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Conferences & Speakers

Cutting-edge insights from gaming's most influential voices. Our 2026 speaker lineup features visionary developers, successful entrepreneurs, leading investors, and industry pioneers shaping the future of interactive entertainment. Get the knowledge and connections you need to advance your gaming career or business.

Cutting-edge insights from gaming's most influential voices. Our speaker lineup features visionary developers, successful entrepreneurs, leading investors, and industry pioneers shaping the future of interactive entertainment. Get the knowledge and connections you need to advance your gaming career or business.

Adrian Fernandez-Lacey

Investor / Executive Producer

Celia Hodent

Game UX Strategist consultant

Daniel Kendrick

CEO/Co-Founder
Nitrate Games

Heather Chandler

Head of Production and Publishing
Blue Ridge Games

Jessie Cano

CEO
The Dreamerians

Rich Bisso

Rich Bisso

CSO
BC Media Lab

Ovidio Escobedo

CEO
Altergard

Kate Edwards

CEO
Geogrify / SetJetters

Jay Powell

Jay Powell

CEO
The Powell Group

Guy Blomberg

Founder
Games Industry Gathering

Marco Polo Moraga

Marco Polo Moraga

Latam Manager
Vicariously

Alessandro Biollo

Alessandro Biollo

Latam VP
Xsolla

Adrian Fernandez-Lacey

Investor / Executive Producer

Independent Publishing-as-a-Service: Empowering Community-Driven Publishers

Traditional media frameworks are giving way to a new era of decentralized, audience-first content creation. Join us in this session as we explore Independent Publishing-as-a-Service (IPaaS)the modern architecture powering a new generation of community-driven publishers.

Discover how indie creators, digital collectives, and emerging media brands are leveraging flexible publishing infrastructure to bypass legacy gatekeepers, directly engage their core communities, and build sustainable, scalable media businesses on their own terms.

For more than 30 years, I've been creating original worlds, building enduring franchises, and reimagining how people connect with technology.

I've helped launch original IPs, shape global entertainment brands, and partner with independent creators to turn bold ideas into experiences that resonate with millions. Throughout my career, I've combined creativity, game design, player psychology, and long-term strategy to build franchises designed not just to succeed at launch, but to evolve, inspire communities, and endure.

I've also spent my career exploring the future of human-computer interaction, from AI, AR, and VR to emerging interfaces and immersive technologies, guided by one belief: the future belongs to creators who design relationships, not just products. Whether between people and technology, players and worlds, or communities and the stories they inhabit, the most meaningful experiences are built on lasting connections.

Today, I help studios, creators, and leaders imagine what's next. Creating original IPs, shaping long-term franchise strategies, and designing interactive experiences where creativity, technology, and human connection come together.

Celia Hodent

Game UX Strategist consultant

Defining the Game UX Strategy For Your Studio

Game user experience (UX) is mostly approached very narrowly in the game industry, around a game's UI. However, UX is better seen as a mindset impacting all aspects of game development. Celia Hodent, PhD in psychology and former director of UX at Epic Games (Fortnite) will provide insights on how to approach UX as a strategy, so that it can benefit a project and a studio efficiently every step of the way. Having a UX mindset means improving players' experience: figuring out the barriers preventing a game to be fun and engaging, and addressing those issues in a an efficient manner, when it's faster and cheaper to fix instead of waiting until Beta or soft lunch. This mindset thus benefit business goals by having a clear plan for making a game more likely to be successful.

Celia Hodent is recognized as a leader in the application of user experience (UX) and cognitive science in the game industry. Celia holds a PhD in psychology and has 18+ years of experience in the development of UX strategy and processes in video game studios.

 

Through her work at Ubisoft, LucasArts, and as Director of UX at Epic Games (Fortnite), she has contributed to many projects across multiple platforms, from PC to consoles, mobile, and VR. Celia is also the founder & chair of the Game UX Summit, advisor for GDC, and member of the Foresight Committee at CNIL (National Commission on Informatics and Liberty, an independent French administrative regulatory body). She currently works as an independent consultant, helping studios increase the likelihood of their games to be engaging and successful. Celia also provides guidance on the topics of playful learning, ethics (founder of ethicalgames.org), unconscious bias, and inclusion in tech.

 

Celia is the author of The Gamer’s Brain: How Neuroscience and UX can Impact Video Game Design, 2nd edition (2026), The Psychology of Video Games (2020), What UX Really Is: Introducing a Mindset to Great Experiences (2021), and co-editor of Game Usability: Advice from the Experts for Advancing UX Strategy and Practice in Videogames (2022). 

Daniel Kendrick

CEO/Co-Founder
Nitrate Games

Licensing 101: How Indie Studios Land, Negotiate, and Deliver on Big-Name IP

Nitrate Games — the indie publisher behind Jay and Silent Bob's Joint Venture — breaks down the business of licensed games. Co-founders Daniel Kendrick (IDW Entertainment, Batman Azteca) and Montana Sommese (Cartoon Network Games, Fox), joined by Creative Director Chase Marotz (Dungeons & Dragons, Star Trek, TMNT), walk through how a small studio actually acquires, develops, and delivers on IP from major movie studios and entertainment brands.

Daniel Stellan Kendrick is the Co-Founder & CEO of Nitrate Games.
Prior to Nitrate, Daniel ran IDW Entertainment, working on films & games for LOCKE & KEY, WYNONNA EARP, 30 DAYS OF NIGHT, GODZILLA, SONIC THE HEDGEHOG, and 250 other titles. He’s sold projects to Warner Bros, Amazon, Netflix, Peacock, UCP. He Co-EPed the feature film AZTEC BATMAN.

Pablo De la Nuez

Heather  Chandler

Head of Production and Publishing

Strengthening Indie Teams

In this session, Heather Chandler, a veteran game producer who has shipped Fortnite, Helldivers 2, and numerous indie games, will talk about how independent studios can build stronger teams, structure their production process, and stay sustainable as they grow. Topics include the producer's role, team communication and trust, choosing the right process for your studio, milestone planning, and financial sustainability.

Heather Chandler is a veteran game producer with three decades of experience shipping titles across nearly every platform and genre. She currently serves as Head of Production and Publishing at Blue Ridge Games.

Previously, she was Principal Producer on Helldivers 2 and Senior Producer on Fortnite, and has produced many other indie and AAA titles for studios including Ubisoft, Squanch Games, and E-line Media. She is also the author of The Game Production Handbook, and speaks regularly at industry events including GDC and DevCom Cologne.

She is an AAAS IF/THEN Ambassador and a Smithsonian Institute Women's Future Month Honoree.

Jessie Cano

CEO
The Dreamerians

The Elephant in the Room: AI & Games PANEL


AI is already part of how games get made, whether studios admit it or not. It writes code, drafts dialogue, makes concept art and tests builds, and it's in pipelines from solo developers to large studios. Players, artists and developers all have strong feelings about it, and most of the public conversation is either hype or fear. This panel sets both aside and looks at what is actually happening.
 
We'll talk about where AI helps and where it falls short, what it means for the people whose work it touches, and the open questions about ownership, credit and consent. Expect a frank conversation about how teams use these tools today, the mistakes worth avoiding, and what the next few years could look like for anyone who makes or plays games.

Jessie is CEO at The Dreamerians- Game Studio. With more than 12 years in the industry, she’s been part of the development of more than 20 published games.

Now working as World Builder and Environmental Artist for A Rat’s Quest- The way back home, to be published for PC and consoles by Handy Games a THQ Nordic Company.

Pablo De la Nuez

Rich Bisso

CSO
BC Media Lab

The Elephant in the Room: AI & Games PANEL


AI is already part of how games get made, whether studios admit it or not. It writes code, drafts dialogue, makes concept art and tests builds, and it's in pipelines from solo developers to large studios. Players, artists and developers all have strong feelings about it, and most of the public conversation is either hype or fear. This panel sets both aside and looks at what is actually happening.
 
We'll talk about where AI helps and where it falls short, what it means for the people whose work it touches, and the open questions about ownership, credit and consent. Expect a frank conversation about how teams use these tools today, the mistakes worth avoiding, and what the next few years could look like for anyone who makes or plays games.
Rich is a 20+ years veteran of the games industry. From the best-selling title Spider-Man 2: The Game, to small-team indie projects, Rich has filled critical roles in leading design, production, and programming efforts. He has a passion for the process of game development and has a history of bringing together teams to achieve their goals, despite difficult odds.
Before co-founding Hyperkinetic Studios, Rich was the Technology and Design Lead for an innovative games development division of Sony Pictures.

Ovidio Escobedo

CEO
Altergard

The Elephant in the Room: AI & Games PANEL


AI is already part of how games get made, whether studios admit it or not. It writes code, drafts dialogue, makes concept art and tests builds, and it's in pipelines from solo developers to large studios. Players, artists and developers all have strong feelings about it, and most of the public conversation is either hype or fear. This panel sets both aside and looks at what is actually happening.
 
We'll talk about where AI helps and where it falls short, what it means for the people whose work it touches, and the open questions about ownership, credit and consent. Expect a frank conversation about how teams use these tools today, the mistakes worth avoiding, and what the next few years could look like for anyone who makes or plays games.

Pablo Ovidio Escobedo is a game industry founder with more than a decade of experience creating video games, digital products, and interactive technology. He is the founder and CEO of AlterGard, where he is building tools and platforms focused on UGC, game development, and Viewer Driven Gameplay.

Kate Edwards

CEO
Geogrify / SetJetters

South of the Border: What Partners Want, What Kills the Deal, and What Gets the YesPANEL

Your Steam page is live, and the wishlists are trickling in. What now?

Game publishing and pitching expert Jay Powell, a 20+ year games industry veteran and founder of The Powell Group, IndieGameBusiness, and Blue Ridge Games, joins culturalization pioneer Kate Edwards (Geogrify), veteran event director Guy Blomberg (founder of the Games Industry Gathering), LatAm game commerce leader Alessandro Biollo (Area VP LatAm at Xsolla), and PR & Marketing strategist Marco Polo Moraga (Vicariously) have all watched games rise and stall on the path to launch. Jay gives you the publisher perspective, Kate the global audience perspective, Guy the events and industry perspective, Alessandro the pricing and commerce angle, and Marco Polo the marketing and launch strategy.

Learn how wishlists really work and convert to sales, which metrics matter, how publishers read your numbers, and how to time your launch with Steam's new Personal Calendar. Discover how to turn events into wishlists, make your store page resonate across cultures, and price your game for players in Latin America and beyond, so your storefront becomes a success story

Kate Edwards is an award-winning 30+ year veteran of the game industry, and the CEO and principal consultant of Geogrify, the consultancy which innovated game culturalization, as well as the CXO and Co-Founder of SetJetters, a screen tourism app. She is also the former Executive Director of the International Game Developers Association (IGDA) and the Global Game Jam. In addition to serving in several board and advisory roles, she is a geographer, writer, and corporate strategist. Kate is the recipient of the Game Developers Choice Awards 20th Annual Ambassador Award, and in 2021 she was included in the Forbes' "50 Over 50" Vision List as well as being inducted into the Women in Games Hall of Fame.

Pablo De la Nuez

Jay Powell

The Powell Group

South of the Border: What Partners Want, What Kills the Deal, and What Gets the YesPANEL

Your Steam page is live, and the wishlists are trickling in. What now?

Game publishing and pitching expert Jay Powell, a 20+ year games industry veteran and founder of The Powell Group, IndieGameBusiness, and Blue Ridge Games, joins culturalization pioneer Kate Edwards (Geogrify), veteran event director Guy Blomberg (founder of the Games Industry Gathering), LatAm game commerce leader Alessandro Biollo (Area VP LatAm at Xsolla), and PR & Marketing strategist Marco Polo Moraga (Vicariously) have all watched games rise and stall on the path to launch. Jay gives you the publisher perspective, Kate the global audience perspective, Guy the events and industry perspective, Alessandro the pricing and commerce angle, and Marco Polo the marketing and launch strategy.

Learn how wishlists really work and convert to sales, which metrics matter, how publishers read your numbers, and how to time your launch with Steam's new Personal Calendar. Discover how to turn events into wishlists, make your store page resonate across cultures, and price your game for players in Latin America and beyond, so your storefront becomes a success story

With a wealth of game industry experience spanning over two decades, Jay is recognized as a seasoned business expert renowned for formulating impactful licenses and strategic partnerships. He has spent the last decade building The Powell Group from a solo operation to the robust firm it is today with team members and clients on every continent.

As the visionary driving The Powell Group, Jay established IndieGameBusiness® on the Twitch platform in 2018. This initiative, now a thriving and dynamic platform, serves to affordably educate game developers about the intricate nuances of business operations. Anchored by an active Discord community, a newsletter boasting a substantial subscriber base of over 16,000 readers, a series of weekly podcasts delivered across diverse platforms and the game industry’s longest running digital business conferences, IndieGameBusiness® serves as a tangible testament to Jay’s unwavering commitment and the fervent industry demand for informed perspectives.

Guy Blomberg

Founder
Games Industry Gathering

South of the Border: What Partners Want, What Kills the Deal, and What Gets the YesPANEL

Your Steam page is live, and the wishlists are trickling in. What now?

Game publishing and pitching expert Jay Powell, a 20+ year games industry veteran and founder of The Powell Group, IndieGameBusiness, and Blue Ridge Games, joins culturalization pioneer Kate Edwards (Geogrify), veteran event director Guy Blomberg (founder of the Games Industry Gathering), LatAm game commerce leader Alessandro Biollo (Area VP LatAm at Xsolla), and PR & Marketing strategist Marco Polo Moraga (Vicariously) have all watched games rise and stall on the path to launch. Jay gives you the publisher perspective, Kate the global audience perspective, Guy the events and industry perspective, Alessandro the pricing and commerce angle, and Marco Polo the marketing and launch strategy.

Learn how wishlists really work and convert to sales, which metrics matter, how publishers read your numbers, and how to time your launch with Steam's new Personal Calendar. Discover how to turn events into wishlists, make your store page resonate across cultures, and price your game for players in Latin America and beyond, so your storefront becomes a success story

Guy 'Yug' Blomberg has been working in games for over 20 years, overseeing global teams and building multimillion-dollar commercial strategies. 

He has worked across the largest gaming events in the world such as PAX (USA & Australia), EGX (UK & Germany), DreamHack (USA), E3 (USA), and launched events in France, Korea, and China. He has successfully created independent game media websites, marketed B2B publications in Asia Pacific, worked as a game designer and studio director, and launched multiple video game cocktail bars. 

During the Covid19 pandemic he started a virtual games industry networking group called the Games Industry Gathering, which now has over 8000 vetted members from around the world and hosts digital and IRL events throughout the year. 

He is also the founder of TheGameClub.com, handles business development for PR agency StridePR and the Gaming Community Expo (GCX), and is an advisor for industry and consumer gaming events around the world.

Pablo De la Nuez

Marco Polo Moraga

Latam Manager
Vicariously

South of the Border: What Partners Want, What Kills the Deal, and What Gets the YesPANEL

Your Steam page is live, and the wishlists are trickling in. What now?

Game publishing and pitching expert Jay Powell, a 20+ year games industry veteran and founder of The Powell Group, IndieGameBusiness, and Blue Ridge Games, joins culturalization pioneer Kate Edwards (Geogrify), veteran event director Guy Blomberg (founder of the Games Industry Gathering), LatAm game commerce leader Alessandro Biollo (Area VP LatAm at Xsolla), and PR & Marketing strategist Marco Polo Moraga (Vicariously) have all watched games rise and stall on the path to launch. Jay gives you the publisher perspective, Kate the global audience perspective, Guy the events and industry perspective, Alessandro the pricing and commerce angle, and Marco Polo the marketing and launch strategy.

Learn how wishlists really work and convert to sales, which metrics matter, how publishers read your numbers, and how to time your launch with Steam's new Personal Calendar. Discover how to turn events into wishlists, make your store page resonate across cultures, and price your game for players in Latin America and beyond, so your storefront becomes a success story

Marco Polo Moraga is a sales professional skilled at leveraging multi-cultural environments. He has extensive experience in international business development, identifying new opportunities abroad, and expanding into new markets.
His expertise includes business planning, B2B and B2C sales, market research, and organizing events and trade fairs. He has developed new business and grown existing operations in the US as well as across European countries by increasing direct exports and connecting with new partners and clients.
Over the years, he has built an extensive network of contacts and collaborators across a variety of industries worldwide. His professional experience spans sectors such as food and beverage, agriculture, specialty fruit, and fresh produce.

Alessandro Biollo

Latam VP
Xsolla

South of the Border: What Partners Want, What Kills the Deal, and What Gets the YesPANEL

Your Steam page is live, and the wishlists are trickling in. What now?

Game publishing and pitching expert Jay Powell, a 20+ year games industry veteran and founder of The Powell Group, IndieGameBusiness, and Blue Ridge Games, joins culturalization pioneer Kate Edwards (Geogrify), veteran event director Guy Blomberg (founder of the Games Industry Gathering), LatAm game commerce leader Alessandro Biollo (Area VP LatAm at Xsolla), and PR & Marketing strategist Marco Polo Moraga (Vicariously) have all watched games rise and stall on the path to launch. Jay gives you the publisher perspective, Kate the global audience perspective, Guy the events and industry perspective, Alessandro the pricing and commerce angle, and Marco Polo the marketing and launch strategy.

Learn how wishlists really work and convert to sales, which metrics matter, how publishers read your numbers, and how to time your launch with Steam's new Personal Calendar. Discover how to turn events into wishlists, make your store page resonate across cultures, and price your game for players in Latin America and beyond, so your storefront becomes a success story

Seasoned business development, GTM strategist and public relations professional with 17+ years of experience in the video game industry across North America and LATAM. Specializing in connecting game developers with strategic partners, I have successfully led the internationalization of multiple titles from the region. Currently at Xsolla, I foster relationships with local developers and key partners, driving growth and opportunities in the region.

Adrian Fernandez-Lacey

Investor / Executive Producer

Independent Publishing-as-a-Service: Empowering Community-Driven Publishers

Traditional media frameworks are giving way to a new era of decentralized, audience-first content creation. Join us in this session as we explore Independent Publishing-as-a-Service (IPaaS)the modern architecture powering a new generation of community-driven publishers.

Discover how indie creators, digital collectives, and emerging media brands are leveraging flexible publishing infrastructure to bypass legacy gatekeepers, directly engage their core communities, and build sustainable, scalable media businesses on their own terms.

For more than 30 years, I've been creating original worlds, building enduring franchises, and reimagining how people connect with technology.

I've helped launch original IPs, shape global entertainment brands, and partner with independent creators to turn bold ideas into experiences that resonate with millions. Throughout my career, I've combined creativity, game design, player psychology, and long-term strategy to build franchises designed not just to succeed at launch, but to evolve, inspire communities, and endure.

I've also spent my career exploring the future of human-computer interaction, from AI, AR, and VR to emerging interfaces and immersive technologies, guided by one belief: the future belongs to creators who design relationships, not just products. Whether between people and technology, players and worlds, or communities and the stories they inhabit, the most meaningful experiences are built on lasting connections.

Today, I help studios, creators, and leaders imagine what's next. Creating original IPs, shaping long-term franchise strategies, and designing interactive experiences where creativity, technology, and human connection come together.

Celia Hodent

Game UX Strategist consultant

Defining the Game UX Strategy For Your Studio

Game user experience (UX) is mostly approached very narrowly in the game industry, around a game's UI. However, UX is better seen as a mindset impacting all aspects of game development. Celia Hodent, PhD in psychology and former director of UX at Epic Games (Fortnite) will provide insights on how to approach UX as a strategy, so that it can benefit a project and a studio efficiently every step of the way. Having a UX mindset means improving players' experience: figuring out the barriers preventing a game to be fun and engaging, and addressing those issues in a an efficient manner, when it's faster and cheaper to fix instead of waiting until Beta or soft lunch. This mindset thus benefit business goals by having a clear plan for making a game more likely to be successful.

Celia Hodent is recognized as a leader in the application of user experience (UX) and cognitive science in the game industry. Celia holds a PhD in psychology and has 18+ years of experience in the development of UX strategy and processes in video game studios.
Through her work at Ubisoft, LucasArts, and as Director of UX at Epic Games (Fortnite), she has contributed to many projects across multiple platforms, from PC to consoles, mobile, and VR. Celia is also the founder & chair of the Game UX Summit, advisor for GDC, and member of the Foresight Committee at CNIL (National Commission on Informatics and Liberty, an independent French administrative regulatory body). She currently works as an independent consultant, helping studios increase the likelihood of their games to be engaging and successful. Celia also provides guidance on the topics of playful learning, ethics (founder of ethicalgames.org), unconscious bias, and inclusion in tech.
Celia is the author of The Gamer’s Brain: How Neuroscience and UX can Impact Video Game Design, 2nd edition (2026), The Psychology of Video Games (2020), What UX Really Is: Introducing a Mindset to Great Experiences (2021), and co-editor of Game Usability: Advice from the Experts for Advancing UX Strategy and Practice in Videogames (2022). 

Daniel Kendrick

CEO/Co-Founder
Nitrate Games

Licensing 101: How Indie Studios Land, Negotiate, and Deliver on Big-Name IP

Nitrate Games — the indie publisher behind Jay and Silent Bob's Joint Venture — breaks down the business of licensed games. Co-founders Daniel Kendrick (IDW Entertainment, Batman Azteca) and Montana Sommese (Cartoon Network Games, Fox), joined by Creative Director Chase Marotz (Dungeons & Dragons, Star Trek, TMNT), walk through how a small studio actually acquires, develops, and delivers on IP from major movie studios and entertainment brands.

Daniel Stellan Kendrick is the Co-Founder & CEO of Nitrate Games.
Prior to Nitrate, Daniel ran IDW Entertainment, working on films & games for LOCKE & KEY, WYNONNA EARP, 30 DAYS OF NIGHT, GODZILLA, SONIC THE HEDGEHOG, and 250 other titles. He’s sold projects to Warner Bros, Amazon, Netflix, Peacock, UCP. He Co-EPed the feature film AZTEC BATMAN.

Heather  Chandler

Head of Production and Publishing

Strengthening Indie Teams

In this session, Heather Chandler, a veteran game producer who has shipped Fortnite, Helldivers 2, and numerous indie games, will talk about how independent studios can build stronger teams, structure their production process, and stay sustainable as they grow. Topics include the producer's role, team communication and trust, choosing the right process for your studio, milestone planning, and financial sustainability.

Heather Chandler is a veteran game producer with three decades of experience shipping titles across nearly every platform and genre. She currently serves as Head of Production and Publishing at Blue Ridge Games.

Previously, she was Principal Producer on Helldivers 2 and Senior Producer on Fortnite, and has produced many other indie and AAA titles for studios including Ubisoft, Squanch Games, and E-line Media. She is also the author of The Game Production Handbook, and speaks regularly at industry events including GDC and DevCom Cologne.

She is an AAAS IF/THEN Ambassador and a Smithsonian Institute Women's Future Month Honoree.

Jessie Cano

CEO
The Dreamerians

The Elephant in the Room: AI & Games PANEL


AI is already part of how games get made, whether studios admit it or not. It writes code, drafts dialogue, makes concept art and tests builds, and it's in pipelines from solo developers to large studios. Players, artists and developers all have strong feelings about it, and most of the public conversation is either hype or fear. This panel sets both aside and looks at what is actually happening.
 
We'll talk about where AI helps and where it falls short, what it means for the people whose work it touches, and the open questions about ownership, credit and consent. Expect a frank conversation about how teams use these tools today, the mistakes worth avoiding, and what the next few years could look like for anyone who makes or plays games.

Jessie is CEO at The Dreamerians- Game Studio. With more than 12 years in the industry, she’s been part of the development of more than 20 published games.

Now working as World Builder and Environmental Artist for A Rat’s Quest- The way back home, to be published for PC and consoles by Handy Games a THQ Nordic Company.

Rich Bisso

CSO
BC Media Lab

Wed 5th - 17:00

The Elephant in the Room: AI & Games PANEL


AI is already part of how games get made, whether studios admit it or not. It writes code, drafts dialogue, makes concept art and tests builds, and it's in pipelines from solo developers to large studios. Players, artists and developers all have strong feelings about it, and most of the public conversation is either hype or fear. This panel sets both aside and looks at what is actually happening.
 
We'll talk about where AI helps and where it falls short, what it means for the people whose work it touches, and the open questions about ownership, credit and consent. Expect a frank conversation about how teams use these tools today, the mistakes worth avoiding, and what the next few years could look like for anyone who makes or plays games.

Rich is a 20+ years veteran of the games industry. From the best-selling title Spider-Man 2: The Game, to small-team indie projects, Rich has filled critical roles in leading design, production, and programming efforts. He has a passion for the process of game development and has a history of bringing together teams to achieve their goals, despite difficult odds.

Before co-founding Hyperkinetic Studios, Rich was the Technology and Design Lead for an innovative games development division of Sony Pictures.

Ovidio Escobedo

CEO
Altergard

The Elephant in the Room: AI & Games PANEL


AI is already part of how games get made, whether studios admit it or not. It writes code, drafts dialogue, makes concept art and tests builds, and it's in pipelines from solo developers to large studios. Players, artists and developers all have strong feelings about it, and most of the public conversation is either hype or fear. This panel sets both aside and looks at what is actually happening.
 
We'll talk about where AI helps and where it falls short, what it means for the people whose work it touches, and the open questions about ownership, credit and consent. Expect a frank conversation about how teams use these tools today, the mistakes worth avoiding, and what the next few years could look like for anyone who makes or plays games.

Pablo Ovidio Escobedo is a game industry founder with more than a decade of experience creating video games, digital products, and interactive technology. He is the founder and CEO of AlterGard, where he is building tools and platforms focused on UGC, game development, and Viewer Driven Gameplay.

Kate Edwards

CEO
Geogrify / SetJetters

Wed 5th - 15:00

South of the Border: What Partners Want, What Kills the Deal, and What Gets the YesPANEL

Your Steam page is live, and the wishlists are trickling in. What now?

Game publishing and pitching expert Jay Powell, a 20+ year games industry veteran and founder of The Powell Group, IndieGameBusiness, and Blue Ridge Games, joins culturalization pioneer Kate Edwards (Geogrify), veteran event director Guy Blomberg (founder of the Games Industry Gathering), LatAm game commerce leader Alessandro Biollo (Area VP LatAm at Xsolla), and PR & Marketing strategist Marco Polo Moraga (Vicariously) have all watched games rise and stall on the path to launch. Jay gives you the publisher perspective, Kate the global audience perspective, Guy the events and industry perspective, Alessandro the pricing and commerce angle, and Marco Polo the marketing and launch strategy.

Learn how wishlists really work and convert to sales, which metrics matter, how publishers read your numbers, and how to time your launch with Steam's new Personal Calendar. Discover how to turn events into wishlists, make your store page resonate across cultures, and price your game for players in Latin America and beyond, so your storefront becomes a success story

Kate Edwards is an award-winning 30+ year veteran of the game industry, and the CEO and principal consultant of Geogrify, the consultancy which innovated game culturalization, as well as the CXO and Co-Founder of SetJetters, a screen tourism app. She is also the former Executive Director of the International Game Developers Association (IGDA) and the Global Game Jam. In addition to serving in several board and advisory roles, she is a geographer, writer, and corporate strategist. Kate is the recipient of the Game Developers Choice Awards 20th Annual Ambassador Award, and in 2021 she was included in the Forbes' "50 Over 50" Vision List as well as being inducted into the Women in Games Hall of Fame.

Jay Powell

The Powell Group

Wed 5th - 17:00

South of the Border: What Partners Want, What Kills the Deal, and What Gets the YesPANEL

Your Steam page is live, and the wishlists are trickling in. What now?

Game publishing and pitching expert Jay Powell, a 20+ year games industry veteran and founder of The Powell Group, IndieGameBusiness, and Blue Ridge Games, joins culturalization pioneer Kate Edwards (Geogrify), veteran event director Guy Blomberg (founder of the Games Industry Gathering), LatAm game commerce leader Alessandro Biollo (Area VP LatAm at Xsolla), and PR & Marketing strategist Marco Polo Moraga (Vicariously) have all watched games rise and stall on the path to launch. Jay gives you the publisher perspective, Kate the global audience perspective, Guy the events and industry perspective, Alessandro the pricing and commerce angle, and Marco Polo the marketing and launch strategy.

Learn how wishlists really work and convert to sales, which metrics matter, how publishers read your numbers, and how to time your launch with Steam's new Personal Calendar. Discover how to turn events into wishlists, make your store page resonate across cultures, and price your game for players in Latin America and beyond, so your storefront becomes a success story

With a wealth of game industry experience spanning over two decades, Jay is recognized as a seasoned business expert renowned for formulating impactful licenses and strategic partnerships. He has spent the last decade building The Powell Group from a solo operation to the robust firm it is today with team members and clients on every continent.

As the visionary driving The Powell Group, Jay established IndieGameBusiness® on the Twitch platform in 2018. This initiative, now a thriving and dynamic platform, serves to affordably educate game developers about the intricate nuances of business operations. Anchored by an active Discord community, a newsletter boasting a substantial subscriber base of over 16,000 readers, a series of weekly podcasts delivered across diverse platforms and the game industry’s longest running digital business conferences, IndieGameBusiness® serves as a tangible testament to Jay’s unwavering commitment and the fervent industry demand for informed perspectives.

Guy Blomberg

Founder
Games Industry Gathering

Wed 5th - 16:00

South of the Border: What Partners Want, What Kills the Deal, and What Gets the YesPANEL

Your Steam page is live, and the wishlists are trickling in. What now?

Game publishing and pitching expert Jay Powell, a 20+ year games industry veteran and founder of The Powell Group, IndieGameBusiness, and Blue Ridge Games, joins culturalization pioneer Kate Edwards (Geogrify), veteran event director Guy Blomberg (founder of the Games Industry Gathering), LatAm game commerce leader Alessandro Biollo (Area VP LatAm at Xsolla), and PR & Marketing strategist Marco Polo Moraga (Vicariously) have all watched games rise and stall on the path to launch. Jay gives you the publisher perspective, Kate the global audience perspective, Guy the events and industry perspective, Alessandro the pricing and commerce angle, and Marco Polo the marketing and launch strategy.

Learn how wishlists really work and convert to sales, which metrics matter, how publishers read your numbers, and how to time your launch with Steam's new Personal Calendar. Discover how to turn events into wishlists, make your store page resonate across cultures, and price your game for players in Latin America and beyond, so your storefront becomes a success story

Guy 'Yug' Blomberg has been working in games for over 20 years, overseeing global teams and building multimillion-dollar commercial strategies.

He has worked across the largest gaming events in the world such as PAX (USA & Australia), EGX (UK & Germany), DreamHack (USA), E3 (USA), and launched events in France, Korea, and China. He has successfully created independent game media websites, marketed B2B publications in Asia Pacific, worked as a game designer and studio director, and launched multiple video game cocktail bars.

During the Covid19 pandemic he started a virtual games industry networking group called the Games Industry Gathering, which now has over 8000 vetted members from around the world and hosts digital and IRL events throughout the year.

He is also the founder of TheGameClub.com, handles business development for PR agency StridePR and the Gaming Community Expo (GCX), and is an advisor for industry and consumer gaming events around the world.

Marco Polo Moraga

Latam Manager
Vicariously

Wed 5th - 17:00

South of the Border: What Partners Want, What Kills the Deal, and What Gets the YesPANEL

Your Steam page is live, and the wishlists are trickling in. What now?

Game publishing and pitching expert Jay Powell, a 20+ year games industry veteran and founder of The Powell Group, IndieGameBusiness, and Blue Ridge Games, joins culturalization pioneer Kate Edwards (Geogrify), veteran event director Guy Blomberg (founder of the Games Industry Gathering), LatAm game commerce leader Alessandro Biollo (Area VP LatAm at Xsolla), and PR & Marketing strategist Marco Polo Moraga (Vicariously) have all watched games rise and stall on the path to launch. Jay gives you the publisher perspective, Kate the global audience perspective, Guy the events and industry perspective, Alessandro the pricing and commerce angle, and Marco Polo the marketing and launch strategy.

Learn how wishlists really work and convert to sales, which metrics matter, how publishers read your numbers, and how to time your launch with Steam's new Personal Calendar. Discover how to turn events into wishlists, make your store page resonate across cultures, and price your game for players in Latin America and beyond, so your storefront becomes a success story

Marco Polo Moraga is a sales professional skilled at leveraging multi-cultural environments. He has extensive experience in international business development, identifying new opportunities abroad, and expanding into new markets.

His expertise includes business planning, B2B and B2C sales, market research, and organizing events and trade fairs. He has developed new business and grown existing operations in the US as well as across European countries by increasing direct exports and connecting with new partners and clients.

Over the years, he has built an extensive network of contacts and collaborators across a variety of industries worldwide. His professional experience spans sectors such as food and beverage, agriculture, specialty fruit, and fresh produce.

Alessandro Biollo

Latam VP
Xsolla

South of the Border: What Partners Want, What Kills the Deal, and What Gets the YesPANEL

Your Steam page is live, and the wishlists are trickling in. What now?

Game publishing and pitching expert Jay Powell, a 20+ year games industry veteran and founder of The Powell Group, IndieGameBusiness, and Blue Ridge Games, joins culturalization pioneer Kate Edwards (Geogrify), veteran event director Guy Blomberg (founder of the Games Industry Gathering), LatAm game commerce leader Alessandro Biollo (Area VP LatAm at Xsolla), and PR & Marketing strategist Marco Polo Moraga (Vicariously) have all watched games rise and stall on the path to launch. Jay gives you the publisher perspective, Kate the global audience perspective, Guy the events and industry perspective, Alessandro the pricing and commerce angle, and Marco Polo the marketing and launch strategy.

Learn how wishlists really work and convert to sales, which metrics matter, how publishers read your numbers, and how to time your launch with Steam's new Personal Calendar. Discover how to turn events into wishlists, make your store page resonate across cultures, and price your game for players in Latin America and beyond, so your storefront becomes a success story

Seasoned business development, GTM strategist and public relations professional with 17+ years of experience in the video game industry across North America and LATAM. Specializing in connecting game developers with strategic partners, I have successfully led the internationalization of multiple titles from the region. Currently at Xsolla, I foster relationships with local developers and key partners, driving growth and opportunities in the region.