Dragoncon2023 Schedule

August 7, 2023 | Author: HDIAndrew

The AI have taken over Dragoncon!

Title: Video Games in 2023 – A Discussion
Description: Our panel of pundits will share their opinions on some of the big topics in video games over the last year.
Panelists: Mike Capps, Andrew Greenberg
Time: Fri 10:00 am
Location: Augusta A-B Westin (Length: 1 Hour)

Title: ChatGPT: This Changes Everything?
Description: The advance of Artificial Intelligence and Large Language Models suddenly seems like both a great opportunity for and a great threat to the way that we work today. Are concerns overblown, or is preemptive regulation warranted?
Panelists: Andrew Greenberg, Tiago Balgan Henriques, Meredith Filak Rose, James Nettles, Bill Budington, Amie Stepanovich
Time: Fri 01:00 pm
Location: 313-314 Hilton (Length: 1 Hour)

Title: Accessibility for People with Disabilities in VR and Virtual Worlds
Description: Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality worlds can be freeing for those with disabilities and other restrictions, but they also can present unique challenges. What accommodations need to be made in virtual worlds, and what is required by the Americans with Disabilities Act?
Panelists: Amie Stepanovich, Andrew Greenberg
Time: Fri 05:30 pm
Location: 313-314 Hilton (Length: 1 Hour)

Title: Social Media Marketing for Entrepreneurs, Authors, and Content Creators
Description: Tips, tricks, and advice for entrepreneurs, authors, and independent content creators to navigate Twitter, Threads, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, etc. We will take a brief look at the various platforms for project promotion, and examine the common themes for maximizing engagement.
Panelists: James Nettles, Gail Z. Martin, Andrew Greenberg
Time: Sat 11:30 am
Location: 313-314 Hilton (Length: 1 Hour)

Title: A.I. and What it Means for Writers
Description: Hearing a lot about the “takeover” of A. I.? Let’s dispel some of the myths–and confirm some of the truths.
Panelists: Anthony Francis, Rich Gatz, Andrew Greenberg, Amie Stepanovich, D.J. Bodden, Phillip Pournelle
Time: Sun 11:30 am
Location: Embassy EF Hyatt (Length: 1 Hour)

Title: Starting Your Own Game Studio
Description: Sit down with Andrew Greenberg (Executive Director at the Georgia Game Developers Association) to hear what he has to say about starting your own game studio. Includes Q&A.
Panelists: Andrew Greenberg ([[mem]]Andrew Greenberg)
Time: Sun 01:00 pm
Location: Augusta A-B Westin (Length: 1 Hour)

Title: Using LLM’s and Generative AI’s for Gaming and Creative Works
Description: Far from being a threat, Large Language Models and Generative AI can be a new wellspring of creative output if used reasonably and responsibly. How can these new tools be used to create value, and what safeguards need to be in place?
Panelists: James Nettles, James Ashley, Andrew Greenberg, Michelle Davis
Time: Sun 08:30 pm
Location: 313-314 Hilton (Length: 1 Hour)

Posted in Game Development | Leave a Comment

International Success July 11 in Atlanta

July 4, 2023 | Author: HDIAndrew

One thing that has always made me proud about the games I have worked on has been the international audience they reach. One of my HDI partners likes to tell the story of when he got a call from China in the early 90s, where a raid on a warehouse of pirated software revealed a trove of unauthorized copies of HDI’s first game, “Battles of Destiny.” He used that to get BOD’s then-publisher to release a Mandarin version of the game.

However, international success requires a lot more than just having a translated version of the game, and we are exploring a number of these factors 6 pm July 11 at the Atlanta Technology Development Center (ATDC). This meeting is open to the public and includes a number of great participants:

The meeting’s focus is on startups and game studios, but really applies to companies of any size. International partners play an important role for any company wanting to do any more than the bare minimum to export its games. With Fading Suns, we always had great distributors in South America and Europe who would promote our translations through their networks. Now Ulisses Spiele, a German company, and GOG, a Polish company, take that role for Fading Suns and Emperor of the Fading Suns, respectively. We are fortunate that Blair Lucas, Group Commercial Director of Acclime, will share his experiences both on interational sales and partnerships.

We also have Joe Rubagumya from the Integral group to talk about localizing your game or product. Localization, which requires greater understanding of foreign audiences that just the language, is much more valuable than simply translating your game.

Since many of our attendees are startup founders, we also expect this to be a great opportunity for anyone looking for work, as well as for investors hoping to meet innovative young companies. Make sure to register HERE if you want to join us.

Posted in Game Development | Leave a Comment

Questioning Startups

April 24, 2023 | Author: HDIAndrew

With Game Tech Hub, we have been interviewing startups to join our first cohort. This is similar to how we have interviewed companies for our long-running SIEGE Investment Conference. I heard a lead for another accelerator talk about how he did not like to question startups about their ideas. He thought that investors who did so, trying to poke holes in it or offer other suggestions, were mainly trying to make themselves look good and were failing in their role as mentors. In my experience, the purpose of these questions is exactly the opposite. It is the investors’ attempt to determine how open the founders are to feedback, how ready and able they are to take advice. Other investors have told me that one of the greatest threats to new companies is the owners’ hubris and inability to accept input from others. How founders respond to questions about their central idea, often one of the concepts that means the most to them, is a great indicator of how easily they can accept feedback and coaching across the board.

Posted in Game Development | Leave a Comment