CONNECT WITH GAME RESEARCHERS AT THE IGGI CONFERENCE

Next week our Education Ambassador IGGI will host its annual conference.

iGGi Con will take place at the Queen Mary University of London on September 13th & 14th and will provide an opportunity for the games industry and the wider public to connect with researchers presenting their innovative work and findings.

The iGGi Con is a unique platform for the games industry to meet researchers who are undergoing training to become experts in key areas of game development, including game AI and games user research. Many of these researchers are interested in pursuing careers in the games industry post-PhD and looking for new collaborations.

The conference stretches over two days, and attendees are welcome to attend the full event or just a single day. The programme includes:

  • talks on AI design tools, serious games, machine learning, and narrative design;
  • workshops on topics such as green games, procedural audio, Dungeon Master, and failure in games play;
  • two panels – one on engaging the next generation, and one presenting iGGi Researchers’ Knowledge Exchange projects;
  • keynotes by games researchers Vanessa Volz from modl.ai, Aleena Chia from Goldsmiths, and iGGi Alumnus Joe Cutting from the University of York;
  • poster and game demo sessions presenting recent and current projects of iGGi Researchers and ‘friends of iGGi’.

In parallel with the talks track, the conference will also feature an Industry Meet & Greet ‘Mini Expo on Thursday September 14th, where iGGi industry partners and members of the games industry will host stands and network with the conference attendees and the wider community of Queen Mary students and staff.

“The event will be a celebration of iGGi’s strong links with the UK games industry,” said Susanne Binder, iGGi Research Programme Manager. “We want to showcase the value of iGGi Con by providing a unique platform for attendees to network and make valuable connections. In the past, the iGGi Con has had industry participants from prominent companies such as Microsoft Research, Sony Entertainment, and Creative Assembly, among many others. This year, we aim for even bigger and better, not least by particularly encouraging participation from SMEs, newstarters, and NPOs such as BAME in Games, Safe in Our World, and the IGDA Climate community. Notably, iGGi has become Women in Games Education Ambassadors, which represents one further step to help create a more level playing field for all the groups which are currently underrepresented in the games industry and academia.”

To register for the conference or learn more about iGGi Con 2023, visit the conference website here.