Industry names gather for Gateshead conference

Jun 10 2010 by John Hill, The Journal

THE rapid growth of free-to-play gaming is likely to be a big talking point at this year's GameHorizon conference in Gateshead.

Leading players in the games market will gather at The Sage Gateshead for the third time on June 29 and 30 for a programme that features networking and presentations from well-known industry figures.

This year’s conference, again organised by regional business network Codeworks GameHorizon, will see Microsoft Game Studios Europe creative director Peter Molyneux take to the pulpit, while Eidos life president Ian Livingstone will again assume hosting duties.

The GameHorizon conference is expected to attract 350 visitors this year, including representatives from companies such as XBox, Sony and Epic Games.

Since its first appearance on the riverside in 2008, the GameHorizon conference has attracted publishers, developers, hardware companies and professional service firms looking to identify and discuss trends in the industry. This year’s trend looks to be the opportunities involved in the free-to-play and multiplayer online games market.

Iceland-based game developer CCP will be the main sponsor at the event. The creator of popular multiplayer game Eve is developing a console-based multiplayer game called Dust 514, and its senior director of business development Yohei Ishii will be discussing how new business models and evolving gameplay will change the console market.

The conference also features a presentation by Mind Candy CEO Michael Acton Smith, whose company attracted 18 million registered users with online children’s social network game Moshi Monsters, while visitors will hear about what lessons can be learned from the music industry’s shift towards digital distribution. Games Investor Consulting director Rick Gibson will also be chairing a panel discussing the rise of social network games.

Conference director Carri Cunliffe said: “Previously, companies would develop games and work with a publisher. A lot of games developers are now looking to distribute their games online and in order to do that they’re becoming self-publishers. This means that they have to look at the new skills they need. It’s a big sea change.”

Gateshead indie games company Eutechnyx cited the opportunities in the free-to-play market as the driving factor behind its link-up with Dutch capital investor Prime Technology Ventures last month.

The company traded a minority stake for a £6m investment, which would allow it to focus in this field, a decision that chief operating officer Darren Jobling said could prompt the company to double its workforce in the next few years. Jobling, who is chairman of the GameHorizon network, will be among the speakers at this year’s event.

GameHorizon has also attracted celebrated English games designer Peter Molyneux to Gateshead. Molyneux has received an OBE for his work on games such as Populous, Fable and Theme Park, and he will be talking about the products in the pipeline for his current employer MGS. Schell Games CEO Jesse Schell will also be discussing the “roadmap to the gamepocalypse”, which will look at the impact of games on everyday life.

Carri Cunliffe said: “The whole idea of the conference is that it brings decision makers together and gives them the chance to listen to people at the same level and find out where they think the future of the games industry is going.

“It means GameHorizon members are getting to meet the buyers here on their doorstep and making great contacts without going on a plane. It’s a very valuable thing for the region.”