Many call it the game industry's latest big disruptor, but where does Artificial Intelligence fit within the landscape of external development? Get ready to dive deeper into this year’s XDS Insights Report with guest author Abigail Canavese, Assistant Director of Co-Development Success, Virtuos.  In this episode, Abigail unpacks the current and future impact of AI on external development, alongside other compelling discoveries from the report.

The annual XDS  Insights on External Development for the Video Game Industry provides understanding into the changing trends in external development as it becomes an increasingly integral part of game development. Download the Report

The audio presentation that follows was delivered at XDS Ignite 2024, an annual event that unites a peer group of Developers/Publishers to build a network, address common challenges, and incubate ideas for the main XDS event in September.

Watch the XDS Ignite presentation 

GUEST AUTHOR & PRESENTER:  Abigail Canavese,  Assistant Director of Co-Development Success, Virtuos

CO-AUTHOR:  Chris Wren, Founder, Executive Director, XDS Conference, Co-Founder, XDS Spark

CONTRIBUTING ANALYST:  Nathaniel Tze Kai Tan, Data Analyst, Virtuos

Thank you to our wonderful show host!
Sam Carlisle, Co-Founder, XDS Spark

Connect with us!

Email us at [email protected]
Join us LinkedIn
Subscribe to our YouTube channel
Follow us instagram @xdsummit

Visit our XDS website to learn more.

XDS Spark
Learn about our new B2B platform for creative industries.

Thanks for listening!

Join us for the insightful XDS 2023 panel presentation, "Resilience in Action: How External Development Companies Navigate Crisis," moderated by Claas Grimm, CFO of Sharkmob. The panel features external development companies with Ukrainian roots sharing their experiences of navigating the adversities of the Russian war of aggression and economic turbulence. 

The discussion covers various aspects, including team management, operational challenges, financial planning, and creative problem-solving. They highlight the significance of remaining innovative and agile during such crises. By sharing these experiences, the panelists aim to inspire the audience to reflect and make informed decisions to extend support when most needed.
 
Thank you to our panelists for sharing their valuable experiences and insights.

Daniel Poludyonny, Head of Game & VR Studio, VP Delivery, N-iX
Yurii Kompanieiets, COO and Co-owner, Ulysses Graphics
Alina Obukhovska, Account Director, VOLMI - A Virtuos Studio
Sviatoslav Pogrebnoi, Chairman, Room 8 Group

Thank you to our wonderful show host!
Carla Rylance, XDS Advisory Committee Chair and Head of External Production, Behaviour Interactive

Connect with us!

Email us at [email protected]
Join us LinkedIn
Subscribe to our YouTube channel
Follow us instagram @xdsummit

Visit our XDS website to learn more.

XDS Spark
Learn about our new B2B platform for creative industries.

Thanks for listening!

How do you strike a balance between keeping the artist happy and motivated while keeping the studio happy and cost efficient?

This episode introduces the September XDS 2023 presentation “Unlocking the Power of External Partnerships Collaboration,” delivered by industry pros Erik Pettersson, Lead Outsource Artist, EA DICE, and Kim Aava, now Art Director with Toca Boca.

Kim and Erik dive into the various stages and processes of external partnerships from initial trials to advanced operations. They discuss their hybrid approach at EA DICE, which combines co-dev with traditional outsourcing. They share valuable insights into strategies and best practices for setting and maintaining art quality expectations, effective communication techniques, and how to balance ownership between internal and external teams. 

Connect with us!

Email us at [email protected]
Join us LinkedIn
Subscribe to our YouTube channel
Follow us instagram @xdsummit

Visit our XDS website to learn more.

XDS Spark
Learn about our new B2B platform for creative industries.

Thanks for listening!

Efficiency Is Everything: What The Airline Industry Can Teach Us About External Development Strategy

This episode includes the XDS 2023 presentation delivered by Dave Sanderson, Director of External Development, Phoenix Labs. Dave examines several strategies airlines use to optimize their operations, and in doing so reveals valuable insights into how devs and service providers can better organize themselves – and ultimately create better games.

After listening, not only will you find out what movie terrified Dave growing up, but both game developers and service providers will be better able to answer the question, “What does good ExDev look like for us?”

Watch Dave’s XDS 2023 video presentation

REFERENCE: 
Sam Carlisle, Co-Founder,  XDS Spark
Game Development and the Movie Method
XDS 2022  video presentation 

Connect with us!

Email us at [email protected]
Join us LinkedIn
Subscribe to our YouTube channel
Follow us instagram @xdsummit

Visit our XDS website to learn more.

XDS Spark
Learn about our new B2B platform for creative industries.

Thanks for listening!

In this episode of our podcast, we provide a positive outlook and insightful commentary on the present state of the gaming industry. We then introduce our XDS 2023 Fireside chat, which took place in Vancouver, featuring special guest - Marija Radulovic-Nastic, who serves as the Chief Technology Officer for Electronic Arts. The chat is hosted by Joe Nickolls, VP of Sumo Digital North America and Managing Director of Timbre Games. It's an engaging conversation that you definitely shouldn't miss!

Connect with us!

Email us at [email protected]
Join us LinkedIn
Subscribe to our YouTube channel
Follow us instagram @xdsummit

Visit our XDS website to learn more.

XDS Spark
Learn about our new B2B platform for creative industries.

Thanks for listening!

Join Chris Wren as he reflects on the successful XDS 2023 event and offers a glimpse into what's new for XDS in 2024, including XDS Spark. Exciting developments are on the way!

Then listen on for the XDS 2023 Fireside Chat with Molly Mason-Boule, Games COO of Riot Games that follows. Joe Nickolls, VP of Sumo Digital North America and Managing Director - Timbre Games, joins Molly to discuss her career journey, insights into the games industry, and the importance of external development. Don't miss this opportunity to gain valuable knowledge and perspective from an industry leader!

Connect with us!

Email us at [email protected]
Join us LinkedIn
Subscribe to our YouTube channel
Follow us instagram @xdsummit

Visit our XDS website to learn more.

XDS Spark
Learn about our new B2B platform for creative industries.

Thanks for listening!

Innovation is a lot harder than one may think. Nigel Franks, Studio Director of Production at Snowed In Studios, shares his reflections on this topic and how the struggles of expanding a business are not unique. Nigel’s award-winning presentation delivered at XDS 2022 follows. You might need a notepad for this one – as Nigel discusses how textbook MBA lessons don’t always work, real-world scaling, strategic planning, and why innovation fails or succeeds in a high-growth environment.

Watch the video presentation

XDS gathers hundreds of international attendees from over 45 countries to advance the practice of external development for the games industry with three days of structured networking in Vancouver, Canada, one of the most beautiful cities in the world.

Connect with us!

Email us at [email protected]
Join us LinkedIn
Subscribe to our YouTube channel
Follow us instagram @xdsummit

Visit our XDS website to learn more.

XDS Spark
Learn about our new B2B platform for creative industries.

Thanks for listening!

Game Development and the Movie Method: What we'd like it to be, versus what it is and it'd take to be successful.  Guest Sam Carlisle, Sr. Director, External Partner Relations, Xbox Games Studios, contemplates the benefits and challenges in shifting to The Movie Method in game development. The audio presentation that follows was delivered at XDS 2022, where Sam explored what the movie method truly is.

Our industry has long been fascinated by the movie model. By which small teams temporarily form to build productions at scale. The differences between game and film production and the traps we set ourselves prevent successful implementation. "There are challenges to overcome and fundamental shifts in approach required. However, I believe there’s also the potential of game changing opportunities to be unlocked, with external development holding the key…"

Watch the video presentation

XDS gathers hundreds of international attendees from over 45 countries to advance the practice of external development for the games industry with three days of structured networking in Vancouver, Canada, one of the most beautiful cities in the world.

Connect with us!

Email us at [email protected]
Join us LinkedIn
Subscribe to our YouTube channel
Follow us instagram @xdsummit

Visit our XDS website to learn more.

XDS Spark
Learn about our new B2B platform for creative industries.

Thanks for listening!

Dave Sanderson, Director of External Development at Phoenix Labs, talks with Chris Wren about why he loves his role and expands on the concept of whether External Development and outsourcing are viable options to grow a company.

Dave’s audio presentation that follows was delivered at XDS 2022. In January 2020, Phoenix Labs was acquired by Garena, transforming it from a venture capital-backed independent company to a unit within a publicly traded global gaming giant. Dave discusses how their corporate planning changed dramatically – and ExDev strategy had to change with it. This talk is a practical review of how and why ExDev strategies change; how External Development contributes to and is driven by wider corporate strategies; and how Service Providers actually experience these strategies in practice.

Watch the video presentation

Connect with Dave Sanderson on LinkedIn

Connect with us!

Email us at [email protected]
Join us LinkedIn
Subscribe to our YouTube channel
Follow us instagram @xdsummit

Visit our XDS website to learn more.

XDS Spark
Learn about our new B2B platform for creative industries.

Thanks for listening!

Chris Wren chats with Carla Rylance, Head of External Production, Behaviour Interactive, on why her presentation, Diversifying with Confidence, should be a go-to reference for Service Providers courting new clients.

Carla’s audio presentation that follows was delivered at XDS 2022. It helps Developers and Publishers diversify with confidence by presenting tips and tricks to elevate due diligence processes. It provides value to established and n00b Service Providers by giving an insight into what questions are important for Developers/ Publishers when hunting for the perfect Partner.

The need for external development is showing no signs of slowing down. The importance of diversifying our Partners to stabilize capacity is apparent, but concerns with analyzing new partners or engaging with small vendors with no track record can be challenging.

Watch the video presentation

XDS gathers hundreds of international attendees from over 45 countries to advance the practice of external development for the games industry with three days of structured networking in Vancouver, Canada, one of the most beautiful cities in the world.

Connect with us!

Email us at [email protected]
Join us LinkedIn
Subscribe to our YouTube channel
Follow us instagram @xdsummit

Visit our XDS website to learn more.

XDS Spark
Learn about our new B2B platform for creative industries.

Thanks for listening!