Sessions
More sessions and topics are announced ongoing.
PLAYERUNKNOWNBattle Royale Fireside
Brendan "PLAYERUNKNOWN" Greene, often referred to as the father of the battle royale genre, originally designed the game mode as a mod for the ARMA series of games. After first bringing his game mode to the broader public in H1Z1, he went on to create the multi-award-winning game carrying his name, PLAYERUNKNOWN's Battlegrounds (PUBG).
He now leads PLAYERUNKNOWN Productions, an independent applied research & development studio formed to explore how new technologies can enable large-scale digital experiences. Based in Amsterdam, the team of game developers, software engineers and researchers are experimenting with tools like machine learning and data-driven design to build a new engine that will attempt to push the envelope of what is possible with virtual worlds.
Josef FaresFounder, HazelightGames Done Differently – A Conversation with Josef Fares
Small team, big titles – how does Hazelight do it? Making great games with small resources. What is the method? Why in-house mo-cap? Why so many different playstyles in one game? On-couch co-op was considered a hopeless genre, but after A Way Out and It Takes Two those doubts are gone. Per Strömbäck interviews Hazeling founder Josef Fares.
Charlie CzerkawskiMonetization Manager, Starbreeze StudiosVirtual Heisting – PAYDAY 3 game economy design challenges
Sticky factor and real world problems for virtual bank robbers.PAYDAY 3 presented interesting meta game: economy and monetization design challenges from the initial project vision. It is a cooperative multiplayer “Games as a Service” product, with a unique design “twist” that the core player fantasy relates around the repeated engagement in virtual heisting with friends; something which has a direct effect on the game economy. The game economy and engagement therefore presented problems to be solved, in the wake of its long lasting predecessor PAYDAY 2.
Nika Bender Live Service Producer, DICEReshaping Battlefield 2042: A Live Service Journey
Unveiling some key moments and takeaways from the exciting journey of Battlefield 2042, from a challenging launch to delivering for our community. Join us as we explore how a dedicated team listened to their players, discovered their identity in Live Service, and transformed a struggling game into a thriving product. Walk away from this talk with a clearer idea of the high-level path taken by the game and some examples of successful initiatives and ideas.
Etienne MichonSr Lead Product Manager, DICEReshaping Battlefield 2042: A Live Service Journey
Unveiling some key moments and takeaways from the exciting journey of Battlefield 2042, from a challenging launch to delivering for our community. Join us as we explore how a dedicated team listened to their players, discovered their identity in Live Service, and transformed a struggling game into a thriving product. Walk away from this talk with a clearer idea of the high-level path taken by the game and some examples of successful initiatives and ideas.
Felix af EkenstamFounder & Game Designer, MidjiwanMidjiwan's Game Design Principles – Six thoughts on game design that I learned from making Polytopia
Award-winning Civ-like Battle of Polytopia champions turn-based strategy and iso-metric maps. First famous on mobile, Polytopia now crosses over to Switch, PC/Mac/Linux and... Teslas. Founder and Designer Felix af Ekenstam shares what he learned the hard way making Polytopia.
Natalie Mellin PoppelvikPeople & Culture, Resolution Games Interrupt Unconscious Bias!
Explore practical strategies to recognise, manage, and interrupt unconscious bias in the games industry. Learn how computers make unfair decisions and discover ways to challenge your own biases, fostering better processes and, ultimately, better games. Shape a fairer and more inclusive games landscape.
Ricky Abu SiddekSenior Designer, Liquid SwordsConcept, Prototyping, and Beyond… For an Open World game
A design focused talk about open world game development, primarily focused on pre-production.
Ash McAllanLead Game Designer, Avalanche Studios GroupAm I Actually Designing An Open World Game? – A Three Point Checklist
When trying to learn about open world game design there are plenty of resources on how to design the open world, but what about the game loop and systems? Ash McAllan presents a simple three point checklist to make sure that the gameplay you're designing actually demands and engages with your game's open world.
Konrad TollmarResearch Director, Electronic Arts (EA)Smart Bots, The Genea Challenge, and more
A dual talk about smart bots, The Genea Challenge and more.
The road to human-like players in Racket Club. In this session, you'll get to know all about the challenges in creating game-playing bots that look real. The talk will cover many challenges we encountered including engineering, AI and game integration. Talk keywords: Reinforcement Learning, Imitation Learning, Data Engineering, Game Design
Researching the future of interactive entertainment. This talk presents state-of-the-art in interactive entertainment research, from current applications like Voice-to-Face -Creating lip-sync animation, and Swish – natural fabric motion, to upcoming techniques like The Genea Challenge on generating body animations from speech.
Aref Moradi Machine Learning Engineer, Resolution GamesSmart Bots, The Genea Challenge, and more
A dual talk about smart bots, The Genea Challenge and more.
The road to human-like players in Racket Club. In this session, you'll get to know all about the challenges in creating game-playing bots that look real. The talk will cover many challenges we encountered including engineering, AI and game integration. Talk keywords: Reinforcement Learning, Imitation Learning, Data Engineering, Game Design
Researching the future of interactive entertainment. This talk presents state-of-the-art in interactive entertainment research, from current applications like Voice-to-Face -Creating lip-sync animation, and Swish – natural fabric motion, to upcoming techniques like The Genea Challenge on generating body animations from speech.
Anna BrandbergLead UX Designer, The OutsidersThe Psychology of Play – The Power of Understanding Your Player
The key to creating engaging, intuitive and meaningful gaming experiences lies simply in understanding your players. Through real-life examples from iconic game franchises, we will explore how to harness the principles of user-centred design to create successful games, using a range of practical techniques from player segmentation to usability testing. This talk will inspire you to think differently about the power of play — and the ways in which we craft it.
Pär SäthilFounder, Brave CreativeThe Happy Genius – Psychology for Developers
Many believe that performance anxiety, stressful competition, procrastination, and self-doubt is the price we have to pay to live our creative dreams. But this narrative has grown old. Today, there are techniques from modern psychology that can make sure the creative process is no longer a roller coaster between euphoria and destructive pressure. With its help we can instead unleash our full artistic potential.
The lecture is based on Pär's newly released book "The Happy Genius - Psychology for the Creative", filled with exercises and advice that lead to real change. Whether you are a creator who sometimes gets stuck or if creation is a secret dream, this lecture provides new thoughts and concrete advice on how you create the courage to live beyond limitations.
Johanna Nylander Head of Analytics and Deputy CEO, Swedish Games IndustryGames in Sweden – The Numbers, The Truth And The Future
Why Sweden? Deep dive into the Swedish games industry and the drivers of growth. Swedish Games Industry head of analytics Johanna Nylander shares the new numbers from Game Developer Index-report and gives insights to what makes Sweden sooo special.
Jac CarlssonGame Designer, DICEThrough the Gun – Experience Made to (B)last
A celebration of first-person shooters – how to make Through the gun stand out! A dual talk, same question but two very different games! DICE's Battlefield meets Metal: Hellsinger. The FPS icon together with the came-out-of-nowhere hot take heavy metal zombie shooter.
Adam WrangeLead Combat Designer, The OutsidersThrough the Gun – Experience Made to (B)last
A celebration of first-person shooters – how to make Through the gun stand out! A dual talk, same question but two very different games! DICE's Battlefield meets Metal: Hellsinger. The FPS icon together with the came-out-of-nowhere hot take heavy metal zombie shooter.
Milla IsakssonLead Game Designer, The OutsidersThrough the Gun – Experience Made to (B)last
A celebration of first-person shooters – how to make Through the gun stand out! A dual talk, same question but two very different games! DICE's Battlefield meets Metal: Hellsinger. The FPS icon together with the came-out-of-nowhere hot take heavy metal zombie shooter.
Marléne TamlinHead of Sustainability & EU-affairs, Swedish Games IndustryGame Summit Sweden Opening
Welcome to Game Summit Sweden.
What's Your Story?
Can Games Save The World? – Workshop on Sustainability in The Games Industry
The planet and our society face a range of alarming societal and environmental issues that are all interconnected. Not surprisingly, in this spirit there is an increasing number of pioneers in the games industry fighting for the protection of the environment, of human beings, of their diversity, their health and equal rights. And while we may not solve any sustainability issues ourselves, we have the power to contribute to making a positive impact.
Sustainability Nexus hybrid conference, based in Cologne and all across Europe, serves as a dynamic meeting point, rallying to address pressing challenges around environmental impact, social issues, inclusion, and diversity. This workshop is the Stockholm based Breakout session, where we will talk about how Swedish game devs and companies can contribute to a more sustainable future.
Ismael SerranoTechnical Director, Star StableOld Tech, New Platforms – The Cross-Platform Mastery of an Age-Old Game Engine
Explore the enduring journey of Star Stable, a venerable online MMO game with a history spanning over 12 years. Delving into its transformation into a multi-platform MMO, we'll examine the strategic considerations and technological advancements shaping the game's future. This discussion will focus on the challenges and opportunities associated with the platform transition and the sustainability of a classic in the modern gaming landscape.
Gilbert NordhammarEngine Tech Lead, Star StableOld Tech, New Platforms – The Cross-Platform Mastery of an Age-Old Game Engine
Explore the enduring journey of Star Stable, a venerable online MMO game with a history spanning over 12 years. Delving into its transformation into a multi-platform MMO, we'll examine the strategic considerations and technological advancements shaping the game's future. This discussion will focus on the challenges and opportunities associated with the platform transition and the sustainability of a classic in the modern gaming landscape.
Ali FarhaSenior Technical Producer, Star StableOld Tech, New Platforms – The Cross-Platform Mastery of an Age-Old Game Engine
Explore the enduring journey of Star Stable, a venerable online MMO game with a history spanning over 12 years. Delving into its transformation into a multi-platform MMO, we'll examine the strategic considerations and technological advancements shaping the game's future. This discussion will focus on the challenges and opportunities associated with the platform transition and the sustainability of a classic in the modern gaming landscape.
