Unmissable Sessions at Devcom 2024: Top Picks

The city of Cologne is set to host a flurry of activity with Devcom and Gamescom drawing in games industry professionals from across the globe. Devcom kicks off with a two-day conference featuring over 250 speakers and more than 200 sessions, tackling the most pressing challenges in the industry today. To help navigate the extensive program, the GamesIndustry.biz team has curated a selection of the most compelling sessions. Devcom Developer Conference 2024 takes place from August 19 to August 20 at Koelnmesse in Cologne, with more details available on the event's website. Key sessions include A Case for Better Story Integration, where Outer Wilds writer Kelsey Beachum discusses the importance of integrating storytelling into game design beyond traditional cutscenes and dialogue. The Global PC and Console Games Market session features Newzoo's Devan Brennan presenting the latest market trends, forecasts, and insights up to 2027. Other notable talks include Surviving eight years as an indie studio, where Stray Fawn Studio's Philomena Schwab shares lessons learned, and A glimpse behind the curtain, which explores the content considerations of indie publishers. Additional sessions cover topics such as player churn, game development closing phases, AI-generated art, diversity in the games industry, creativity, and the future of AAA game design.