Keynote Speaker
John Zuur Platten
Egresser Entertainment
John has a twenty-year career in the entertainment business, writing for video games, films, television, digital media, and books. Starting as a tour guide at Universal Studios, John began working in production on shows such as The New Lassie, Matlock, and Harry and the Hendersons.
Session: The Art of Creativity
We are most comfortable creating content that is based on our own interests, desires, and aspirations. This session will touch on how creativity flows outward from our knowledge base (and life experience) and inward through observations and stimuli. In short, creativity is a process - not an act.
Keynote Speaker
Tyvic Stallworth
Sucker Punch
Tyvic is a Game Designer that specializes in player mechanics and combat systems, with a keen interest in making sure his designs are backed by intuitive game feel. He earned his way from a QA Analyst to an Associate Game Designer at Naughty Dog all within a year. Since then, he’s been on the Multiplayer team has gotten to display his skills in player mechanics and combat systems, several of which have become a core part of gameplay for games such as the Last of Us and Call of Duty: Warzone.
Session: Dream Killer: Not Knowing the Game Industry’s Expectations of You
Marcus Cenci
Lost Boys Interactive
Marcus is a game’s industry veteran of over 20 years. During that time he has worked for EA as an artist and director on games such as Saints Row: The Third, IV, and Gat Out of Hell, Agents of Mayhem, Madden NFL, and has recently earned credits as an art director for Lost Boys Interactive, leading art direction for Tiny Tina’s Wonderland..
Session: AMA with a Grizzled Veteran of Game Art
Want to know what it takes to make it? Want to know what it takes to stay there if you do? If you just want to know anything about game art, game dev, or life in the industry, this is the place to ask someone who's survived on the frontlines of game-making in a variety of roles for 20+ years. Come loaded with all your questions and curiosities, and let's have a chat.
George Ziets
Digimancy Entertainment
George Zeits has been a game designer and writer since 2001. He has spent most of his career making RPGs at Obsidian and InXile where his credits include Pillars of Eternity, Neverwinter Nights 2 and Fallout: New Vegas. In 2019 He co-founded a new studio, Digimancy Entertainment, where he is now CEO and Narrative Director.
Session: Narrative Design and Surviving Owning your Studio AMA
George will host an Ask Me Anything session focused on RPG design, narrative design, intricacies of crafting a new game, and the challenges of owning your own studio.
Nicholas Compton
Lost Boys Interactive
Nicholas Compton is a versatile professional with over 12+ years of experience in the game industry. He has stepped into leadership roles as a lead artist in companies like Camber Corporation, Rocket City Studios, and most recently, Lost Boys Interactive.
Session: Spoiler Alert: They’re All The Same
Join us for an insightful session that traces a dynamic career journey from college to indie game development through the realm of serious games and training while culminating in the dynamic AAA game industry. This journey isn't just about successes; it's a candid exploration of failures, lessons learned, and the unparalleled perspective gained from navigating three diverse sectors of the game industry
Zach Inks
South Carolina Govenor's School for the Arts and Humanities
Zach Inks earned his Masters of Fine Arts in Digital Productions form Clemson University and has taught higher education animation and drawing courses for nearly a decade. He regularly contributes as speaker at events like ECGC and SIEGE
Session: Digital Sculpting in Blender Workshop
Follow along in this workshop covering basics of digital sculpting, the interface within the Blender software, and create your own simple creature sculpt that is game-ready!
Thomas Winkley
Unity
Thomas is a Unity Certified Programmer and instructor, fighting game commentator, community organizer, and amateur pizza enthusiast. He supports Unity’s work in the academic and non-profit space. Check him out at https://www.thomaswinkley.com/
Session: The Industrial Shift around Real Time 3-D
Real-time 3D technology is so powerful that it affects more than gaming. This 1 hour session will discuss other applications of Unity in Automotive, Manufacturing and Robotics and highlight the tools available.
Tasha Penwell
Pretty Nerdy
Tasha is the founder of Pretty Nerdy Digital Marketing. She is also a Lens Studio educator, providing workshops on augmented reality through Snapchat filters, hoping to encourage young learners to get excited about computer science and the career opportunities that await.
Session: Create Custom Experiences with Custom Snapchat Filters
Follow along in this workshop that will quickly have you building your own augmented reality Snapchat filter through Lens Studio. Create custom filters, incorporate custom art, and publish with the world.
Sarit Somasa
East Tennessee State University
Sarit has been teaching 3D digital art for almost 20 years. He has three degrees in Art education, a BFA in Visual Design, and an MFA in Multimedia design. He currently teaches 3D modeling, design and prototype, and 3D animation and rigging at East Tennessee State University.
Session: 3D Facial Sculpting: Human Facial Construction Concept
Sarit delves in the complexities of 3D facial modeling and sculpting using Maya and Zbrush. The session covers key aspects of creating natural looking facial representations, mesh optimization in Maya 3D, UV Mapping techniques, and UDIM.
Leslie Fitzsimmons
FITGMR
Leslie has a 20-year career in business, including a 3-year span teaching Integrated Marketing and Communications and UNLV. It was there she became first involved with esports. Currently she is the CSO at FITGMR, Inc., a player performance development company born out of Cloud9
Session: FIT TO GAME
Leslie goes in depth to talk about the performance of the cognitive athlete. You will leave this session with an understanding of how your performance is affected by other elements in your life, and how to improve it.
Madison Warner
East Tennessee State University
Madison Warner is a graduate of East Tennessee State University currently working towards her Masters of Fine Arts in Digital Media. Madison is an award-winning graphic designer with experience as one of the creative visionaries at The High Road Agency, a full-scale marketing agency in Johnson City, Tennessee.
Session: Going Beyond Blue & Gold: Creating Diverse Marketing for Digital Media
Prospective applicants within a creative field have spoken that the first thing they want to feel when they walk into a program of their choice is a sense of belonging. This presentation presents a collection of student data, supported by peer reviewed journals from marketing professionals, to support a hypothesis that a unique design and sense of belonging to students is valued by those in a creative field.
Ben Orlin
Author, Math Games with Bad Drawings
Ben loves math and teaching - but he cannot draw. His two books, Math with Bad Drawings and Change is the Only Constant, has propelled him to speak at conferences all across the United States. Ben has taught every level of mathematics, from ages 12 to 18, with occasional spells teaching psychology, biology, English, and even earth science.
Sessions: Board Games and Bad Drawings, Math with Bad Drawings
Colin Rose
Objective Reality Studios
Colin is COO and co-founder of Objective Reality. Since 2019 he has have continued to innovate in the VR space. He also Started his VR/AR game design studio in 2020, with one project going to market in January, titled ‘The Deed of Deception’.
Session: Ethical Use of AI Tools and How to Protect Your Data from AI Scrubbing
Tim Rodabaugh
Ball Aerospace
Tim is a software engineer with 20+ years of experience working on various software systems for the department of defense and the military. Tim has spent the last 11 years working for the Air Force Research Laboratory in the Gaming Research Integration for Learning Laboratory or GRILL where Tim serves as the lead engineer. The mission of the GRILL is to leverage commercial off the shelf technologies game technology and apply it to the military domain.
Session: Using Video Game Technology for Military Modeling and Simulation
Video game technology has been advancing at a torrid pace. Spurred by players around the world, the video game market has grown steadily and rapidly. A rich ecosystem of game engines, content, ready-made assets, and immersive display technologies offer a compelling case that video game technology can and should be applied to military modeling and simulation.
Kip Ricker
Apple Arcade
Session: Platform Differences: Important Hardware Considerations
Computers, Phones, and Refrigerators. Games run an incredible range of devices these days. In this session we will discuss the major differences between the platforms your game runs on and how hardware impacts how your game performs.
Katie Hamill
Multivarious Games
Katie is an illustrator from Ohio, Lead Concept Artist for Multivarious and partnered Twitch streamer. She has four wonderful cats and a passion for creation.
Session: Creating and Promoting Digital Art
As an industry veteran, Katie explores the world of digital art creation and self promotion.
Chris Volpe
Multivarious Games
Chris Volpe is the co-founder of Multivarious Games, the leading game development company in Columbus, Ohio. The President and Co-Founder of the Central Ohio Game Developers Group, leading a dynamic team of dedicated individuals to create novel gaming experiences and further the game development industry within Ohio.
Session: Building a Business Panel
Chris is joined by George Zeits to talk about what it’s like owning your own game developer studio from a business perspective. Come prepared to ask questions on publishing, marketing, and developing from a leadership standpoint.
William Martin
Senior in Game Programming - Shawnee State University
William is a Game Programming and Simulation Senior at Shawnee State University. He is passionate about game development and design, especially as it applies to player experience.
Session: Game Design: Narrative and Player Motivation
In the realm of storytelling, the delicate balance between plot and character promise and their subsequent narrative fulfillment is at the heart of captivating and memorable narratives. This talk explores the intricate interplay between these essential elements and their profound impact on the reader or viewer's engagement and satisfaction.