Join GamesBeat Summit 2021 this April 28-29. Register for a free or VIP pass today.
GamesBeat Summit 2021 will feature our second annual online-only Women in Gaming Breakfast as part of a celebration of diversity.
The event will take place on the morning of day two of our April 28-29 event, which is our third virtual conference in a year. The breakfast will feature a panel moderated by Andrea Rene of What’s Good Games. The panelists include Samantha Ryan, senior vice president at Electronic Arts; Brenda Romero, game director at Romero Games, and Emily Greer, cofounder of Double Loop Games.
They will discuss, “Setting up to succeed in leadership roles,” and that topic fits quite nicely with our event theme “Growing the next generation.” Other new speakers include Shawn Layden, former head of Sony’s worldwide game studios; Marty O’Donnell, cofounder of Highwire Games; Lars Wingefors, CEO of Embracer Group; and Victor Lazarte, CEO of Wildlife Studios.
Our complete agenda has 105 speakers and 52 of them — about 49.5% — come from diverse backgrounds. We’ve got top speakers like Bobby Kotick of Activision Blizzard, Phil Spencer of Microsoft, and Laura Miele of Electronic Arts. I’m very proud this lineup reflects the changing face of the game industry, and it’s our most diverse event ever.
Our talks will be relevant to where gaming is in 2021. Mark Chandler of The International Game Summit on Mental Health Awareness will talk with Jason Docton of Rise Above the Disorder in an emotionally charged session about how it takes a village to save our own in the game industry. Eve Crevoshay of Take This will talk with Adam Boyes and Chelsea Blasko about how studios don’t have to crunch. And Mark James of Striking Distance Studios and Karthik Bala of Velan Games will talk with Perforce’s Brad Hart about the challenges of remote work.
Among the special guests are U.S. Congresswoman Yvette Clarke, Democrat from New York’s 9th District. She will join Stanley Pierre-Louis of the Entertainment Software Association and Laila Shabir, CEO of Girls Make Games, for a talk on the importance of STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) education for gaming.
Above: GamesBeat Summit 2021 takes place on April 28-29.
Image Credit: GamesBeat
We’ve also confirmed our awesome emcees Kahlief Adams of Spawn on Me and Andrea Rene. Tammy McDonald will also host our Visionary Awards.
Since our last post, we’ve added a lot of speakers including Perry Nightingale of WPP, Ante Odic of Outfit7, Dan Barnes of N3twork, Heather Garozzo of Dignitas, Rebecca Longawa of Rokkr, Robyn St. German of Houston Outlaws, Daniel Evans of Reely, Faith Price of Double Down, Eric Seufert of Mobile Dev Memo, author Joost van Dreunen, Kimberly Voll of the Fair Play Alliance, and futurist Cathy Hackl.
And we’ll explore how games can keep their historic growth going and at the same time explore new parts of the business including blockchain and nonfungible tokens, the post-IDFA world, augmented and virtual reality, and the metaverse. Michael Pachter of Wedbush Securities will open with a talk on the explosion of opportunities that come from having an unprecedented amount of money coming into the industry through investments, public offerings, and acquisitions.
We want to continue our reputation as the most intimate gaming event where business meets passion. Our event will include fireside chats, panels, and small-group roundtables. We’ll provide Q&A sessions for VIP attendees, and a way for attendees to network with each other and make new connections. We have a wide range of partners including the International Game Developers Association and Women in Gaming International. And our sponsors include Lego Ventures, Anzu, Xsolla, Jam City, Adjust, Accenture, Rogue Games, Epic Games, Scopely, Singtel, the Entertainment Software Association, Wildlife, Perforce, Outfit7, and more.
For attendees, you’ll be getting invitations to join using the email you used to register. If you upgrade to VIP, you’ll be able to join things like our GamesBeat Slack (which we’ve already started), one-on-one meetings in Grip, roundtables, and our Zoom Q&A sessions with our speakers.
Day one (April 28, 2021)
Above: Michael Pachter of Wedbush Securities
Image Credit: Michael O’Donnel/VentureBeat
8 a.m.
Tutorial for watching and participating in the event
8:10 a.m. – 8:30 a.m.
Introduction
Emcee Kahlief Adams, Spawn on Me
Dean Takahashi of GamesBeat
8:30 a.m. – 8:40 a.m.
Gaming’s time to shine
Michael Pachter, managing director at Wedbush Securities and an analyst for the games industry for 20 years, will talk about
what it means to have so much money coming into the game business at all levels.
Michael Pachter, Wedbush Securities
8:40 a.m – 9:00 a.m.
Scaling creativity through the Scopely Operating System
Join Scopely Chief Business Officer Aaron Loeb and moderator Dean Takahashi for a conversation on how game companies can maximize creativity among rapidly growing global teams.
Aaron Loeb, Scopely
Above: Aaron Loeb is chief business officer at Scopely.
Image Credit: Scopely
Moderator: Dean Takahashi, GamesBeat
9:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.
Enabling the next generation of leaders
Game director Brenda Romero of Romero Games and technical director Sushama Chakraverty of Prodigy Education examine the role of leadership in the game industry through the lens of their own intertwining careers.
Brenda Romero, Romero Games
Moderator: Sushama Chakraverty, Prodigy Education
9:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Diving into digital humans with Epic Games
Join Vladimir Mastilovic and Paul Doyle of Epic Games and Wanda Meloni of M2 Insights for a discussion on the evolution of digital humans and how MetaHuman Creator simplifies the creation of unique, convincing digital humans.
Above: These people are not people. They MetaHumans.
Image Credit: Epic Games
Paul Doyle, Epic Games
Vladimir Mastilović, Epic Games
Moderator: Wanda Meloni, M2 Insights
10:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
How learning through play intersects with gaming
Rob Lowe, Lego Ventures
Karsten Lund, Director, Light Brick Studio
Moderator: Keza MacDonald, Guardian
10:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Magic Meets the Measured: striking the right balance to make great games
Chris DeWolfe, CEO of Jam City, talks about striking the right balance in taking care of employees, taking advantage of growth opportunities during the pandemic, and doing the right things for gamers.
Chris DeWolfe, Jam City
Moderator: Dean Takahashi, GamesBeat
11:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Game VCs who bring the value of operating experience to investing
Game VCs who are former operators at companies talk about the value — and the challenges — that they can bring to the table in helping startups grow.
Andrew Sheppard, Transcend Fund
Jens Hilgers, Bitkraft Ventures
Ed Fries, 1Up Ventures
Moderator: Eric Goldberg, Playable Worlds
11:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
What IDFA changes mean for the game industry
Apple is requiring users to opt-in for sharing their private info on iOS, and that’s going to affect the ability for mobile game makers to target ads at gamers. What comes next?
Eric Seufert, Mobile Game Dev Memo
Moderator: Dean Takahashi, GamesBeat
12:00 pm -12:30 pm
The next generation of mobile game development
With more and more individuals turning to games amidst a global pandemic, the importance of mobile gaming is at an unprecedented height. But how does mobile gaming keep up with other platforms? Publishers talk about empowering the next generation of developers.
Victor Lazarte, Wildlife Studios
Ken Martin, GreenPark Sports
Samir Agili, Tilting Point
Moderator: Joost van Dreunen, author of One Up
12:30 p.m. -1:10 p.m.
The post-pandemic world of gaming
Above: Kahlief Adams of Spawn on Me.
Image Credit: Spawn On Me
Bobby Kotick, chairman and CEO of Activision Blizzard, will speak at one of our events for the first time in a fireside chat about the acceleration of games into the top tier of all entertainment. But what comes next? And how will we navigate 2021 and beyond?
Bobby Kotick, Activision Blizzard
Moderator: Dean Takahashi, GamesBeat
12:30 p.m.-1:30 p.m.
Roundtable (VIP attendees eligible)
12:30 p.m.-1:30 p.m.
Your Culture isn’t what you think it is
Caroline Stokes, Forward
Roundtable (VIP attendees eligible)
1230 pm to 1:30 pm
Life in a post-IDFA world
Faith Price, Double Down Interactive
Dan Barnes, N3twork
1:10 p.m.-1:40 p.m.
Team Xbox on gaming for everyone
Microsoft’s Phil Spencer will lead a discussion about the company’s journey to bring the joy and community of gaming to everyone on the planet. The panelists will explore the challenges of ensuring that gaming is inclusive for all players and that the game industry welcomes all creators.
Agnes Kim, Microsoft
Esteban Lora, Microsoft
Cierra McDonald, Microsoft
Moderator: Phil Spencer, head of Xbox at Microsoft
1:40 p.m. -2 p.m.
Above: Phil Spencer runs all of gaming at Microsoft.
Image Credit: AIAS
The future of accessibility in the game industry
Daniel Melville was born without an arm. But he has managed to become a gamer as well as an ambassador for Open Bionics, which recently produced a Metal Gear-themed bionic arm for him. He’ll discuss this and other themes about accessibility and inclusion in the game industry with Keisha Howard of Sugar Gamers.
Daniel Melville, Open Bionics
Moderator: Keisha Howard, Sugar Gamers
2 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Changing the game
Robert Antokol, CEO of Playtika, and Michael Metzger, partner at Drake Star Partners, will talk about Playtika’s journey from launch, to expansion into casual games and recent public offering. Robert will discuss Playtika’s Boost Platform and acquisition of independent gaming studios as well as share his vision for Playtika in the years to come.
Robert Antokol, Playtika
Moderator: Michael Metzger, Drake Star Partners
2:30 p.m. – 3 p.m.
STEAM, why it matters to video games, diversity, the future workforce, and the economy
STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) education is not only critical to the success of video game industry, but also to creating meaningful opportunities for people from different backgrounds and to American competitiveness. This panel will discuss the increasingly important role of STEAM in the overall American economic landscape, its impact on the video game industry, and youth leadership.
Laila Shabir, Girls Make Games
Yvette Clarke, U.S. Congresswoman from New York’s 9th District
Moderator: Stanley Pierre-Louis, Entertainment Software Association
3 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
What to expect in a post-pandemic gaming world
Join Frank Azor, AMD’s Chief Architect of Gaming Solutions and Marketing, as he shares thoughts on how the COVID-19 pandemic has and will continue to impact the gaming industry, and how companies and developers are adapting to that change.
Frank Azor, AMD
Moderator: N’Gai Croal, Hit Detection
3:30 p.m. – 3:50 p.m.
Burnout: What it is and what we can do
A lot of people are suffering from burnout as the pandemic and quarantine continue into year two. What is burnout (beyond exhaustion and overwork)? This game-focused talk will detangle and explain the aspects of burnout, and provide actionable, practical steps for addressing it inside your studio and workplace.
Raffael Boccamazzo, Take This
Above: Laura Miele is chief studios officer at EA.
Image Credit: EA
3:50 p.m. – 4:20 p.m.
A strategy for a global gaming business
Mike Vorhaus of Vorhaus Advisers will interview Simon Zhu, general manager at NetEase, about the company’s approach to the gaming industry. They will talk about NetEase’s focus on quality as well as its investments in Bungie, Theorycraft, Behaviour Interactive, and Quantic Dream.
Simon Zhu, NetEase
Moderator: Mike Vorhaus
4:20 p.m. – 4:50 p.m.
Designing blockbuster games infused with diversity
What happens when you start designing a major video game and try to infuse diversity throughout the characters and environment? Halley Gross — a seasoned Hollywood writer on shows such as Westworld participated in such as project as the co-writer for The Last of Us Part II. The game won more than 215 awards for Game of the Year. She shares some of the lessons she learned about writing blockbuster narratives with an inclusive lens.
Halley Gross
Moderator: Dean Takahashi
4:50 p.m. to 5:20 p.m.
Why gaming M&A and investments have exploded and show no signs of slowing
M&A, public offerings, and investments have exploded for games during the pandemic. We’ll have a fireside chat with Lars Wingefors, CEO of Embracer Group, which has been the most active of all game company acquirers.
Lars Wingefors, Embracer Group
Moderator: Nick Tuosto, Liontree
5:20 p.m.-6:20 p.m.
Reception and networking on Clubhouse
Hosts Jon Radoff and Dean Takahashi
Day two (April 29)
Above: GamesBeat Summit 2021 speakers.
Image Credit: GamesBeat
8:00 a.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Women in gaming breakfast
Samantha Ryan, EA
Brenda Romero, Romero Games
Emily Greer, Double Loop Games
Moderator: Andrea Rene
9:30 am – 9:40 am
Introduction
Andrea Rene, What’s Good Games
9:40 am – 9:45 am
Opening comments
Mike Minotti
9:45 a.m. – 10:05 a.m.
It takes a village
The game industry hasn’t always been kind to its own. And as a result, it has lost members to suicide. Mark Chandler of the International Games Summit on Mental Health Awareness and Jason Docton of Rise Above the Disorder will talk about what could be done so the game industry and gamers take care of their own better.
Mark Chandler, The International Games Summit on Mental Health Awareness
Jason Docton, Rise Above the Disorder
10:05 a.m. – 10:25 a.m.
How to do remote game development
When the world went remote, game development companies knew how to make it work. Many have been coordinating remote contributors for years. But with everyone at home, demands for media and games have dramatically increased. Our panel will discuss how to overcome challenges and build better games.
Mark James, Striking Distance Studios
Karthik Bala, Velan Studios
Moderator: Brad Hart, CTO of Perforce
10:25 a.m. to 10:45 a.m.
Pulling the future from the cloud
Tim Guhl of Singtel and Lisa Cosmas Hanson of Niko Partners talk about the opportunities in gaming that will depend on 5G networks, including augmented reality, low-latency multiplayer games, and esports.
Tim Guhl, Singtel
Moderator: Lisa Cosmas Hanson, Niko Partners
10:45 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.
Making great games is only going to get more complicated
Laura Miele started her career in a game studio 25 years ago and today she is leading one of the largest collectives of game creators in the world at Electronic Arts. EA’s 20+ global studios. Geoff Keighley, creator of The Game Awards, will talk with Miele about the ever-changing world of game development and how she navigates through the internal and external challenges to deliver the best possible games to players.
Laura Miele, Electronic Arts
Moderator: Geoff Keighley
11:15 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.
Advertising in games: Tapping into the next wave
Brands are finally realizing the potential of gaming and are ready to treat it as an advertising medium. This panel will explain the evolution of advertising in games and why brands are now finally looking at games as an advertising category and what is on the horizon.
Ronnie Nelis, Lion Castle
Itamar Benedy, Anzu
Gabrielle Heyman, Zynga
Moderator: Steve Peterson, StoryPhorce
11:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
Representation in-game matters, and it starts with developers
Nearly half of all gamers now identify as female. But in the development community, female representation is still sorely lacking. With such a skewed balance among the people who make our games, how can we make sure we’re meeting the needs of all our players, who are increasingly expressing their needs to see themselves represented in the games they play? Hear from top female development leads across Activision Blizzard about addressing the gender gap in the games, and on the teams who make them.
Jennifer Oneal, Blizzard Entertainment
Lydia Bottegoni, Blizzard Entertainment
Nour Polloni, Studio Head, Beenox
Moderator: Eunice Lee, Activision
12:15 p.m. to 1:15 p.m.
Roundtable (for VIP attendees)
NFTs and games 101
Nonfungible tokens have taken the art and music collectible worlds by storm, and now they’re ready to disrupt games. Are NFTs the next big thing to monetize games, or are they a flash in the pan?
Chris Heatherly
Jon Radoff, Beamable
James Zhang, Fifth Era
Gabby Dizon, Yield Guild Games
Above: GamesBeat Summit 2021 speakers.
Image Credit: GamesBeat
12:15 p.m. to 1:15 p.m.
Roundtable (for VIP attendees)
Understanding the future of consolidation, expanding capital pools, and hyperactivity in gaming M&A
Hemal Thakur, Goldman Sachs
Alina Soltys, Quantum Tech Partners
12:15 p.m. to 1:15 p.m.
Roundtable (for VIP attendees)
Expanding the esports audience
Daniel Evans, Reely
Robyn St. Germain, Houston Outlaws
Rebecca Longawa, Rokkr, Version1, GameHers
Heather Garozzo, VP Talent at Dignitas
12:15 p.m. – 12:35 p.m.
How to do M&A right
Scopely acquired FoxNext Games in January 2020. The companies set a goal of a seamless merging of the two teams. It turns out that, during the pandemic, M&A has exploded in the game industry. Two Scopely leaders will talk about the lessons learned.
Tim O’Brien, Scopely
Amir Rahimi, Scopely
Moderator: Nick Tuosto, Liontree
12:35 p.m. – 12:55 p.m.
Scaling the right way: When a startup is no longer a startup
Katie Jansen, chief marketing officer at AppLovin, and Katie Madding, chief product officer at Adjust, share similar stories in their respective careers, with both having joined their current companies early on, and then having witnessed the trajectories of those companies skyrocket in a relatively short amount of time. Learn about their unique journeys in navigating these exciting, yet uncharted periods of hyper-growth.
Katie Jansen, AppLovin
Moderator: Katie Madding, Adjust
1:15 p.m. – 1:45 p.m.
The past, present, and future of XR and mental health
Since the onset of COVID-19, 53% of adults in the United States reported that their mental health has been negatively impacted. This is particularly evident for front line workers, where one-third have reported elevated levels of mental distress. This panel will bring together professionals in multiple sectors—Kelli Dunlap (Kentlands Psychotherapy, Take This), Noah Falstein (The Inspiracy), and Brennan Spiegel (Cedars-Sinai Medical Center)—to delve deeper into how this rapidly evolving technology is being used to directly help mental health.
Kelli Dunlap, American University
Noah Falstein, The Inspiracy
Brennan Spiegel, Cedars-Sinai
Moderator: Susanna Pollack, Games for Change
1:45 p.m. – 2:15 p.m.
How Iron Galaxy Studios avoids crunch
One of Iron Galaxy’s Studios’ many core values is people – the strength of their team is the foundation of their success. They focus first and foremost on the well-being of their employees, making sure staff feel cared for and valued. Co-CEO’s Adam Boyes and Chelsea Blasko can share their leadership philosophies and how they continue to offer a healthy work/life balance.
Chelsea Blasko, Iron Galaxy
Adam Boyes, Iron Galaxy
Moderator: Eve Crevoshay, Take This
Above: GamesBeat Summit 2021’s roster has 105 speakers.
Image Credit: GamesBeat
2:15 p.m. – 2:45 p.m.
A game changing experience for everyone
This panel will discuss issues of digital civility and the challenges to getting through to the next level as games become even more mainstream. What challenges need to be addressed in order for the gaming industry to seize the exponential opportunity at hand?
Christian Kelly, Accenture
Laura Higgins, Roblox
Kimberly Voll, Fair Play Alliance
Moderator: Seth Schuler, Accenture
2:45 p.m. – 3:15 p.m.
How global publishers can differentiate themselves?
What are the challenges of global publishing? How do you use IP? How can you adapt to new platforms, app stores, business models, and regional markets?
Chris Hewish, Xsolla
Matt Casamassina, Rogue Games
Anthony Crouts, Tencent
Moderator: Lisa Cosmas Hanson, Niko Partners
3:15 p.m. – 3:35 p.m.
When is it time to launch a new IP?
Outfit7 has one of the biggest intellectual properties for games and entertainment with Talking Tom. It has created lots of apps and games based on it. It has endless runner games, virtual life simulations, videos, and others that tap into Tom’s personality. But the company also needs to create new IPs for the future. What’s the right time to do that and how?
Ante Odić, Senior VP of Product, at Outfit7
Shawn Layden, former head of Sony Worldwide Studios
Marty O’Donnell, Highwire Games
Moderator: Dean Takahashi, GamesBeat
3:35 p.m. – 3:55 p.m.
Above: GamesBeat Summit 2021 speakers.
Image Credit: GamesBeat
Brands x Creators: Collaborating to scale economic opportunity for everyone
Celebrity influencers have come out of the woodworks in the past decade, but not everybody can be the next Ninja. What can the industry do to create the next generation of streamers who can make a living at their trade? We’ll explore this in a panel on getting paid as a streamer.
Stu Grubbs, Lightstream
Natasha Zinda, ZombaeKillz
Moderator: Andrea Rene, What’s Good Game
3:55 p.m. – 4:25 p.m.
Brands and the metaverse
We’ve been stuck in the Zoomverse during the pandemic, and we can’t wait for an actual metaverse to arrive. Gaming will likely be the big draw for consumers. And if the consumers come, the brands will follow. We’ll ask some brands if they believe in the metaverse.
Ryan Mullins, Aglet
Ian Fitzpatrick, New Balance
Perry Nightingale, WPP
Moderator: Cathy Hackl
4:25 p.m. – 4:40 p.m.
Visionary Awards
Tammy McDonald
4:40 p.m. – 4:45 p.m.
Closing session
4:45 p.m. – 5:45 p.m.
Networking on Clubhouse
Hosts Jon Radoff and Dean Takahashi
GamesBeat
GamesBeat’s creed when covering the game industry is “where passion meets business.” What does this mean? We want to tell you how the news matters to you — not just as a decision-maker at a game studio, but also as a fan of games. Whether you read our articles, listen to our podcasts, or watch our videos, GamesBeat will help you learn about the industry and enjoy engaging with it. How will you do that? Membership includes access to:
- Newsletters, such as DeanBeat
- The wonderful, educational, and fun speakers at our events
- Networking opportunities
- Special members-only interviews, chats, and “open office” events with GamesBeat staff
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- And maybe even a fun prize or two
- Introductions to like-minded parties
Become a member
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