What to expect from GamesBeat Summit: A guide
This post is organized by subject matter. This post is arranged by topic.
On the first day of our event, we will start with two hours of networking in the Marriott Marina del Rey lobby (4100 Admiralty Way Marina del Rey) starting at 11:30 am. We’ll start at 1:30 pm with four small groups at a go, downstairs. The sessions are an hour long and were designed to meet the needs of our attendees who wanted more interaction with the speakers. These small rooms (for the three recorded sessions) have approximately 65 seats each and 35 seats for roundtable room Catalina. These sessions will encourage audience Q&A, although some may opt to submit written questions. We’ll close out day one with a reception from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. (kicked off by Dean Takahashi and Gina Joseph of GamesBeat, as well as Peter Levin of Griffin Gaming Partners). We’ll close out day one with a reception at 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. (Kicked off by Dean Takahashi and Gina Joseph of GamesBeat and Peter Levin of Griffin Gaming Partners).
Gina Joseph and I will come out on stage at around 9:30 am and then I’ll kick things off with a short opening speech around 9:35 a.m.
Then, throughout the day, we’ll have more traditional 30-minute talks on two stages (California and Promenade rooms) as well as two roundtable rooms (Malibu/Santa Monica and Venice/Peninsula). I’ll give closing thanks at 5:30 p.m. on May 20.
The big topics: AI in games and growth opportunities
Tynan Sylvester created RimWorld while Owen Mahoney spent a decade each at EA and Nexon.
As we noted in a recent social post, there are a number sessions on AI and Gaming. It reminds me that a few years ago, we had a lot of sessions about blockchain games and the metaverse. But AI is starting to show results and people are talking about it. I don’t think these are repetitive sessions. They give attendees a choice and expose them to a variety of bright minds with their own views on the AI revolution. The sessions will include high-level strategic perspectives of AI in games and entertainment with Owen Mahoney, formerly of Nexon. Bing Gordon, of Kleiner Perkins. Mitch Lasky, of Benchmark. and Tynan Sllvester, of Ludeon. We’ll have a discussion on the surprising uses of artificial intelligence in game creation, with Kayla, Neil, and Irena (3:30pm-4:30pm in Malibu/Santa Monica, May 19). Ashwin Raghuraman will be joined by Hilary Mason, J. Aaron Farr and Chris Melissinos to present AI in Gaming, presented by Amazon Web Services. They will discuss their perspective on AI tools for production. On May 19, the Venice/Peninsula Room will be open from 4:30 pm to 5:30 pm. Vogel, the Up and Comer Award winner in the past will speak for the second consecutive year on the AI tools which are revolutionizing game development. On May 20, we’ll also have a roundtable titled “From Player Security to Child Wellbeing, and the Role of AI”, with moderator Chris Melissinos of AWS and advisor Joel Silk. In our mainstage session on May 20, “Living Games”: The AI and Live Services Revolution Reshaping Games, presented by Google Cloud and Dean Takahashi of Google Cloud Games (2 pm – 2:30 pm in California Ballroom on 20 May) will touch on AI.
We will also have another AI topic in “Driving change in gaming: Business models, player needs, AI, the road ahead” with Matthew Bromberg from Unity and Sarah Parvini from the AP, at 3:30 p.m. – 4 p.m. on May 20, in the California Ballroom).
We’ve got sessions on the gaming growth opportunities, as well as the conflict between platforms and developers over fees. Our opening panel on day two will feature Chris Hewish from Xsolla and Anthony Bartolacci from Sensor Tower, with Gina Joseph, GamesBeat’s moderator, discussing Epic Games’ recent victory in court against Apple, and the opportunities it presents for mobile gaming. The Visionary Awards will be held at 10:15 am to 10:30 am on May 20. The Visionary Award goes to a leader in the game industry who has shown vision and leadership throughout their career. The Up and Comer Award is given to someone who has potential. Our judges included They include Sarah Bond of Microsoft, Rich Vogel of T-Minus Zero Entertainment, Don Daglow of AIAS Foundation/Strong National Museum of Play, Perrin Kaplan of Zebra Partners, Elizabeth Olson of Strategic Marketing, Dinga Bakaba of Arkane, Tara Bruno of Tara Bruno PR, Charmaine Duff of Women-Led Games, Mark Chandler of TIGS, Meggan Scavio of the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences, Kat Jones of Motiv, Shelley Andagan of Qualcomm, onine game pioneer John Smedley and me.
Diversity sessions
Rachel Kaser is a GamesBeat writer.
More than 54%, or 35% of our speakers, are women. We continue to emphasize diversity in the gaming sector for many of our topical discussions.
On day two, we get started with our tenth Women in Gaming Breakfast (meant for women, at 8:30 a.m. Pacific – 9:25 a.m.) Presented by Xsolla, that session (starting at 9 a.m.) will be moderated by GamesBeat’s Rachel Kaser and include speakers Carla Bedrosian of Xsolla, Angela Dalton of Signum Growth Dot Play and Nancy MacIntyre of World Winner.
During lunch on May 20, at 12:30 p.m. to 1 p.m, we’ll have our first accessibility in gaming panel, sponsored by the Entertainment Software Association (ESA). Aubrey Quinn, senior vice president for the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), leads a conversation with Holly Wescott, Accessibility Lead at Amazon Games, Kaitlyn Jones, Director of Clinical Outreach at Warfighter Engaged and Gaming Accessibility Lead at Xbox and player, content creator and accessibility consultant Steve Saylor, about how the video game industry is advancing efforts to make games accessible for as many players as possible.
Gordon Bellamy, professor at the USC School of Cinematic Arts and head of Gay Gaming Professionals, will lead a roundtable on how the “underestimated” can break into high levels of gaming. Roundtable on May 20, 11 am – 12 pm, in the Malibu/Santa Monica Room. 10:30 to 11 am in the California Ballroom on 20 May.
Warren Spctor is the chief creative officer of OtherSide Entertainment.
Warren Spector, a gaming veteran who has worked in the games industry for many years, recently wrote an article about his decision of talking about his bipolar disorder and his work with it. Kelli Dunlap, from TakeThis.org, will be in a roundtable with Spector to discuss mental health issues in the gaming industry. The session will only accept written questions. The roundtable will take place on the 19th of May from 4:30 to 5:30 pm. The Global Mental Health Task Force, the World Health Organization and Susanna Pollack of Games for Change will discuss the topic. Roundtable from 1pm to 2pm in the Malibu/Santa Monica Room.
The Economic and Growth Potential of Gaming
Mitch Lasky of Benchmark
Mitch Lasky, a long-time venture capitalist in the gaming industry, and Eric Goldberg from Playable Worlds will moderate one of our larger talks on stage. They will discuss how to navigate in the new norm. The panelists will discuss the new norm, how to break out of the box the industry has placed itself in and how to fix gaming investments. I will moderate TianXiao, CEO of Tencent (one of the biggest game companies in the world), on his perspective on the global gaming industry. The California Ballroom will host a session from 11:30 am to 12 pm on May 20.
Craig Abrams, Playtika, and Michael Metzger, Drake Star Partners, will speak at 2 pm to 2:30 pm on May 20th in the California Ballroom. Adam Boyes, Amir Satvat and Vivrato will host an interactive roundtable where attendees can vote on the top 10 challenges that games face in 2025. (a roundtable at 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. on May 20 at Venice/Peninsula).
Jesse Meschuk, the new COO of Savvy Games Group, will discuss a big new frontier of games in “Savvy Spotlight: Investing in the long-term mindset.” I will moderate the session with Meschuk with a focus on the long-term view of gaming and esports. The California Ballroom will host a 3:30 to 4:00 pm session on May 20. The COVID initiative accelerated the process, but it was inevitable. Even live-service gaming has shown to be a zero-sum game, while esports and blockchain have had little impact. What’s the future of the games industry?
This debate features game economist Catalin Alexandru, Michael Pachter of Wedbush and moderator Rhys Elliott of Alinea Analytics (1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. in Malibu/Santa Monica room).
Politics and gaming
Karla Reyes founder and studio director at Anima Interactive.
Politics has divided us across the country, and so it’s no surprise that some political topics have risen to the fore at our event.
“Gaming the government” is about the experiences that gaming industry professionals have had in the U.S. federal government. Mark Deloura, formerly Obama’s White House Lead on Games and Paul Fischer from Accenture (formerly the U.S. State Department) will be speaking. The session will be held from 4:30 to 5:30 pm on May 19, in the Palisades Room. The session will be moderated by Karla Reyes, Anima Interactive’s moderator. Paul Fischer from Accenture and Susanna pollack of Games for Change. It takes place between 11 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. in the Promenade Room. Rich Hilleman, of Cleanplay, will speak about “Partnering with the planet: Adopting Clean Energy for Growth” in order to reduce energy consumption within the gaming industry. Roundtable discussion at 4:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. on May 19, in the Catalina Room.
Andre Swinston, Phynd, will give a solo presentation on “The Gaming Revolution Will Be Televised,” with a special focus on the business model for ad supported free cloud gaming services. The event will take place from 11 a.m. until 11:30 a.m. in the Promenade Ballroom on May 20, 2011.
Adam Boys of Vivrato, and Andrea Rene from Shortie Media as moderator will discuss the need for greater transparency in the gaming industry and ways to increase growth. The event will take place from 11 a.m. until 11:30 a.m. on the 20th of May in the California Ballroom. Sheloman Bryd, Open Ocean Games (1:30 – 2:30 pm on May 19, Palisades Room)
Bryd’s colleague Jennifer Jo, of Open Ocean Games is an expert in gaming monetization with more than 20 years’ experience. She will lead a roundtable to reveal the secrets behind maximizing revenue and keeping players engaged. Jo will share her experience working for companies such as Tencent, Kabam Meta, WB and Nexon. She will also offer lessons from AR and VR, PC, mobile and console games. Roundtable at 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. on May 19 in the Catalina room. The Twin Galaxies session, entitled “The Competitive Layer You’re Missing: How Game Brands are Building Loyalty Without Adding Extra Code,” is one of the most innovative new models to help brands connect with their players. This session will explore how brands and game publishers are using community-driven, no-code competitions to foster loyalty, generate positive sentiment and drive repeat engagement. Learn how a novel approach has turned casual players into invested communities and why competitive formats are emerging as a must-have in the modern live ops toolkit.
A talk by Zack Rozga and Jace Hall of Twin Galaxies (1:30 pm – 2:30 pm on May 19 in the Venice/Peninsula room).
And we have a session on game publishing dubbed, “The problem with publishing.” Moderated by GamesBeat’s Rachel Kaser, with Jon Snoddy of Operative Games and Ben Kvalo of Midwest Games (2:30 pm – 3:30 pm at Malibu/Santa Monica room).
New technologies
Modulate’s team in Cambridge, Massachusetss.
One of our tech sessions is about “Moderation tools and techniques: the advanced class.”
Today’s gaming audiences are demanding more: safety, clear communication, and smarter responses to issues. Blake Harper, Meta’s Blake Harper, will discuss real-world strategies to build resilient communities in this fireside conversation. Mark Nolan and Blake Harper from Meta will be in Palisades Room on May 19, 3:30 pm to 4:30 pm. There will be a discussion on the history, present and future of motion gaming.
Nex has launched a new game called Playground to appeal to children who love motion gaming. This is an example of pursuing a niche in which players are interested and hardware manufacturers have been left behind. Tom Kang from NEX will be discussing the topic with Dean Takahashi, moderator of GamesBeat. (3 p.m. to 3:30 pm on May 20 at the California ballroom).
Entrepreneurs and investment
Moritz Baier-Lentz is a gaming partner at Lightspeed.
Justin Woodward, The Mix’s founder and director, has a long history of working with independent developers. This session will examine how to curate independent games and talent. How can independents diversify their funding and work with passionate, collaborative developers? I will be moderating a discussion in a fireside conversation at 1:30 to 2 pm on May 20th in the Promenade Room. We’re thrilled that Lightspeed will sponsor our Game Changes 2020 list. This list will identify the top 25 gaming companies and showcase them in the fall. The Game Changers theme for 2026 is “Building Through Chaos.” From layoffs, economic downturns, to AI and changing global policies and regulations, the gaming industry continues to face volatility. Speakers include Moritz Baer-Lentz from Lightspeed, Dean Takahashi from GamesBeat and Kieran Doovan of K-ID. Stephen Bell, of Gardens, and Cheryl Fichter, of Inworld AI, will also be speaking. The California Ballroom will be open from 1 pm to 1:30 pm, on the 20th of May. We’ll have a separate session about investing in new markets. What are the current trends for game investors? How can we continue to invest in gaming during this difficult time? How can we attract new players? The panel will include experts in game M&A, investment, and moderator Emily Wang from Griffin Gaming Partners. Tyler Matheson, of Makers Fund, and Hemal Thaker, of Goldman Sachs. The Promenade Room will be open from 1 pm to 1:30 pm, on the 20th of May.
Louise Gresham of Hydratec Dan Bunting will be discussing “The lucrative niche: building multi-billion dollar franchises from the core initial community to outwards.” (3 pm to 3:30 pm at Promenade Room). Adam Kugler will also discuss the transition from triple-A game developers to solo devs. He is the founder of CyanAvatar Studios, and the sole developer behind MoteMancer. He will host an intimate roundtable to explore the transition from leading triple-A teams into the deeply personal journey that is solo game development. Roundtable from 3 to 4 pm in the Venice/Peninsula Room. In the final panel, Garrett Young from Emptyvessel will be joined by Jeonghee Jin (JJ) of NC America, and Teppei Tutsui, of GFR Fund, to discuss “the 360-degree view on raising money for gaming startups”. Emptyvessel is one of those companies that tapped into a specific niche, developed a prototype and received funding. We will discuss the different perspectives on raising money for games startups and how we reached a full vessel. (4 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. on May 20 at Promenade room).
Game communities
Scopely is acquiring Niantic’s game business for $3.5 billion.
We’ll explore game communities in “Beyond the game: Scopely and Discord’s approach to building and maintaining thriving game communities.” Fostering thriving, vibrant player communities is not just a competitive advantage–it’s become crucial for game discovery and meaningful engagement.
The speakers are Ryan Jacobson of Scopely, Stanislav Vishnevskiy of Discord and moderator Rachel Kaser of GamesBeat (1:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. on May 20 in the California ballroom).
Shelby J. Johnson-Sapp, SVP Corporate Strategy, Scopely and Rachel Kaser, GamesBeat, will be in a discussion with Rachel Kaser, GamesBeat, on how to create a resilient business that can adapt in today’s dynamic marketplace. The Malibu/Santa Monica Room, from 2 p.m. until 3 p.m. May 20, will be the venue for this roundtable discussion. Kevin Beatty of Samsung Gaming and Emerging Technologies, with Stella Chung as moderator (2 pm – 2:30 pm on May 20 at the Promenade room). Kevin Beatty of Samsung Gaming and Emerging Technologies and moderator Stella Chung (2 pm – 2:30 pm on May 20 at Promenade room).
We’ll also have a session about games in Asia and the West, entitled, “The East-West Connection: Successfully bringing Asian games to western markets (and vice versa).”
There’s still a lot of flow of games between Eastern and Western game markets, as players are embracing global content in both predictable and surprising ways. We will discuss how to facilitate this connection and launch new projects. The session includes Jeonghee “JJ” Jin and moderator Lisa Cosmas Hanson of Niko Partners (2:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. on May 20 in the Promenade Room).
And lastly on the community front, we have a session, “Leveraging industry non-profits for growth.”
Gaming nonprofits are a great tool to grow your audience and grow your revenue. How working with nonprofits can help you build more successful games and businesses.
The speakers include Blair Durkee of GLAAD, Stephen Machuga of Stack Up and moderated by Jen MacLean of Dragon Snacks Games and IGDA Foundation (2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. on May 19 at Venice/Peninsula).
Hollywood and games
Maureen Fan is CEO of Baobab Studios.
We’ll discuss the future of gaming and Hollywood in a session with veterans.
We’ll talk about where it’s going next in a session with Hollywood and gaming veterans.
We’ll have a more intimate roundtable entitled “Video games: A performers’ perspective. A look at the video game industry from the perspective of performers. This includes the current state of the video game industry, the threat that Generative Artificial Intelligence poses to the livelihood of performers, and the future for performers who love their work.
We In This Shelby (1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. on May 19 at Catalina room).
And lastly, we’ll have a talk from a tech/film/gaming pioneer Territory on “The Motion Revolution: Redefining real world experiences.”
Step into the forefront of innovation with The Motion Revolution to explore how interactivity is transforming the way we engage with next-generation technologies. Discover We We Venture Receive
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