Hideo Kojima to be interviewed by Mark Cerny at Develop:Brighton.

Tandem Events, organisers of Europe’s leading game developers conference Develop:Brighton, today announce Hideo Kojima, director of Kojima Productions, as keynote speaker for this year’s conference.

Hideo Kojima is a world-renowned game creator and auteur known for pushing the boundaries of the video game medium.  Widely considered the father of the stealth genre, he is also credited with innovative story-telling and cinematic presentation in video games at large.

Famed for the hit Metal Gear Solid franchise, Kojima will be joined onstage for an hour long fire side chat with industry legend, president of Cerny Games and long-time friend, Mark Cerny. The discussion will focus around Kojima’s inspirations, process and his thoughts on the future of the game.

As well as delivering this year’s keynote, Hideo Kojima will be awarded the 2016 Development Legend Award at the Develop Industry Excellence Awards on the evening of Wednesday 13 July, the same award fellow keynoter, Mark Cerny received in 2014.

“We’re delighted and honoured to announce Hideo Kojima as our keynote speaker for Develop:Brighton 2016,” commented Andy Lane, managing director of Tandem Events. “Known the world over as someone who’s at the forefront of what’s possible within video games, he continually pushes the boundaries. Alongside his good friend, Mark Cerny, these gaming legends have an amazing history within the games industry and I’m looking forward to hearing more.”

Develop:Brighton takes place at the Hilton Brighton Metropole from Tuesday 12 July to Thursday 14 July. The keynote entitled Industry Legends Discuss the Future: A Conversation with Hideo Kojima, will take place on Wednesday 13 July at 10am.

Other sessions announced for Develop:Brighton 2016:

Don’t Forget the Eyeballs: Developing Compelling Games for eSports Audiences
Ian Sharpe, Azubu

Converting an Established Genre in VR: Pitfalls and Opportunities
Martin de Ronde, Vanguard

What Not to Do as a Startup
Ella Romanos, Strike Gamelabs

Lets Talk Narrative with Rhianna Pratchett
Rhianna Pratchett, Writer

Harnessing the Power of the Crowd to Get Your Game Noticed
Kate Russell, Journalist, Reporter and Author

From 2 to 13: Growing from Nothing and Working with the “Big Boys”
Aj Grand-Scrutton, Dlala Studios

Community-driven Game Development through innovative Marketing Analytics
Ammar Jawad, Radiant Worlds.

Passes are currently available at www.developconference.com

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About Develop: Brighton conference:

The Develop: Brighton conference is where the European developer community comes together to learn from each other and share experiences, be inspired by world renowned experts and gurus, get up-to-date with the latest development tools and techniques, make new contacts and catch up with old ones. 

With a programme that is shaped by some of the industry's key figures, the conference touches all levels of the development community from the largest studios to the smallest indies; from development directors to programmers. 

The three-day event is organised into specific areas of interest:

• Tuesday 12 July is focusing on two tracks: Evolve and Funding
• Wednesday 13 July is the opening day of the main Develop: Brighton conference tackling the issues, tools, tricks and techniques of game development and offering practical advice and solutions to take back to the studio. 
• Thursday 14 July the Develop: Brighton conference continues, with the addition of the Audio Track a day of sessions dedicated to game audio and music. Plus, the IndieDev: Day returns for the fifth year aimed specifically at independent developers with sessions, the chance to mix with other indies and a showcase featuring some of the best new indie projects currently in development.

Twitter @developconference
Facebook /developconference

Hideo Kojima bio:

Hideo Kojima is a world-renowned game creator and auteur known for pushing the boundaries of the video game medium.  Widely considered the father of the stealth genre, he is also credited with innovating story-telling and cinematic presentation in video games at large.

His works include the best-selling METAL GEAR series, as well as a diverse range of projects such as Snatcher, Zone of the Enders, and the legendary horror playable teaser P.T.  Most recently, Kojima was responsible for the direction, script writing, game design, and production of the latest critically-acclaimed chapter in the "METAL GEAR" series, "METAL GEAR SOLID V: THE PHANTOM PAIN".

Known for his unparalleled love for movies, he is close friends with J.J. Abrams, Park Chan-wook, and Guillermo del Toro, among other film directors.  In 2001, Hideo Kojima was chosen as one of Newsweek magazine's ten most influential people in its special "Who's Next" cover story, and was granted the "Lifetime Achievement Award" at the "Game Developers Choice Awards" in 2009. And most recently he received “Hall of Fame” at D.I.C.E. award 2015.

His focus is constantly on the future, as he continues to push the boundaries of the gaming medium with his philosophy of game designs that "make the impossible possible".

• Wednesday 13 July is the opening day of the main Develop: Brighton conference tackling the issues, tools, tricks and techniques of game development and offering practical advice and solutions to take back to the studio. 
• Thursday 14 July the Develop: Brighton conference continues, with the addition of the Audio Track a day of sessions dedicated to game audio and music. Plus, the IndieDev: Day returns for the fifth year aimed specifically at independent developers with sessions, the chance to mix with other indies and a showcase featuring some of the best new indie projects currently in development.

Twitter @developconference
Facebook /developconference

Hideo Kojima bio:

Hideo Kojima is a world-renowned game creator and auteur known for pushing the boundaries of the video game medium.  Widely considered the father of the stealth genre, he is also credited with innovating story-telling and cinematic presentation in video games at large.

His works include the best-selling METAL GEAR series, as well as a diverse range of projects such as Snatcher, Zone of the Enders, and the legendary horror playable teaser P.T.  Most recently, Kojima was responsible for the direction, script writing, game design, and production of the latest critically-acclaimed chapter in the "METAL GEAR" series, "METAL GEAR SOLID V: THE PHANTOM PAIN".

Known for his unparalleled love for movies, he is close friends with J.J. Abrams, Park Chan-wook, and Guillermo del Toro, among other film directors.  In 2001, Hideo Kojima was chosen as one of Newsweek magazine's ten most influential people in its special "Who's Next" cover story, and was granted the "Lifetime Achievement Award" at the "Game Developers Choice Awards" in 2009. And most recently he received “Hall of Fame” at D.I.C.E. award 2015.

His focus is constantly on the future, as he continues to push the boundaries of the gaming medium with his philosophy of game designs that "make the impossible possible".