The Develop:Brighton conference is programmed to appeal to anyone involved in game development - whatever your level of experience and whatever your paticular role or responsibilities. With over 90 sessions across the three days, we've organised the content into tracks by interest area to make it easier for you to navigate.
Game visuals today span the artistic spectrum, from iconic mobile graphics to lush AAA productions and now of course the shift towards virtual reality and a return to photo-realism. Our Art Track will provide artists with inspiration, practical advice, best-practise guidance and real-life case studies from not just the games industry but other creative industries too.
Nothing ruins a good game faster than annoying music or inferior sound effects. Our Audio Track is a day long conference on Thursday 12 July for anyone involved in sound or music and video games. Audio professionals can expect to be inspired by the latest techniques and trends, plus hear from peers and experts who will share their own experiences and knowledge on all things sound related.
It's all very well making a great game, however without some commercial know-how and a sensible business model then you won't get very far in today's hugely competitive games industry. Our Business track brings together some of the smartest brains in games to share real-life case studies, practical advice, and best-practise tips so you can run a truly successful business as well as make great games. Also covers the challenges of game production, funding and marketing.
The games industry clearly remains the most exciting and varied sector for a programmer to go to work in. In the Coding Track our seriously knowledgeable and experienced technical speakers will show you exactly how to rise to the many challenges and opportunities facing game programmers today - including new and emerging platforms like VR, AR and MR.
Creativity in games has recently undergone a renaissance due to Indie developers, new formats, smaller budgets and online distribution channels as well as mainstream innovations. So contemporary game design is a challenging mix of cutting edge tech versus old school techniques like storytelling and game play. Come and be inspired by some of the world's most innovative and successful game designers offering their own top tips, and insight.
NEW! One of the biggest challenges facing game developers today is how to get your game on people's radar in such a competitive marketplace. The new Discoverability track will focus on helping you do just that - finding and attracting the right audience, nurturing your community and building good relationships with media, streamers and other influencers. Hear case studies, top tips and practical advice from the people behind some of the most successful games around.
Video games never stop changing, and we wouldn't have it any other way. Evolve explores everything that is new or cutting edge in game development across all disciplines - from new technologies and new trends to new business models. Plus there's some crystal ball gazing and debate on how to create the best new game experiences for the next decade. Evolve sessions are now included within the main conference programme across Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
While competition is hotting up for indie game devs, fresh opportunities continue with ever more tools, services, and other resource emerging to help turn your ambitions into reality. To help you become one of the winners, the Indie track brings together the indie community plus a few super star speakers to share hints, tips, lessons, and dreams.
Free sessions on Wednesday 11 and Thursday 12 July for students, start-ups, and anyone else looking to be the next big thing! Join us to hear straight talking from successful indie developers about how they started, what worked for them, and what mistakes they made – so you can avoid repeating them.
The new roundtable discussions are free to attend and open to everyone. They'll provide a safe place during the conference to discuss sensitive topics and personal issues affecting game devs today. And we'll ask people to turn off their devices so that conversations can be uncompromised. Come and share your experiences, ideas and point of view with others.
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Find out moreI’ve been to every single Develop in the last 12 years. One thing you get here is networking - you will meet the most amazing individuals in the video games industry.
Kish Hirani
Terra Virtua
Building games is hard and it’s taxing physically, mentally and emotionally. So being around a community that understands that is great – there’s a comraderie here.
Haden Blackman
Hangar 13
There really is a huge mix of people at Develop - loads of peers that you can learn from and the perfect blend of every element of game development as well.
Alex Moyet
Curve Digital
Develop is a very important place – it’s one of the few developer focussed conferences we have in Europe and that makes it very valuable.
Rami Ismail
Vlambeer
By coming to Develop what you get is the opportunity to network like you can’t in any other situation. Everyone knows everyone and it’s such a wonderful community feel.
Jessica Saunders
Salix Games
Develop always gets put in the diary. There are many reasons to be here, not just the talks, but the networking, people exchanging ideas about where the industry is right now and where it’s going to. It’s pretty essential to be here I think.
Ian Livingstone, CBE
We are so lucky to have Develop here in the UK. It’s a unique event where you can come and discover new things with people who care passionately about video games. It’s a sea full of new ideas.
Jonathan Smith
TT Games
If you really want to have a good interface with the British game developer community then this is the place to come.
Kate Edwards
Geogrify
A lot of the opportunities that come from being here are speaking to other developers who are doing exactly the same thing as you. And there are some good parties – it’s very much a pleasurable work experience!
Gemma Foster
Dlala Studios
There’s really something for everyone at Develop and the experience of being around like-minded people is really useful.
Grace Carroll
Creative Assembly
There are many ways you can be part of Develop:Brighton 2018 - including speaking in the conference, taking a booth in the Expo or becoming a sponsor.
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