AI/ML + Games Summit
Alberta is home to some of the foremost AI research institutions on the planet: the University of Alberta, and Amii, Canada's top centre of AI excellence. Ranked third in the world for AI, and second in the world for games + AI publications, the University of Alberta's experts in AI and games will provide you with unprecedented insight into the future of game development through AI and ML, while fellows from the world-renowned Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute will guide cutting-edge AI workshops for you to join.
Indie Realities
We elevate lesser known indie developers who are innovating in ways that really push the industry forward. Indie developers who not only push the envelope in terms of game design, but also with their teams and their communities. What does it mean to be an indie, and how do we make the indie experience sustainable? How do we build solidarity amongst indies in order to build a strong indie ecosystem?
Community-Building & Networking
We're on a mission to connect our local developers to the global game development community. Alberta talent has a lot to offer the world, and Alberta has a lot to learn from the rest of the world. Let's cross-pollinate our indie and AAA developers to build a deeper, richer foundation of connectedness within and outside our region. Community is a key element to games industry sustainability, so join your fellow game devs in our networking sessions to build solidarity.
Building a Better Games Industry Summit
Equity, diversity, and inclusion is an area of growth for the games industry. Let's move the conversation beyond representation, and more into the brass tacks of integrating EDI directly into your products, your teams, your policies and practices, and your studio culture. What constitutes authentic representation? How do we achieve belonging with uniqueness in our studios? It's time to dive deep and get broad with activating EDI in the games industry. Hear from a broad spectrum of skilled practitioners doing EDI work.
Indigeneity & Diaspora in Games Summit
Our newest summit, the Indigeneity and Diaspora in Games Summit (IDiG) will explore the challenges and triumphs of the diverse people working within the games industry. The IDiG Summit has been co-created with a committee dedicated to representing unique perspectives from across the globe and will welcome speakers from the Netherlands, Australia, Treaty 6 Territory, and more.
Schedule
This schedule is subject to change
Wednesday,
July 17, 2024
9:00 AM
Breakfast, Networking, & Registration (CAT Atrium)
Food Pass Holders Receive Breakfast; All are Welcome to Network
Light breakfast is available. Tea & Coffee will be available all day.
10:00 AM
Greetings & Welcome (DOW Theatre)
Land Acknowledgement
Dorian Rowe, Interim CEO & Film Commissioner, Edmonton Screen Industries Office
Madison Côté, Executive Director of Interactive Arts Alberta
Join us for the GDX 2024 conference kick-off with remarks from the Edmonton Screen Industries Office.
10:30 AM
Keynote: Creative Vision vs. Game Production: The Beating Hearts of Successful Game Development (DOW Theatre)
Rami Ismail, Rami Ismail
Track: Indie Summit, Building a Better Games Industry, Indigeneity and Diaspora in Games Summit
Audience: All
Rami Ismail can give 100 talks about how to pitch your game, but that won't help if you don't have a strong Creative Vision. What is Creative Vision, what is it not, how does it fit into your games' development, and what do you need to do to build a successful game production around your Vision? These are the points we are going to discover.
12:00 PM
Lunch (Drift Food Truck)
Food Pass Holders Receive Lunch; All are Welcome to Network
For those with a food pass, lunch will be available at this time. If you have not preordered food then you can proceed to the Drift Food Truck to make your order.
1:15 PM
Talk: First Indie Release with Critical Acclaim: 1000xRESIST Retrospective (CAT 106)
Remy Siu 蕭逸南, sunset.visitor 斜陽過客
Natalie Tin Yin Gan 顏婷妍, sunset.visitor 斜陽過客
Track: Indigeneity and Diaspora in Games Summit, Indie Summit
Audience: Indies
1000xRESIST is a newly released indie game on Steam with Overwhelmingly Positive reviews, and quickly rising sales. As the first game by indie studio, sunset visitor 斜陽過客, 1000xRESIST a narrative-driven game sci-fi game with deep and complex storytelling. As a group of majority Asian-Canadian artists, 1000xRESIST represents the kinds of interesting, quality stories that diverse teams are capable of.
1:15 PM
Panel: Fight the Power! Decolonizing Games (DOW Theatre)
Shirley McPhaul, Game Development Scholar
Aretha Greatrix, Ready Up Productions
David Parkin, Luggarrah
Kadeem Dunn, Diaspora Games
Derek Kwan, moderator
Track: Indigeneity and Diaspora in Games Summit, Indie Summit, Building a Better Games Industry
Audience: All
What are the ways in which colonialism has affected the development of games? While it's probably not a question you will hear from conventional games discourse, it is useful to examine the medium from different and critical lenses. From labour practices to narrative development, the legacy of colonialism is writ large across the games industry. In this panel, we talk about the ways to counter colonialism, invoke anti-oppression, and create communities that are resilient to the pernicious yoke of colonialism.
1:15 PM
Workshop: Introduction to ML Explorations (CAT 140) 1.5 Hours
Mitchell McCaig, Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute (amii)
Track: AI + ML
Audience: All
Although AI and ML in game development is still a nascent field, did you know that Alberta is a world leader in AI/ML research? If you are curious about implementing AI/ML into your game, this workshop can help you better navigate the field to understand some potential use-cases. ML Exploration is a 90 min non-technical workshop where Amii takes participants through the basics of: ● What Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning is ● What Machine Learning can and cannot do ● Principles of Responsible AI ● Business use cases of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning within Startups Anyone from a startup who would like to learn a bit about AI and Machine Learning. This is a good first step into exploring how artificial intelligence and machine learning can impact their business in a non-technical way. There is no math or coding involved or knowledge needed.
1:30 PM
Panel: Exploring the Talent Pipeline: Questions for the Next Generation of Game Developers (CAT 102)
Gabrielle "Gabby" Tian, University of Alberta Games Den
Alex Twin, NAIT Game Creators Space
Jawdat Toume, University of Alberta Games Den
Alvina Mardhani-Bayne, moderator
Track: Building a Better Games Industry
Audience: All
The next generation of game developers will be the ones who shape the ways in which the games industry changes over the coming years. Whether the industry itself transforms, the medium evolves, or the people who make games change...our newest game developers have important perspectives. In this panel, we strive to create generational equity; we are flipping the script to listen to the next generation of game devs who will provide their perspectives and expectations for the change they want to see in the games industry.
1:45 PM
Panel: Team Leadership (CAT 110)
Aryon Billings, Unknown Worlds, WIGJ Ambassador
Jon Renish, Half Mermaid
Chris Entwistle, Games Industry Veteran
Imtisam Kamaldin-Suleiman, moderator
Track: Indie
Audience: All
They say that "team work makes the dream work." But how do you encourage, inspire, and empower teams to be high performance? On this panel, listen to industry veterans talk about the ways in which they help their teams succeed in ways that promote empathy, kindness, and personal/professional growth.
2:30 PM
Panel: Retro Revival: Modern Games with a Retro Feel (DOW Theatre)
daffodil jenx, daffodil & friends
Jackson Hansen, Jackson Hansen
Logan Gilmour, ThirtyThree Games
Dave Goel, moderating
Track: Indie
Audience: All
While games have undergone multiple and significant transformations in the last 50 years, there's still a niche for classic games that mimic the 8-bit and 16-bit games of the '90s. In particular, it seems that indies have embraced making modern games with a retro feel. What are the implications of making games with a retro feel from the perspectives of business, community-building, production, and creativity? Is this a good niche for indies to be in? Find out what game developers who make make modern retro games have to say about their craft.
2:30 PM
Panel: Out of Tokens: Celebrating BIPOC Game Developers (CAT 106)
Carina Kom, Simply Sweet Games
Remy Siu 蕭逸南, sunset.visitor 斜陽過客
Osama Dorias, Brass Lion Entertainment
Kadeem Dunn, Diaspora Games
David Parkin, moderator
Track: Indigeneity and Diaspora in Games Summit
Audience: All
Although the games industry is still woefully lacking in diversity, BIPOC game developers are still making incredible video games and changing the industry for the better. In this panel, we talk about how BIPOC game developers are creating positive change in the industry by centering unique stories, taking on leadership roles, and building innovative experiences for increasingly diverse audiences.
3:00 PM
Panel: Women in Games: State of the Industry (CAT 102)
Aryon Billings, Unknown Worlds, WIGJ Ambassador
Seyi (Shay) Babatunde, Studio Monsoon
Julie Liaw, Respawn Entertainment
Charlotte Hamilton, Only By Midnight, Rainbow Unicorn Games
Madison Côté, moderator
Track: Building a Better Games Industry
Audience: All
In 2024, the games industry isn't at its healthiest state. What does this mean for women in the games industry? While systemic barriers have already existed for women in games, how might the current state of the industry affect current and future opportunities for women and people who identify as women? This panel delves into how the games industry is evolving for women in a challenging time.
4:00 PM
Panel: Beyond the Binary: Diverse Founders Influencing the Future of Game Development (CAT 140)
Carina Kom, Simply Sweet Games
daffodil jenx, daffodil & friends
Adam Warkentin, Room 322 Games
Alison Czarnietzki, Only By Midnight
Rosalina Hernandez, moderator
Track: Building a Better Games Industry
Audience: All
In an industry that prides itself in building experiences that provide players with different roleplaying opportunities for different identities, there is little discourse about the ways in which non-binary game developers can use games as a medium for diverse storytelling. What conditions might be necessary to encourage the development of more diverse games and game developers? In what ways do our intersectionalities influence the ways in which we run our studios or participate in the games industry?
4:00 PM
Panel: Overcoming Systemic Barriers in Games (and Cultural) Industries (DOW Theatre)
Shawn Tse 謝兆龍, Artist and Chinatown Advocate
David Parkin, Lugggarrah
Jinting Zhao, SHE-Q Audio
Derek Kwan, moderator
Track: Indigeneity and Diaspora in Games, Building a Better Games Industry
Audience: All
What reason is BIPOC and diverse gender representation still problematic in the games industry and other cultural industries? What are the barriers that prevent diversity within the games industry, and how can marginalized, underrepresented, and underestimated populations find ways to overcome these systemic challenges?
4:00 PM
Panel: Working with a Publisher (CAT 106)
Remy Siu 蕭逸南, sunset.visitor 斜陽過客
Ben Gelinas, Copychaser Games
Erisa Liu, Bluecurse Studios
Jordan Gonzalez, Bluecurse Studios
Logan Gilmour, moderator
Track: Indie Summit
Audience: All
Publishers can solve a lot of game development problems for indies who have gaps in their development and business pipelines. What are the upsides and downsides to working with a publisher? And if you do happen to find yourself working with a publisher, what should we look for in order to ensure long-term sustainability and positive experiences?
5:00 PM
Indie Town Hall (DOW Theatre)
Free Attendance for Registered Indies
Track: Indie Summit
Audience: Indies
Come join your fellow indies at the Indie Town Hall to discuss issues related to long-term sustainability, network-building, and growth amongst the indie community. This year's topics are going to dive more deeply into IAA's vision for the Walkthrough Collaborative Centre, and additional work to create opportunities for mutual reciprocity and aid.
Thursday,
July 18, 2024
9:00 AM
Breakfast, Networking, & Registration (CAT Atrium)
Food Pass Holders Receive Breakfast; All are Welcome to Network
Light breakfast is available. Tea & Coffee will be available all day.
10:00 AM
Q&A with Rami Ismail (DOW Theatre)
Rami Ismail, Rami Ismail
Osama Dorias, moderator
Track: All
Audience: All
Rami Ismail and Osama Dorias, two-thirds of The Habibis, will have an in-depth discussion about their experiences in game development, followed by an audience Q&A session.
11:00 AM
Panel: Community Management with a Diversity Mindset (CAT 102)
Charlotte Hamilton, Only By Midnight, Rainbow Unicorn Games
Aretha Greatrix, Ready Up Productions
Shauna Chambers, Freelance Community Manager
Darrin Nason, Eden Industries
Haley Skjersven, moderator
Track: Indie Summit
Audience: All
Community management isn't just about marketing and communications; it requires making genuine and authentic connections with fans. In this panel, we talk to multiple community managers about ways in which to make genuine connections with a broad audience in order to create a sustainable and committed community.
11:00 AM
Q&A: How We Acquired 100K Steam Wishlists with Bluecurse Studios (CAT 110)
Erisa Liu, Bluecurse Studios
Jordan Gonzalez, Bluecurse Studios
Jawdat Toume, moderator
Track: Indie
Audience: All
SNACKO, released last year in 2023 into early access has achieved an unheard of 100K Steam wishlists. If you're interested in knowing how Bluecurse, the team behind SNACKO, achieved this feat...come to this Q&A session!
11:00 AM
Talk: Exploring wâhkôhtowin: The Making of an Indigenous Board Game (CAT 106)
Sameer (Sam) Singh, Edmonton Shift Lab
Shauntee Fryingpan, Indigenous Knowledge & Wisdom Centre
Roberta Taylor, Roberta Taylor
Track: Indigeneity and Diaspora in Games Summit, Indie Summit
Audience: All
Exploring wâhkôhtowin is a game that is rooted in the Indigenous experience, and one that has been built by a diverse team of interdisciplinary creators. In this talk, designers from the team will discuss considerations on how to create an authentic and non-exploitative board game, and the process involved in making a fun and educational experience that is both respectful and valuable.
12:00 PM
Lunch (Dedo's Food Truck)
Food Pass Holders Receive Lunch; All are Welcome to Network
For those with a food pass, lunch will be available at this time. If you have not preordered food then you can proceed to the Dedo's Food Truck to make your order.
1:15 PM
Panel: Veteran Tales: Staying Grounded in the Games Industry (CAT 106)
Osama Dorias, Brass Lion Entertainment
Chris Entwistle, Veteran Game Developer
Imtisam Kamaldin-Suleiman, moderator
Track: Building a Better Games Industry Summit
Audience: All
The games industry can sometimes be a difficult environment to work within. In this panel, we talk with industry veterans who will share the ways in which they have managed to stay positive amidst challenging circumstances, with the goal of cultivating long and fulfilling careers.
1:15 PM
Panel: Studio Journeys: Challenges Faced at Different Stages of Growth (DOW Theatre)
Carina Kom, Simply Sweet Games
Jon Renish, Half Mermaid
Trent Oster, Beamdog
Rosalinda Hernandez, moderator
Track: Indie
Audience: All
From the startup to the AAA mega-studio and everything in-between, this panel considers the challenges that studios find themselves up against. In what ways are these challenges different or exacerbated by studio size? Which problems are solved or introduced when studios hit a certain size? All of your questions about scaling studios can be answered in this panel.
1:30 PM
Panel: AI/ML in Game Dev - Opportunities & Future Trends (CAT 140)
James Dang, Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute (amii)
Jawdat Toume, UAlberta Master's Student
Michael Ward, Artist
Corey Polo, moderator
Track: AI + ML
Audience: All
Artificial intelligence and machine learning aren't just buzzwords: they're important technologies that are being considered and experimented with at all levels of game development. In what ways can AI/ML be leveraged in a positive and ethical way in order to augment the game development process? What trends out there are BS, and what's a genuine pathway to explore for building better games and more sustainable businesses?
1:45 PM
Panel: Beyond Representation: Elevating the Portrayals of Diverse Characters in Games (CAT 110)
Shirley McPhaul, Game Dev Scholar
David Parkin, Luggarrah
Natalie Tin Yin Gan 顏婷妍, sunset.visitor 斜陽過客
Kadeem Dunn, Diaspora Games
Derek Kwan, moderator
Track: Indigeneity and Diaspora in Games
Audience: All
While portrayals of diverse characters in games are making positive strides from a quantitative perspective, representation is only the first step. Often, the full gamut of complex BIPOC representation is ignored for tropey characters, tokenization, or inauthentic quotas. What effect do these portrayals have on BIPOC communities? On the players who are exposed to limited and potentially problematic portrayals? Furthermore, what does a lack of this full gamut of representation in games tell us about popular culture and media's portrayal of BIPOC individuals? This panel explores how we might move beyond mere representation, into a new era of portrayals that reflect truly diverse perspectives.
2:00 PM
Panel: Designing for Multiplayer Experiences (CAT 102)
Adam Warkentin, Room 322 Games
Jace Boechler, Schadenfreude Studio
Julie Liaw, Respawn Entertainment
Aryon Billings, Unknown Worlds
Madison Côté, moderator
Track: Indie
Audience: All
While designing singleplayer experiences holds unique challenges, the crafting of a compelling multiplayer experience opens a whole new can of worms. At a basic level, interacting with other players introduces new design considerations to be mindful of, but how do you control for the chaos of peer-to-peer interactions? In this panel, multiplayer game developers share their best practices for creating multiplayer experiences that delight and dismay their players.
2:45 PM
Q&A: Solidarity in Game Development: Organizing for a Better Future (CAT 106)
James Russwurm, Keyword Organizer
Chris O'Halloran, UFCW 401
Alvina Mardhani-Bayne, moderator
Track: Building a Better Games Industry
Audience: All
With the industry layoffs of 2023-2024, many game developers have lost their livelihoods and are struggling to find work. During this Q&A, we talk with members of UFCW Local 401, who--under Keywords Studios--became the first group of game development workers to unionize in Canada. What conditions are necessary to ensure better working conditions, labour power, and an end to worker exploitation? What can you do to support these kinds of organizing efforts?
3:00 PM
Talk: Technical Foundation (CAT 140)
Jon Renish, Half Mermaid
Track: Indie
Audience: All
The care and feeding of your tools and technology to provide the best support for the development team.
3:00 PM
Panel: Critiquing Orientalism in Games: Perspectives from the Middle East and Asia (DOW Theatre)
Rami Ismail, Rami Ismail
Osama Dorias, Brass Lion Entertainment
Yalmaz Abdullah, Indie Developer
Jawdat Toume, moderator
Track: Indigeneity and Diaspora in Games
Audience: All
Middle Eastern and Asian representations of characters in games are no stranger to the concept of "the Other." How is the exoticism of the Middle East and Asia used to sell games and manipulate players perceptions? How do BIPOC game developers think of these representations, and how does the industry continue to contend with these problematic portrayals?
3:30 PM
Talk: Street Uni X Retrospective - A Solo Dev's Journey (CAT 102)
daffodil jenx, daffodil & friends
Track: Indie
Audience: All
Just-released Street Uni X is a one-of-a-kind retro unicycle game with lovingly rendered PS1-era graphics and unbelievably accurate arcade mechanics that reflect real unicycle tricks. Amazingly, Street Uni X has primarily been the creation of daffodil, a solo dev lovingly supported by an incredible community of friends and supporters. In this talk, daffodil talks about their journey to create Street Uni X from concept to completion, and how the journey was made possible by genuine lived experiences and a tight-knit game development community.
3:30 PM
Panel: Audio for Indie Games (CAT 110)
Delena Martens, Lucid Rain Studio
Leiss Hoffman, Freelance Musician
Ben Hung, Indie Developer
Dave Goel, moderator
Track: Indie
Audience: All
Building a compelling soundscape is a crucial ingredient for a high quality indie game. Whether it's music composition or sound design, we ask these talented panelists about the their key considerations for making indie audio that is compelling yet inexpensive.
4:30 PM
Closing (DOW Theatre)
The Honourable Nate Glubish, Minister of Technology and Innovation
Madison Côté, Interactive Arts Alberta
Audience: All
Thank you for coming to GDX 2024! We hope to see you again next year. We will close off with some hints about what is to come from Interactive Arts Alberta.
Speakers
Come join the best and brightest of the games industry at GDX 2024. From experts who are dedicated to making the industry a better place, to world-class AI and Machine Learning scientists, and local indie community activators.
GDX 2024 has something for everyone.
Stay tuned as more speakers are announced.
Special Networking Event
Conference attendees are invited to join us from 7-9 PM at KDays on Friday, July 19, 2024 for a private networking event in Hall F in the heart of the GDX exhibition. Conference passes will be required for entry into KDays and the event.
Logistics
Flights
The Edmonton International Airport (YEG) is the closest airport to the event.
Conference
Address
11763 106 Street NW
Edmonton, Alberta
T5G 2R1
Conference
Hours
Wed, July 17
9:00 am – 7:00 pm
Thurs, July 18
9:00 am – 5:00 pm