Interactive Session

Whether you're a large publisher working with multiple external partners or a small studio offering specialized development services, effectively evaluating, engaging, and managing external development is both an art and a scienceIn this practica......

In an industry where large-scale co-development is often entrusted to even larger studios, we’re asking a simple but disruptive question: Can a carefully coordinated collective of small, expert studios actually do it better This Table Topic challen......

The topic for discussion is external development, specifically through staff augmentation What is Staff Augmentation and how can it be used for external development needs on a variety of different sized projects Let’s take a chance to talk to all p......

One of Hollywood’s biggest models - such as the Marvel model - focuses on large, IP-centric creative teams at the core, surrounded by specialized units that help deploy content across formats and marketsThis structure is now mirrored in the game in......

Unwind, play and connect at the Arcade Afterparty On Tuesday and Wednesday, join us for the Arcade Afterparty—a relaxed and playful close to the night Face off against fellow attendees in classic video games projected on the mainstage screens, or ......

This collaborative, audience-driven workshop is about sharing candid stories of mistakes made and lessons learned - and levelling each other up in the process  Hosted by Dave Sanderson in his 10th year at XDS and 5th year on the XDS Advisory Commit......

This session features 9 different Table-Topics Seats are limited, book early......

Join Story Kitchen co-founders Dmitri M Johnson and Mike Goldberg, producers behind Sonic the Hedgehog, Tomb Raider, and more, alongside BAFTA North America board member and games committee chair Julia Bianco, for a focused round-table on expanding g......

Outsourcing has evolved, we are no longer just sending a list of assets to be done, Co-development is becoming the standard This brings a new set of challenges such as fully allowing external teams into your ecosystem and being a part of your team Ho......

External development is no longer just about outsourcing—it’s about building strategic, long-term partnerships that drive innovation and production stability Emerging markets, such as Southeast Asia, have evolved beyond cost-efficient labor pools......

In an era of increasingly complex pipelines and distributed teams, AI isn’t just a buzzword, it’s a competitive advantage This session explores how External Development Managers and Directors can harness AI tools to streamline vendor collaboratio......

Over the past decade, the appetite from traditionally underrepresented players to see characters like them in the games they play has grown As studios and their Ex Dev partners look to meet this need by adapting this diverse reality into their games,......