Program - Business ground

thursday * november 14, 2024

Program - Business ground

friday * november 15 2024

Program - PLAY ground

saturday * november 16 2024

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10:00

10:00 - 11:15

Facing Uncertainty:

Navigating Layoffs and Building Resilience in the Game Industry

11:30 - 12:30

Artistic Alchemy:

Transforming Emotions and Abstract Concepts into Stunning Visuals

12:45 - 13:00

Lights, Camera, Play:

Envisioning Your Indie Game on the Big Screen

lunch break

14:00 - 14:45

Mastering Multiplayer

Made Simple

15:00 - 15:45

allegorical Distance:

The Challenge of Creating Cultures

16:00 - 17:00

Managing the Pressure:

The Challenge of Creating CulturesMental Health, Crunch, and Agile Practices

17:15 - 18:00

Emphasizing Connection:

Community Management at CD PROJEKT RED

18:15 - 19:45

PITCH COMPETITION

(The Rabbit - Coconat Workation Retreat)

10:00 - 10:45

Effective Asset Management

in Unity with Addressables

11:00 - 12:00

Press F to Empathise.

The Importance of Social Skills for Being a Producer

12:15 - 13:15

Deal or No Deal:

What Makes Publishers and Devs Turn Away

13:30 - 14:00

How To Get Your Game Funded

by Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg

lunch break

15:00 - 16:00

Shifting Gears:

Pivoting Strategies for Studio Growth and Survival

16:15 - 17:15

the Power of Allyship:

How Allies Can Drive Change in the Gaming Industry

17:30 - 18:30

Transparency in Salaries:

Impact on Game Dev Culture

10:00 - 11:00

Learnings

from Kickstarter Champions

11:15 - 12:15

Between Realities:

Live Music in the Metaverse

12:30 - 13:30

Integrating Speedruns and LARP:

Innovative Approaches to Game Design and Community Building

lunch break

14:30 - 15:15

Sustainability:

Status & Next Policies for Indies

15:30 - 16:15

Cross-Media Entertainment

Transforming Gaming Worlds

16:30 - 17:30

Beyond Boundaries

Alternative Gear & Accessibility Features

17:45 - 18:30

Specialist or Generalist

Finding Your Focus in Game Development

STIFTUNG DIGITALE SPIELeKULTUR AI STAGE PROGRAM

publisher connect

investor ground

19:00 - 23:00

networking

GG Well Played - Networking Event

galerie

11:00

12:00

13:00

14:00

15:00

16:00

17:00

18:00

19:00

22:00

10:00

10:00 - 10:45

Mastering the Game Server

Lessons learned from 20 years

11:30 - 11:45

tbc

How to Create a Non-Toxic Community in Your Game

12:00 - 12:45

How to Stay Player Centric

in Free-To-Play Games?

lunch break

13:45 - 14:45

Women in Indie

Perspectives, Challenges and Opportunities

15:00 - 15:45

10 Empty Slides

(Rami ismail)

16:00 - 16:45

Demystifying Creativity

in Video Game Development

17:00 - 18:00

From Local to Global:

Best Practices in Video Game Localization and Cultural Adaptation

18:15 - 19:45

PITCH COMPETITION

(TheRabbit/Stiftung Digitales Spielkultur)

10:00 - 11:00

Sustainability Panel

curated by Stephen Lee

11:15 - 12:15

Liberating Live Service Crashes:

How 'bout a nice cup of STABILI-TEA?

13:15 - 14:15

Implementing Game Funds:

The Relationship with Private and Public (Medianet)

14:30 - 15:15

Unlocking national public funding

for games development in Germany and Europe

lunch break

15:30 - 16:15

Better Research, Better Games:

Playtests and Research Methods for Player Insights That Reduce Risks, Boost Retention, and Make Games Players Love)

16:30 - 17:15

Digital Citizenship in Action:

Gaming against Hate

17:30 - 18:45

Publishing vs. Self-Publishing:

Unfiltered Truths and Tough Choices

10:00 - 11:00

Heiße Games – kaputtes Klima?

Die Grünen Panel

11:15 - 12:00

Mirrors of Meaning and Play:

Bias and Stereotypes in Games

12:15 - 13:00

Of Words and Cats:

A Helpful Guide to Localization for Game Developers

lunch break

13:15 - 14:00

How to F*ck Up Your Console Launch

Before You Even Start Porting

15:00 - 15:45

Believable Creature Design

for Video Games

16:00 - 16:45

Game vs. Product

Why your Game should become a Product and How you can achieve that

17:00 - 17:45

Creating a Game Solo

René Rother (Children of the Sun)

18:00 - 18:45

Concept art:

adapting creatures designs from tabletop DnD to Baldur's
Gate 3

13:00 - 14:00

workshop

Live Pitch Deck Surgery

10:00 - 12:00

investor ground

14:15 - 15:45

workshop

Exploring Godot: A Quickstart Guide to Game Development

16:00 - 17:00

workshop

Next-Gen Game Experiences: Innovating with AI Agents and NPCs

17:15 - 18:15

workshop

Multiplayer Development Speedrun with Planetary Processing

19:00 - midnight

networking

GG Bonus Round - B2B After-party

galerie

11:00

12:00

13:00

14:00

15:00

16:00

17:00

18:00

19:00

22:00

11:00 - 13:00

Kids Tournament: Mini-Game Masters

Super Mario Party Jamboree (Age: 6-12 years)

13:00 - 14:30

Games Ground Cosplay Contest

Pre-registration starts at 10:00am. See our Cosplay page for more details!

break

break

14:30 - 15:00

Butterfly Wars

Music Act

15.00 - 16.00

The Live Score Berlin Initiative

Bringing Game Scores to Life

16:45 - 18:15

Olaf's Saturday Night Quiz

Get ready for the most epic Gaming Quiz of the year!

18:15 - 20:00

Games Ground Community Talk

United by Gaming

20:00 - 22:00

Kleiner Feigling Retro Gaming Night (18+)

with Dennsen86 & Kalle Koschinsky!

22:00 - 23:00

EndGegner

Music Act

11:00 - 17:00

League of Legends

Amateur Sports Tournament Grand Finale

17:00 - 17:30

drip lin

Music Act

break

18:00 - 22:00

eSports Herzblatt (16+)

Valorant Edition

12:00 - 13:00

WORKSHOP

Dubbing for Video Games - Let your inner Voice Actor out!

13:00 - 14:00

WORKSHOP

Conceptualising Video Game Music AND Creating a Leitmotif with Lou McMahon

14:00 - 15:00

ABLETON WORKSHOP

How I Built Unity FMOD Plugins using Ableton Live and RNBO.

15:00 - 16:00

Pyrocynical content creation WORKSHOP

For aspiring game reviewers and content creators looking to enhance their skills in creating engaging game reviews.

16:00 - 17:00

WORKSHOP

Cyberdelic Society - Reimagining Reality: Gaming as a Catalyst for Personal Growth

17:00 - 18:00

WORKSHOP

Patch World VR - Can Building Games and Worlds Feel Like Jamming in a Garage Band?

18:00 - 19:00

Games Ground 2024 Community Awards

19:00-19:30

NPC Prize raffle

17:00 - 18:00

WORKSHOP

Patch World VR - Can Building Games and Worlds Feel Like Jamming in a Garage Band?

12:00 - 13:00

workshop

One Piece TCG - Learn to Play with Izune!

11:00 - 12:00

workshop

Toy Photography

13:00 - 14:30

workshop

Mini Games for Major Effects.
Ideal for Ages 11+

14:30 - 16:00

workshop

Repair Workshop with ComputerSpieleMuseum

17:00 - 19:00

WORKSHOP

Audio Creatures - Beyond Visuals: First steps into Game Audio Design

11:00

12:00

13:00

14:00

15:00

16:00

17:00

18:00

19:00

20:00

21:00

22:00

Program

november 14, 2024

relic stage

>

10:00 - 11:15

Facing Uncertainty:

Navigating Layoffs and Building Resilience in the Game Industry

panelists:

  • Daniel Torbjörnsson
    Head of Skills and Growth
    Swedish Games Industry
  • Alexander McKinney-Raphelt
    Head of Avatars
    Ready Player Me
  • Sophie Vo
    Founder
    Rise & Play
  • Karolina Wecka
    Senior UI Artist
    Crytek

moderator:

  • Emily Scahill
    Head of Client Success
    Skillsearch

Description:

As the gaming industry faces turbulent times, with layoffs affecting teams across all levels, professionals must find ways to adapt and thrive. In this insightful session, a representative from the Swedish game industry will present key findings from recent research on layoffs in the sector, providing a data-driven overview of the scope and impact of this ongoing trend. Following the presentation, a panel of industry experts will come together to discuss the current state of the gaming workforce, examining how uncertainty is reshaping career paths and motivations for both junior and senior professionals. The conversation will delve into the competitive job market, where talent at all levels must navigate a landscape filled with unknowns. Panelists will share actionable advice on how to stay motivated, strategies for job seekers, and tips for those considering a career change in these challenging times. Join this essential discussion to better understand the realities of the modern gaming industry and discover how to build resilience and pursue career opportunities in the face of uncertainty.

11:30 - 12:30

Artistic Alchemy:

Transforming Emotions and Abstract Concepts into Stunning Visuals

panelists:

  • Sebastian Nussbaum
    VP Creative
    Wooga
  • Onat Hekimoglu
    Co-Founder, Director, Composer
    Slow Bros
  • Jane Katsubo
    Senior Concept Artist (fulltime freelance)
    Larian Studios
  • Emily McGregor
    Producer on Helldivers 2
    Arrowhead Game Studios

moderator:

  • Prof. Marion Plank
    Game Artist and Educator
    IU International University

Description:

This panel brings together industry-leading artists and creatives to explore the transformative process of turning raw emotions and abstract concepts into compelling visual narratives in video games. Through their experiences, the panelists will discuss how artistic direction, emotional expression, and conceptual design converge to shape immersive worlds and characters. The discussion will focus on techniques for interpreting complex themes visually and how to effectively convey deep emotional resonance in games, pushing the boundaries of traditional game art.

12:45 - 13:00

Lights, Camera, Play:

Envisioning Your Indie Game on the Big Screen

panelists:

  • Thierry Baujard
    Co-founder
    SpielFabrique

moderator:

Description:

This talk invites indie developers and studios to discover and participate in the KinoGames Project: a EU-funded initiative brought forward by SpielFabrique in collaboration with Nerdic aimed at exploring if and how games could help bringing audiences back to cinemas while also finding new opportunities and inspiration. The brief talk will introduce the project’s goals, its framework and the types of events and games currently being tested in six cinemas across Europe. Discover more about this research program and how you can get involved by submitting your game or suggesting fitting title ideas.

13:00 - 14:00

LUNCH BREAK

panelists:

No items found.

moderator:

Description:

14:00 - 14:45

Mastering Multiplayer -

Made Simple

panelists:

  • Christof Wegmann
    Founder and CTO
    Photon Engine
  • Erick Passos
    Lead Developer New Products
    Photon Engine

moderator:

Description:

Multiplayer games are at the top of all charts, and most developers still misunderstand the concepts behind achieving smooth and accurate gameplay. In this talk, we will clarify technical aspects and state-of-the-art patterns crucial for mastering online multiplayer game development. We will dissect case studies, examining how global player connectivity brings numerous benefits alongside significant challenges while showcasing the latest Photon products.

15:00 - 15:45

Allegorical Distance:

The Challenge of Creating Cultures

panelists:

  • Kate Edwards
    CEO / CXO & Co-founder
    Geogrify / SetJetters

moderator:

Description:

We've all experienced incredible game worlds that display a rich in-game culture or present a real-world culture, past or present. Game creators leverage their inspiration from real-world experiences and perceptions, but this often leads to unintentional missteps - such as cultural appropriation. The key to managing this challenge is understanding “allegorical distance”, the degree to which in-game implementation of culture is sufficiently different from real-world inspirations. Join Kate, a 30+ year veteran in game culturalization, as she guides you on these complex issues and demonstrates how to successfully build respectfully-made in-game cultures.

16:00 - 17:00

Managing the Pressure:

Mental Health, Crunch, and Agile Practices

panelists:

  • Maria Maunula
    Producer
    Supercell
  • Mathias Tournier
    Co-founder
    Sonderland Games
  • Sophie Vo
    Founder
    Rise & Play
  • Seb Downie-Blackwell
    remote control productions

moderator:

  • Alex Williams
    Creative Director & Co-fonder
    Deep Sky Games

Description:

Navigating tight deadlines and crunch periods in the fast-paced world of game development is a significant challenge that most industry players have to face daily, regardless of their role and their path. Join a diverse roster of experts who will share their experiences, some agile management practices and explore strategies for nurturing mental well-being and productivity while under heavy work pressure. The conversation will address the human impact of the crunch and burnout, discuss methods to manage stress and pressure, and question how industry professionals can foster healthier working environments while still meeting business goals.

17:15 - 18:00

Emphasizing Connection:

Community Management at CD PROJEKT RED

panelists:

  • Carolin Wendt
    Community International Lead
    CD PROJEKT RED
  • Ryan Schou
    SA Community Manager
    CD PROJEKT RED

moderator:

Description:

When discussing community management, most focus on the role’s technical aspects. The community team at CD PROJEKT RED argues that the emotional side is just as important. Join two of their representatives as they explore how the role shapes relationships between studios and players and the potential pitfalls that can arise. They'll discuss the impact that empathy and authenticity can have on building a positive, engaged community and provide strategies for navigating difficult situations. Whether you're a seasoned community manager or just starting out, this presentation will provide practical tools on how to create and maintain a community that players will love and support for years to come.

18:15 - 19:45

PITCH COMPETITION

(The Rabbit - Coconat Workation Retreat)

panelists:

No items found.

moderator:

  • Julianne Becker
    Co-Founder
    Coconat - a workation Retreat

Description:

The Rabbit is a one-month residency for independent video game developers at Coconat, a beautiful manor in the Brandenburg countryside and the perfect place for inspired concentrated work, supported by Medienboard-Berlin Brandenburg. For the third year in a row, The Rabbit is hosting indie game studios from Berlin/Brandenburg and around the world. This year's participants are ALDAMAMI with “Bloodletter” (Berlin), Deadly Crow Games with “Mutter” (Chile), Chewa with “The Masquerade” (Berlin), Stoked Sloth with “Driftwood” (Berlin), Juju Games with “Vodou - a space odyssey” (Nigeria) and Aunty Games with “Gourdlets” (United States). During the one-month residency, the 15 indie game developers will be able to work on their games, grow as a team, learn from industry experts, and exchange knowledge with their peers. We invite you to our event at Games Ground on November 14 at 18.15, where the teams will pitch their games in front of a jury of the following renowned experts: Valentina Birke, Rami Ismail, Adam Snook.

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