Game Talks: Thursday

Talks

LAUREN KAYE, FOUNDER/HOST, SHE PLAYS GAMES

How to meet people when you're an introvert

One of the most important skills to upgrade when pursuing a job in the games industry is the ability to network effectively which can be a bit difficult for someone who is introverted. In this talk, Lauren will be sharing some of her top tricks for bypassing introvert anxiety when attending the dreaded networking events.

Lauren is an award-nominated host, presenter and content creator working in the games industry. She focuses on content around celebrating minorities in the games industry and creating video content around games.

She Plays Games is a podcast dedicated to celebrating women who work in the games industry and shining a light on their inspirational stories. Its aim is to make the various roles in games visible to anyone looking to join the industry, through programming, QA, producing, streaming, content creation and more.

MARK RANSON, LEAD ARTIST, VOID INTERACTIVE

Failing faster: Getting stuff done in the games industry

Mark is currently a lead environment artist and core content creator on Ready or Not, and his games industry career has spanned over 13 years working at such companies as Eurocom, Rocksteady, Cloud Imperium, Driven Arts, Splash Damage and VOID interactive alongside years of running his own company and doing freelance work. 

This talk will focus on everything that Mark wishes he knew before getting started in the industry—including how to stay motivated and flexible as an artist, getting the most done with the tightest budgets, what it means to work across AAA/indie/personal projects. Plus everything between, including general soft skills and an excursion into surviving and thriving in a very demanding industry.

Mark has worked on all kinds of titles from James Bond Goldeneye, Harry Potter Kinect, Disney Universe, Batman Arkham Knight and VR, Days of War, Suicide Squad, Star Citizen and Ready or Not. He has also spent 3 years as a visiting lecturer at the University of Hertfordshire, where he also studied.

ALEX EARLE, PRODUCER, RADICAL FORGE

So, you want to be a games producer?

Alex is a Producer at Radical Forge; he previously worked at Cooperative Innovations as Community Manager on Spaceteam VR and as a brand ambassador for Nintendo UK. This talk will explore his journey to becoming a Producer as well as the handy tricks and tips he’s learned along the way.

Harun Ali, Environment Art QA, Cloud Imperium Games 

A Beginner’s Guide to a Career in QA

QA is often seen as foot in the door for people wanting to get into the industry, but is that all it is? What does QA do? Is there more to QA than just testing? This talk will be a guide to those wanting to learn QA place in the development pipeline, the different roles that can be found within QA department, and the key skills needed in Quality Assurance. 

Harun is a local Bradfordian who has spent the last 8 years working across the games industry and academia. In the past he has worked on Lego Dimensions as a QA tester, been an FE tutor teaching games development, and currently works as the Embedded Environment Art tester at Cloud Imperium Games—the studio behind Star Citizen. Harun will bring his expertise and insights into Quality Assurance, talk about his journey and personal stories from the industry. 

Abbie Willett, Game Designer, Sumo Digital

Top tips for landing your first games industry job

Abbie is a game designer at Sumo Digital Sheffield and has worked on HITMAN 2 as well as the triple BAFTA Award winning Sackboy: A Big Adventure, released in 2020. Previously, Abbie was an animator before they pivoted their career into game design. Abbie was awarded MCV’s 30 Under 30 award and had the opportunity to be on the BAFTA Games Jury in 2020.

Abbie joins the Yorkshire Games Festival to talk about how to get your first ever industry job and what to expect when you do, including the dos and don’ts when applying as well as top tips to showcase yourself in the best way. Abbie will also draw from their experiences working as an intern on HITMAN 2 and their career change from animation into games design. 

KALAM NEALE, HEAD OF EDUCATION, BRITISH ESPORTS ASSOCIATION

Careers in the esports industry and beyond

Kalam will provide an industry insight into the educational developments in esports across the UK, including the British Esports Student Champs, the Pearson and British Esports suite of esports qualifications, the National Esports Performance Campus, as well as the transferrable skills linked to university progression and a variety of careers including esports, business, creative media, STEM and sport.

As Head of Education at British Esports, Kalam focusses on delivering growth and development of esports in education across the UK and beyond.

Recipient of the prestigious Pearson National Teaching Award for his outstanding commitment to digital innovation, Kalam—an experienced teacher, educator and educational leader—previously served as Esports Programme Lead at Barnsley College, where he co-wrote the Esports BTEC in association with Pearson and British Esports, as well as being one of the first to offer the qualification to students and participate in the British Esports Student Championships.

Kalam also serves as Director of Education at Strategic Esports Group, Trainer and Podcast Host at Pearson and Governor at Barnsley College. He was a NASEF Fellow for the 2021–22 academic year.

Make the most of your lunch break

Each day of Game Talks has a scheduled break for you to grab some refreshments, take a breather and reflect on all the cool and interesting things you’ve just heard—but there's also lots going on around the museum for you to enjoy. 

Make sure you eat and get some fresh air, but also have fun, be inspired and meet lots of like-minded people. 

GAMES LOUNGE

Our Games Lounge is a permanent gallery that explores the history of gaming. It has lots of new and classic consoles and arcade machines for you to play. 

Free, bookable slots have been reserved for festival delegates over the lunch break—booking details coming soon. 

CAREERS LOUNGE

Throughout the breaks of Game Talks, our Careers Lounge is your one stop for unwinding, playing games and taking advantage of unmissable opportunities to speak to professionals from the UK games industry. Gain practical career advice and make contacts in a relaxed, informal atmosphere.

Our Careers Lounge will include:

• Career Surgeries – Drop in and speak to gaming professionals working in the industry. It’s an exciting opportunity to ask your questions, gain portfolio guidance and career advice.
• Portfolio Reviews – Get some constructive feedback on your own work from a variety of industry professionals. 

There will also be a variety of games from studios and speakers you’ve seen talk that day, plus some just for fun.

Of course, your lunch break is for lunch. For food and drink, our museum café serves hot and cold drinks, amazing cakes and sandwiches and salads. Pictureville bar serves great coffee and snacks for a quick pick-me-up. Bradford has some excellent cafes and restaurants if you wish to explore outside of the museum.