Devcom Developer Conference 2024 publishes early event updates

– First speaker highlights of #ddc2024 include Vladimir Lopatin from Guerrilla Games, Lucie Prunier from DON’T NOD and more –

– 50 % increase in speaker submissions –

– 50 speakers already confirmed for devcom 2024 –

The devcom Developer Conference (#ddc2024) reveals early news about sessions, speakers and the on-site program. The conference will take place from August 18 to 20, 2024 in Cologne’s “Confex”, one of the most modern conference and exhibition centers in Europe. Thousands of trade visitors from the games industry will come together to exchange knowledge, do business and build their network. The conference will be a hybrid experience where all sessions, exhibitions, participant profiles and matchmaking options can also be accessed online with the Digital Pass.

Speaker and session submissions for #ddc2024 have surged by more than 50% compared to the previous year at this time. The program team also noted a shift in the topics and fields submitted, with a notable increase in production-focused talks. Interestingly, submissions related to AI remain consistent with last year, while those concerning crypto have significantly diminished.

As the review process progresses, devcom is excited to unveil the first speakers in the lineup, and their compelling topics: The conference will kick off with the Opening Keynote by Game Writer and Narrative Designer Kelsey Beachum, known for their innovative work on the award-winning indie space adventure title Outer Wilds.  Fleur Marty, Executive Producer at Fang & Claw, in her session “The Art of Closing”, will be giving advice on how producers can finish a project successfully and how to motivate their team for this phase. Anyone interested in the technologies behind games should definitely not miss the presentation “Simulation and Representation of Topology-Changing Rolling Waves for Massive Open Ocean Games”. Vladimir Lopatin, Sr. Technical Artist at Guerrilla Games, will present a novel method for capturing physical wave simulation data with a set of approximation curves that copes with overhangs, changing topology and strict budget requirements in large open-world games. In her talk “Building and Growing a Cross-Project Department through the Power of Technical Production“, Lucie Prunier, Producer at DON’T NOD, explains how cross-project technical departments can help optimize workstreams in game development.

devcom is also proud to confirm the first 50 speakers for #ddc2024. With a line-up that includes well-known veterans as well as stage newcomers, devcom offers the ideal showcase for their insights and expertise across the entire spectrum of game development.

• Further updates on talks, speakers and our program will be announced in the coming weeks. We invite all game industry professionals to join us at the devcom Developer Conference 2024!
• All previously published information about the devcom Developer Conference 2024 can be found here: www.devcom.global/ddc-2024/
• Further information on the new Confex Center: https://koelncongress.de/en/locations/confex/

– First conference highlights of #ddc2024 –

• Opening Keynote

Kelsey Beachum | they/them | Freelance Game Writer and Narrative Designer (Projects include Outer Wilds, Dying Light 2, The Pathless)

• What the Artist Needs to Know! Building Communication Between Level Design and Environment Art

Evan Hill | he/him | Self Hunter Studio & Danielle Wallace | she/her, they/them | Heart Machine

Dani and Evan will share advice on how to foster better communication between art and design in both indie and AAA environments, to help the audience navigate both sides of level development.

• The Art of Closing

Closing is simultaneously the least glamorous and the most critical phase of game development, and it heavily impacts both the final quality of the game and the overall health of the team. The goal of this session is to provide clear, practical and actionable advice to producers on how to conduct a good closing phase and how to help their team fall in love with it.

• Building and Growing a Cross-Project Department through the Power of Technical Production

To avoid reinventing the wheel during each parallel workstream, DON’T NOD put together some technical cross-project departments, and Technical Producers were tasked with organizing them. Lucie shares the importance of not just thinking about how to ship a project, but how to build and sustain a long-term cross-project service.

• Talking the Walk – 10 Steps to Stay Relevant in Today’s Competitive Industry

Industry veteran Martin Cao, CEO of Nimble Giant Entertainment, walks participants through the 10 steps that his company has taken over the last 20+ years, not only to keep the lights on, but to grow from a small indie dev studio in Buenos Aires into one the largest and most experienced studios across many LATAM countries.

• Simulation and Representation of Topology-Changing Rolling Waves for Massive Open Ocean Games

Guerrilla Games is proposing a novel method of capturing a physical wave simulation data with a set of approximation curves that can deal with overhangs, changing topology and strict budget requirements in a massive open-world game where variability, artistic control and performance are of primary concern.