Are you an aspiring indie game developer with dreams of starting your own studio in Germany? Join us for a practical workshop and insightful talk that demystifies the legal landscape of launching an indie game studio in Germany. Our seasoned gaming industry lawyer will provide a clear roadmap, offering invaluable guidance on navigating the intricacies of contracts, intellectual property, regulations, and more. Get ready to equip yourself with the legal knowledge and savvy needed to kickstart your indie game development journey with confidence. Whether you're a budding developer, a student, or simply curious about the legal side of game development, this session is your key to unlocking the legal essentials for your indie studio's success.

Explore "New Markets For Your Game: Why and How to Expand" in a dynamic panel with industry experts. Join Alexander Krug (Softgames), Marie Amigues (Altagram), Kristian Metzger (Stratosphere Games), and Jan Kuhlmann (Xsolla) as they share insights on game expansion strategies. Find out what you need in order to succeed in new markets.

How can the games industry come together to become more sustainable? This panel will share success stories and dive into actionable ideas not only for studios and their games, but also for individuals and players as well.

In an era of rapid technological advancement and innovation, industries worldwide are constantly seeking ways to optimize productivity, enhance safety, and engage employees. So join us for an engaging and insightful panel discussion on the dynamic fusion of XR and Gamification as one solution to this search, and how this transformative combination is revolutionizing industrial applications across various sectors. XR, which includes all immersive technologies such as Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), and Mixed Reality (MR), has rapidly evolved beyond entertainment and is now making its mark in the industrial landscape. By immersing users in immersive virtual environments or overlaying digital information onto the real world, XR enables workers to visualize and interact with complex data, processes, and equipment like never before. Coupled with gamification principles, XR is emerging as a powerful tool for enhancing productivity, training, and therapy, maintenance, and collaboration.

Transformational People Strategies: from hiring and nurturing talent, lay offs, pivots, the big calls and predictions for the future of talent in gaming.

This talk is about how we improved the living world experience for Horizon Forbidden West. I will explain the thought processes and philosophy behind what we think makes a believable game world and what steps we took to implement it in Horizon Forbidden West.

In this talk Michael will dive deep into the connecting worlds of board games and video games. Based on more than 80 examples that were funded on the platform in recent years a couple of trends and learnings - from AAA to Indie - can be formulated. The talk is spiced up by some general how to Kickstarter and community building tips.

Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) programs such as ChatGPT or Midjourney have taken our industry by storm. Using them for creating video games might be tempting, but many developers do not realize the significant legal risks that come with it. Kuba Jankowski, Legal Counsel for CD PROJEKT RED, will highlight the risks associated with using AI-generated content in games and show how to avoid intellectual property (IP) infringements, maintain ownership of your own IP and keep your data secret. Kuba will also present some predictions on what's in store - legally and business-wise - for generative AI tools and AI generated content.

Whether you're an industry veteran or someone looking to break into your first role, make sure your profile shows why you're the next MVP. Emily will use her combined HR Management and games agency recruiter experience to show you how to level up your CV, LinkedIn, Job Alerts and Portfolios.

Questions: Why (Why production and producers are needed, why is this a topic itself), How (how do companies and teams organize, improve and build a production), What (what does "production" mean for the company, team, producer, individual team members). Topics include: Inclusion and Innovation in Game Development. Collaboration between Producers, Creatives & Developers in Game Development. Team building (Recruitment, teamwork, responsibilities)

It has perhaps never been more difficult to succeed in indie games. Do independent developers have any hope, or should they work with Publishers? What about funding? This panel of experts will share the different approaches to indie games, what developers should look out for, and current and future opportunities for success.

Join us for an insightful panel discussion where you will have the opportunity to hear from gaming creators & developers who have found success on TikTok. Gain valuable tips and advice from experts and hear their inspiring stories and results to leverage your own content and grow your presence on the platform.

The talk will be about what Hate Speech is and what measures can be taken against it. We will discuss possible strategies for moderation and how to educate your Communities.

We will dive into the topic of the most important aspects of Esport aesthetic from different perspectives, how to define them, where to find inspirations and how to translate it into Esport authenticity in the project.

Inclusivity spans across a myriad of dimensions, and it's therefore challenging to tackle the topic of representation in all its facets and expression. This panel rather aims to examine the history of representation in video games and in the gaming industry through the knowledge and direct experience of our panelists, examining its impact on both players and those aspiring to work in the field. We'll use this historical perspective to gain insights into the current state of gaming community and industry, as well as highlight examples of progress and innovation. Looking forward, our panel will address the steps needed to create a more inclusive gaming environment. Together, we'll explore how representation and role models can shape the future of gaming, making it a more diverse and welcoming space.

Over the past years Wooga, a Berlin based story-driven casual games developer and part of Playtika, has managed to climb to the top of the hidden object games market with its game June's Journey. In this talk Martin Müller, will share why for this success player centricity and community was an integral part and how they managed to turn a many times overlooked gamer demographic into an extremely engaged community. Martin will also talk about an interesting self experiment that saw himself turn into a hardcore June's Journey player.

Spilefabrique is a European game industry catalyst with different programs for professionalizing European Indie Studios. For 5 years, the company has been setting up a co-production market for indie games studios in Europe. Starting as Franco-German, the market is now fully European with 14 countries involved and the support of Creative Europe.

Digital games are an integral part of our culture and can serve as a medium for political education. Like no other media, they have the ability not only to depict but make experienceable personal feelings, diverse perspectives, and different realities of life, allowing new worlds to emerge. Often, they also shed light on real political, social, and cultural issues that, compared to other media, require active decisions and actions from players. Games can foster empathy, convey narratives, build communities, and thus offer promising opportunities and potential to be harnessed for the reflection of personal and societal values. Why these characteristics make digital games invaluable as an asset for education about values and where the challenges and limitations are to be found will be discussed in this panel.

A focus on the intricacies of marketing and PR. Hear firsthand accounts from industry veterans who've successfully made this journey, as they dissect the art of marketing and PR. Gain actionable insights on tailored strategies, budget optimization, and effective storytelling that bridge the gap between blockbuster titles and indie gems. Whether you're a student aiming to enter the industry or an indie studio striving for visibility, this discussion offers a roadmap for navigating the dynamic marketing and PR terrain.