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9:45am
Kristian Segerstrale Super Evil MegacorpNeil Long mobilegamer.biz9:45am - 10:45amRoom 1KEYNOTE: The State of Games: Platforms, Funding and the Future
Tuesday 9th July9:45am - 10:45amRoom 1In this fireside chat, Kristian Segerstrale - CEO of Super Evil Megacorp and a 20+ year game industry veteran, will share his views on the games industry, his vision for the future and much more, including:
- The state of the industry - what is and isn't working right now across platforms and genres
- Is mobile still a viable place to start, or is it better to start on a PC?
- Where can you get the money?
- Concrete advice for building a financially sustainable studio in tougher times
- Buzzword bingo - AI, Transmedia, Cross-platform, Web3: quick takes on where we're at
Host: Neil Long, MobileGamer.biz
11:00am
Tom Westall Super Evil Megacorp11:00am - 11:45amRoom 2Cross Platform in Action - Taking a Game from Mobile to Console
Tuesday 9th July11:00am - 11:45amRoom 2We 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!
12:00pm
Tom Storr The Experimentation Group12:00pm - 12:45pmRoom 2Growing Your Game: Learnings from Experimentation
Tuesday 9th July12:00pm - 12:45pmRoom 2At 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?
2:00pm
Sophie Artemigi Independent2:00pm - 2:45pmRoom 2How to Get Banned from the App Stores: An Intersectional Approach to Mobile Development
Tuesday 9th July2:00pm - 2:45pmRoom 2The 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
3:00pm
V Buckenham Downpour3:00pm - 3:45pmRoom 2From “alt-ctrl” to Touch Screens: Designing for that Strange Lump in Your Pocket
Tuesday 9th July3:00pm - 3:45pmRoom 2I used to design games that used alternative controllers, and now I make apps for phones. And I find this is a useful perspective to bring to the design process - starting with the phone as an object you hold in your hand, and thinking about what actions feel pleasurable, what affordances it has, and how it exists within a social context.
In this talk, I'll go through some of these affordances, and talk about things we can learn about designing for phones, taking examples from my career making games such as the digital boardgame Beasts of Balance, prototyping at Niantic, and making my game creation app, Downpour.
Session Takeaway
- How mobile design compares to designing for custom controllers
- Techniques for validating mobile UX early on
- How to design for in-person word of mouth
4:00pm
Jamie Brayshaw Ripstone Games4:00pm - 4:45pmRoom 2The Queen’s Gambit: How We Developed Our First Mobile Game, for Netflix
Tuesday 9th July4:00pm - 4:45pmRoom 2Learn what made Unreal Engine the right fit for Rockwater’s first mobile game, the acclaimed The Queen’s Gambit Chess for Netflix Games. Rockwater will share the anticipated challenges, surprising outcomes, and tips and tricks to get the most out of Unreal Engine for the code, art, audio and UX which helped them bring to life their love letter to the world-famous Netflix show, The Queen’s Gambit.
Session Takeaway
- Tech: What we learned as PC/console developers making a mobile game
- Tech: What we learned from taking the unconventional Unreal engine path on mobile
- Design/Biz: What to expect when working with world-renowned IP and how to get the most from a partnership
5:00pm
Edric Tse Neopets5:00pm - 5:45pmRoom 2Neopets at 25: Game IP Evolution and Building Multi-dimensional Experiences
Tuesday 9th July5:00pm - 5:45pmRoom 2Neopets has been a household name since the 90's with 150 million players worldwide, and has made significant advancements to modernize the brand since its restructuring to World of Neopets in July 2023. In this session, Neopets Edric Tse will reflect on the game’s 25-year journey and share its long-term roadmap which includes engaging with global partners, game and story plot developments, and they are set to roll out more mobile games, whilst making Neopets.com more mobile-friendly.
Edric will share insights into Neopets’ recent priorities such as engaging with global partners and spearheading their community engagement to re-engage with former players and explore ways to connect with new players. He can delve into the challenges and opportunities within the competitive gaming landscape, emphasizing the significant role of nostalgia and community engagement in Neopets' recent revival. This recognition of the community's attachment to the game's legacy has been instrumental in shaping Neopets' strategy and goal in becoming an entertainment brand moving forward.
Session Takeaway
- Strategies for leveraging nostalgia as a tool for success in gaming
- Insights into acquiring and retaining users in a competitive gaming landscape
- Arrange a portfolio of continuous virtual and in-person activities to foster a strong, vibrant, and multidimensional community.
- Discover a new way to revitalize an IP through community engagement
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There are no sessions on this day.
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There are no sessions on this day.
