Third day of the games conference allows attendees to enjoy unique creative experiences including a seaside beach hut trip with Fizz and chips, Turner Prize viewing, DJ-ing, graffiti lessons and video game music Bingo!
Game Republic New Horizons, the UK games industry conference taking place in Middlesbrough 14 – 16 October, has just announced the final day “Summat” activities for attendees on Friday 16th October, which are included in the price of the ticket.
A Sea Summat, will take attendees to the seaside on the North East coast for beach huts and “fizz and chips”; a Create Summat will allow attendees to visit the Turner Prize in Middlesbrough as well as take lessons in DJ-ing, graffiti art and more; while a Play Summat later in the day gives attendees food, drinks and opportunities to play games and enjoy music bingo with two rounds of video game soundtracks and prizes!
“Rather then the usual industry “Summits” we wanted to give a Northern flavour to GR New Horizons with our unique “Summats”, said Managing Director of Game Republic, Jamie Sefton. “Included in your standard conference ticket, you can “do summat (something)” and go to the seaside, learn to DJ and play video game music bingo. It’s an opportunity to relax, be creative, have fun and network in a different environment away from the usual games conference settings.”
Game Republic New Horizons already includes the main conference day on the 15th October with keynote Ken Kutaragi “The Father of PlayStation” in conversation with Chris Dring from The Game Business, a fireside chat with Rebecca Lautner from Landfall, developers of PEAK, with Lewis Packwood from GamesIndustry.biz, and a session featuring 4J Studios’ Chris van der Kuyl and Joe “Stampy” Garrett discussing their new game Reforj at the VIP Reception at Double Eleven studios on the 14th October evening.
Also on the 14th October evening is a spectacular party celebrating the 10th Anniversary of the brilliant multiplayer survival horror game Dead by Daylight, kindly sponsored by Behaviour Interactive. The exclusive industry get-together will also feature an interview on-stage with the developers about the game’s creation and anniversary, also hosted by Chris Dring from The Game Business.
On the 15th October, for the new Investor Zone in partnership with Games London, attendees can see Funding Forum sessions including a fireside chat with Teddy Keefe, Business Development Director for Tencent Games, a presentation from Asher McClennahan, Head of Games at Kickstarter, a panel, “Beyond the Pitch: Securing (and Surviving) Angel Investment” with Nick Button-Brown (The Games Angels), Tracey McGarrigan (Ansible) and Ian Masters (Flick Games), and other sessions including public funders the BFI, the Arts Council and Innovate UK, plus publishers and VC investors.
In addition there’ll be Masterclasses on topics including narrative design from Inkle Studios, a guide to improving your Steam page from Fireblade Software, a Tech Deep Dive from Weaseltron (recently worked on Death Stranding 2) on bringing your game to PC, and platform-holder Xbox with opportunities on the platform.
Panels include one focusing on transmedia with DDA (creative comms company behind movie Flow and TV show Fallout), Observer Interactive (created games for the band Gorillaz), Screen Yorkshire, Barclays and Wizards of the Coast, and a Hype-Free Assessment of AI in Games with Tommy Thompson (AI and Games) and Duygu Cakmak (Creative Assembly).
Afterwards, guests will be taken by coach to restaurant Bazaar for Michelin Star food followed by a legendary industry party at Level X with two floors of arcade games, a pool tournament with prize from Kudos Games, go-karting, bowling, roller-skating and golf!
Game Republic New Horizons Advance tickets at £199 are available now until the end of July here
Supporters include Kudos Games, Steel City Interactive, Plus Accounting, Escape Technology, Innovate UK Business Connect and Behaviour Interactive.
Game Republic New Horizons is supported by Tees Valley Combined Authority and Middlesbrough Council and Game Republic’s Strategic Partner Steel City Interactive and Official Partners Red Kite Games, Xsolla and Double Eleven.
