centered approach can help to identify facts from fallacies. Gain insights into treating Generative AI as a standard technological choice, identifying pitfalls, and discovering practical, creative, and useful applications. Join us to uncover real-world examples and key takeaways for unique use cases.
Session Takeaway
- A fact-based, pragmatic approach to emerging technologies like Generative AI
- Solutions that enhance human capabilities, not replace them
- Optimize your efficiency by focusing on what matters
Sensitive Content: Telling a Challenging Personal Story in The Quiet Things
From childhood cancer to mental health to the life of refugees, the accessible nature of indie games makes them an excellent medium to tell personal stories and create singular experiences. But how do we unflinchingly approach chronicles which are centred around sensitive and heavy content? And how do we endeavour to investigate the corners of emotionally raw stories, as honestly as possible, without causing trauma to a development team?
The Quiet Things is based around one of those stories. Developed by Silver Script Games and based on real diaries written by founder Alyx Jones, this autobiographical narrative game tells the story of Alice from the ages of 8-17 and her experiences with childhood abuse, self-harm, mental health, attempted suicide, grooming and sexual abuse. The game has a deep focus on storytelling through audio and the themes are primarily communicated through diary entries, sound design and dialogue.
This presentation by Silver Script Games founder Alyx Jones, and Voice & Casting Director Kirsty Gillmore, will explore how a micro-indie studio with limited funding has approached the daunting task of creating an autobiographical game where emotional and often upsetting themes are a core part of the narrative. It will explore the ways in which Alice’s story has been told so far, and the emphasis on audio content and dialogue to convey that story. It will also cover how development choices impacted funding, the effect on the team, and the measures taken to enable them to work without compromising their mental and emotional wellbeing.
Session Takeaway
- Learn ways in which you can approach the inclusion of challenging themes in narrative games
- Consider how to approach real life content when applying this to a video game
- How to prioritise and protect your team’s emotional and mental health throughout the development process
- How to approach funding for non-design aspects of game development e.g. resources to support team mental health and well-being
The Developer’s Wishlist: How Publishers Can Win Top Talent
It's common knowledge in the gaming world that publishers are talented in guiding and coaching developers on the art of the pitch and how to sell their vision. And they're great at it, which makes perfect sense. But here's a thought, why don't we see developers doing the same for publishers? Imagine the possibilities if we flipped the script. Good publishers, the ones we all want to work with, are out there hunting for top-notch developers. So, why not give them a nudge in the right direction on how to be even more attractive to talents that align with their goals? This talk isn't just about asking questions; it's about starting a conversation on how we can all do better by understanding each other's needs. After all, in the rush to sign the next big game, maybe what we need is a little more insight into what makes a truly great partnership tick.
Session Takeaway
- What kind of information does a developer look for when doing research for a possible publisher to contact?
- When starting a conversation between a developer and a publisher, what could seem obvious to publishers that is not to developers?
- Opening doors to conversations that spark great partnerships.
Why You (Don’t) Need A Publisher For Your Indie Game
Aimed at indie teams and solo developers, this talk will cover best practices for early game development and seek to demystify the process of signing with a publisher - if you want and need to.
There are a lot of misconceptions about what it means to work with a publisher - for some it's the ultimate goal, and for others, something to avoid on principle. Regardless of your personal position on the matter, getting a game to release is no easy task, and there are lots of pitfalls to avoid - especially for smaller teams that don't have any resources to waste.
This session will give practical advice for developing a game in a robust and efficient way, and outline key areas in which a publisher can support that development. Ultimately the things learned in the session will be useful for all indie devs, no matter their position on publishing.
Session Takeaway
- Understanding of where and how a publisher can support indie game development
- Prompts to help you decide if you really need that support to achieve your goals
- Better understanding of the console development process
- Useful tips to encourage robust and efficient game development in small teams
Keynote
KEYNOTE: Crafting Multiplayer Story-centric Experiences: What Makes INTERIOR/NIGHT Tick
INTERIOR/NIGHT's founder and Creative Director Caroline Marchal will discuss why the studio is passionate about interactive narrative, a genre ripe with opportunities, and where it can go: the chance to break the invisible ceiling of video games and appeal to all generations, regardless of players' skills.
She will show how the studio approaches game development for multiplayer interactive narrative experiences and how they design and write with empathy to generate empathy.
Caroline will provide an overview of the team's bespoke development process with examples from As Dusk Falls, their award-winning debut game, and will also discuss why a good story isn't enough. How you play the story and what it reveals about who you are makes it a deep and memorable experience, beyond pure entertainment.
Mobile
Cross Platform in Action - Taking a Game from Mobile to Console
We are seeing an increase in games taking the leap from our home computers and consoles to our pockets but what is it like going the other way? This talk will go through the experience of Super Evil Megacorp as they take the critically praised TMNT Splintered Fate from the subscription only platform of Apple Arcade to the Nintendo Switch.
This talk will cover two primary areas of game development, the business aspects of making successful games and then will take a deeper look at the game design implications of going from mobile to consoles.
We’ll explore key lessons from creating our first game on a subscription only platform. How we tried to optimise for a subscription model and what changes we’ve made for a console audience. I will also cover how we pivoted to a different business model for console release and the differences this means in our approach to product and marketing.
The next area I will cover is the UI / UX challenges we had in porting the game from a touch input control scheme to fully supporting controllers. Having witnessed a few games make this shift before to receive criticism of being a quick port I’ll discuss how we approached this to ensure we deliver a native console experience.
Session Takeaway
- How to optimise for a subscription platform
- When and why to take your game from mobile to Console
- What to consider when going from touch controls to PC/Console
- How to avoid being a quick mobile port.
- Differences in Marketing approach
- Console certification, what is it and how to pass!
Growing Your Game: Learnings from Experimentation
At the Experimentation Group we help teams understand what their players really want every day. This session reveals what we’ve learnt about growing games from talking to teams and testing their ideas. You will learn what's worked with other teams and how you can start experimenting.
Session Takeaway
- Is experimentation right for your game?
- What are the best metrics to target?
- Where is the best place to start?
How to Get Banned from the App Stores: An Intersectional Approach to Mobile Development
The first time most indie developers read the app stores’ rules is when they’re about to release their game. This poses a risk to the game’s success as adherence to these rules determines which players can see your game, and the likelihood of the game being taken down after release.
In this session we’ll be going over the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store’s guidelines from an indie developer perspective. We’ll cover the potential pitfalls that you may not anticipate if you’ve never released a mobile game before.
We’ll also approach this topic from an intersectional lens: How do queer developers make games about their sexuality if sexual content is banned? How do minorities discuss their experiences of violence if depictions of targeted violence are restricted? As developers and curators, how do we balance our responsibility of keeping our players safe and our desire to tell truthful and compelling stories through our games?
Session Takeaway
- What is and isn’t allowed on the App Store and Google Play Store
- Mobile game self publishing
- Mobile game design
FREE - Roundtables
Accessible Communication and Managing a Neuro-diverse Studio
With approximately 1 in 4 people in the games industry considered neurodivergent (UKIE Survey, 2022), almost every studio will have several employees whose needs and communication styles differ from the typical. That means all managers, producers, and studio heads need to be prepared to accommodate the needs of all their staff by being aware of the best methods and strategies to create a neuro-inclusive work environment. Drawing on his 9 years of experience of managing a majority neuro-divergent studio, as well being a founder of the IGDA Neurodivergent in Games SIG, running Playing Attention (which supports ADHD individuals in the games industry), and being part of the Limit Break committee (supporting accessibility), Adam will take you through some of the ways you can make your studio more inclusive, more accessible, and how you can improve communication with all of your employees, clients, and contractors, helping your studio become a more accommodating place for people to work and play.
Session Takeaway
- Simple things to be aware of when communicating to employees that will make your studio more neuro-inclusive
- Tactics for effective communication within your studio
- Key things to look out for that could help you catch and clear up misunderstandings faster
Community Crisis What’s Your Issue? Community Manager Roundtable
What do community managers do? Especially when things go wrong? How can you communicate in a timely manner to keep your community happy...
Community Managers are the front line and forward facing members of your team. Leading game launches, new updates, bug reports, community sentiments and reporting how, and what your players love (and hate) in your game. Working with developers, content creators, media outlets, press and journalists, they need to know everything and communicate across a wide range of digital (sometimes IRL) social realms.
Community Crisis what's your issue? Trust your instinct, communicate, and be open to ideas in the Community Manager Roundtable. Tackling commons pitfalls and real life tribulations led by a panel of seasoned experts. Work in groups to tackle common indie game issues community managers can face, discover practical advice and gain from real life experiences to improve future decision making. Do you have a burning community question you've always wanted to ask? Want to connect with fellow managers to ask for advice and guidance?
This roundtable is open-to-all, encouraging experienced and aspiring community managers to work with developers and decision makers to demystify this role. Knowledge share, uplift and celebrate the power of working together.
Session Takeaway
- Discover what a community manager does and why this role is important
- Learn practical advice for common community crisis issues
- Gain from real experiences to improve future decision making
Develop: FTUE (First Time User Experience)
A relaxed and informal roundtable designed to help you get the most out of your time at the conference. A diverse panel of friendly and experienced devs from across the whole industry spectrum want to help anyone who feels shy, awkward, a little out of place, on the outside, or just unable to really squeeze all the goodness out of this amazing show. You'll feel positive, empowered and fully equipped to have an absolutely smashing time, with tips on how to be productive, tools to network, and commitments from volunteers to be your safety net should things get a little too much! Finally, should you feel like it would help, we'll match people up with Show Mentors to ensure however long you're in Brighton, you go back to your studio feeling invigorated and inspired!
Session Takeaway
- Shared experiences that will give you some ideas on best practise plus do's and dont's for networking at every event.
- Recommendations for talks to attend and delegates to meet, plus practical help to do so!
- Knowledge of safe and quiet spaces to help manage your experience at the show
- Introductions to helpers who you can approach throughout your visit if you need a friendly face!
Develop: FTUE (First Time User Experience)
A relaxed and informal roundtable designed to help you get the most out of your time at the conference. A diverse panel of friendly and experienced devs from across the whole industry spectrum want to help anyone who feels shy, awkward, a little out of place, on the outside, or just unable to really squeeze all the goodness out of this amazing show. You'll feel positive, empowered and fully equipped to have an absolutely smashing time, with tips on how to be productive, tools to network, and commitments from volunteers to be your safety net should things get a little too much! Finally, should you feel like it would help, we'll match people up with Show Mentors to ensure however long you're in Brighton, you go back to your studio feeling invigorated and inspired!
Session Takeaway
- Shared experiences that will give you some ideas on best practise plus do's and dont's for networking at every event.
- Recommendations for talks to attend and delegates to meet, plus practical help to do so!
- Knowledge of safe and quiet spaces to help manage your experience at the show
- Introductions to helpers who you can approach throughout your visit if you need a friendly face!
How to Get More Girls: Gender and Gaming, Beyond the ‘Menemies’ Mindset
We all talk about needing to get more women into gaming: both in the workforce, and in the gaming experience itself. After all, despite positive progress, gaming still has a worse gender balance than any other creative industry. And we’ve got a long way to go to make the gaming and e-sports community a place where women and girls can feel like they belong - especially as often, right now, women and girls don’t even feel safe.
But most conversations about gender inclusion tend to end up doing more harm than good. The ideology gap between young men and women is big, and it’s widening: While Gen Z women are demanding more and more change, 53% of Gen Z men in Britain feel that gender equality has gone so far that it’s men who are now being discriminated against. Meanwhile, women often disagree about some fundamental stuff too – like is calling ourselves “girls” a positive or a negative thing? And there are those who claim we should just forget about gender anyway, as the future’s all non-binary.
Who’s right? What’s the answer? Is it even possible to get more girls into gaming (as creatives, consumers and characters) without making men and boys feel even more overlooked than they do already? Isn't this just going to exacerbate the current gender wars? And how is any of this gender debate going to drive business growth?
This session will uncover how we can get beyond a ‘Menemies’ mindset in gaming, and make the world of gaming one that works for all of us, and for the business.
Session Takeaway
- Ideas for developing characters, stories and worlds that the overlooked half of the population will really value too.
- Tips on how to grow your audience by marketing products beyond the traditional gendered assumptions.
- An appreciation that using better gender intelligence with our consumers and community also drives a positive culture-change within the company. (It's not just vice-versa.)
It’s Cool to be Kind - Mental Health and Wellbeing Support at Work
A roundtable to discuss success stories of great mental health and wellness support in the workplace. Ideal for studios looking to add or increase visibility of Mental Health and wellness best practices and a welcoming, open space to seek advice, guidance, and insight on these topics.
Session Takeaway
- What great Mental Health and Wellness support at work looks like with practical ideas to try at your workplace
- Inspiration for everyday acts of kindness
- Insightful conversation with likeminded people.
LGBQTIA+ Roundtable
An open talk to look at how the year has been for the LGBTQIA+ Community.
This year has had good days alongside the bad days, we think it is important for us to discuss how we have been throughout the year and celebrate our achievements, no matter how big or small.
With all the unfortunate redundancies in the past year having a major affect on so many lives, it is important for our community to have a safe space to openly discuss how the past year have impacted their lives, plus how the gaming industry can help more LGBTQIA+ people
Session Takeaway
- An understanding of the concerns of LGBTQ+ individuals working in the games industry
- Techniques shared from first-hand experiences of celebrating diversity in workplaces
- Tips and tricks for pushing for better in-game representation from within the industry
Men As Allies: Open Your Eyes & Become An Agent of Change
The games industry thrives on creativity, innovation, and diverse perspectives. Yet, women continue to face significant roadblocks: from subtle microaggressions and unconscious biases to blatant harassment and abuse. These challenges create a hostile environment, hinder career progression, and ultimately, hold the industry back from reaching its full potential.
And nothing is changing despite the efforts of Women in Games and our partners and supporters. Men must play a pivotal role in dismantling these barriers and fostering a truly inclusive and equitable gaming landscape.
This roundtable event, to open the eyes of men working in the industry to the huge challenges and obstacles facing women, and to equip them with the tools and understanding they need to become effective allies, driving positive change within the industry.
This roundtable isn't about raising awareness; it's about encouraging and empowering men to take action. We'll provide attendees with knowledge, practical tools and resources to implement the learnings of the session into their daily lives, both professionally and personally.
Session Takeaway
- Speak Up, Not Over: True allyship prioritises amplifying women's voices while offering unwavering support.
- Become an Advocate: Take initiative to educate yourself and others about the challenges women face within the games industry.
- Challenge the Status Quo: Identify and challenge 'masculine' norms that contribute to a culture of bias and exclusion.
- Action is Paramount: Allyship goes beyond words – translate your learnings into tangible actions that create lasting change.
Narrative Design - Mistakes Were Made
Join us for a roundtable discussion with a varied bunch of narrative designers, indie, AA, and AAA, to talk about mistakes made and what we can learn from those mistakes.
Host: Nina Roussakoff, Lovewish
Session Takeaway
- Gain valuable insights from 5 experienced narrative designers
- Learn of at least 5 mistakes to avoid
- Gain an understanding of what solutions might be applied if you encounter similar narrative design problems
Putting Children First: Tackling Child Protection In Gaming
Everyone in the games space hopes that children can be kept as safe as possible when playing games, but in the fast moving world of gaming, it can be a challenge for developers, publishers and platforms to know how to best keep this priority at the forefront of their processes and decision making.
Bringing together a panel of folk from various areas of the games industry, join us for a discussion of some of the critical issues related to child safety in games. Exploring some of the experiences children face in online connected worlds, navigating the world of age ratings and parental controls, and discussing some ways the games industry can collectively do more to look after young players.
NSPCC has a wealth of expertise in child protection, and is constantly putting the voice of children as a key driver in how to advance the cause of child protection. But as we step into the world of gaming, we don’t have all the answers, and are keen to work in partnership with the games industry to collaborate on initiatives that can achieve as much impact as possible, as well as helping generate the funds for the charity to enable this important work.
Session Takeaway
- A snapshot of some of the issues children face when gaming today, based on real NSPCC case studies.
- An understanding of current child protection best practices used by games companies represented.
- Ideas of how they can step up their approach to child protection in their own game projects.
Supporting Workers Through Redundancies
In light of recent layoffs shaking the industry, community and mutual support have become more crucial than ever. Join us in a conversation about how we can empower ourselves to support each other through redundancies, and how we can improve the stability of the industry through collective action.
This conversation aims to create a space where we can share our experiences and ideas, and discuss practical steps we can take. Learn your legal rights during a redundancy, and how you can access legal support.
Our goal is to ensure that every worker feels valued, supported, and empowered to contribute to our shared success, particularly in these challenging times. This session is based on an open meeting held in October 2023, which was attended by over 50 members of the industry. Since then almost an additional 10,000 workers have been made redundant from the industry, with no signs of slowing down.
Host: Christina Logan, Crybaby Studios
Session Takeaway
- Basic worker’s rights and laws around redundancy
- How to support co-workers facing redundancy
- How the redundancy consultation process works and people’s experiences of redundancy
VFX Roundtable
An opportunity for VFX artists of all levels to meet and exchange knowledge and wisdom, and discuss the various challenges we have to deal with in our careers.
Non VFX artists are also welcome to come and gain an insight into how to work closely with their VFX colleagues to create visually stunning (and bug free) games!
Session Takeaway
- You will have a better idea of how VFX artists work in other studios
- You will get helpful advice about best practise in project and asset organisation
- You will get some tips to improve communication with other departments in your workplace
You Are Not an Imposter: Dealing with Imposter Syndrome
We’ve both had quite severe imposter syndrome for many years, and have taken time to reflect on how it has affected our mental state. Recently we realised that I hadn’t felt that way for quite a few months! Through the use of tricks that have been accumulated over the years we have unknowingly developed similar-but-different strategies for overcoming it. We now use, share, and want to continue to share those skills to help others who are in similar positions to help them get past their own blockers and reach their full potential.
We will explain the techniques and skills that we now use to deal with imposter syndrome as well as how this has enabled us to have far healthier mental states – as well as looking to hear from attendees about any techniques that they’ve developed themselves.
This is a very widespread challenge throughout our industry, and we believe that by creating space for the open conversations and sharing advice around how to live with imposter syndrome, we can all be of help to a lot of people.
If we can get past it, anyone can.
Session Takeaway
- Ways to recognise imposter syndrome.
- Practical tips and advice to overcome it
- Advice on how to live with it.
- Support in how to begin feeling empowered by it.
