It's going to be a busy week in Cologne with both Devcom and Gamescom attracting games professionals from around the world.
The former event kicks things off with a two-day conference that will see more than 250 speakers discussing some of the biggest challenges in the industry today across over 200 sessions.
There's a lot to wade through in the full program, so the GamesIndustry.biz team has selected our highlights of some of the sessions we think will be most interesting.
Devcom Developer Conference 2024 runs from Monday, August 19 to Tuesday, August 20 at Koelnmesse in Cologne, and you can find more information at the event's website.
A Case for Better Story Integration — or, "I Am Begging You People To Stop Calling It A Story Wrapper"
10am-11am, Keynote Stage – Confex Expo Floor
In Devcom's opening keynote, Outer Wilds writer and narrative designer Kelsey Beachum explores how every element of a game can help tell the story without relgating it to modal conversations and cutscenes.
The Global PC and Console Games Market, Forecasts, and Trends for 2024
11.30am-12.30pm — Stage 5 - Xsolla Stage - Confex 2 Floor
Newzoo's senior consultant Devan Brennan looks through the latest data and insights from the global PC and console games market, including revenues and spending, player behaviours, and the analysis firm's forecasts up to 2027.
Surviving eighth years as an indie studio: Tools kept and tactics scrapped
12.30pm-1.30pm — Stage 14 - Confex 3 Floor
Philomena Schwab, CEO and game designer at The Wandering Village developer Stray Fawn Studio, explores the biggest lessons learned since the company first opened doors and how indies can tackle the challenges they face.
A glimpse behind the curtain: What are the content considerations being made by indie publishers in 2024
1.30pm-2:30pm — Stage 14 – Confex 3 Floor
Team17's head of game scouting Jasper Barnes sheds light on the decision-making processes that indie publishers go through when greenlighting the titles they
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