Interviews with GDC Europe Speakers
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Interview with Jörg Tittel
Jörg Tittel
Producer, Director, & Writer
BreakThru Films, Ltd
GDC Europe: Tell us about BreakThru Films and what you've been working on?
BreakThru Films is a multi platform production company based in London, Warsaw (Poland) and Ireland. Naturally "multi-platform" has become a bit of a "buzz-word" lately, but BreakThru's founder and producer Hugh Welchman, for instance, never created or distributed his films in a "traditional" way, but always found creative ways in which he could bring films to new and bigger audiences.
Our animated film PETER & THE WOLF for instance, for which we won an Oscar, wasn't only screened in cinemas, on television, DVD/BluRay and via iTunes/Digital Downloads, but also performed with live symphonic orchestras in sold out venues such as the Royal Albert Hall and the Hollywood Bowl. We also developed a Live Show, which packed out the Royal Festival Hall during the 2009 Christmas season with thousands of children and parents. PETER & THE WOLF LIVE ON STAGE now started an international tour. Not bad for an animated short film...
We've been approaching other BreakThru projects in a similar fashion. Our upcoming animated and live action feature THE FLYING MACHINE, is being filmed by hundreds of top stop motion animators in our brand new studio in Lodz (Poland) at the moment. Star piano virtuoso Lang Lang is the film's Musical Director (and also makes a rather unusual appearance in it) - all of the music is by Frederic Chopin. It's being filmed in stereoscopic 3D, and we'll be screening THE FLYING MACHINE in cinemas, concert halls and beyond. And, for the first time, BreakThru films also started working on an accompanying game at the same time.
Last but (hopefully) not least, we're working on a science fiction TV and videogame series which I created. An iPhone & iPad game is currently in development and will be released this summer together with an interactive online community and Facebook App. The TV series will launch next year, and several console games are in the planning stages. I'll be able to give you a glimpse at this project, as well as THE FLYING MACHINE, in August.
GDC Europe: Apart from film production, what gave you the idea to merge games and movies?
I consider this connection to be unavoidable and incredibly exciting, especially on a creative level.
GDC Europe: Do you personally see convergences in Games and the Films/TV industry?
Films and games find their common ground in creativity, first and foremost. Stories are often a nice bonus in games but can get in the way of gameplay. Ideas, concepts and themes can be interpreted very differently and from unique perspectives in games than in "linear" films. There are no limits to where films and games can converge, but in order to make that happen, we need to throw the old "license model" out the window.
It only very rarely ever worked (Goldeneye 64, Chronicles of Riddick, and perhaps in the case of a few Star Wars games by Bioware). "Convergence" and "multiplatform" shouldn't be mainly about the "sharing of assets," as the makers of Avatar were promoting for instance (the movie is an extraordinary achievement, whereas the game...), but about sharing a common vision. And for that, we need a new generation of film- AND game makers who care about and have been educating themselves about both "platforms" equally, who understand their "rules" and respect both equally. Yes, even in art there are certain rules that need to be respected.
Just because the games industry pulls in more cash these days than "Hollywood," doesn't mean that game developers should give filmmakers lessons in storytelling. And vice versa. We need people who, from day one, conceive visions (on a creative, rather than business level) for and across all the various "platforms." And those people only now exist, with new generations having been raised by films AND games, as well as educated by what works and what doesn't.
GDC Europe: From your perspective, what are the most important trends of both industries?
People like Vin Diesel (he plays and understands games, perhaps even better than he does movies) who enter into genius collaborations with developers like Starbreeze (Chronicles of Riddick), people like filmmaker and games fanatic Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead) who, with his upcoming Scott Pilgrim, should prove that not all "movie games" have to be the same generic licensed product, but can be created by real artists. And people like Kellee Santiago, who after studying film at NYU, produced games like FLOWER, and became one of the key challengers of the general public's idea of what videogames are. This new generation "hybrid people" is a great trend.
GDC Europe: In your company are such projects executed by one team?
It's very important to us, that the creative and production leadership come from one central team. This of course means more work and sleepless nights, but we can be sure, that the vision behind our whole "universe" be expressed in the best possible ways across all platforms.
Besides, by being the creative "communications hub" on the project, we can develop new ideas and concepts between the games and TV series, for instance, both organically and efficiently, and synthesize them between the games and the drama. Through this process we've come to ideas, for instance, that we may not have thought of if we were developing our TV series in a bubble, such as new creature behaviors and animations, for instance. These are all things that our TV viewers or players won't necessarily notice, but which will all contribute to a universe that holds up between the games and TV series, and makes it all feel like a singular, whole vision.
GDC Europe: What do you expect from the Workshop at GDC Europe in Cologne?
For me, the future begins here at GDC. I'll be able to speak about our projects in public for the first time, and I'm very excited to meet new developers and production partners, who may jump on board of our current lineup, or who might collaborate with us on future productions. Or I hope to at least inspire others to develop new and innovative ideas.
A year ago - after a decade of constant struggle for understanding and support (even a year ago game publishers and TV networks looked at us as if we were either nuts or utter megalomaniacs) - I finally managed to make my idea of "multiplatform" a reality. There so many open questions, an endless amount of things we could and have to do better, and for that, we all need to help each other. In my opinion, there is no competition in our industry, at least not between truly original ideas and people who dare to take risks.
We may have "competition" however in corporations who, in the sole pursuit of maximizing their "bottom line," copy, repeat and over market old concepts and "formulas", and risk to endanger innovation and the boundless possibilities of the creative "industry" and our imagination. GDC is the ideal trampoline from which our "independent spirit" can leap to the stars. The future starts here.
Interview with Heiko Hubertz
Heiko Hubertz
CEO & Founder
Bigpoint
GDC Europe: Status Quo, is the mission of Bigpoint to go global?
Bigpoint is on its way to becoming a global player. Right now, our games have been released in 25 different languages and are played by gamers from more than 120 countries. We are really proud of this. Currently, we are conquering the US market where we opened a studio this year. Given that we are one of the rare German businesses that actually managed to be successful in America, the US has become one of our three most important markets.
GDC Europe: What is your opinion regarding the development of browser games in the US?
The term "browser games" does not even exist in the US yet. US developers have just begun to take on this industry seriously. Europe currently holds the lead in this position.
On the other hand, the US has experienced the strong influence of online games given the trends with companies such as Facebook and the success of Zygna and Playfish. We foresee browser games consequently following social games. Users demand a deep game play, better design and different genres. Bigpoint's successful business figures send a clear message: browser games from Germany have huge potential in America.
GDC Europe: What's the advantage/disadvantage of European developers and companies?
European companies discovered browser games on "free 2 play" models much earlier than American companies, so companies in Europe can boast a lot more experience. For now, this makes our developers much better than those from the US, particularly concerning game play and monetization. However, we have to concede that new technologies such as Unity will make it easier for American developers to catch up. Bigpoint has just recruited 20 developers from the US for our San Francisco office to develop a browser game in Unity. In four weeks we received over 3,000 applications, and we found some really good guys.
GDC Europe: What's the buzz about the sale of Bigpoint?
We do not comment on rumors.
GDC Europe: Which are the most important statements/topics of your keynote at GDC Europe?
On developing online games, Europe is definitely more innovative and also faster. This trend can particularly be seen in browser games: of the top five most successful browser game companies, four are European. This makes us a pioneer in developing games concerning innovations such as "free 2 play" models and innovative new technologies like Unity 3D. In Europe, browser games have already overtaken console games. Thus, we cannot afford to rest on our laurels; success is for the ones who set their own trends. Merely following them will always put you second.
Interview with Avni Yerli
Avni Yerli
Managing Director
Crytek
GDC Europe: What is your favorite game produced by your company? Do you have a favorite game developed by one of your competitors?
At the moment it's definitely Crysis 2. It's incredibly fun and is jam-packed with thrills. At home, I love playing the Nintendo Wii with my family. The party games are a great family entertainment.
GDC Europe: What is different about the German market compared to other European game markets?
Over the past few years the German games market has grown enormously, the country's media industry would now be inconceivable without it. Speaking as a developer, the German market and the German developers' scene are distinguished by two main things. One is the emergence of clusters – there are certain areas where the games industry firms tend to settle, preferentially in Frankfurt/Rhine Main, Berlin, Hamburg and Cologne/Düsseldorf. This provides good opportunities for networking and an excellent basis for vertical and horizontal integration. Furthermore, the German games market differs from the other European markets in terms of subsidies. There are increasing efforts to change this, but up to now change is still happening- in contrast to our neighboring countries - comprehensive prototype funding is still hard to find. To sum up, one can say that there are plenty of successful, innovative developers in Germany, and we can look ahead onto a bright future – as long as the necessary funding and the stability of these clusters is backed up by political acceptance and legislation.
GDC Europe: What is the secret of your success – what do you do different or even better than your colleagues?
I don't think it's about what is better or worse, there are simply very different approaches. Right from the start, Crytek had its sights set on an international career and the company was created with this in mind. As of now, we have more than 600 employees from more than 40 nations. Our company language is English and our corporate culture is very cosmopolitan. This enables us to see things from very different angles every day and to develop our products directly ‘on the market'.
GDC Europe: Why are you so committed to GDC Europe?
To be honest, it's fun! Developing games is my greatest passion and still continues to excite me after all these years. GDC Europe provides all developers with an outstanding platform for networking where they can also share new ideas and spot new trends – and there are certainly quite a few!
GDC Europe: Please complete the following sentences:
For me games are... the most interesting form of media entertainment.
Our next projects are... exciting, unique – and top secret!
In 5 years computer games... will be the world's main medium.
Interview with Malte Behrmann
Malte Behrmann
General Secretary
European Game Developer Federation (EGDF)
GDC Europe: You claim that the game industry needs to be funded – similar to the film industry. What are your reasons and how exactly should this be done?
It's quite simple. There are cultural, financial and technological reasons. Computer games with all their facets and characteristics have been part of our society for a long time now. They belong to our daily life and are on their way to becoming a cultural leading medium. Soon computer games will influence us more then television does. Our society will have to recognize the impact of this medium on the cultural diversity of our country. Of course economic reasons matter: Game producers have a great financial risk – speaking about investments. It's comparable to the risk that filmmakers have. The costs for the development for games are much higher than for making a movie. To start making a movie I need a budget of maybe 30,000 Euros. With the games it's very different. Here I need a prototype right away in order to find a publisher. That means the entire budget has to go into the production without any guarantee whether it will be successful. That's why we need prototype funding. Adequate funding could also promote the technological development for example by supporting the studios – like its being done in many other industries.
GDC Europe: How do you think the image of the game industry has changed since the foundation of G.A.M.E in 2004?
Our main task was to create awareness for our industry in the German society. I think we have achieved a lot so far. The establishment of the German game award and the acceptance into the German Kulturrat increased the standing of computer games very much. By the G.A.M.E. Federation the game industry gained a lot of self-esteem. But the federation is looking for more than just an image change. It is eager to strengthen the financial interests.
GDC Europe: What do you think has to change – by European comparison?
Let's start by refraining from calling our industry a "new medium". Today, games are a totally normal and accepted medium. On a European level, a lot will have to change. Developers and companies will have to take an adequate share in a European age rating system for computer games PEGI. The German USK for example is a good model. On the other hand, it is not acceptable that developers don't get any support even though millions of Euros are being invested in other fields of digital challenge. Basically – it seems to me – German development politics tends to stay behind other European countries. The present debate about creative industries – which is very important for us – gives a good example for that issue. It's a topic that has been discussed for years now – on a European level.
GDC Europe: How do you estimate the present cooperation of the game and movie industry?
Let's use the words of Willi Brandt to answer that question: "Now grows together what belongs to each other." But there is a long journey ahead of us. Right now there aren't many good games to movies and even less good films to games. It seems to be difficult to lead both entities (especially the brands) that both mediums can develop well alongside each other. But in general, the greatest things can happen at the razors' edge in the creative field. For a long time the film industry mistook the game industry as an "ancillary medium". Today, fantastic alliances are possible thanks to changes concerning the distribution – meaning the changeover from offline to online distribution. The problems are similar to those of the "old economy" of the game industry, but I would not like to render developers irritated. The structural change will be "online" - the merging of a "game and film" is a topos.
GDC Europe: What is your favorite game?
I like to play the film adaptation of "The Godfather". That shows that games to movies work out well if they are not forced to be released at the same time.
GDC Europe: Why do you get involved with GDC Europe?
GDC Europe is an international conference that is a real need for the developers in this industry.
GDC Europe: Please complete the following sentences:
Games are for me... cultural, technological and a financial present and even more for the future.
In five years computer games... present the centre of the media industry.
Interview with Sean Kauppinen
Sean Kauppinen
CEO
International Digital Entertainment Agency
GDC Europe: Tell us about your current role within the Games Industry and with GDC Europe.
Kauppinen: I'm a business strategist for a number of great studios around the world. We focus on setting up business plans and operations, executing business development outreach, and making sure that marketing and positioning are in place to support business growth. I'm also involved with a lot of startups as an advisor, board member, or in an operational role. For GDC Europe, I'm pretty focused on the business track and am tasked with ensuring we're very relevant in terms of the changing market, as well as the specific needs and interests of European developers.
GDC Europe: Can you tell us what goes into programming the Business track for GDC Europe? What is the submissions process like for this track and overall conference?
Kauppinen: Planning a track takes into account a lot of things, including why would people want to attend the track, and what can we offer them in terms of valuable knowledge and takeaways that will justify their investment in terms of time and money. We work in teams and build out a pro forma schedule outlining the topics that are trending as most relevant. We also speak with a lot of studio heads and publishers to find out what they want to see and hear about. We put the topics out for people to submit relevant papers and then read every one submitted. It's a lot of time invested – around 60-70 hours a year per person to plan about 14 sessions.
GDC Europe: In terms of the current technology, news, and events, what do you see as being the biggest issues for developers in Europe today?
Kauppinen: The console environment has changed and a lot of developers in Europe are looking at how to build browser based games, create operating efficiencies from outsourcing and long-term studio operation. Business development is always a hot topic and we'll have a panel of publisher business development directors talking about what they are looking for today, which should be really relevant.
GDC Europe: What are some sessions or topics you look forward to see being addressed at GDC Europe 2010?
Kauppinen: I think the state of the market where we will get market data from different regions of the world, as well as our self-publishing case studies will be really interesting. The business development session will also be a highlight.
GDC Europe: How would you describe GDC Europe to someone who has never attended?
Kauppinen: GDC Europe is an opportunity to meet developers and publishers from across Europe and around the world. From the sessions that will give a clear view of the changing market, to sessions that outline success and learning lessons from products brought to market and the bet networking for the games industry in Europe, GDC Europe is not to be missed.
Interview with Don Daglow
Don Daglow
President & CEO
Don Daglow Interactive Entertainment
GDC Europe: Tell us about your current role within the Games Industry and with GDC Europe.
Daglow: I work as an independent game designer and producer. Right now I'm developing an original online game, as well as teaming with a short list of companies with innovative games and game technology to develop their new titles. I also advise the International Center for the History of Electronic Games (ICHEG) on their collections as they work to preserve the worldwide history of our craft. At GDC Europe I'm a member of the Advisory Board, with particular focus on the Game Design track.
GDC Europe: Can you tell us what goes into programming the Game Design track for GDC Europe?
Daglow: One of the hardest things to do when you're leading a creative team is to create a complete vision for a game, while still listening and absorbing the ideas and input of the talented artists, audio engineers, designers, producers and programmers who bring that vision to life. Done well, a Creative Director can inspire a game that far exceeds the horizons of his or her original vision, and many different people may have added the elements that made it special.
Assembling the right pieces into the Design Track is a similar challenge. We have to ask ourselves, "What will game developers travel 30 or 300 or 3,000 km to hear and learn from? What can we offer them that's fresh and new and relevant to the issues they face today" Who would they really like to hear? We assemble an initial list of design topics as suggestions for speakers to consider. But then we have to stop suggesting and start listening, and most of all be looking for the session ideas that we would never have thought to ask for.
GDC Europe: What is the submissions process like for this track and overall conference?
Daglow: Speakers submit their proposals through a sophisticated online system that makes the write-ups easy for us to access and read. We then review the submissions. There are always gems where you read the description and think, "Wow, I want to make sure I'm in the front row at that session! I can learn a lot from this!" We'll also find proposals where one of our suggestions felt like a perfect topic for a particular speaker, and he or she will have expanded and improved the idea in their write-up.
We discuss our favorites and why they should be of value to developers. Finally, we have to go through the agony of having more good speakers and ideas than we have open Design Track slots. The worst part of the job is not having a slot in the schedule for a good session from a good speaker, one you'd personally want to attend.
GDC Europe: In terms of the current technology, news, and events, what do you see as being the biggest issues for developers in Europe today?
Daglow: I think that we're entering a period of tremendous creative and business potential for European developers and publishers. It's true that our industry has become so global that teams worldwide face some similar opportunities and challenges. This year's introduction of new interface devices like Kinect and Move. Budget limitations based on the economy and the size of the console game installed base, and the development of fewer games with large teams. The explosive growth of downloadable and online games of all kinds, and all the new "indie" game development opportunities that have become available as a result.
I think European developers have special opportunities as a result of these new indie games and business models. Although some games may be worldwide hits, human cultures are very different around the globe. You'll always have a huge advantage in designing games for people who speak the same language and celebrate the same traditions as you.
We went through a period in the industry when the funding and approval for a majority of games came from North America and Asia. In this new, more open world we already see European development teams returning to the prominence they had in prior eras of game history. I think the expanding opportunities to build games in Europe for many different European audiences will actually produce more worldwide hits, as European teams get the chance to build great games that would not be thought of in New York, Los Angeles, Vancouver or Tokyo.
GDC Europe: What are some sessions or topics you look forward to see being addressed at GDC Europe 2010?
Daglow: Three things come to mind. European developers sharing what they learned from building major hit games of the last year. Veteran game designers sharing their perspectives from the creation of multiple hits across different eras and platforms. Indie developers presenting lessons they've learned in the new, emerging markets.
GDC Europe: How would you describe GDC Europe to someone who has never attended?
Daglow: For me it's been a combination of great learning in the conference sessions, and the development of great professional alliances and friendships in the hallways and the social events. I've always felt welcomed by the European development community, and had the chance to meet leading creatives whom I respect and admire.
Interview with Harald Riegler
Harald Riegler
CEO
Sproing (Vienna)
"The Majors Will Have to Change Tack!"
Austrian, Harald Riegler, is one of Europe's most successful games developers. Nine years ago, he teamed up with Gerhard Seiler to set up the Sproing game development studio in Vienna. In 2008, the tactical video game Panzer Tactics DS (by Sproing) was crowned Console Game of the Year in Germany.
A member of GDC Europe's Advisory Board, this year Harald Riegler headed the Technology team, explaining: "That's the area I know best of all." Together with Avni Yerli from Crytek and Finland's Matias Myllyrinne from Remedy Entertainment, he finalized the main topics to be addressed at this year's GDC Europe. He recently spoke to us about their progress.
GDC Europe: How did working on the Technology team go? Did it take long to agree on the topics?
Riegler: We met often and actually met face to face as you can communicate with each other better that way than in a phone conference. That's something we learned during our meetings last year. It contributed to a speedy process on agreeing on the topics to be addressed. After all, the games industry is facing enormous challenges and we want to make sure we address those topics.
GDC Europe: What are the biggest technological challenges in game development – not just traditional PC and console games but also browser and online games?
Riegler: In traditional PC and console games, the aim is to make everything more ‘filmic' – these days the spotlight's on creating filmic experiences. This places new demands on computer graphics in order to get as realistic as possible. That in turn paves the way for a more intensive gaming experience.
In online and browser games, the focus is more on server performance. Developers are now facing new challenges in connection with social networking sites. Current questions include: How can I create a balanced gaming experience? How do I link up to social networking portals? How can I achieve a new game design? What demands need to be met regarding databases? What's the situation regarding Flash and ActionScript programming?
I'm sure people need to be interested in all these themes nowadays. After all, all forms of social media and classical gaming are set to merge at some stage.
GDC Europe: What talks and key topics can we look forward to at GDC Europe 2010?
Riegler: There'll be papers at GDC Europe on for example technology for social network games and technology for PC-MMOGs. They'll chiefly address robust network communication and network security as well as client-server synchronization and real-time multiplayer technology. Other themes will include technologies for games consoles and high-end PCs.
GDC Europe: What do you think the future holds in store for mobile gaming?
Riegler: I'm certain that mobile games will play a bigger and bigger role in our lives, mainly in connection with smartphones—mobile companions that will never leave our side. They present a tough challenge for pure games consoles. The majors like Nintendo, Sony and so on will have to change tack! Ultimately, all gadgets will have to be able to do everything. I think for example that when Sony produces a new hand-held, it'll definitely feature a phone too.
Interview with Frank Sliwka
Frank Sliwka
VP European Business Development & GDC Europe Event Director
UBM TechWeb Game Network
GDC Europe: After GDC Europe’s successful debut in 2009, this August we will see the conference staged for a second time. The international recession has affected the games industry as a whole – but has it impacted GDC’s participation?
Sliwka: If anything, positively. Far more participants have registered already. We’re thrilled about the enormous response from elsewhere in Europe and North America. I believe that in times of great challenges, the industry needs a European platform like GDC Europe in order to analyze its central problems and to set new business and technology trends together.
GDC Europe: What will be the key topics at GDC Europe?
Sliwka: We’ll be focusing on Business & Management, Game Design, Production, Technology, and Visual Arts. Specifically, we’ll be taking a close look at the developments in browser and online games. The second major theme will be the increasing convergence between the world of games and the film industry. In fact we’ve come up with a separate workshop with the Cologne Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the North Rhine-Westphalia Media Cluster, and the City of Cologne which will shed light on current trends and future developments as these two media segments come together.
GDC Europe: But you won’t be confining yourselves to Europe, will you?
Sliwka: Of course not – for example, we’ll be looking at China, where the market for online games is growing at an annual rate of 30–50%. We’re delighted that Chinese market leader Tencent will be attending GDC Europe for the first time to explain its current expansion plans and talk about possible cooperation between European and Chinese developers.
GDC Europe: You’ve announced that GDC Europe will be working more closely with the gamescom expo. What does that mean exactly?
Sliwka: For one thing, we’ll be setting up our GDC Europe Business Lounge in the gamescom Business Area. This will be a joint booth offering businesses the opportunity to extensively showcase themselves. Then again, the lounge can also be used by conference participants for meetings and appointments. This will strengthen networking within the industry. And in the conference program, we’re paying more attention to boosting the transfer of learning and knowledge by including more workshops and panels alongside lectures and presentations.
Interview with Bob Bates
Bob Bates
Independent Game Designer, Writer, Producer, & IGDA Chair
GDC Europe: Tell us about your current role within the Games Industry and with GDC Europe.
Bates: I have been writing, designing, and producing games for 24 years now and I’ve seen the industry from almost every angle. I’ve been a one-man team, the CEO of a small game company, an outside developer for big studios, a publisher, and an executive within one of the largest multi-national game companies. I’ve also been active within the development community as the past Chairman of the International Game Developers Association, I’ve written a book on Game Design, and I’m on the advisory board of George Mason University’s undergraduate degree program in Game Design. Through it all I have stayed “hands-on” as a game developer, and my current project is the 41st published game that I have worked on. I’ve been fortunate to work in several game genres, including the new wave of social games.
All of these are useful experiences for helping to serve on the Advisory Board for GDC Europe. Many of the Board Members also have worn multiple hats, and it helps us to design conference content that we think will be relevant to working developers. We try to include sessions that we wished had been available to us earlier in our careers, as well as sessions on topics that are of burning interest for today and tomorrow.
As an independent consultant for clients in both Europe and the United States, I see recurring problems that are common across companies and across countries, not only in design, but also in technology, production, and business. One of the most satisfying roles I play for GDC Europe is to help find speakers with the knowledge and experience to help solve those problems so the entire industry can move forward to make better games.
GDC Europe: Can you tell us what goes into programming the Game Design track for GDC Europe?
Bates: We start by looking at the newest trends in games and then look for successful developers in those areas who can give a boost to others who are trying to move into those spaces. If my own career is any indication, it is clear that game designers must continually be learning and adapting. This year, we wanted to ensure that we gave good coverage to social games, to the new generation of controllers, and to the emergence of achievements.
But we also want to include sessions on the basics – things like level design, and how to tell stories in games, etc. We like to have a mix of content to satisfy designers working in different genres and with different levels of experience.
We also focus very hard on concrete takeaways for the attendees. One of my personal yardsticks for the quality of a talk is to see how often the speaker makes me take out my notebook to write something down – whether it’s something I didn’t know before, or perhaps a new idea sparked by a interesting comment, a compelling insight, or a new bit of data. As we select the presentations for the conference, we’re trying to create sessions where the attendees will feel compelled to write furiously just to keep up with the flow of knowledge coming from the speaker.
GDC Europe: What is the submissions process like for this track and overall conference?
Bates: We start with a “Call for Papers” on some of the topics that we feel are important. But we are also open to other ideas, and sometimes a good talk will appear out of the blue. The submission process itself is pretty easy – it’s all handled online. As I mentioned above, we’re pretty demanding in terms of requiring concrete takeaways so that we understand up front where the value lies for the attendee. We ask the submitters for their industry background, and we’re thorough about checking their credentials, and also whether they make good presenters.
When the Call for Papers ends, *all* of the Advisory Board members look at *all* the submissions and give their feedback. We often defer to the sub-committees who have expertise in a certain area, but all the Board members have experience across several disciplines, so no one hesitates to give their opinions about why one talk might be approved while another should be turned away.
An important part of that process is that we often go back to the submitter with suggestions about how to strengthen the proposal, to make the talk more relevant to working developers, or to address additional topics that might have been left out.
When this process is complete, we take a step back and look for holes in the content. Sometimes no one makes a submission that covers an area that we think is important, and in cases like that we often reach out to experienced developers and ask them to make a submission that then goes through the same process I have outlined above.
GDC Europe: In terms of the current technology, news, and events, what do you see as being the biggest issues for developers in Europe today?
Bates: Certainly the biggest thing to come along recently is the boom in social games. It’s a new phenomenon that designers are working hard to understand, and what makes it particularly interesting is how tightly design and business requirements are intertwined in that space.
Another new trend is the opportunity for small teams to be successful again, as they were when our industry was much younger. The advent of online distribution and the success of social and casual games means that developers can now choose whether they want to work on a massive traditional game for a big publisher, or whether they want to be part of a smaller team doing more rapid development with faster iteration cycles. It’s a good time to be a designer, although figuring out how to make those decisions is itself pretty hard.
GDC Europe: What are some sessions or topics you look forward to see being addressed at GDC Europe 2010?
Bates: I’m very excited about our lineup of sessions on social games. They’ll be covering viral mechanics, metrics, social drivers, and a host of other new things we all need to learn. I’m also very pleased with the quality of veteran developers who will be giving talks. The list of presenters is like a “Who’s Who” in the world of game design.
GDC Europe: How would you describe GDC Europe to someone who has never attended?
Bates: GDC Europe has a unique sense of camaraderie that I haven’t seen at other conferences. The event organizers consistently make decisions that bring the attendees and speakers together to mingle in a very informal atmosphere. This includes everything from designing the physical space so that it encourages lots of chance encounters, to sponsoring events where everyone gets together to drink and talk. The result is several wonderful days of conversations that combine business and pleasure so artfully that you soon lose track of which is which.
Check back for more updates.
