Develop 2012

Develop in Brighton is Europe’s leading conference for video game developers, taking place annually in the seaside city of Brighton and attracting more than 1,500 developers from 20 countries. 2012 is Develop’s seventh year and takes place on 10-12 July.

There are four conferences within a conference at Develop in Brighton – Develop, Evolve, Indie Dev Day and Indie Dev Marketing.

Evolve is a one day conference taking place on 10 July and focuses on emerging markets, platforms and technology within the industry. Valve’s Jason Holtman will present the Evolve opening keynote.

Indie Dev Day, featuring the all new Indie Dev Marketing, runs over 11-12 July and is designed specifically for independent developers and studios.

Develop is the main conference – a two-day knowledge sharing event with nine tracks, including art and design, and the all-new Visionaries track, which features games masters such as David Perry, Ian Livingstone, David Braben, Eugene Evans and Philip Oliver.

Art track sessions and speakers include:
o KEYNOTE: Evolution of Art in Social and Mobile Games; James Zhang, Zattikka
o Playing With Clay: Making Claymation Work in a Game; Iain Gilfeather and Chris Roe, Fat Pebble
o Finest Organic Produce: How To Make a Handcrafted Videogame; Gordon Midwood, Different Tuna
o Creating a unique visual IP from inspiration to realisation; Cumron Ashtiani, Atomhawk Design
o Outsider art: What can creatives outside the industry teach videogame; Alex Wiltshire, Edge Online
o I'm Sorry for Your LODs: The Benefits of Baking; Dan Evans, Crytek

The networking for attendees is just as important as the education and these include the Guardian Pub Quiz, Expo Booth Crawl, Develop Ice Breaker drinks, the Games Aid poker night, the Develop Industry Excellence Awards (organised by Intent Media),

Ian Livingstone, life president, Eidos: “I thorough enjoy the Develop Conference. There are some excellent speakers and it’s a great learning and networking event for both UK and overseas developers. Brighton naturally creates a relaxed atmosphere. Attendees are happy to share experiences and ideas. I meet up with lots of old friends and have a brilliant time.”