24 - 26 June, 2025
| Lisbon, Portugal
CONFERENCE DAY TWO
.
8:20 am - 9:00 am
Registration and Coffee
9:00 am - 9:10 am
OPENING REMARKS FROM EVENT CHAIR
9:10 am - 9:40 am
Presentation by Keyword Studios
9:40 am - 10:15 am
Presentation: From Layoffs to Rebound: Thriving in Gaming's Ups and Downs
Estelle Bailly -
Localization Director,
Hi-Rez Studios
Another day in our industry, another round of layoffs… Hey, gaming industry! What's wrong with you?!
While being laid off is not necessarily a bad thing for your future career, it is definitely one of the most emotionally draining and challenging experiences.
In this presentation, I will talk about the consequences of layoffs, the survivor's guilt, the risk of burnout, the necessity of taking care of yourself, the imposter feelings that arise during a job search and finally I will share with you some rebounding strategies!
Come & join me on this journey feat. drama, but also hope because there is always a light at the end of the tunnel.
10:15 am - 10:50 am
Presentation Discussion: Standardizing Automated Testing - A Cross-Industry Perspective
Hear from quality leaders from across the gaming industry as we discuss the need for automated testing standards in game development. We will touch on the benefits such as improved time to market, controlled development costs, improved coverage and elevated game quality, as well as some strategies for implementation, potential challenges and success stories from these industry veterans. We will also discuss the advantages to career game testers, addressing issues such as working conditions, wages and long-term career prospects offered by pursuing a more technical career path. Finally, we will discuss the way forward and how we can achieve these benefits for the betterment of the industry.
Hosted by GameDriver
10:50 am - 11:20 am
NETWORKING COFFEE BREAK
Streams
QA
11:20 am - 11:50 am Presentation: How to Initiate Tough Conversations and Still be Loved by Your ManagersAs QA leads and professionals, we know that getting across our value and having those tough conversations with other leaders can be hard to initiate. That said, it is so important for us to feel comfortable speaking up and in making moves to change the culture around QA. In this session, we will explore what we can do beyond metrics and KPIs to present our case, to show our passion for our work and to make that change in the workplace – with each of us having small wins, there will be even bigger wins for the industry.
QA
11:50 am - 12:15 pm QA NETWORKING GAMEQA
12:15 pm - 12:45 pm Panel: Are We “Just” QA? How Can We Establish and Improve the Feedback Loop Between QA And ProductionThis panel aims to discuss the value QA teams have outside of finding and reporting bugs. With QA being one of the few teams which see the game as a nearly completed product, we have the opportunity to provide valuable feedback on hard to measure aspects of the game, such as fun, immersion, potential appeal to old and new players, etc. The session will cover the following points:
- Discussing the value QA can provide to the developers via specific and in-depth feedback about the game
- Sharing experience on providing such feedback to Production and how it was received/actioned upon
- Debating best practices and processes in establishing a proper feedback loop
- Discussing the most successful examples of proper feedback given to production by different QA teams
QA
12:45 pm - 1:15 pm Case Study Presentation: Addressing a Rocky LaunchThis case study presentation will explain the story of the studio that had a rocky launch. When balancing quality and quantity of testing – sometimes the balance is thrown off, and the launch isn’t as expected. Join this presentation to learn about the lessons learned and what could have been done differently - and what was done to bring them back on track.
Localisation
11:20 am - 11:50 am Case Study: AI Experiments and Challenges in 2024 for Localization Denis Ivanov - Head of Localization, Belka GamesThis presentation delves into the fusion of AI with localization, charting the journey from initial exploration to current advanced applications. We'll explore the specific challenges and effective solutions encountered in applying OpenAI to localization tasks, offering a balanced view of the benefits, challenges and strategies for overcoming obstacles. The goal is to illuminate the practical use of AI in localization, blending technical detail with strategic insight.
Localisation
11:50 am - 12:15 pm LOC NETWORKING GAMELocalisation
12:15 pm - 12:45 pm Panel: The Business Case for Loc Maja Kosioł - Senior LQA Manager, Ten Square GamesOur panellists are going to come together to provide insights on presenting a rock-solid business case for localization. Our panellists come from different studios that value Localization in different ways, so this is an opportunity to hear from those that are still struggling, as well as those who have been able to put this message forward effectively.
Localisation
12:45 pm - 1:15 pm Presentation: Breaking Into a New Market with Marketing LocalizationWhat is the use of localizing our games if we can’t market to this community? Some of us will work with marketing loc, and some won’t – but understanding how our markets perceive and are attracted to our games can help us in the long run be more effective with our localisation. This presentation will give some examples of markets that we have broken into and their marketing styles.
Community and Support
11:20 am - 11:50 am Presentation: Player Support & VIP Management as a Revenue Generator Nicoletta Mura - Operations Director, 5CADavid Bos - CTO, 5CA
Community and Support
11:50 am - 12:15 pm COMMUNITY AND SUPPORT NETWORKING GAMECommunity and Support
12:15 pm - 12:45 pm Presentation: Fostering a Safer Community and Employee SpaceA safe space for our community is one of the most important priorities for a community or a support professional. Not only is this important for the sake of our community, but we also have to take into account how this can lead to a positive and safe environment for ourselves. It can be challenging to stick to this with a lot of toxicity and harassment in online spaces, and so our panellists will discuss strategies on how we can turn this around and promote inclusivity and respect for the protection of ourselves and our community.
Community and Support
12:45 pm - 1:15 pm Panel: Balancing Data and Sentiment When Presenting a Value CaseStrong value cases can be the best way to keep us feeling confident in what we do and aligning us with our company, and this session will give a story of how one company has presented their case, and grown the community and support functions, even in an Indie company. The presentation will focus on:
- Constructing a robust case for community always at the forefront
- Using your community to help present this value for you
- Fostering the correct culture through top-level integration
- Navigating budgetary constraints throughout
1:15 pm - 2:15 pm
NETWORKING LUNCH
INTERACTIVE GAME DISCUSSION GROUPS
2:15 pm - 3:45 pm
IDG A: Retaining Talent in an Age of AI
Fahim Mostafa -
QA Manager,
Creative Assembly
2:15 pm - 3:45 pm
IDG D: Discussion of Maintaining Quality While Cutting Costs
Fahim Mostafa -
QA Manager,
Creative Assembly
2:15 pm - 3:45 pm
IDG G: Does Remote Working Work in QA?
Fahim Mostafa -
QA Manager,
Creative Assembly
2:15 pm - 3:45 pm
IDG B: Outsourcing vs In-House Localization
2:15 pm - 3:45 pm
IDG E: Legal and Ethical Challenges in Localization
2:15 pm - 3:45 pm
IDG H: Experimenting with AI in Localization
2:15 pm - 3:45 pm
IDG C: Maintaining and Motivating a Long-Standing Community
Wouter Van Vugt -
EMEA Communications &Community Engagement Senior Director,
Bandai Namco Europe
Wouter Van Vugt
EMEA Communications &Community Engagement Senior DirectorBandai Namco Europe
2:15 pm - 3:45 pm
IDG F: Empowering our Influencers – Benefits and Drawbacks of Mutually Beneficial Agreements
2:15 pm - 3:45 pm
IDG I: What Technology Can Help Improve Safety in Online Spaces
3:15 pm - 3:35 pm
NEWORKING COFFEE BREAK
- Ask our panel of senior speakers ANYTHING … to do with gaming
3:35 pm - 4:10 pm
Panel Discussion: Mental Health in the Gaming Industry – Fostering a Positive Environment
Mental Health in our industry is a topic that everyone knows the importance of but is sometimes hard to initiate the discussion. In this panel, we want to initiate this conversation to allow a space to understand the common feelings and difficulties that we face. We also want to foster a positive space to allow growth and share strategies to uplift ourselves and each other. Join us to hear about:
- Personal journeys within the industry, navigating challenges and triumphs, and discovering how individuals overcame difficulties
- Actionable steps, both on an individual and organizational level, to proactively prevent the development of negative communities
- Opportunities for positive transformation within the industry, showcasing initiatives that are already driving meaningful change
4:10 pm - 4:40 pm
Panel Discussion: A Sit Down with the Advisory Board – What does 2024/25 Hold?
Adrian Maroiu -
Automation Architect,
EA
Lauren Wade - Head of Player Communications, Kolibri Games
Teddy Bengtsson - Founder, RoundTable Studio
Bakyt Aidaralieva - Former Head of Player Experience & Product Manager, Rovio
As the event draws to a close, we will bring together our Advisory Board to discuss what we have seen over the past few days and look ahead to what the rest of 2024 and 2025 hold. As we all know and have seen, the gaming industry is one that does not stop, just like us and so always keeping an eye on what’s to come is as important as ever. Our panellists will comment on topics in all verticals, how AI and technology might evolve in the industry, how we can foster a positive experience and community and the importance and value in all our roles for the future of gaming.
