Call for Speaker Submissions

Deadline for Speaker Submissions is 1 March 2009

Introduction

Now in its fourth year, the Develop Conference in Brighton is going from strength to strength.

The conference is all about bringing the European development community together to share ideas and learn from each other. If you have an idea for a presentation, we'd like to invite you to submit your proposal by following the guidelines below and completing the submission form no later than 1 March 2009.

Please keep the following in mind when you submit your proposal:

  • This conference focuses on offering delegates practical advice and inspiration so they can take something of real value back to the studio. We ask every speaker to provide a "Take Away" statement that clearly summarises what a delegate can expect to get out of the session.
  • The proposed outline you submit now must match the presentation you give at the Develop Conference
  • Preparation is vital if you are to deliver the high-quality presentation attendees deserve
  • We highly recommend that you rehearse your session in front of colleagues beforehand - this will help you improve the delivery but also help when it comes to pacing and timing
  • Your final presentation must be completed and submitted to us 3 weeks before the conference

Conference Tracks (Your submission must fit into one of these)

Attendees of the Develop conference must leave Brighton better able to do their jobs, whatever corner of a games studio they inhabit. Our tracks cover all the main development professions, to ensure every delegate's time is well spent. A few pointers:

  • Think about what you would like to hear about, if you were going to a conference, not just what you'd like to speak about!
  • Sessions with real 'take away' value are preferred by all attendees
  • Many sessions are let down by poor visual aids. How can you make yours stand out?
  • Unless you have a unique perspective or a real 'bad news' story to tell with numbers, try to offer solutions rather than simply raise well-known problems

    Production
    Modern production challenges run far deeper than getting a game finished to time and budget. Extensive outsourcing and remote working is increasing complexity, with teams scaling up and down to manage costs and changing demands over a project’s development. Savvy studios are also increasingly looking to seamlessly integrate music, movie and other non-games talent into their production cycle. Meanwhile, increasingly ubiquitous online functions are extending the lifespan of more games far beyond their notional release date, raising long-term challengers for producers that must be considered on day one.
     
    Coding
    With the current generation of consoles approaching maturity, the programming challenge has shifted from grappling with PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Wii to squeezing out the last ounce of performance. Ever more specialised programmers must work together as a team to get a game’s AI, physics and graphical engine firing in concert, while enhancing and integrating middleware components has become a discipline in its own right. And bridging the ‘uncanny valley’ with improved facial animation and real-world graphics might be billed as an artists’ challenge, but as ever it’s coders who will do the heavy lifting.
     
    Business
    It’s been 20 years since games last offered such a variety of exciting ways for an entrepreneurial studio to make money – even as the financial cost of bringing a conventional game to market have soared beyond credibility. New revenue streams, from subscriptions and ads to micropayments, new platforms such as iPhone, PSN and XBLA, and a truly global outsourcing ecosystem all present novel opportunities, but in today’s polarised, Internet-driven marketplace, businesses must still ultimately be aligned towards turning out old-fashioned quality gameplay to thrive.
     
    Art & Animation
    We’re at last seeing signs of diversity emerging in game graphics. As Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 approach their peak, the photo-realistic aim of yesterday has given way to movie-realism, where facial animation and the movement of wind through the trees can be as crucial as the lines of a car or the cut of a heroine’s crop top. Yet in parallel to this, Wii, DS and the increasing encroachment of casual gaming seen in games like Buzz and Rock Band are also showcasing a more stylized artistic approach. Our sessions will inspire artists working across the whole spectrum to refresh their palettes.
     
    Audio
    Develop in Brighton’s audio day is now established as one of the premier gigs on the game audio and music calendar, consistently punching above its weight with inspiring world-class speakers allied to a solid, practical programme to improve your work and reputation. While at its best game audio now matches movies from a technical standpoint, there’s still plenty of progress to be made artistically. And challenges ranging from cross-platform development and emerging formats such as iPhone to global competition mean there’s always more to learn.
     
    Design
    Faced with vast game worlds and a seen-it-all-before audience, who’d be a designer nowadays? Well, everyone. As games like LittleBigPlanet and Spore devolve decisions to the player, we’re all designers now. Professionals at the top of their game are looking to reinvent every genre from racing to flight sims to reflect this user-generated, socially connected reality – but without losing the essence of finely-balanced gameplay that made us all pick up a joypad (and not put it down again) in the first place.

    Presentation Formats

    Please see below a description of the different formats your presentation could take - select the one you feel is most appropriate for the content of your talk. These formats can be applied to any Track.

    Lecture
    Duration: 60 mins
    Lecture sessions should be issue-based, provide concrete examples or case studies and may contain both practical and theoretical information. There is normally only one speaker, however if you can demonstrate that another speaker is necessary or of value then we will accept more than one. Please include 10 mins for Q & A within the 60 mins.

    Panel
    Duration: 60 mins
    Panel sessions are a forum for debate, where many different viewpoints are aired on a single topic or issue. If you choose this format you would be responsible for selecting and recruiting appropriate panellists. Audience participation should be encouraged in panel sessions. We recommend up to 5 panellists max plus a chairperson.