12 must-see sessions at Devcom 2024
Our highlights from next week's two-day developer conference in Cologne
It's going to be a busy week in Cologne with both Devcom and Gamescom attracting games professionals from around the world.
The former event kicks things off with a two-day conference that will see more than 250 speakers discussing some of the biggest challenges in the industry today across over 200 sessions.
There's a lot to wade through in the full program, so the GamesIndustry.biz team has selected our highlights of some of the sessions we think will be most interesting.
Devcom Developer Conference 2024 runs from Monday, August 19 to Tuesday, August 20 at Koelnmesse in Cologne, and you can find more information at the event's website.
Monday, August 19
A Case for Better Story Integration — or, "I Am Begging You People To Stop Calling It A Story Wrapper"
10am-11am, Keynote Stage – Confex Expo Floor
In Devcom's opening keynote, Outer Wilds writer and narrative designer Kelsey Beachum explores how every element of a game can help tell the story without relgating it to modal conversations and cutscenes.
The Global PC and Console Games Market, Forecasts, and Trends for 2024
11.30am-12.30pm — Stage 5 - Xsolla Stage - Confex 2 Floor
Newzoo's senior consultant Devan Brennan looks through the latest data and insights from the global PC and console games market, including revenues and spending, player behaviours, and the analysis firm's forecasts up to 2027.
Surviving eighth years as an indie studio: Tools kept and tactics scrapped
12.30pm-1.30pm — Stage 14 - Confex 3 Floor
Philomena Schwab, CEO and game designer at The Wandering Village developer Stray Fawn Studio, explores the biggest lessons learned since the company first opened doors and how indies can tackle the challenges they face.
A glimpse behind the curtain: What are the content considerations being made by indie publishers in 2024
1.30pm-2:30pm — Stage 14 – Confex 3 Floor
Team17's head of game scouting Jasper Barnes sheds light on the decision-making processes that indie publishers go through when greenlighting the titles they want to bring to market, helping developers better understand the criteria for success.
How to lose a player in 10 days
3pm-3.30pm — Stage 5 — Xsolla Stage — Confex 2 Floor
Product director Feras Musmar of TTK Games, a studio formed by ex-DICE veterans, explores the problem of player churn in non-live service games and looks at ways developers can encourage players to finish the games they work so hard on making.
The Art of Closing
5.30pm-6.30pm — Stage 14 - Confex 3 Floor
Ubisoft Montreal producer Fleur Marty offers a rare insight into one of the least glamorous and most critical phases of game development: closing, i.e. getting it over the finishing line. Marty offers advice on how to close in a way that ensures quality, and which mistakes you should avoid.
Tuesday, August 20th
Going to Valhalla in 'God of War'
11:30am-12:30pm, Stage 1 – Confex Expo Floor
God of War Ragnarök: Valhalla co-game director Mihir Sheth discusses how Santa Monica Studio developed its first DLC, the role it played for the franchise, and it resonated with its fanbase.
Exploring Ethical Horizons: The Challenges of AI-Generated Art
12pm-12:30pm, Stage 11 – Confex 3 Floor
Red Meat Games creative content strategist Judy Ehrentraut explores the importance of training AI models to use ethically sourced content, to ensure creators and artists are compensated, and the role of AI in general.
Tackling Sexism and Resistance to Diversity in the Modern Games Industry
1:30pm-2:30pm, Stage 8 – Call for Change Track – Confex 3 Floor
Bytro Labs' Jamie Christensen and Cecilia Luna discuss the issues women and members of the LGBTQ+ community face working in the games industry, how they've changed over time, and what can be addressed in the short and long term.
Demystifying Creativity
3pm-4pm, Stage 1 – Confex Expo Floor
Ubisoft's VP of global creative Fawzi Mesmar explores creativity and originality in game development, delving into the core of the creative process by blending insights from psychology, neuroscience, and personal experience.
AAA Graphics are Dead
4pm-5pm, Stage 1 – Confex Expo Floor
5th Corner's CEO and creative director Matt Radford discusses what's next for AAA when photorealism has been mastered, touching on his experiences from working on games including Uncharted, The Last of Us, and The Matrix Awakens.
Cozy Futures: Challenging Traditional Game Design
4pm-5pm, Stage 17 – Confex 3 Floor
Hosted by Ustwo Games director Jennifer Estaris, panelists Lea Schönfelder (Fein Games co-CEO), Joost Vervoort (associate professor at Utrecht University), and Meghna Jayanth (narrative designer and writer) discuss how to challenge traditional game design by branching out and focusing on different aspects of creativity.
GamesIndustry.biz is a media partner for Devcom, which is providing travel and accommodation.