The
lineup for SXSW 2020 continues to dazzle as we add more luminaries and
leaders. Headlining this week’s announcement is a Keynote with Whitney Wolfe Herd and Blackstone’s
Global Head of Growth Equity
Jon Korngold in conversation with CBS This Morning
co-host Gayle King,
plus new Featured Speakers including Opening Speaker Lori Gottlieb,
Q&A Founder and CEO Troy
Carter, screenwriter and director M. Night Shyamalan,
entrepreneur and activist Anil
Dash, Chief Diversity Officer at Riot Games Angela Roseboro, and
music producer Susan
Rogers.
Zooming in a bit, the Game Industry Track (March 16-18) is coming
together nicely. As well as the obvious impact that the mainstreaming of video
games has had on the entertainment world, subtler interactions with other areas
of culture, technology and business are more widespread than you might
think.
We’ve gathered speakers and sessions
that will show you how games can affect your area of interest, whatever it might
be — so here are ten sessions on the topics we think will be most influential:
- Reggie Fils-Aimé Keynote. An award-winning innovator and disrupter, Fils-Aimé helped bring Nintendo’s greatest successes to the global marketplace over the past 15 years. At SXSW, he’ll talk about what he learned during his tenure, and what he sees in the future for the game industry.
- Featured Session: Jade Raymond. The launch of Google Stadia is one of 2019’s biggest stories. Jade Raymond (Head of Stadia Games and Entertainment) discusses the progress of this exciting new platform and the plans for continued expansion with Fortune Contributing Editor Chris Morris.
- Featured Session: Lydia Winters. The Chief Brand Officer at Mojang Studio (as well as its eighth employee), Winters will explore how the powerhouse that is Minecraft continues to innovate and build on its legacy of success.
- An Advertiser’s Guide to Twitch Chat. Bethany Lyons of SuperData Research takes a deep dive into Twitch chat logs from successful brand activations, demonstrating the massive reach and unique difficulties of the biggest streaming platform, and the strategies needed to make use of it.
- Game Monetization: Thinking Outside the Loot Box. The rise of in-game monetization mechanics has fueled an explosion in the amount of game content available to players at a fraction of retail prices. Sean Kane (Frankfurt Kurnit) and (Wargaming, Inc.) outline the possibilities.
- How Games Will Save the World. This panel reveals how the American Cancer Society and other nonprofits are partnering with mobile gaming platform Skillz to activate a younger audience to address today’s most important social issues.
- Creating Immersive Worlds Through Film and Games. World-building through film and video games is an art form. Each medium offers very different strengths and limitations for creators to use to their advantage. The most notable difference is that the world of a film is presented in a completely structured fashion, while interactivity defines the video game experience. So how exactly do audiences spend their time with both, and why do they love these mediums in their own unique ways?
- Power Up Play: Designing the Future of Play. Collabsco founder and managing partner Valerie Vacante shares how global toy brands and up-and-coming startups are merging mixed worlds through emerging technologies such as augmented reality, robotics, voice, sound and beyond.
- Comedy: An Essential Tool in Video Game Production: Game writers and narrative designers reflect on the role of comedy in games, not only for entertainment but as a tool to solve production woes — and why most games could use a little comedy.
- How Fashion is Driving Branded Gameplay. Mobile gamers enjoy tremendous influence on the purchasing decisions of their friends and family, signaling a tremendous opportunity for brands. By partnering with mobile game developers, fashion brands in particular are leading this xnew category of marketing – creating unique experiences that deeply engage with consumers.
Want to get in on all the action?
Then buy a badge for SXSW 2020 so you can attend these and the
hundreds of other great sessions scheduled for March 13-21 in Austin. Don’t
dawdle — prices increase at the end of the day on Friday, January 24. Special
discounts apply for groups of ten or more and students. After you register, book your hotel via SXSW Housing & Travel for the best
rates on downtown hotels.
Last but not least, let us know what
you think about our Game Industry sessions via feedback@sxsw.com — also
the place to go for anything else on your mind about SXSW 2020. Looking forward
to hearing from you!
