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11:00am
Marc Espinola Berestein Sumo Digital11:00am - 11:45amRoom 3Congrats! You’re a Middle Manager! Now what?
Tuesday 11th July11:00am - 11:45amRoom 3This session is aimed at middle managers or people aspiring to become one. As middle managers we need to be able to balance our main specialty, while taking care of other colleagues. And sometimes we aren’t even great at dealing with people! This talk wants to inspire listeners to believe it is possible and it can have a huge positive impact on other people. To make this journey landed in something more tangible, I’ve chosen to use scuba diving and the different levels of awareness of the sport. This translates very well to understand in a practical way how to successfully handle middle management.
Session Takeaway
- Learn how to: First, take care of yourself. Second, take care of your project. And third, take care of others.
- You don’t need to be a people person or extroverted to be a great manager.
- Being a manager can be very rewarding and you can make peoples’ lives better.
12:00pm
MJ Widomska YRS TRULY12:00pm - 12:45pmRoom 1Can Your Gaming Business Be a Force For Good?
Tuesday 11th July12:00pm - 12:45pmRoom 1There’s a growing community of businesses that believe they can be a net positive to planet and society, and I want you to join them.
These companies, known as B Corps, believe that business can be a force for good. Independently graded by B Lab, they’re for-profit entities that have been verified as an organisation committed to reaching the highest levels of social and environmental responsibility. You don’t need to become an official B Corp to act like one. The gaming industry has a massive potential to do good, and it's time to take sustainability seriously.
We must do better not just because of the impact of the climate crisis, but also because the business landscape is changing. Millennials and Gen Zs, who already dominate the market in size and will soon do so in purchasing power, prioritise sustainability and make consumer choices that align with their views. Doing good business is good business.
If you’re in a small or medium-sized business, this session will help you create a plan of action on how you can do better by your workers, the environment and the society at large.
Session Takeaway
- Delegates will learn more about why sustainability is a good business choice – not just for the planet, but for future-proofing their studio
- They will also have an understanding of how to take the first steps towards more ethical conduct, and the process of becoming a more socially and environmentally conscious business
- Lastly, they'll be equipped with data and resources to put their plans into action and start making incremental changes towards sustainability
2:00pm
James Batchelor GamesIndustry.biz2:00pm - 2:45pmRoom 3XX Things That are Definitely Not the Future of Games Development
Tuesday 11th July2:00pm - 2:45pmRoom 3With so many people telling us which disruptive technologies and new development ARE the future of video games, it’s worth taking of what is NOT. Developers, publishers, analysts and more offer quickfire tips of what you SHOULDN’T be doing to grow your studio, shake up your genre, or accomplish whatever goal you may have set. What mistakes should you avoid? What temptations should you resist? What rules can you break? Or should you even be listening to these people?
Session Takeaway
Attendees will learn:
- What mistakes to avoid when growing your studio and establishing a hit game
- What temptations to resist when opportunities arise
- What risks are and aren't worth taking
3:00pm
Jan-Hendrik Pfitzner GIANTS Software3:00pm - 3:45pmRoom 3Farming Simulator Production Pipeline
Tuesday 11th July3:00pm - 3:45pmRoom 3This talk will provide a comprehensive look into the development and production pipeline of Farming Simulator, showcasing the various processes and tools that we utilize to create and deliver a successful game. From the pre-production phase to the final builds, the presentation will cover the various tasks and responsibilities involved in creating a title of this scale.
We will also delve into the increased role of QA on the project, highlighting the custom test plans that were created for the 400+ assets in the game, and how the team took on the role of localization for the past game with the help of a glossary that was designed from the ground up and a proprietary localization tool that we created ourselves.
Additionally, attendees will gain insight into the build creation and distribution process, as well as how we work closely together with our Modding community to bring user-generated content to our inGame ModHub.
Overall, this talk will give an in-depth understanding of what goes behind making a big project like Farming Simulator and how a team works in cohesion to deliver a seamless experience across all platforms.
Session Takeaway
Our goal is to provide a transparent and informative look into the development process of a successful sandbox game like Farming Simulator, so that other teams and developers can learn from our experiences and potentially implement similar techniques in their own products. Additionally, this talk aims to help other teams who are working on similar projects, giving them insight on how to manage and optimize their resources, improve quality assurance and publishing process and how to better engage with their community to create a better game.
4:00pm
Dr Gaetano Dimita Centre for Commercial Law Studies, QMUL4:00pm - 4:45pmRoom 4Know Your IP: A Deep Dive into Open Source and AI
Tuesday 11th July4:00pm - 4:45pmRoom 4Every video game is a mix of original and licensed Intellectual property (IP). Understanding how to protect your original creation and avoid infringing third parties IP rights is crucial to the success of your video game. IP clearance and strategy go hand in hand and every developer should be thinking IP at every stage of the video game development in order to know when to seek legal advice and avoid mistakes which might jeopardise the project. This is particularly important when incorporating open-source code and assets generated by AI in your game. They might come with strings attached which are better to understand before use.
This session will cover the core concepts of IP Law, IP clearance, and protection strategies which every developer should be familiar with, with a particular focus on open source and generative AI.
Session Takeaway
Know you IP and read what you sign
Understand the differences between the most common open-source licenses
Understand the potential IP risks when including AI-generated assets in your game
5:00pm
Bobby Thandi XR GamesJamie Sefton Game RepublicSimon Iwaniszak Red Kite GamesElaine Dowman BarclaysAndrew Crawshaw ThunkdJessica Kelham Rum Punch Games5:00pm - 5:45pmRoom 3Northern Lights - The Past, Present and Future of Games Development in Yorkshire and the UK
Tuesday 11th July5:00pm - 5:45pmRoom 3To celebrate 20 years of the games business network Game Republic, Develop: Brighton hosts a panel session with the people and companies that have shaped the Yorkshire and Northern England games industry to find out their biggest lessons learned in that time, what advice they would give to companies starting now and what the future holds for the Yorkshire and UK games industry.
Session Takeaway
- Advice for new business start-ups
- How to get investment/acquired
- The current games market and beyond
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11:00am
Sitara Shefta No Brakes Games11:00am - 11:45amRoom 1Leadership & Running a Studio: With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility
Wednesday 12th July11:00am - 11:45amRoom 1Perhaps you’re running a team or a studio, or hope to one day, and you’re wondering what it really means to be a good leader: someone who can look after people, projects, all whilst delivering on the business needs.
It’s a privilege to be a leader, and an even bigger privilege to be trusted as a leader – but how do you earn this trust?
In this talk, Sitara Shefta, Studio Head at No Brakes Games, will be discussing the exciting and fun parts, but also the difficult, challenging and “harder to talk about” parts, based on her experiences over the years.
Session Takeaway
- How being central, rather than above, your team helps you to develop an inclusive culture and supports your role
- How to survive the pressures of leadership
- How to make decisions confidently, and with your team's backing, and what to do you make the wrong call
- How crunch damages your team and business
- How to deal with conflict, performance, and knowing when it’s time to remove obstacles
- The end goal and the result: setting up your team or studio for success
12:00pm
Stefania Barbaglio Cassiopeia Services and Gamebridge12:00pm - 12:45pmRoom 1Blockchain to Bring Games to the Next Level
Wednesday 12th July12:00pm - 12:45pmRoom 1The session will be an introduction to the concept of Web 3 games and the value blockchain technology is bringing to the gaming industry. I will discuss the concept of digital ownership of in-game assets, NFTs utility, and a recommended approach to NFTs integration; how to build a successful project via partnerships, community building and focus on user experience. I will also share some of the work I am doing with my new project Gamebridge which is building blockchain infrastructure for games.
Session Takeaway
- understand the value of blockchain in games
- digital ownership
- importance of community and partnership
- A strategic approach to NFTs in games and metaverses
- focus on user experience
Daniel Wood Ukie12:00pm - 12:45pmRoom 6Business FREEThe Guide to the Future: Why Should You Care What the Government Thinks?
Wednesday 12th July12:00pm - 12:45pmRoom 6Regulations and incentives are the often-overlooked beating heart of making games in the UK, quietly shaping the landscape of our industry in every conceivable way. Over the past few years and changes of government Ukie has been working extensively with policymakers on topics such as loot boxes and online safety, and to address the issues that could hamper the future growth of the industry, such as the talent gap and changes to Video Game Tax Relief. In this session, Ukie gives an update on the work that will guide the future of the UK games industry – and how you can prepare.
Session Takeaway
- An overall insight into how policy influences the practice of making, selling and playing games
- A practical understanding of changes to existing funding strands (VGTR)
- Insight into how key new regulatory requirements will impact games businesses and what future challenges and opportunities are
2:00pm
Alex Nichiporchik tinyBuild2:00pm - 2:45pmRoom 3AI in Gamedev: Is My Job Safe?
Wednesday 12th July2:00pm - 2:45pmRoom 3Alex Nichiporchik, CEO of tinyBuild, will go in-depth into how the publisher adopted AI in daily practices to exponentially increase efficiency. From a 10x increase in key art production efficiency to using AI to gather data and verify community sentiment, we're in the industrial revolution of the digital age. Those who embrace it already have an advantage.
Session Takeaway
- We are experiencing the industrial revolution of the digital age, where productivity for game developers embracing AI tools skyrockets
- Alex will dive into examples of how AI tools already help tinyBuild in different aspects of gamedev - from writing code, logic, creating art, and games marketing
- There will be a human resource reallocation that'll change and optimize how teams work
- People who embrace the change will lead the next generation, while those who resist are likely to be left behind
James Binns Network N Media2:00pm - 2:45pmRoom 6Business FREEThe One Thing Every Game Needs
Wednesday 12th July2:00pm - 2:45pmRoom 6Digital game stores own their users, not you. They recommend games you compete with. They showcase your game however they want. And they refuse to play nice with other platforms. Build your own website and own your player and the conversation. James Binns, games media veteran tells you the 20 things every games website needs. And the 5 things you should never do.
Session Takeaway
- Your game needs a website, because it is the easiest, most secure way to own your audience away from the platforms
- Websites need to be designed to get found via search, social and deep links, and then tell the very best story for your game
- A website without a data strategy, follower strategy or a plan for how to drive player action is a dead end
3:00pm
David Amor Playmint3:00pm - 3:45pmRoom 1A Developer’s Guide for Raising Money from Venture Capitalists
Wednesday 12th July3:00pm - 3:45pmRoom 1Venture capitalist funding involves giving away a part of your company in exchange for money. It can be a great way of funding projects and ideas without losing IP rights or handing over creative control to a third party. It's a very common way of funding but isn't widely used in the games industry in the UK despite billions of dollars being available for the right companies.
Session Takeaway
- Whether VC funding is right for your business.
- How to value your company.
- How VCs work.
Kish Hirani Kiss Publishing & BiGJack Chapman PlayStation London StudioCharlie Bewsher Creative AssemblySimon Beigi-Cooper Hangar 13Jess Hider Rare3:00pm - 3:45pmRoom 6Pingle Studio XD Networking Series Presents: Tech Vs Game - Design Challenges and Taking Advantage of Tech Constraints
Wednesday 12th July3:00pm - 3:45pmRoom 6Ask any creative person if they like constraints and most will answer that it makes them more creative and efficient over an open canvas approach.
Join us as our panellists discuss the current and past hardware and software constraints they have encountered and how they have worked around them followed by some of the best practices working within constraints.
We will conclude with their ideal future tech and maybe even design the future gaming system that enables them to bring their creations to an even wider audience.4:00pm
Ella Romanos Fundamentally GamesCassia Curran Curran Games AgencyPamina Bou FactortechWill Freeman Freelance Games Journalist4:00pm - 4:45pmRoom 1Funding: Everything You Need to Know
Wednesday 12th July4:00pm - 4:45pmRoom 1This inspiring and diverse group of funders will discuss the current and future funding landscape. They will also impart what they look for when you sit across from them, sweating over your deck. Does a flashy Powerpoint matter? Is it all about the demo? This panel promises to give you insight into what they want and need you to know before you sit down with them.
Please feel free to bring your questions to this dynamic panel of industry pros.
Host: Will Freeman, Games Journalist
Session Takeaway
- What's the proper funding for you?
- What's the secret to having a good pitch?
- How to define your game's X Factor in your pitch?
- What are funders looking for?
5:00pm
Jon Torrens Communications Coach5:00pm - 5:45pmRoom 1The Real-Time Pitch Review
Wednesday 12th July5:00pm - 5:45pmRoom 1Pitching your idea can be terrifying, but is vital for your idea to reach its potential. Like a baby bird leaving the nest for the first time.
In this interactive session, there will be a live pitch situation on stage where communication Coach Jon Torrens will ‘pause’ developers during their pitch to give them real-time feedback on how to improve (don’t worry, he’s kind). Jon will use his years of experience to help each individual, and also share techniques with the whole audience on how to communicate effectively during your pitch or high-level meetings.
At the end of the session, you have the chance to pick Jon’s brain on specifics for your next pitch.
Session Takeaway
How to:
• Keep an audience’s attention
• Make your pitch concise
• Not fall apart in a messy pile of nerves
Cinzia Musio Code Coven5:00pm - 5:45pmRoom 6Business FREESupporting Marginalised Genders in Games: Where is the Accountability?
Wednesday 12th July5:00pm - 5:45pmRoom 6The conversation around improving the games industry for people of marginalised genders started years ago. While we’ve seen some progress, we’ve generally struggled to move away from the biggest issues. From harassment, to lack of diversity at the top; where has the accountability been? Join Cinzia Musio, Interim CEO at Code Coven, who will talk about actions that can be taken to hold ourselves and each other accountable, and exclusively announce a project that Code Coven has been working on as a tool for accountability throughout the industry.
Session Takeaway
- How to hold leadership accountable
- Move the Diversity & Inclusion conversation forward
- Take action to make the industry a more welcoming and inclusive place to all
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11:15am
Kate Edwards Geogrify / SetJetters11:15am - 12:00pmRoom 3Cultural Interoperability: The Biggest Challenge to the Metaverse (and Beyond)
Thursday 13th July11:15am - 12:00pmRoom 3As gaming spaces are the foundation for what is envisioned to be the forthcoming "metaverse", most of the current discourse is about technical interoperability; i.e., how we enable diverse platforms to seamlessly work together. However, this focus almost completely overlooks the most challenging aspect of cultural interoperability; i.e., how people from diverse worldviews and geographies will achieve equal access and common ground. This is especially problematic when our current world shows clear centrifugal cultural and geopolitical forces that are the antithesis of what the metaverse promises. With over 30 years of experience in games as a geographer and culturalization strategist, Kate Edwards has been involved in the creation of over 250 games. She will demonstrate the complexities of managing cultural interoperability as we strive to build globally inclusive virtual spaces in the midst of very real-world constraints.
Session Takeaway
- Attendees will understand the complexities of trying to accommodate multiple worldviews in a single, shared space
- Greater understanding of the role of culturalization in preparing content for a global, multicultural audience
- An appreciation of how realizing a true metaverse will be far more challenging than just the technology
3:00pm
Kosala Ubayasekara W.R.K.S Games3:00pm - 3:45pmRoom 4AI in Art and Marketing Pipelines - How We Integrated AI to Create Reliable Commercial Returns
Thursday 13th July3:00pm - 3:45pmRoom 4Kosala will talk through how W.R.K.S Games deeply integrated AI into their art and marketing pipelines, increased their conversion rates to 8%, and made AI a cornerstone of their company strategy for sustainable game development.
The talk will include the process, marketing results, and commercial results, and leave attendees with a blueprint that they can use to replicate and integrate that knowledge into their workflows.
Session Takeaway
- What AI tools to use and how to use them
- How the combining of these tools improve results and our results were
- A blueprint of how to replicate and integrate AI into your game company processes
4:00pm
Stuart Young Failbetter Games4:00pm - 4:45pmRoom 3Five Practical Production Hacks
Thursday 13th July4:00pm - 4:45pmRoom 3Production advice is often nebulous and theoretical, or very specific to one team. This is hardly surprising; it's a broad discipline and the work of different producers varies wildly. So in this session, I want to share some practical production behaviours that I've found useful, and you might too. Specific enough to be actionable, broad enough to be applied in other teams, these are five "production hacks" I've learnt on my journey that really pay off.
Session Takeaway
- You're not too small for build automation
- Meetings aren't free
- Use a scripting language
- Share the numbers
- Bundle your questions
