GameHorizon

The GameHorizon Conference is focused on the business and future of the games industry. Over the course of two days, we will explore, in detail, the opportunities and challenges facing the games industry. The key sessions for 2008 include:

Session one: The business of games - part one
In the first of two sessions on the changing business of games, we will look at how online gaming companies are changing the market, how innovation in commercial models is creating new games genres and services, and what happens when games studios change focus from creating content to managing consumers. Several leaders in online gaming, including Geoff Iddison from Jagex, will open a window on this rapidly maturing market, discuss how to make money online, and debate whether online really is changing everything.

Session two: 'The long tail'
This session will look at how games companies are extending the games lifecycle for a richer game play experience and for a better commercial model with a focus on communities, online, UGC and MMO's.

Session three: Creating a phenomenon
Phenomenal games and pioneering technologies. This session will feature companies and studios that are pushing the boundaries of game development and creating true next gen titles.

Session four: Media Melt
Does the games industry really need to learn a lesson from TV, music and film or are games leading the way? Computer games can transcend all other media in an engaging and immersive environment and are constantly pushing boundaries in technology and interactivity. This session will investigate those unique ‘touch points’ where TV, music, film, internet and advertising converge with games and discover the future of entertainment.

Session five: The Games Up?
Protecting the Future of the UK Video Games Industry is a campaign recently
launched by a collaboration between the UK's leading trade bodies, ELSPA and TIGA and a number of other video gaming companies.

The Games Up? Group believes that the industry needs to galvanise and challenge these perceptions and is actively lobbying government and the media to safe guard the future of the industry in the UK. In this session the panel will discuss why the industry finds itself facing these challenges and what it can and should do to address it.

Session six: The business of games - part two
In the second of our sessions on the changing business of games, we will focus on how the changing landscape of game development is impacting UK games studios. One school of thought says that ‘traditional' games have no more room for growth, that saturation point has been reached, and that the future is mass-market and it's online. Is that true? Panellists from a range of experienced studios will debate how studios can retain competitive advantage, adapt their business models, manage the creative process and deal with next gen production.

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