Making a Career in Video Games: Navigating the Path from Passion to Profession

Explore the exciting world of video game careers, from game design and programming to art and production. This talk will guide you through the essential skills, educational paths, and industry insights needed to break into and thrive in the video game industry. Discover tips on building a standout portfolio, networking effectively, and staying current with industry trends to turn your passion for gaming into a rewarding profession.

September 19, 2024

7:00 am

8:00 am

PST

TRACKS:

Career Growth & Leadership

ALL SPEAKERS

Amit Gupta

Software Engineering Manager, Electronic Arts - EA Sports

Amit is a senior leader in the gaming industry and currently serves as the Software Engineering Manager for the team behind EA Sports' popular American football video games, Madden and College Football 25, overseeing tech operations and manages large software teams. In the past, Amit successfully established multiple self-sustaining game studios from scratch for Aristocrat Gaming in India, developing games for top-grossing free-to-play mobile social casinos like Big Fish Casino, Lightning Link Casino, Heart of Vegas and Cashman Casino, with millions of daily active users. Driven by excellence and innovation in gaming, Amit holds several game design patents. As a community builder, he is an active mentor and member of the International Game Developer Association (IGDA), IEEE, ADPList and Harvard Business School's Leadership & Management program.

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Who are you in design?

Let's talk about who you are in your career and where do you want to go, are you a people manager, are you an IC or are you a hustle til you drop consultant. We are going to talk about that journey of discovery in our careers and where we can set ourselves up for success.

Joe Cahill

Experience Design Manager, Unqork

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Career Growth & Leadership

Design Leadership Unplugged: Leading Teams, Shaping Futures

Top design leaders share insights on guiding creative teams, fostering innovation, and driving impactful change in the dynamic world of design leadership.

Kevin Hawkins

Director, Head of Design & Research, Amenitiz

Wolfgang Bremer

Design Executive, Fortune 500s & Global Startups

Carlsson Chee

VP/Digital Solutions UX Lead, Standard Chartered

Mario Van der Meulen

Design Innovation Consultant, mvdm designs

Megan Dell

Senior Director of UX, Vista

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Groundbreaking Work

Holistic Product Management: Thriving in Trust-Driven Ecosystems

Holistic product management emphasises a trust-driven, supportive team environment. Prioritising kindness and respect, managers empower teams to thrive by valuing input and offering schedule flexibility. This positive atmosphere boosts creativity, productivity, and job satisfaction, driving product success. Focusing on human connections and well-being ensures motivation and dedication, leading to better outcomes and sustained growth.

Alex Severino

Technical Product Manager, Kwalee

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Career Growth & Leadership

Finetuning a Career: Product Leadership in AI

What is unique about product leadership in AI and shipping AI-powered products? How is being a product leader different when you're shipping AI products? How do you train AI PMs? And how does AI research fit in the picture? This session will focus on these and other questions about product leadership in the domain of AI and automation products, with a specific focus on how to build and grow a career as an AI product leader.

Mirza Besirovic

Group Product Manager, AI Agents, Zendesk

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AI & Emerging Technologies