I’m very excited to present our full agenda for our GamesBeat Summit 2024 event on May 20-21 at the Marina del Rey Marriott in Los Angeles. You can use this code gbs24dean25 for a 25% discount on tickets. (Updated with speakers May 7).
It’s my pleasure to note this is our 16th annual event, and our theme is Resilience and Adaptation. The game industry had a pretty bad year and a half when it comes to 20,000 layoffs. We have felt that pain with you at GamesBeat. But we’re so glad to have your support and a chance to discuss what matters with you. We have 118 speakers across 48 sessions. About 57% come from diverse backgrounds.
Deciphering what’s happening in games
We’re all looking for the ideas that will deliver the next level of growth for gaming. We believe the agora of the game industry needs to bring together the thinking of our best minds — and perhaps AIs — to figure out how to get to the other side.
Why is this happening? Is this part of a cycle, or is there something structurally changing in the game industry? And how can companies and people be more resilient and adapt to the change, whether you’re just starting out your career like my daughter or guiding the fate of hundreds or thousands as an industry leader?
Lil Snack & GamesBeat
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These are some of the questions will tackle at our flagship event, which will once again have at the Marina del Rey Marriott. We will celebrate how game professional face this challenge with innovation, creativity, resilience, community and collaboration.
Our conference will address how to adapt to a rapidly changing world, and will address big topics like GenAI, cross-media adaptations (games and Hollywood), and the challenge of layoffs in an industry that is becoming part of mainstream culture. We’ll need to keep our eyes on the prize of billions more customers on the planet while being careful not to slip as we find our footing in this downturn.
As Matthew Ball noted in a long piece on the game industry, gaming has strong secular tailwinds that signal good years ahead. The new generation of kids plays a lot of games and they’re replacing generations that rarely played games. Players are getting access to more platforms with access to quality games.
Gaming culture is being elevated to the mainstream, and gaming is evolving as an art and tech platform. Access to high-quality gaming devices continues to improve. Gaming culture continues to proliferate, and the art form of gaming continues to evolve. But these tailwinds do not guarantee that every year will see uninterrupted growth, significant growth, or profitable growth.
In other words, growth isn’t guaranteed. We have to work at it. We’ll bring the top minds in the industry to discuss these topics in an interactive format.
It takes a village
Each GamesBeat event starts with small steps. On February 5, I announced our first speaker Purnendu Mukherjee, CEO of Convai, which is making AI-based non-player characters for games and virtual worlds. And 88 days later, we are now nearly full with our most diverse set of speakers ever.
Our topics include AI and games, games and Hollywood, openness, the future of game engines, alternative web stores, career resilience amid layoffs, investment/acquisitions, women in gaming/diversity, virtual reality/metaverse, Web3 games, games for good, return to work, work fairness and unionization, esports/creators, mental health and games, user-generated content, and the structure of the game industry.
We appreciate the support of our sponsors including Xsolla, Level Infinite, TikTok, the Entertainment Software Association, Coda, Scopely, ESL FaceIt Group, FastSpring, MetalCore, Unchained Entertainment, Lightspeed, Modulate, Heroic Labs, Jam City, Earn Alliance, Limited Run and Ludeo.
Our community partners include Midwest Games, IGDA, Games for Love, Women-led Games and more. Our emcees include Lizzie Mintus, Zsuzsa James, Tadgh Kelly, Marie Ablaza, Elizabeth Olson and Jon Wolheim.
I’d like to put out a call for your continued help now because we realize how tough it will be to get people to back our events and come to them in such a tough environment for gaming. The gaming media has struggled as well. We are not immune to that, but I believe our events have a real community following and something special to offer.
We could also use sponsor support and speakers for our other events, including GamesBeat Next on October 28 to October 29 in San Francisco and GamesBeat at the Game Awards on December 12. We’ll be launching signups for those events as well. Our sponsorship team is at sales@venturebeat.com.
Women in Gaming and Diversity in Gaming events
We take the notion of community seriously. I regularly introduce game startups to a list of over 50 venture capitalists who focus on games. We also try to create a real community. Our most successful venture on this front is the Women in Gaming Breakfast, which has been a mainstay for years. This breakfast will be the biggest one we’ve ever had.
We’ll also have our second annual Diversity in Gaming Breakfast at this year’s event. We strive to bring balance and different perspectives to our sessions. We hope you come to our in-person days and engage in the meals, networking and thought-leadership sessions.
We’ll close the event with our annual GamesBeat Visionary Awards, hosted by Leah Hardy, formerly of TikTok and Meta — a friend of GamesBeat for years. We’ll give awards for our Visionary and our Up and Comer.
Without further ado, here’s who we’ll have at our GamesBeat Summit 2024 event.
Here’s our full agenda for our GamesBeat Summit 2024 event on May 20-21 at the Marina del Rey Marriott in Los Angeles.
Day 1 (May 20, 2024)
12:40 pm – 12:45 pm
Emcee introduction
Lizzie Mintus, founder and CEO of Here’s Waldo Recruiting
12:45 pm – 12:55 pm
Intro panel
Dean Takahashi, lead writer for GamesBeat
Jordan Fragen, GamesBeat writer
Rachel Kaser, GamesBeat writer
Mike Minotti, GamesBeat managing editor
12:55 pm to 1:05 pm
Building professional resilience and adaptability
Resilient leaders, teams and organizations don’t just happen. Caroline Stokes has worked in the game industry since 1992 and knows how to anticipate and adapt to seismic market shifts. Combining neuroscience, leadership best practices and an experimentation mindset, learn how to create resilient environments to support organizational success in even the most challenging times.
Caroline Stokes, founder and executive coach at Forward
1:05 pm to 1:15 pm
In a ‘New Normal’ era for M&A and fundraising, what are your options?
Alina Soltys, founder and partner at Quantum Tech Partners
1:15 pm to 1:40 pm
Fireside chat with Songyee Yoon of NCSoft
Push Play: Gaming for a better world
Join Dr. Songyee Yoon, president of NCSoft, as she delves into the inspirations behind her book “Push Play: Gaming for a Better World,” exploring how gaming, a natural part of our DNA, fosters creativity, learning, and social connections. She will address the importance of diversity in the games industry, sharing her experiences in a male-dominated field and her efforts to create a more inclusive tech community. Dr. Yoon will also discuss the impact of recent industry trends and the role of AI in shaping the future of gaming, highlighting the importance of commitment to ethics in AI.
Songyee Yoon, president of NCSoft
Moderator: Dean Takahashi
1:40 pm to 2:05 pm
VTubers: A Japanese phenomenon for building audience and revenue
Discover the power of VTubers (virtual YouTubers), a Japanese phenomenon that has captivated the internet since 2020. This online presence has translated into many revenue-generating streams. You can enable your characters and IPs for social media marketing, driving game and merchandise sales while enhancing brand storytelling and audience engagement.
Jia Shen, CEO of AKA Virtual
2:05 pm to 2:35 pm
Fireside Chat with Brian Ward of Savvy Gaming Group
The ambition of Savvy Games Group and Saudi Arabia’s gaming ecosystem
Brian Ward, CEO of Savvy Games Group will be in conversation with Lisa Hanson, CEO of Niko Partners, will share thoughts on Savvy’s strategic plan, Saudi Arabia as an emerging global gaming hub, and other emerging hubs in MENA. What are games like in this region? What does it mean to be global in this age of gaming? How big can you bet while gaming itself is in a slowdown? We’ll talk to Ward about this in an engaging fireside chat.
Brian Ward, CEO of Savvy Gaming Group
Moderator: Lisa Cosmas Hanson, president of Niko Partners
2:35 pm to 3:00 pm
New Playbooks in Gaming: From engagement to revenue in a D2C era
Ready to shake up the gaming industry? It’s time to address the pain points of developers who need help getting through tough times. Join this session to explore cutting-edge monetization strategies; learn how Discord’s savvy engagement and loyalty programs are transforming players into loyal fans and revenue streams. Step beyond traditional marketplaces with a dive into direct-to-consumer engagement models and web stores. Get insights on navigating app store complexities and crafting effective go-to-market strategies in our fast-evolving landscape.
Peter Sellis, SVP of product at Discord
Rick Phillips, chief operating officer at Coda
Moderator: Dean Takahashi
3:00 pm – 3:10 pm
BREAK
3:10 pm – 3:35 pm
Brain-based AI agents and the future of interactive entertainment
All the memories in your life make you who you are. Gallium Studio’s newest AI simulation game, Proxi, will allow players to input pivotal moments in their lives and bring them to life using media such as 3D objects, audio, and photos. The game then analyzes these core memories and creates player avatars known as Proxis. Each Proxi avatar is a dynamic model of how players feel, think, and behave with the world around them based on the memories they input.
Proxi uses a combination of embedded and generative AI models that abstract keywords the player uses, look for associations among them, and create a world based on those associations. To make this gameplay happen in real time, Gallium Studios chose Numenta’s NuPIC, a neuroscience-based AI platform designed to help businesses efficiently build and scale large AI models on CPUs.
The integration of independent AI agents in the next generation of life simulation games holds significant relevance, given the swift evolution and adoption of AI technologies in the video game industry. Attendees can anticipate:
A comprehensive exploration of the potential implications of AI advancements on life simulation games.
How video gaming companies can leverage advanced AI technologies and why the ability to build AI-based games on CPU-based servers matters to game developers.
Expert analysis and actionable knowledge from Gallium Studios and Numenta on the anticipated trajectory of integrating AI agents and neuroscience principles in gaming and the potential impact on interactive entertainment in the future.
Will Wright, cofounder of Gallium
Subutai Ahmad, CEO of Numenta
3:35 pm – 4 pm
Answering the Call: Decoding Call of Duty’s lasting marketing success
Join Tyler Bahl, SVP and head of global marketing at Activision, and Vanessa Chang, lead of global gaming marketing, cross-platform at TikTok, for an enlightening fireside chat at GamesBeat Summit.
Embark on a journey through the ever-changing gaming landscape as we explore how Call of Duty has maintained its position as an industry powerhouse. Gain valuable insights into how the brand’s culture of creativity and experimentation has fueled its ability to retain a massive playerbase and attract new audiences.
We’ll highlight actionable takeaways that can be applied to your own marketing strategy, inspired by Call of Duty’s own innovative approach.
Tyler Bahl, senior vice president and head of marketing at Activision
Moderator: Vanessa Chang, head of global gaming business marketing, cross-platform games at TikTok
4 pm – 4:25 pm
Is now the time to launch D2C payments for mobile games?
As lawsuits and regulations pressure Apple and Google to further open their mobile ecosystems to direct-to-consumer (D2C) distribution and payments for game developers, publishers around the world are wondering: Is now the right time to expand into D2C?
In this panel, moderator David Vogelpohl, CMO at FastSpring, a D2C payment platform for video games, interviews three industry-leading panelists about their thoughts on mobile D2C lawsuits & regulations, what is allowed & needed to succeed in D2C today, and the future of open computing & gaming.
Stephen McArthur, founding attorney at The MacArthur Law Firm
Adam Lieb, CEO and founder of Gamesight
Liam Broza, metaverse technology influencer, open computing advocate, and CTO of Infinite Reality
Moderator: David Vogelpohl, CMO at FastSpring
4:25 pm – 4:55 pm
Lightspeed Game Changers
Game Changers: The future of innovation in games and interactive entertainment
Moritz Baier-Lentz, partner at Lightspeed Venture Partners
Chris Bell, cofounder and CEO of Gardens Interactive
Sophia Xing, product management and data science lead at Inworld AI
Jani Penttinen, CEO of Bitmagic
Dean Takahashi, lead writer for GamesBeat
4:55 pm – 5:35 pm
Roundtable 1 – Embracing neurodiversity: Cultivating inclusive work environments
Join Jason Docton for an insightful discussion on embracing neurodiversity in the workplace, where he will share personal experiences and actionable strategies for creating inclusive policies that support individuals, whether they’re managers navigating teams or employees navigating their careers.
Jason Docton, founder of Rise Above the Disorder
Roundtable 2 – Building organizational resilience
In this collaborative session, leaders are invited to share their experiences of creating resilient teams and organizations for a positive impact on the bottom line during tough economic times. This roundtable is a win-win: Covering areas including talent retention, innovation, and growth, you’ll learn from other leaders and gather key, actionable concepts to take back to your team. At the same time, you’ll help inspire others to build a more sustainable company and industry for everyone to prosper.
Caroline Stokes, founder and executive coach at Forward
Roundtable 3 – A conversation about options in today’s ‘New Normal’ era for M&A and fundraising
We’ve been through a tough time. The pandemic was tough but gaming grew. Afterward, the industry contracted, values of game companies dropped, funding dried up and layoffs ensued. What will be the new normal of gaming, particularly with it comes to mergers, acquisitions and fundraising?
Alina Soltys, founder and partner at Quantum Tech Partners
Roundtable 4 – Leveraging external development to build games that meet the needs of today’s players
The games industry is rapidly evolving, driven by the changing needs of younger generations, the evolution of games as a platform, and the growth of new gaming destinations. This often equates to higher budgets and more scalability in resourcing. Developers are expanding their work with service providers and freelance talent to deliver games that meet the needs of today’s players. This Roundtable will drive conversation around the changing external development landscape, how companies are unlocking the freelance talent goldmine, the ups and downs of working with external partners, and best practices in building amazing games with external studios.
Jason Harris, chief commercial officer at Devoted Studios
Cindy Airey, vice president of business development at Devoted Studios
Roundtable 5 –
The challenges of physical game publishing
Description: Join an open discussion about how to navigate the changing landscape of physical game publishing. Why are so many AAA to indie studios doing limited releases? Is there really less demand or are developers missing out on something integral? Moderated by Limited Run Games VP of Marketing Alena Alambeigi.
Alena Alambeigi, vice president of marketing and digital publishing at Limited Run Games
Roundtable 6
Surrounding Yourself with the Best Talent: Investing in People, Your Greatest Resource
Talent is everywhere, opportunity is not. The more we bring opportunity to talent, the more premium talent we can bring into this industry that would have never participated without. We are incredibly fortunate to have an experienced, Midwest hardworking, and supremely-talented team of professionals on our side. We hope to share experience and insight into how important it is to nurture your culture and empower the people leading your business to succeed.
Ben Kvalo, CEO of Midwest Games
Gina Joseph, chief strategy officer at GamesBeat and board member at Midwest Games
5:35 pm – 7 pm
Reception
Day 2 (May 21, 2024)
8:30 am – 9:50 am
Women in Gaming breakfast: How gaming is driving positive global change (Sponsored by Xsolla)
During times like these, it is easy to focus on the negative. Yet, many organizations and developers are focusing on how their initiatives and games can make the biggest social impact around the world. What are organizations doing to ensure continued momentum on the social impact front? How can core systems (i.e. game engines, others) help accelerate and amplify the impact that game developers can have with their games? As a game developer, what choices or sacrifices must be made to balance survival with social good?
Jen Premisler, MasterCard
Karla Reyes, founder and studio head at Anima Interactive
Bryna Dabby Smith, CEO of Brass Lion Entertainment
Susanna Pollack, president of Games for Change
Moderator: Rachel Kaser, GamesBeat writer
9:50 am – 9:55 am
Emcee welcome
Zsuzsa James, senior trade commissioner at the Consulate General of Finland in LA
9:55 am – 10:00 am
Opening intro
Mike Minotti, GamesBeat managing editor
10:00 am – 10:30 am
Tips to Thrive – not just Survive – in Today’s Video Game Marketplace
Development costs are up, funding is harder to find, and breaking through the new release clutter is more challenging than ever. Our panel of experts, moderated by Xsolla’s David Stelzer, will share their tips and suggestions to overcome the financial obstacles facing developers of all sizes. Get ideas to help generate a higher return or remove unnecessary costs so you don’t fall short of the success that your game deserves.
David Stelzer, President, Xsolla (moderator)
Ron Scott, GM Xsolla Backend, Xsolla
Doug Morin, Advisor
Jessica Tams, CEO & Co-Founder, Seven Falls
David Kaye, General Partner, F4 Fund
10:00 am – 10:30 am in ROOM 2
Esports: The power of growing the community
With 3.3 billion gamers worldwide, the video games industry is worth an estimated $184 billion. In a market increasingly driven by engagement and retention, it’s more important than ever to deliver unique experiences and build sustainable communities.
Esports not only gives core players more opportunities to compete, watch, and win in their favorite titles but also serves as a proven method for publishers to grow their audience around a title.
Join ESL FACEIT Group’s Chief Strategy Officer, Mike Sepso and Electronic Arts’ Senior Director of Esports Brand & Marketing, Monica Dismore, for an insightful conversation on the value proposition of esports as an engagement and retention tool, the importance of building generational fandom, and how to bring communities together through a connected experience.
Mike Sepso, chief strategy officer, ESL FACEIT Group
Monica Dinsmore, senior director of esports brand and marketing, Electronic Arts
Moderator: Jordan Fragen, GamesBeat writer
10:30 am – 11:00 am
Fostering community in games during challenging times
Alex Gombos, Christina-Marie Drake, and Amir Satvat discuss effective strategies and key insights for uniting gamers during, arguably, the most difficult period the industry has faced. Discover actionable takeaways that you can apply to your own career and organization to build a resilient games community.
Amir Satvat, business development director at Tencent
Alex Gombos, former recruiting manager at PlayStation
Christina-Marie Drake, former recruiter at Naughty Dog
Moderator: Sarah Parvini, former staff writer at the Los Angeles Times
10:30 am – 11:00 am in ROOM 2
Gaming’s Rising Stars: Developers building businesses on Roblox
Finding the right audience, tight development timelines, challenges building for multiple platforms, layoffs and high costs are plaguing the gaming industry. Amid this sea of bad news, there are some bright spots, and making games on the Roblox platform is one of them. Some of the developers on the platform are the entrepreneurs of a new generation. In this session, three leading studio heads will delve into building a successful business on the UGC platform. They’ll share common challenges and proven solutions, explore their creation playbooks on building the next big hit, and discuss monetization opportunities to expand your business into the world of Roblox.
Clarence Maximillian, founder at Maximillian Studios
Anne Shoemaker, founder and game designer at Fullflower Studio
RynityRift, Roblox UGC creator
Moderator: Dean Takahashi
11:00 am – 11:30 am
Catalysts for the next great studios and games
The CEO of Blizzard during its meteoric rise and the founding GM of Microsoft Games are marshalling capital, experience, and production resources to support the development of teams to build games we’ll enjoy playing through the 2020s and into the 2030s. Ed Fries and Mike Morhaime discuss how their firms do this, ingredients for success in the 2024-2025 landscape, and the keys to giving the best game concepts the best chances for success.
Ed Fries, founder of 1UP Ventures
Mike Morhaime, CEO of Dreamhaven
Moderator: Eric Goldberg, cofounder of Playable Worlds
11:00 am – 11:30 am in ROOM 2
Safeguarding Online Communities: AI and Human Innovations at Play
Description: Exploring the evolution of online gaming communities and Microsoft’s innovative approach to player safety, with a focus on early AI-supported investments and the collaboration needed to ensure players feel safe, welcome and included when they come to play.
Kim Kunes, GM of Xbox trust and safety at Microsoft
Moderator: Rachel Kaser, GamesBeat writer
11:30 am – 12:00 pm
Ensuring a Successful Live Games Service Launch
In 2024, game developers must understand that live games are not just products but ongoing services. The success of a live game depends on several factors, including the backend game engine, server/cloud architecture, and player safety. This session will feature a panel of experts with decades of combined experience in live games. They will discuss the essential considerations for running a successful live games service, including:
Choosing the right backend game engine for your particular game
Designing a scalable and reliable server/cloud architecture
Implementing effective player safety measures
Managing and monitoring the live game service
This session is a must-attend for anyone involved in live game development. Attendees will learn from the experts and gain valuable insights into how to ensure both a successful live game service launch as well as the best possible live game environment for their players.
Modulate’s CTO, Carter Huffman
Jeremy Joiner, head of business development at Pragma
Stefan Ideler, chief innovation officer (CIO) & cofounder at i3D.net
Moderator: Amy Jo Kim, founder of Game Thinking
11:30 am – 12:00 pm in ROOM 2
From Code to Companions: The role of artificial intelligence in video game development
From creating more immersive experiences to automating tedious development tasks, this panel will explore the ways AI is being integrated into video game development. The panel will highlight the challenges and opportunities when using AI, including in its use to create dynamic game worlds, enhance player interaction, and further storytelling.
Purnendu Mukherjee, founder and CEO at Convai
Jonathan Zweig, CEO of Buildbox
Marguerite deCourcelle, CEO at Blockade Labs
Moderator: Ghaith Mahmood, partner and co-chair of Video Game and Esports and lead of AI Task Force Practice, Latham & Watkins
12:00 pm – 12:30 pm
Small Screens, Big Business: Scopely leaders discuss the road to mobile game success
Join Scopely executives Walter Driver (co-CEO) and Javier Ferreira (co-CEO) for a lively conversation on the journey of building a leading global games business. Now the top mobile games company in the U.S., Scopely is fresh off an incredible growth year – which included launching the No. 1 game of 2023 with Monopoly Go! debuting cross-platform versions of hit party royale title Stumble Guys, continuing to innovate long-time beloved franchises such as Star Trek Fleet Command and Marvel Strike Force, and getting acquired for a record-breaking $4.9B. But Scopely’s path to success has been anything but linear. Hear from the company’s top executives on the lessons learned over the past decade, pivotal decisions that unlocked new opportunities, and how they’ve created a culture that embraces failure to drive the future of play forward.
Walter Driver, co-CEO of Scopely
Javier Ferreira, co-CEO of Scopely
Moderator: Dean Takahashi
12:00 pm -12:30 pm in ROOM 2
The brave new frontier of gaming: UEFN and other emerging platforms
Alex Seropian was the cofounder of Bungie and waded into the deep end of triple-A games with Halo. He has had a long career in gaming and each time has been deliberate about his next move. He moved into mobile shooter games with Industrial Toys. And now his Look North World game startup is focused on UEFN games, Epic’s Fortnite platform for creators/UGC. Yon Raz-Fridman, CEO of Supersocial, will quiz Seropian about this journey and talk about his own contrasting focus on making different kinds of games on Roblox.
Alex Seropian, CEO of Look North World
Moderator: Yon Raz-Fridman, CEO of Supersocial
12:30 pm – 1:30 pm
Diversity & Inclusion in Games: Actions speak louder than words (Sponsored by the Entertainment Software Association)
ESA senior vice president of communications and public affairs Aubrey Quinn will lead a panel discussion with representatives from ESA member companies where they will share examples of how they are creating more inclusive games for a diverse player community, and showing up for an increasingly diverse workforce.
Laura Teclemariam, senior director of product management at LinkedIn
Farah Sutton, director of diversity and inclusion (D&I) at Riot Games
Chanel Ward, Director of Global, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at Take-Two
Moderator: Aubrey Quinn, senior vice president, communications and public affairs at the Entertainment Software Association
12:30pm – 1:30pm
Roundtable – AI and UGC in games
Many executives in the game industry hope that AI will be the silver bullet that helps reduce costs. Is AI the silver bullet? This roundtable will be a lively discussion that explores the current state of AI in game development, what the future holds, the IP legal battles that will emerge, and what efficiencies can be gained by using AI in game development today and in the future. Will we see the team sizes in development go down over time? What impact will it have on UGC?
Rich Vogel, founder and studio head at T-Minus Zero
1:30 pm – 2:00 pm
Fireside Chat with Warren Spector of OtherSide Entertainment
Lessons Learned after 40 Years in the Industry: Why Developers Should Embrace “Maximum Possible Game” over “Minimum Viable Product”
With over 40 years in game development, Warren Spector, chief creative officer of Otherside Entertainment, will participate in a fireside chat moderated by Dan “Shoe” Hsu, founder of Going Analog and former editor-in-chief of GamesBeat. Why does Spector hate the concept of “MVP” (minimum viable product)? He will discuss how developers should shift their thinking, including what challenges to pose to players (or their own teams), what goals to set, and what they should strive for at the finish line.
Warren Spector, chief creative officer at OtherSide Entertainment
Moderator: Dan “Shoe” Hsu, former editor-in-chief at GamesBeat
1:30 pm – 2:00 pm in ROOM 2
How gaming fandoms are evolving and changing the industry
The voice of the fan is louder – and more impactful – than ever and reaching today’s gamer is not a one size fits all approach. In this discussion, we’ll dive into unique insights on who the modern day gaming fan is, why authentic connection + community is critical to this audience, and what really resonates with gaming fans today, including how gaming fits into their broader entertainment consumption and what they want from the gaming ecosystem.
Perkins Miller, CEO of Fandom
Dennis Fong, CEO of Forge
Jace Hall, CEO of Twin Galaxies
Moderator: Mike Minotti, GamesBeat managing editor
2:00 pm – 2:30 pm
The future of blockchain games: retention, discovery and broadening the mass market
We’re nearing a future where “web3 gaming” is simply “gaming.” What will it take to get there, and how do we define it? Join us for an insightful panel on the future of gaming through the eyes of web3 innovation. We will focus on strategies for retention and discovery that will help bridge the gap between web2 and web3, bringing the future of gaming to the mainstream — here and now. The panel of experts will offer real-world examples and advice, discussing innovative approaches to overcoming acquisition challenges, keeping players engaged, integrating web3 games into the broader gaming ecosystem, tokenomics and the implications of new monetization models. Ideal for developers, investors, and gaming enthusiasts, don’t miss this opportunity to gain insight from those who are creating a blueprint for the evolution of gaming technology and community building.
Joseph Cooper, CEO at Earn Alliance
Dan Nikolaides, CTO at Studio369
Canaan Linder, CEO of Stardust
Moderator: Jason Nelson, technology reporter for Decrypt Media
2:00 pm – 2:30 pm in ROOM 2
Culturalizing a mobile game: Good Pizza Great Pizza — a case study
Anthony Lai, CEO of TapBlaze
Yuni Cho, community marketing manager at TapBlaze
Amy Jo Kim, founder at Game Thinking (moderator)
2:30 pm – 3:00 pm
Redefining “massively” in MMOs: How many players can you fit in an online multiplayer game
Redefining “massively” in MMOs: How many players can you fit in an online multiplayer game
Mark Jacobs, CEO of Unchained Entertainment
Rashid Mansoor CEO of Meta Gravity
Christopher Caen
Moderator: Wanda Meloni
2:30 pm – 3:00 pm in ROOM 2
The future of game discovery
14,532 Steam games, 834 Sony PS5 games, 631 Microsoft XboxOne games, and 1,185 Nintendo Switch games. That is the by platform breakdown of the number of PC and console games released into the marketplace in 2023. Was your studio’s game among them? Did players find your game? How did they find it? A panel of gaming experts and innovators discuss the evolution of game discovery – what’s working, what isn’t and how best to reach your players in 2024.
Erin Ashley Simon, media personality and founder of XSET
Jessica Murrey, CEO of Wicked Saints Studios
Asaf Gazit, CEO of Ludeo
Moderator: Yoshio Osaki, president of IDG Consulting
3:00 pm to 3:30 pm
BREAK
3:30 pm – 4:00 pm
The changing structure of the games industry
The games business has been evolving across several axes: where funding comes from, how teams are built, the role of publishers, where innovation comes from, how companies scale capabilities while keeping agile teams. Some of this change is a result of the financial landscape, some of it has to do with how companies build audiences, some is about risk. What are the new ways companies are thinking about funding their projects, taking games to market, using technology and the global talent market; what do the changes mean?
Steve Chiang, president at Fortis Games
Tim Morten, CEO of Frost Giant Studios
Sibel Sunar, CEO of Fortyseven Communications (moderator)
Lucy Hoffman, COO of Carry1st
3:30 pm – 4:00 pm in ROOM 2
Harnessing Data to Drive Successful Game Launches
More games are launching today than ever before. In this crowded market, publishers need cutting-edge tools to stand out. Stay ahead of the curve and learn how industry experts use data to shape successful go-to-market strategies and identify breakout hits before they reach mainstream audiences.
Join IDG’s President and CEO Yoshio Osaki and ScreenEngine/ASI’s SVP of Gaming Colan Neese to hear more about the state of the market, practical strategies to set games up for success, and a few data-driven predictions on the future of the gaming industry.
Yoshio Osaki, president of IDG Consulting
Colan Neese, ScreenEngine/ASI’s SVP of Gaming
Jordan Fragen, GamesBeat writer (moderator)
4:00 pm – 4:30 pm
Hollywood and Games: A long awaited love affair
Mario, Arcane, Sonic, Freddy’s, Fallout, The Last of Us. We are seeing an unprecedented number of Hollywood adaptations of games, and audiences seem to love it. Hollywood and games are cultures and industries that didn’t always get along. Now games are the new comics for Hollywood while games are getting a new marketing engine. Hear different perspectives on this new trend from the heads of a game company, film company, Hollywood agent, and game investor.
Derek Douglas, head of video games at CAA and investor at Connect Ventures
Maureen Fan, CEO of Baobab Studios
Josh Yguado, CEO of Jam City
Moderator: Peter Levin, managing director of Griffin Gaming Partners
4:00 pm – 4:30 pm in ROOM 2
Games are good for your mind
In this session, Chethan Ramachandran, the founder and CEO of Skillprint, will walk through an emerging area for games – enhancing the mind everyday. From mental wellbeing, to corporate training, to digital therapeutics, games are emerging as a viable solution. It also represents a new opportunity for games, but a systematic framework is missing to help game companies take advantage of this.
Skillprint has analyzed data from tens of thousands of games and hundreds of thousands of players to create a platform that can predict the effect of an existing game on a player’s mood, mindset, and cognition. Chethan will show the data linkages hidden in every game, and preview Skillprint’s upcoming Open Source framework designed to accelerate adoption for all constituents, and make games the future of growing the mind.
Chethan Ramachandran, CEO of Skillprint
4:30 pm to 5:00 pm
GamesBeat Visionary Awards
The GamesBeat Visionary Awards started in 2018 to recognize industry leaders who took a daring, visionary approach to shaping the future of gaming, forging new paths that have mesmerized audiences and redefined the very nature of video games. We give out two awards every year: the Visionary Award and the Up and Comer award. The Visionary Awards goes to someone who showed vision in their career. The Up and Comer Award award honors someone who is an up-and-comer when it comes to achievements in the game industry. It isn’t based on age or experience in the game industry. Rather, it recognizes that the biggest potential of the honoree lies ahead of them.
Host: Leah Hardy, global marketing leader
Conversation Salon agenda May 21
Emcee: Elizabeth Olson
10:00 am – 10:30 am
The Creator’s Notepad: Expanding Storytelling
Dom Cole, cofounder of Left Fielder Media
Sheloman Byrd, co-CEO of Veritas Game Advisors
10:30 am – 11:00 am
The future of mixed reality games
Alexey Menshikov, CEO of Beatshapers
Nicole Lazzaro, CEO of XEO Design
Spencer Hunt, COO of Ascendant Studios
11:00 am – 11:30 am
The future of AR in the wake of the Apple Vision Pro
Susan Cummings, CEO of Tiny Rebel Games
Tipatat Chennavasin, general partner of Venture Reality Fund
11:30 am – 12:00 pm
From Developer to Distributor: How to break free from the platforms
Everyone’s talking about web shops and alternative payments. But the truth is, direct-to-consumer isn’t a new trend in gaming – Riot, Epic and others have been leading the way for years. In this talk, you’ll get insider information on how Riot built and grew League of Legends’ first-party distribution strategy – which gives them full access and ownership to their most engaged users (without having to pay Steam, Apple, or Google a cent). That includes their custom launcher, Arcane, and leading global esports franchises. No matter if you’re a PC or mobile game developer, Riot’s D2C strategy is one you’ll want to hear and apply to your own game.
Archie Stonehill, head of product at Stash
Oksana Kubushyna, previously COO and head of the Platform Group at Riot Games
12:00 pm – 12:30 pm
Paving the way for the next generation of game developers
Jim Huntley, associate professor and head of marketing for USC Games
Moderator: Rachel Kaser, GamesBeat writer
12:30 pm
LUNCH BREAK
1:30 pm – 2:00 pm
Power-Ups for a Sustainable Industry: Unionization & worker empowerment in games
Over the last 5 years, attitudes toward unionization in games have shifted more positively, and mass layoffs across the industry have sparked even more interest on the topic. Join this fire-side chat to learn more about the evolving landscape of unionization within the games industry as the speakers explore current attitudes toward unionization, emerging worker empowerment initiatives, crucial considerations for industry leadership, and pathways toward sustainability and equitable working conditions.
Jakin Vela, executive director of the IGDA
Jakin Vela, executive director of the IGDA
Zeke Alton, voice and on-camera actor, activist, SAG-AFTRA Interactive Media Agreement Negotiating Committee Member
2:00 pm – 2:30 pm
Rethinking the Engine: Godot – A powerful alternative for modern studios
This session explores Godot, the rapidly growing open-source engine that’s attracting major studios. Discover its benefits: flexibility, ownership, and cost-efficiency compared to traditional options. We’ll delve into Godot’s thriving community and its evolution into a professional powerhouse.
Pablo Selener, managing director of W4 Games
2:30 pm – 3 pm
How AI tools can help games for social good
Jon Wolheim, founder of Games for Love, will talk about the state of games for love.
