A panel of leading game developers discuss the ins and outs of designing and building impactful and exciting games on the remarkable Unreal Engine. Join them for this deep-dive. Moderated by Sinclair Fleming.
NEW: Thu, Jul 11, 09:16PM We are at a unique moment in history where technology is finally catching up to our imagination and creative ambitions--voice, sound, touch, augmented reality, virtual reality, the Internet of Things and beyond. The next generation of gaming technology will allow completely new kinds of experiences for players. Join the Godfather of Video Games Nolan Bushnell (Atari, X2 Games) and Hollywood creative director and 3D visionary behind the J.A.R.V.I.S. system holograms in Marvel’s Iron ManZai Ortiz (Dark Matter, X2 Games) alongside connected play innovator and analyst Valerie Vacante (Collabsco) in a discussion on gamifying technology and designing the future of gaming. Learn how Nolan and Zai co-created their first game together, St. Noire, the world’s first murder mystery game powered by Alexa, fusing cinematic sound and Hollywood-level voice acting. Hear perspectives on pioneering the video game industry, bridging artistic storytelling with technical innovations, and take a glimpse into the near future of gaming.
Thursday July 18, 2019 11:45am - 12:45pm PDT
Room 6BCF
Celebrating another groundbreaking year of publishing the best video game and anime art books and manga from Japan and all over the world, UDON's chief Erik Ko is joined by director of publishing Matt Moylan to talk about all the new and exciting projects that UDON is going to offer in the coming months.
Thursday July 18, 2019 12:30pm - 1:30pm PDT
Room 8
Gears Pop! and Gears 5 releasing this year, the developers behind Gears of War discuss the past, present, and future of this storied franchise. Studio head Rod Fergusson (The Coalition) along with editor Steve Saffel (Titan), author Jason M. Hough (Titan), editor Chase Marotz (IDW), and author Arthur Gies (Gears of War Retrospective by Udon) share their views on the Gears franchise, describe their approach to storytelling, and go in-depth on the characters and stories behind IDW's new Hivebusters comic book series and Titan's upcoming Ascendance novel. Moderated by Gears' franchise narrative lead Bonnie Jean Mah (The Coalition), this panel will give fans insight into what's to come from one of the biggest sagas in gaming. Participate in the Q&A for a chance to win special giveaway items during the panel!
Thursday July 18, 2019 1:00pm - 2:00pm PDT
Room 5AB
Get an inside look at the latest and greatest from Marvel Games. Attendees will see exciting new content from Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order, Marvel's Iron Man VR, and Marvel's Avengers, with many unannounced surprises and panel exclusives. Moderator Greg Miller (loudmouth at KindaFunny.com) will be joined by Bill Rosemann (VP and creative director, Marvel Games) and other panelists from titles throughout the Marvel Games family.
Writer/editor, Eisner Hall of Fame inductee, and Comic-Con special guest Marv Wolfman talks about his 50-year career in comics, animation, novels, and video game writing with moderator and writer Tom King. They'll discuss his work, the companies he's worked for, and the many characters he's worked on. Marv will also answer all questions (well, maybe not all!).
Thursday July 18, 2019 3:00pm - 4:00pm PDT
Room 11
UPDATED: Mon, Jul 15, 05:32PM Video games have changed a lot over the past decade. But the games industry and studio culture have been slow to change. This panel presents several women, each with years of experience working on successful game titles, who have decided to shape their own careers and reshape the industry they love. Leah Hoyer (Level Headed Games, Telltale, Xbox), Jessie Quinn (Leaftail Labs, Xbox, Bungie), Genese Davis (Omensight, The Holder's Dominion), Kate Edwards (Geogrify, IGDA), and Theresa Duringer (Temple Gates Games) talk about working in games and the future they see for the industry.
Thursday July 18, 2019 5:00pm - 6:00pm PDT
Room 5AB
Stars of Quantic Dream's narrative-driven video game experiences join the games' writer and director David Cage to discuss how storytelling and performances enabled by technology are evolving the way video games are perceived as forms of cultural expression.
Thursday July 18, 2019 5:30pm - 6:30pm PDT
Room 6A
To say this expansion is fast and furious would not be an understatement. Tournaments and sponsorships continue to grow. This panel of gamers, producers, and sponsors will discuss its massive engagement and where the future leads. Featuring representatives from Blizzard, Hyper-X, Axiomatic/Team Liquid, CVRE League, Dreamleague, the TV Academy, and Dell/Alienware. Moderated by Anastasia Staten, executive director at ESA Foundation.
Thursday July 18, 2019 6:00pm - 7:00pm PDT
Room 5AB
Take a seat as fighting game producers Katsuhiro Harada from the legendary Tekken series, Motohiro Okubo (Tekken 7 and Soulcalibur VI), and Michael Murray (Tekken) provide a behind-the-scenes look at game development, character updates, esports, and more. Also featuring surprise panelists.
Friday July 19, 2019 10:00am - 11:00am PDT
Room 25ABC
UPDATED: Tue, Jul 16, 07:44PM Sarah Hebbler (executive producer, Psyonix),Janessa Christine (account manager, Online Performer's Group), Candela S. Rebot (founder/chief creative officer, Sparkd Studios), and Helen Theriault (store manager, Microsoft) are the panelists who will be discussing the ways to improve the cultural differences and experiences of women in the gaming industry. A Q&A session will follow the panel discussion. Moderated by Donnell Hilliard (assistant store manager, Microsoft).
The world of Monster Hunter continues to grow! Hear the latest news on the series and the upcoming massive expansion, Monster Hunter World: Iceborne. Members of the Monster Hunter team will be ready to share a look behind the scenes, game design info, and even perhaps some debuts. Featuring Capcom Japan Development Team with Brett Elston and Yuri Araujo from Capcom USA.
Friday July 19, 2019 11:30am - 12:30pm PDT
Room 6BCF
Ryan Benjamin explores character and world development that place cultural interactions at the forefront with subtleties that nod at the players. This is the launch of a new creative technologists group. The purpose is to build an international community that inspires, sustains, and nurtures enthusiasts and professionals at all levels to actively create and share their narratives across mediums. Travis Williams began his career in entertainment in 1990 as one of the co-creators of the World of Darkness roleplaying games from White Wolf. These properties (Vampire, Werewolf, Mage) went on to become comics, TV shows, video games, and novels. He is currently the vice president of Digital Gaming at Lightstorm Entertainment.
As the business of video games now surpasses the annual revenues of both film and music combined, public interest in pursuing a career in the game industry has staggeringly increased in recent years. This has spawned a wide variety of educational and vocational options for individuals to pursue game development, but how exactly does one get the knowledge they need, and then find a job in this very competitive industry? Learn from veteran game industry professionals about what it takes to launch a game development career and how there are many paths into the industry.
Friday July 19, 2019 2:00pm - 3:00pm PDT
Room 28DE
Brush up on your spells and get your wand ready for an insider’s look at Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, the new augmented reality (AR) real-world mobile game. Co-published and co-developed by WB Games San Francisco and Niantic, under the Portkey Games label, Harry Potter: Wizards Unite invites players to take on the role of a new recruit of the Statute of Secrecy Task Force and explore real-world neighborhoods and cities to discover mysterious artifacts, cast spells, and encounter fantastic beasts and iconic characters along the way. Join moderator Felicia Day (Supernatural, The Guild, Geek and Sundry) and team members Mary Casey (Executive Director of Product) and April Stegall (Senior Art Manager) from WB Games San Francisco, alongside Archit Bhargava (Director of Worldwide Marketing) and Alex Moffit (Product Manager) from Niantic, as they discuss how this immersive gaming experience was created. Audience members will also get to hear about upcoming features for the game.
Friday July 19, 2019 2:00pm - 3:00pm PDT
Room 6BCF
Spotlighting contributors from the gaming, virtual reality, augmented reality, artificial intelligence, sustainable tech, and world of robotics.Topics will include support available in cities and states for tech and gaming start-ups. Expected participants to include Sony Koov Robotics, Nvidia, Pixal Crush, Raymond, LSU Digital Lab, VR Leo, and Blu Atom VR. Moderated by Forbes contributor David Bloom.
UDON's chief, Erik Ko, hosts top talents from the studio and guest artist to create artwork live on stage. There will be a trivia Q&A where the audience can get surprise art books and collectible items!
Friday July 19, 2019 7:00pm - 8:00pm PDT
Room 23ABC
The cast and crew of Mega64, one of the longest running video game shows in internet history, is once again on the scene in their hometown of San Diego. Hear from Rocco Botte, Derrick Acosta, Shawn Chatfield, and many more of the show's cast/crew as they show new videos, screen some unearthed old material, and answer your questions. There will be dancing.
Some of the most talented storytellers today create worlds for the computer gaming industry. A panel of industry vets share their insights into the creation of these amazing, interactive worlds.
Friday July 19, 2019 8:00pm - 9:00pm PDT
Room 23ABC
Rooster Teeth is the legendary producer behind the most beloved series, podcasts, and personalities on the internet: the timeless comedy Red vs. Blue, international anime hit RWBY, star-studded sci-fi gen:LOCK, chart-topping Rooster Teeth podcast, and addictive gaming videos from Achievement Hunter. Hear from the Rooster Teeth founders, creators, writers and talent in this mega-panel featuring exclusive sneak peeks, announcements, and more.
UPDATED: Mon, Jul 15, 10:00PM The creators of Life Is Strange host an exclusive panel discussion! Join Raoul Barbet, co-creative director, and Jean-Luc Cano, lead writer of Life Is Strange and Life Is Strange 2, for an in-depth look at the genesis of Life Is Strange 2. Experience the backstory behind the narrative so far, discover behind-the-scenes secrets of the research involved in creating the game’s relatable characters, grounded settings and extraordinary events!
Saturday July 20, 2019 12:30pm - 1:30pm PDT
Room 5AB
Rockstar Games is hiring. They are in search of talented illustrators as well as graphic and conceptual artists to join their team and become part of some of the most creatively rewarding, large-scale projects to be found in any entertainment medium. Please come by with your C.V. and portfolio to discuss opportunities.
Brothers Chad and Jared Moldenhauer, creators of Cuphead, discuss the inspiration and cultural phenomenon around the unique quadruple platinum video game and what's next for the hit franchise. Chad and Jared will participate in a chat moderated by C. J. Kettler (president of King Features and executive producer of Netflix's Carmen Sandiego and The Tick).
Saturday July 20, 2019 4:30pm - 5:30pm PDT
Room 5AB
Kevin Beardslee (executive producer, Age of Learning), Kevin O'Donnell (senior producer, Age of Learning), Rob Corley (senior art director, Age of Learning), Joel Kupperstein (SVP of curriculum, Age of Learning), Diana Hughes (director adaptive games, Age of Learning), and moderator Anastasia Betts, (VP of curriculum planning and design, Age of Learning) share insights about the development and launch of Age of Learning's exciting new educational MMO, Adventure Academy-a fully immersive virtual world where students in grades 3 to 8 can experience endless learning possibilities through quests, animated and live-action series, interactive games, digital books, graphic novels, and more.
Visionary creator Hideo Kojima discusses his process as a game director and storyteller, most notably for his upcoming project Death Stranding. Moderated by The Game Awards creator Geoff Keighley, with special guest Nicolas Winding Refn (Drive, Too Old to Die Young).
Saturday July 20, 2019 5:15pm - 6:15pm PDT
Room 6BCF
What does it take to become an esport pro? A game designer? A programmer? This panel will give you the heads-up in making your dreams a bit more achievable. Expected to include representatives from Dell/Alienware, Team Liquid, Axiomatic, Dreamleague, and Hyper-X. Moderated by Anastasia Staten (executive director, The ESA Foundation).
Saturday July 20, 2019 5:30pm - 6:30pm PDT
Room 5AB
UPDATED: Sun, Jul 07, 05:12PM Love "Choose Your Own Adventure" genre video games? Find out more from the cast, writers, and directors behind some of the fan favorite multibranching games series ever made, as this panel dives into the writing, process, mo-cap, production, and memories along the way. Hear Chris Rebbert (The Walking Dead), Bryan Dechart and Amelia Rose Blaire (Detroit), Raoul Barbet (Life Is Strange), Ella Lentini (Until Dawn), and L. K. Shelley (Aggretsuko Moment) chat with moderator Jennie Kong (Summerland) about the future of this genre in games.
Derek Liu (Lanzer, founder of Gaia Online) will share information on all things Gaia, sneak peeks, and more. TThose who attend will get a convention card that grants a brand-new convention badge item, bonus platinum, and the Conventioneer achievement.
Saturday July 20, 2019 7:30pm - 8:30pm PDT
Room 24ABC
For generations, subcultures of gamers have fostered community and learning on college campuses and at Comic-Con. As esports, board games, LARP, and video games gain more mainstream attention, how can college campuses maximize the power of play to address issues of gender inside and outside the classroom? Panelists include Brian MacDonald (UCLA), Sarah Harker (UCSC), Aaron Trammell (UC Irvine), Cherie Lin (UC Berkeley), and David Surratt (University of Oklahoma).
UPDATED: Tue, Jul 16, 10:28PM Today’s fast-evolving video game industry produces some of the most immersive and fun experiences to date. But how do these studios know what they’re making is fun? Genese Davis (Omensight; The Holder's Dominion), Leanne Loombe (Riot Games), Eric Kieron Davis (Cloud Imperium Games), and Leah Hoyer (former VP of Creative at Telltale) will share insights about the creative design process and to just what lengths developers go to ensure their players are having fun. Just what brings it all together and to life?
Sunday July 21, 2019 3:00pm - 4:00pm PDT
Room 29AB