2008 Independent Games Summit Announces Full Schedule

Author: by Staff

The organizers of the 2008 Independent Games Summit have announced the full schedule for the February 2008 GDC event, with several new speakers confirmed and the January 16th early-bird deadline approaching. Some of the major talks include a keynote from Jon Mak (Everyday Shooter) and Kellee Santiago (fl0w), alongside postmortems of N+ and Schizoid and talks from notable creators at Introversion, WayForward, Q-Games, and more. The 2008 Independent Games Summit (operated by CMP, as is Gamasutra) seeks to highlight the brightest and the best of indie development, with discussions ranging from indie game distribution methods through game design topics, detailed postmortems of independent titles, digital distribution-centric business concepts, and much more. Once again, the IGS is a sister event to the 2008 Independent Games Festival. Taking place on the Monday and Tuesday of Game Developers Conference 2008, February 18th and 19th, the event follows the successful Independent Games Summit in 2007, for which multiple videos have been posted on Gamasutra in the last few months. Monday, February 18th Scattershots of Play - The Potential of Indie Games Speaker(s): Kellee Santiago (ThatGameCompany), Jon Mak (Queasy Games), Pekko Koskinen (LudoCraft) Time: 10am - 11am Session description: This unique keynote sees dialogue between three major game designers, where the makers of EVERYDAY SHOOTER and FL0W meet Scandinavian reality games. Each brings to the table their personal, different vision on gameplay. "When we stop at the words "good" or "better" or "fun" we don't even scratch the surface of what games are... or could be. Looking for "better" games seeks uniformity of value. Yet we need to understand the variety, potentiality of games first, to know where we are going... or could be going." Coffee Break 11am - 11:15am Evolving AQUARIA Speaker(s):Alec Holowka & Derek Yu (Bit Blot) Time: 11:15am - 12pm Session description: Indie game creators Alec Holowka and Derek Yu discuss their journey developing the IGF grand prize winning game AQUARIA. From first prototype to final release, team Bit Blot share old builds and prototypes, mistakes and successes, design decisions and lessons learned demonstrating how AQUARIA was grown, not planned. The Game Attorney: Indie Edition Speaker(s): Tom Buscaglia Time: 12pm - 12:30am Session description: Longtime game attorney Buscaglia gives a key overview of contract and legal-related issues independent studios should be aware of when starting out. Lunch 12:30pm - 2pm Ninja Ways: An N+ Postmortem Speaker(s): Mare Sheppard (Metanet Software), Nick Waanders (Slick Entertainment) Time: 2pm - 2:30pm Session description: Following the success of addictive ninja-themed platform action title IGF Audience Award-winner N, which is debuting both on Xbox Live Arcade and on the Nintendo DS/Sony PSP as N+, the creators of the original title explain how they moved their property onto consoles, with details on financials, technical issues and solutions, and a plethora of other specifics for indies aspiring to console/handheld. Spreading Your Message as an Indie Developer Speaker(s): Thomas Arundel, Mark Morris, Chris Delay (Introversion) Time: 2:30pm - 3:15pm Session description: UK-based Introversion, the creators of DEFCON and the multiple IGF award-winning DARWINIA, are notable in their use of effective branding and positioning to become one of the few indie developers making inroads towards entering mainstream gamer consciousness. But how? Explanations will ensue! The Web Game Renaissance Speaker(s): Chris Pasley (Kongregate), Brian Fischer (Arcadetown) Time: 3:15pm - 4pm Session description: Small web games have become a viable creative form and business model, with sites like Kongregate, Newgrounds, Instant Action, and Arcadetown pulling down huge monthly incomes and attracting millions of visitors per year. Including representatives from the major players in this emerging game space, this panel will candidly discuss the eye-popping financials behind today’s most successful web games. From DESKTOP TOWER DEFENSE to a host of others, see how tiny in-browser games can be innovative, lucrative, and indie. Coffee Break 4pm - 4:15pm From CONTRA to SHANTAE: a Study in Contrasts Speaker(s): John Beck (WayForward Technologies), Matt Bozon (WayForward Technologies) Time: 4:15pm - 5pm Session description: How do you make the game great, especially when working on a licensed game, while also keeping the lights on? What are the realities of working as a long-time independent developer? WayForward (CONTRA 4, SHANTAE) has weathered the storm for longer than many, making acclaimed licensed and original games alike, and the business and creative minds behind the cult favorite company explain how to juggle priorities smartly. Postmortem: PIXELJUNK Series Speaker(s): Dylan Cuthbert (Q Games) Time: 5pm - 5:45pm Session description: Kyoto's Q Games was founded in 2001 by Dylan Cuthbert, a veteran developer who worked with Nintendo on the original version of STARFOX. The company is now self-funding and creating PlayStation 3 titles in the PIXELJUNK series, with PIXELJUNK RACERS completed and PIXELJUNK MONSTERS due out soon. Cuthbert will discuss the process and reality of creating this 'small game' series, inspired by classic '80s Commodore 64 and Spectrum games. Tuesday, February 19th A Tale of Two Kyles Speaker(s):Kyle Gabler (2D Boy) & Kyle Gray (Electronic Arts) Time: 10am - 11am Session description: Ever wanted to quit your corporate gig and make your own game? What about pitch your game to the head of the company and have it made? Two alumni from the Experimental Gameplay Project compare their experiences in the indie and corporate scene. Kyle Gabler left EA in May 2006 to start his own company (currently creating WORLD OF GOO), while Kyle Gray stayed behind to pitch his own title. Both made their own game. It’s unlimited resources vs. unlimited freedom in this, 'A Tale of Two Kyles.' Coffee Break 11am - 11:15am Unique Knobs For Indie Games Speaker(s):Raigan Burns (Metanet Software) Time: 11:15am - 12pm Session description: With so many options for middleware and freeware, isn’t writing your own physics or graphics engine just technological masturbation? Raigin Burns of Metanet Software makes the case that creating your own unique technologies from scratch allows freedom of expression impossible with middleware and canned solutions. If Metanet's hit game N is "just a regular platformer with novel collision detection," could creating unique technology lead to innovation? Students to Professionals: The Indies of Tomorrow Speaker(s): Tracy Fullerton (USC Interactive Media) Time: 12pm - 12:30pm Session description: Game studies programs are rapidly becoming hotbeds of indie game development, a place for both students and researchers to innovate and take risks in low budget, high impact projects that explore strange new worlds of game design. The director of the USC Game Innovation Lab, the research unit behind projects like CLOUD, FL0W and THE NIGHT JOURNEY, talks about how to create a culture of rampant experimentation and innovation, and make the games you can’t make anywhere else. Lunch 12:30pm - 2pm An Indie Reality Check Speaker(s) N'Gai Croal (Newsweek), Stephen Totilo (MTV News) Time: 2pm - 2:30pm Session description: How does the world at large really sees indies? Prominent game critics Stephen Totilo of MTV and N’Gai Croal of Newsweek take an objective look at the current state of indie games from the perspective of news, media, and entertainment in general. How are independent games doing in terms of mindshare relative to games as a whole, how could we be doing better, and what can we do today to make indie games more prominent? N’Gai and Stephen debate the answers. Postmortem: Torpex's SCHIZOID Speaker(s): Bill Dugan (Torpex) Time: 2:30pm - 3:15pm Session description: As the first XBLA game to use Microsoft's XNA framework, and the first title from independent start-up Torpex, SCHIZOID interesting from a multitude of perspectives. But what went right and wrong during the console downloadable title's development? Torpex's Dugan presents plenty of practical tips and specifics on the creation of the title. Innovating in the Casual Market Speaker(s): Arthur Humphrey (Last Day Of Work) Time: 3:15pm - 4pm Session description: To some independent developers, "casual" can be a bad word - connoting gameplay roteness, perhaps. But why does financial success, being on a certain portal, or the arbitrarily assigned label "casual" make you a sellout? Humphrey (VIRTUAL VILLAGERS) has created sophisticated independently-developed titles that are hits in the casual market, and explains his views on the surprisingly large indie/casual intersection. Coffee Break 4pm - 4:15pm Contracting Vs. Indie: The Showdown Speaker(s): Brent Fox, Steve Taylor (Ninjabee/Wahoo) Time: 4:15pm - 5pm Session description: Brent 'Indie Core' Fox and Steve 'We Need Money to Eat' Taylor square off in a battle of wits and whimsy over a question facing many indies: to contract or not to contract? If your company can't survive, you can't make the games you want. If you can't make the games you want, why make games at all? Find out how Wahoo/Ninja Bee strike a balance between OUTPOST KALOKI, BAND OF BUGS, and Disney's TRIVIA TIME in this battle of contracting vs. indie. The State of Indie Games Speaker(s): Noel Llopis (Powerof2Games), Jacob Van Wingen (Gastronaut Studios), Jamie Cheng (Klei Entertainment), Matt Bozon (Wayforward Technologies), Jon Mak (Queasy Games) Time: 5pm - 6pm Session description: Hear from full-time indies. How do they manage their time, their projects, and their lives? This in-depth panel presents practical tips on working from home, with teams of friends, remote teams, motivation, and everything else indies typically have to face. The 2008 Independent Games Summit is available to attend by purchasing a GDC 2008 Summits Pass. In addition, other passes such as the GDC 2008 All Access Pass also allow entry to the Summit. The early-bird deadline for the Summit is January 16th, and more information on the line-up for the summit is available the official IGS website.