Twitch, Crytek and Amazon confirmed as first speakers for Develop Conference 2014

Nine of the biggest brands in the games industry have signed-up to speak at this year’s Develop Conference in Brighton.

Leading the new speakers is Twitch, as regional director EMEA Stuart Saw will explore the live streaming phenomenon and how developers can maximise the potential of their games on the platform.

Nickelodeon’s John Conlon will lead a discussion on the importance of utilising the second screen, how they’re used at different ages and development stages and what it could mean for broadcasters and app developers.

Meanwhile, Boss Alien’s Jason Avant will host a talk on how marketing is no longer something that happens outside of game development, but how gameplay itself has become a marketing tool to be taken seriously throughout the development process.

Elsewhere and other announced speaker will chair discussions on the hot topics of the development industry, including the rise of virtual reality, funding, new publishing methods and the psychology behind player interaction.

Also new for this year’s Develop Conference is a marketing track, free indie Boot Camp session and the inaugural Develop Game Jam.

"Games development is going through an exciting era of innovation and creativity,” said Andy Lane, managing director of Develop in Brighton organiser Tandem Events.

From producing exciting and compelling content for new technology such as VR or next gen consoles to the increasing importance the role of the indie developer plays on the industry, there’s a lot to get excited about in 2014.”

"As always, Develop in Brighton will provide top class content designed to help developers from all spectrums of the industry. And being in Brighton also makes it a fantastic place for networking and sharing experiences with fellow developers which is always invaluable."

This year’s Develop Conference in Brighton takes place from July 8th to 10th at the Hilton Metropole. It kicks off with the Evolve Conference on July 8th and continues with the Develop Conference, Expo, Indie Showcase, Indie Dev Day, Boot Camp and Audio track throughout July 9th and 10th.

A full list of the confirmed sessions and speakers for the Develop Conference 2014 can be found below.

EVOLVE

What Second Screens Really Mean

John Conlon, Nickelodeon

Creating ‘Sherlock: The Network’

David Varela, Freelance/The Project Factory

Designing for Virtual Reality

Patrick O’Luanaigh, nDreams

ART

Super Sleep Fighter II : Hyper Edition

Gavin Strange, Aardman Studios

The You: Designing Tearaway around the Player

Rex Crowle, Media Molecule

AUDIO

Total Immersion: Music and Sound in The Chinese Room

Jessica Curry & Dan Pinchbeck, The Chinese Room

Panel: AAA Audio Attitude for Tablet and Mobile

Chair: John Broomhall

BUSINESS

Indie Spirit, Under Control

Roberta Lucca, Bossa & Siobhan Reddy, Media Molecule

Three Years an Indie – An Adventure from Boxes to Clouds

Nick Baynes

23 Simple Steps for Publishing on PlayStation

Rob Clarke, Curve Digital

CODING

Game AI vs Real AI

Richard Evans, Versu

Lessons Learnt from Making a Hit Mobile Game with Unity 3D

David Jefferies, PaperSeven

Coding a Maya Production Pipeline with MetaData

Mark Jackson, Crytek

DESIGN

Why User Experience Design is a Must for Games?

Ella Romanos

Practical Advice for Turning a Promising Idea into an Award Winning Game

Kirsty Rigden, FuturLab Limited

Connected Audience: Practical Lessons on Twitch & Sharing

Claire Blackshaw, Climax Studios

INDIE

Failing and Learning to be an Indie

Mike Bithell, Independent Developer

Tango Fiesta: From Indie Dream To Published on Steam

Andrew Smith, Spilt Milk Studios

How Publishers Help Indie Devs Tackle the Freemium Conundrum

Ed Rumley, Chillingo

Indie Bootcamp

Why Being Indie Means Business

Simon Bennett, Roll7

Blast Off: How to Get a Game Startup Off the Ground

Russ Clarke, West London Games

How to Build a One Man Band

Nicoll Hunt, I Fight Bears

MARKETING

Being Mike Bithell – The Best Way to Develop Your PR Alongside Your Game

Simon Byron, Premier

How to Maximise a Games Streaming Potential

Stuart Saw, Twitch

The Business of Designing Games

Jason Avent, Boss Alien

Production

Player Driven Development – 10 Ways to Leverage Your Community to Give Them a Better Game

Phil Mansell, Jagex Game Studios

Managing the Creative Process for a AAA Production

Sebastien Ebacher, Ubisoft Montreal

Remote Work the Indie Way

Eduardo Jimenez, Eclipse Games