7:30-9:00am |
Registration, Breakfast, Exhibits and Networking
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9:00-9:15AM |
Welcome and Opening Remarks
Jamil Moledina, Executive Director, GDC
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9:15-10:00AM |
Keynote - Outsourcing: The Next Stage of Evolution in Game Development
Shiraz Akmal, Corporate Vice President, THQ
With ever increasing demands to develop next-generation titles and the need for developers to continually exceed consumer expectations, outsourcing has become an increasingly important tool for the videogame industry.
In this keynote, Shiraz explores the evolution of game development and discusses how the industry has shifted to converge on a distributed approach to development. He also highlights the benefits of outsourcing and shares insights on how globalization is helping to raise the bar leading to better games. Shiraz concludes his keynote by answering questions from the audience.
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10:00-10:45AM |
Geography of Outsourcing
Jonathan Hales, President, OutsourceReport
Jonathan shares a worldwide view of outsourcing in the game industry. He explores the opportunities available around the globe, the benefits and obstacles of outsourcing to different locales, and the internal strategies that must be considered when choosing development partners. In addition, he examines how the growth of external development is changing internal structures and development strategies.
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10:45-11:00AM |
Networking Break
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11:00-11:45AM |
When Does It Work, Where Does It Fail? A Postmortem.
Rajesh Rao, CEO, Dhruva Interactive
Rajesh presents a case study from a developer featuring five elements that went right, and five that went wrong during the development of a project that utilized outsourcing.
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11:45-1:15PM |
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1:15-2:00PM |
How Does it Work, and How to Implement it?
Ben Wibberley, VP North America, Babel Media
Ben's presentation offers a step-by-step guide on how to put together a bid and a contract. It will also detail how to prepare assets before presenting to a vendor. The session will look at best practices regarding the vendor selection process and the implementation of contracts, terms and conditions, service level agreements and process. As it relates to best practices, there will be references to Localization, QA, Art, Audio, and even Mobile, with a special focus on how to ensure a productive, cost-effective outsourcing relationship. Broad subjects covered include common fallacies/mistakes, preparing RFPs, pilot programs, pricing, metrics, ongoing development, training, communication, ongoing pricing/quality evaluation, and smooth management of the work flow/pipeline.
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2:00-2:45PM |
Knowing When to Outsource: A Publisher's Perspective
Paul Steed, Creative Director, Atari
In this session, Paul will discuss the bottom line of a large publisher who utilized outsourcing for a project. What compelled the publisher to look outside its internal team and the implications of the ROI are also addressed.
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2:45-3:00PM |
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3:00-3:45PM |
Do-It-Yourself: Growing Your Own Outsourcing Group
Lewis Peterson, President & CEO, 7 Studios
Gain insight on how one independent developer made the decision to build its own outsourcing group and learn why. From the overall philosophy to the everyday functions, it covers the motivations, methods and ongoing processes of developing an overseas branch office. Location, staffing, government and legal processes, equipment concerns, timelines and estimated costs are also discussed.
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3:45-4:30PM |
The 21st Century Art Director
Justin Muir, Art Producer, Midway Home Entertainment
Justin evaluates art direction from both the technology perspective and the human resource perspective. The session takes a look at managing the process, evaluating the technology used to outsource elements, and understanding how to communicate your needs and requirements to develop an effective pipeline.
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4:30-5:15PM |
Anatomy of an Outsourcing Deal
Chris Lena, Producer, Sony Online Entertainment
Joe Shoopack, Studio Art Director, Sony Online Entertainment
Chris and Joe present a case study on outsourcing assets for EverQuest expansion content and other SOE properties. The presentation will include a discussion on the business perspective, IP, personnel management, financials, and how to negotiate a contract successfully. They will also cover setting up a communication pipeline for use on multiple projects and will end the session with questions from the audience.
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5:15-7:00PM |
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