Mobile games developers and publishers have already built healthy businesses in the face of widespread public scepticism. Now, thanks to the iPhone and high-end rivals like Nokia's N95, consumers are also waking up to what they're packing in their pockets. With 2008 sure to be a banner year, Develop in Brighton's mobile day is expanding to offer two tracks Business and Development with focussed sessions on everything from the latest 3D technologies to case studies of successful games, proven techniques for launching a new IP, and cross-platform casual games design.
Develop Mobile Conference will take place on Tues 29 July 2008.
Just some of the confirmed session include:
9:30 - 10:15
MOBILE KEYNOTE ANNOUNCED:
The Future of Mobile Gaming: A New Reality
Aki Jarvilehto, Nokia
This session will look at how features available on the mobile phone today and in the future will play a role in delivering a unique gaming experience. Aki Jarvilehto will discuss the technology available to developers today, how this can be used in the gaming experience and what we can expect in the future.
In the future, innovative content which maximizes the functionalities a mobile device has to offer will lead to enriched gaming experiences that allow gamers in one part of the world to connect with gamers in other parts of the world through play - by using functionalities of the mobile device such as GPS, camera and microphone and engaging their external environment into the game (e.g. video footage, photo, sound). Furthermore, augmented realities will become the new reality.
By using features such as the camera and microphone on a mobile device, players can track a marker which displays a gaming area on the screen. Two people can then play opposite each other, using the phone for example as a racquet or a bat. AR games can be as simple or as immersive as gamers desire. In its simplest form using the camera on a mobile phone to play simple word games through to location based games that allow the player to fully interact with and discover their environment.
The biggest challenge facing developers of augmented reality is the need to know where the user is located in reference to his or her surroundings. There's also the additional problem of tracking the movement of users' eyes and heads. For augmented reality to reach its full potential, it must be usable indoors and out. Currently, the best tracking technology available for large open areas is GPS which is now beginning to find its way onto mobile devices and smartphones.
10:30-11:15
Gazing into the Crystal Ball: Divining the Future for Mobile Games
Moderator: Kristian Segerstrale, PlayFish, Paul Marshall, Playerx, Alex Cacia, Ideaworks3D, Patrick Mork, Glu
For nearly a decade, analysts and entrepreneurs have been betting on gaming as the next big thing in mobile. But while a few companies have done well, mobile games have hardly made the breakthrough that was anticipated - few punters could even name one, let alone point to a killer title. Is this as good as it gets, and is there anything the industry can do about it?
Bio: Kristian Segerstrale - Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder Playfish Kristian is the CEO and Co-founder of Playfish, a social games company. Prior to Playfish Kristian served as Managing Director of Europe of Glu Mobile (Nasdaq: GLUU), and was a co-founder of Glu Mobile Europe (Macrospace Ltd) in 2001. As Managing Director of Europe Kristian was responsible for the rapid growth of Glu's European business as well as being a contributor to the company's successful IPO in Q1 2007. During his 6-year tenure at Glu, Kristian was a driving force in the creation of more than 40 mobile titles including chart topping 'Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?' and multi-award winners such as the 'Ancient Empires' series. During his time at Glu Kristian was also responsible for forging relationships with key Glu brand partners including Konami, Celador, Codemasters and Cartoon Network. Kristian has been on the GDC Mobile advisory board since 2006 and was voted one of top-50 most influential executives in Mobile Entertainment in December 2006 in ME Magazine. He holds an MSc from London School of Economics and an MA (Cantab) in Economics from Cambridge University.
Bio: Paul Marshall has 6 years senior design and production experience in mobile game development and over 8 years in the telecommunications industry, starting with T-mobile in 1999. In 2006 he joined Player X from 8bit Games, one of the UK’s veteran mobile developers and before that headed up the design and production team for Jump Games in India, Reliance Infocomm’s mobile gaming arm. He also held the position of games buyer for R-world on Reliance Infocomm where he worked with numerous game publishers worldwide.
11:45 - 12:30
Copy right: If you're Short of Ideas for your Next Mobile Game, Nick These
Stuart Dredge, Pocket Gamer
Lazy developers copy - great developers steal. At least that's how Pocket Gamer's Stuart Dredge will salve his conscience after revealing the very best ideas in mobile games from the past 12 months. As mobile editor for the world's top mobile game reviews website, Stuart has played more games than he's had takeaway dinners, and so he's uniquely placed to tell you what works, why, and what you can do with an idea in your own games.
Bio: Stuart is a UK-based freelance journalist and blogger who's been covering consumer technology and gaming for nearly ten years. He currently works for mobile games website Pocket Gamer, consumer tech site Tech Digest, and music industry consultancy Music Ally, while also writing for publications like Mobile Media and New Media Age. Previously, he worked at Informa Telecoms & Media editing the Mobile Games Analyst newsletter, while co-writing the company's Mobile Games and Mobile Gambling analyst reports. Other past jobs include T3 magazine and Official Dreamcast Magazine.
13:30 - 14:15
State of the Mobile Gaming Market
Alistair Hill, M:Metrics
Alistair Hill and analyst at M;Metrics will give an overview of the state of the mobile gaming market, in Europe and the US. He will focus on the following areas:
-Overview of handset trends, inc. 3G handsets and Smartphones
-Audience Demographics
-Size - by subscribers, game downloaders, game purchasers
-Method of game play
-Genres of games
-Frequency of game play
Bio: Alistair Hill manages client services for M:Metrics, the mobile media research company. He supports the analytical and research needs of mobile operators, handset manufactures, media companies and advertising agencies. He started his professional life by helping to set up two internet companies (which are still in existence!) in the music and news sectors prior to working in business development at the Financial Times.
13:30 - 14:15
From Max to Mobile: Working with 3ds max to Create Great 3D Mobile Game Graphics
Nigel Little & Tim Doidge, Autodesk
14:45-15:30
Score!: The Making of UEFA EURO 2008 and EA SPORTS FIFA 08 on Mobile
Adrian Blunt, Electronic Arts
UEFA EURO 2008 broke new ground in terms of delivering a casual approach to football games on mobile. This session will explore the creative process behind this game and what it took to deliver a game to a broader audience, from initial learnings on FIFA Mobile through to changing mindsets both internally and externally.
Bio: Adrian Blunt is the Producer of the EA Sports FIFA and UEFA franchises on mobile, based in EA Mobiles UK studio. Chris Gibbs is the Executive Producer of the EA Mobile UK studio.
14:45-15:30
Transforming the Market: Lessons Learned from Marketing Transformers and Other Big Branded Titles
Patrick Mork, Glu
Do the best PC / Console franchises translate on mobile? What kinds of consumers play on mobile? Why do they play? How do we market to them? This presentation explores why some brands succeed on mobile while others dont. It also examines the types of marketing tools that have been effective to help promote mobile games.
Bio: As marketing director EMEA, Patrick manages the development and execution of the company’s marketing programs across the region and also oversees the company’s PR strategy. Prior to joining Glu Mobile, Patrick spent nearly 2 years as head of EMEA marketing for I-play where he helped the publisher establish itself as a solid regional player in markets like the UK, France and Italy. Patrick has over 10 years of marketing experience and his career includes positions at both Pepsi-Cola and Diamondcluster. He holds on MBA from INSEAD and an undergraduate from Georgetown University in the US.
15:45-16:30
Constrained Creativity: Using the Limitations to your Advantage
Jeferson Valadares, Electronic Arts
Too often game developers do nothing more than complain about the mobile game platform limitations. And while all of these things are true, there are many other upsides as well - shorter (and well, cheaper) development times, and the biggest installed base for a gaming device ever, which gives you a serious chance of making an impact in the world. The goal of this lecture is to help developers stop wishing for the constraints to go away and start making games that explore those very constraints to spark innovation and that provide an entertainment experience that's unique to the phone.
Bio: Jeferson Valadares is the Creative director at EA Mobile UKs studio, where he collaborates on all titles from a design perspective. Hes also directly involved in the production of portable worlds from Harry Potter to Hasbro to Need for Speed.
15:45-16:30
Global Opportunities for Native Mobile Games
Tim Closs, Ideaworks3D
This year looks like being a tipping point for native mobile gaming globally. The launch of Nokias N-Gage service, and Apples AppStore for iPhone and iPod Touch, mean that together with BREW there are now three compelling global distribution opportunities for native mobile games. This session looks at the current state of the market, the opportunities and challenges of monetising native mobile games today, and looks forward to where the market is heading. Ideaworks3D has seen its games distributed on almost every native platform globally, and the session draws on these experiences to inform and hopefully inspire.
Bio: Tim Closs is Chief Technology Officer at Ideaworks3D, a leading developer of mobile games and mobile applications technology. Tims career started with publishing 8-bit games whilst still at school, and has included working on most major console and desktop platforms. In 2004 he made the move to mobile by joining Ideaworks3D. As CTO, Tim has overseen the creation of Airplay SDK, a ground-breaking mobile software technology which allows a single native application binary to run unmodified on all open handsets. Airplay has been used to power some of the worlds most advanced mobile games, including most recently Konamis Metal Gear Solid Mobile?, winner of Best Game? and Operators Choice? awards at IMGA 2008.
16:45 - 17:30
Never Mind the Buzzwords: New Solutions to Mobile Gaming's Challenges
Tim Harrison, Electronic Arts; Chris White, Glu; John Chasey, Finblade, Monty Munford, Playerx, Josh Dalliwell
For all its many advances, the mobile games industry still faces problems first identified over five years ago. Worse, the proposed solutions are often just as ancient! Maybe it's time to take a leaf out of Apple's book and Think Different? In this thought provoking final session, four panellists will pushed to offer Blue Sky thinking – however wild and crazy – on some of the classic bugbears identified during the course of the day, with chairman Tim Harrison ready to blow the whistle on any remedies we've heard too many times before. We've 45 minutes to reboot mobile gaming!
