Top 12 Unmissable Sessions at Devcom 2024

The city of Cologne is bracing itself for a bustling week, courtesy of Devcom and Gamescom, which will attract gaming professionals from across the globe. Devcom will kick off the festivities with a two-day conference, boasting over 250 speakers and more than 200 sessions that tackle the industry's most pressing challenges. To help navigate the extensive program, the GamesIndustry.biz team has handpicked some of the most intriguing sessions. The Devcom Developer Conference 2024 will run from August 19 to August 20 at Koelnmesse in Cologne, with more information available on the event's website. A Case for Better Story Integration — or, "I Am Begging You People To Stop Calling It A Story Wrapper" will take place from 10am-11am at the Keynote Stage – Confex Expo Floor. In this opening keynote, Outer Wilds writer and narrative designer Kelsey Beachum will explore how every element of a game can contribute to storytelling without relying on modal conversations and cutscenes. The Global PC and Console Games Market, Forecasts, and Trends for 2024 will be discussed from 11:30am-12:30pm at Stage 5 - Xsolla Stage - Confex 2 Floor. Newzoo's senior consultant Devan Brennan will delve into the latest data and insights from the global PC and console games market, covering revenues, spending, player behaviors, and forecasts up to 2027. Surviving eight years as an indie studio: Tools kept and tactics scrapped will take place from 12:30pm-1:30pm at Stage 14 - Confex 3 Floor. Philomena Schwab, CEO and game designer at The Wandering Village developer Stray Fawn Studio, will share the biggest lessons learned since the company's inception and offer advice on how indies can overcome the challenges they face. A glimpse behind the curtain: What are the content considerations being made by indie publishers in 2024 will be explored from 1:30pm-2:30pm at Stage 14 – Confex 3 Floor. Team17's head of game scouting Jasper Barnes will shed light on the decision-making processes that indie publishers use when greenlighting titles, helping developers better understand the criteria for success. How to lose a player in 10 days will take place from 3pm-3:30pm at Stage 5 — Xsolla Stage — Confex 2 Floor. Product director Feras Musmar of TTK Games will discuss the problem of player churn in non-live service games and explore ways developers can encourage players to complete the games they work so hard to create. The Art of Closing will be discussed from 5:30pm-6:30pm at Stage 14 - Confex 3 Floor. Ubisoft Montreal producer Fleur Marty will offer 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, and provide advice on how to ensure quality while avoiding mistakes. Going to Valhalla in 'God of War' will take place from 11:30am-12:30pm at Stage 1 – Confex Expo Floor. God of War Ragnarök: Valhalla co-game director Mihir Sheth will discuss how Santa Monica Studio developed its first DLC, its role in the franchise, and how it resonated with the fanbase. Exploring Ethical Horizons: The Challenges of AI-Generated Art will be explored from 12pm-12:30pm at Stage 11 – Confex 3 Floor. Red Meat Games creative content strategist Judy Ehrentraut will discuss the importance of training AI models to use ethically sourced content, ensuring creators and artists are compensated, and the role of AI in general. Tackling Sexism and Resistance to Diversity in the Modern Games Industry will take place from 1:30pm-2:30pm at Stage 8 – Call for Change Track – Confex 3 Floor. Bytro Labs' Jamie Christensen and Cecilia Luna will discuss the issues women and members of the LGBTQ+ community face in the games industry, how they've evolved over time, and what can be addressed in the short and long term. Demystifying Creativity will be discussed from 3pm-4pm at Stage 1 – Confex Expo Floor. Ubisoft's VP of global creative Fawzi Mesmar will explore 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 will take place from 4pm-5pm at Stage 1 – Confex Expo Floor. 5th Corner's CEO and creative director Matt Radford will discuss what's next for AAA when photorealism has been mastered, drawing from his experiences working on games including Uncharted, The Last of Us, and The Matrix Awakens. Cozy Futures: Challenging Traditional Game Design will be explored from 4pm-5pm at 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) will discuss how to challenge traditional game design by branching out and focusing on different aspects of creativity.