July is WN Eastern Europe Conference Month

From July 1-31, WN Eastern Europe will bring together game developers, publishers, investors, platforms, service providers and other game industry pros from more than 100 countries.

You can catch all the action live streamed in the WN Hub. Lectures will be held online-only format from July 1-3. There will also be a physical event in St. Petersburg from July 9-10, which will also be live streamed (so you can enjoy it from the safety of your home). Experts from Raw Fury, Activision Blizzard, Unity, SEGA, Tilting Point, Ten Square Games, MY.GAMES, Facebook, and many other leading companies will deliver the insights on different aspects of game development.

Online networking and recorded lectures will be available the entire month from July 1-31.

The WN Hub and its meeting system is already open which gives you the opportunity to add your game to the Devs Showcase yourself. Three steps to include your game to the Devs Showcase:

• Register to showcase on the website

• Log in to the platform following the instructions that will be provided immediately after registration

• Add your game from My Profile

This is an opportunity to find partners and investors.

Basic tickets are FREE and provide access to the online lectures.

For more information visit the conference website.

Get 10% off PG.biz Master Classes

The folks at PocketGamer.biz at running five half-day master classes taking place 8-10 June, from recognized industry experts.

Sessions include Building a Game Pitch with Arran Topalian, How To Run An Effective Playtest with Pascal Luban, Mastering Data For Engaging Game Design with Poornima Seetharaman & Vimal Sathish, Cognitive Science and a UX framework to Improve Your Game with Celia Hodent, and Designing for LiveOps Success with Crystin Cox.

For more information and to sign up visit: https://www.pocketgamer.biz/pages/masterclasses/

IGDA Finland members can enter the following code: IDGAPartnerMC10 to get 10% off.

Have a Connection with Type 1 Diabetes? JDRF Wants to Talk

JDRF is the world’s largest nonprofit funder of research toward cures for type 1 diabetes (T1D), one of the deadliest auto-immune diseases on the planet. T1D is a potentially fatal autoimmune disease that affects up to 38M people worldwide. JDRF’s mission is to improve lives today and tomorrow by accelerating life-changing breakthroughs to cure, prevent and treat T1D and its complications.

In 2019, the charity launched JDRF Game2Give to bring together video game developers and players in the fight against T1D. The program was started by two game industry execs, Telltale Games cofounder Dan Connors and recent IGDA Board Chair Hans ten Cate, who are both fathers of children with T1D. Former Kongregate CBO Josh Larson, also a T1D dad, joined as JDRF Game2Give’s director in 2020.

To date, JDRF Game2Give has raised more than $1.1M through Humble Bundles, Twitch charity events, and online game tournaments. The team also built the first-ever charity game in Roblox to take the place of traditional in-person charity walks during COVID-19.

JDRF Game2Give and its growing group of game industry volunteers are actively seeking out IGDA members who care about curing type 1 diabetes, to help raise awareness and money toward crucial research. If you have a T1D connection or simply want to collaborate in support of a good cause, please reach out at gaming [at] jdrf [dot] org.

Speaking Opportunity at Digital Dragons

Digital Dragons will be taking place online from September 7-8. They have a rolling speaker application progress that will continue until the end of July. This is a great opportunity for anyone looking to get more experience in public speaking at industry events. Visit the conference website for more information and anyone interested in speaking should sign up here.

Free Business Meet Up Hosted by Digital Dragons

The Digital Dragons Business Meet Up is happening on May 13-14, so get ready to meet new business partners!

This a business-focused event dedicated to game developers, VC funds, and publishers. The goal is to support game developers in these challenging times, and provide them with optimum business opportunities by allowing them to present their games to international investors and publishers.

The two-day event will feature panel discussions on the funding of industry projects. The key element of the event is a matchmaking platform for networking. It offers an opportunity for Game developers and investors, and publishers and distributors alike to arrange direct business meetings. Tags will help you find the partner you are looking for and make scheduling meetings more efficient.

The event is hosted using PINE, a comprehensive online event and matchmaking platform.

Participants will be able to arrange 30 min 1 on 1 meetings. The matchmaking event will take place on May 13-14 but you can start arranging your meetings now to find an investor, publisher or an interesting project.

Register now and join the Business Meet Up on May 13-14.

How to Attend PGC Digital #6 for Free!

Pocket Gamer Connects Digital #6 is right around the corner, so if you haven’t registered, it’s about time. And we wanted to share a few ways you can sign up for free.

Apply for an Indie Developer Pass:

There a limited number of free passes allocated for small indie developers, who may not otherwise be able to easily attend events. To apply for a free indie developer pass to use this form.

Apply for a Jobseeker Ticket:

PGC Careers Week will take place during the event. So if you’re looking for something new and want to connect with some game recruiters this option is for you. There are number of jobseeker tickets available for free that will give you access to the specific recruitment opportunities, but also all other aspects of the PG Connects online event. To apply for a free jobseekers ticket use this form.

And if you still want to attend, but don’t qualify for either of the above options, remember that IGDA Finland members can get 20% of their tickets using promo code: IGDADIGI5FI20 when registering or by using this link.

Join Finland Games Job Fair on the April 21st!

Finland Games Job Fair gives participants the opportunity to get an overview of the Finnish games industry, learn about various career opportunities, virtually meet and interact with HRs of the  studios, showcase their talent to recruiting companies, engage in online interviews for open jobs, and ultimately make their next career move.

Participating studios are - Rovio, Supercell, Redhill Games, Lightneer, MiTale, Frogmind, Quicksave, Dazzle Rocks, Fingersoft, Yousician, Metacore and many more! These companies are makers of well renowned games such as Angry Birds, Clash of Clans, Hill Climb Racing, Nine to Five to name a few. 

At the virtual event, participants will hear from senior recruiters on key topics like how to break into the games industry and tips on making your resume stand out. Our business partners – Business Finland, Helsinki Business Hub, Game Makers of Finland, IGDA & Neogames – will share their insights into the fast-growing and exciting games industry in Finland.

What to expect from the event?

• A unique facet of the event is that the platform will be accessible for 2 months to studios and talents alike enabling continued recruitment prospects

• At the expo area, attendees will be able to visit interactive company stands and engage in live sessions with studio representatives

• On the Career Wall, multiple job openings from recruiting studios will be advertised 

• Finding studio representatives can be done by associated tags, through which one can chat with them or book an online call.

There will also be sessions on pertinent industry topics like:

• What is the range of compensation and benefits for professionals in the gaming industry in Finland?

• How are Finnish companies recruiting and relocating new employees during COVID times?

• How do professionals smoothly transition or begin their career in the games industry?

And for those unsure about accepting a job opportunity in Finland, we will have past event candidates, share their experiences about moving and working in Finland.

Last, but not least, we are also partnering up with job board like Games Jobs Finland, Games Jobs Direct and In Game Jobs to bring you more career opportunities. 

How can you join the Finland Games Job Fair?

If you are now intrigued and want to join the Job Fair, then take a couple of minutes to fill out a simple registration form. We will assess the applications and will accordingly contact you, before the event, about any matching role(s) and invite you to an online interview with our talent specialist.

After filling the registration, you will receive an email and a link to the online Pine platform which can be used to join the event on 21 - 22 April.

To help participants get comfortable with the online platform and prepare them to get the most out of the event, we will organize a preparatory Warm-Up webinar on March 31st. We will share tips on how to fill up the attendee card and attract the attention of recruiting companies, an overview of the capabilities of the online platform for the event and answer any questions.

We are looking forward to meeting you on April 21st! 

For more information on Finland Games Job Fair visit www.gamesjobfair.com

Get 15% off DevGAMM Spring 2021

You missed the early bird date get your tickets to the DevGAMM Spring 2021 online conference, but we’ve got you covered. IGDA Finland members can use promo code DG&IGDA_Finland15 when registering for a 15% discount.

The conference will be held from May 12-14 on the PINE Tool platform.

The program includes professional speakers, reviews on game design, art, and marketing, as well as, round tables and workshops.

Developers can take part in the Public Pitch game pitching and present their projects to potential publishers. Participating in the Virtual Showcase, developers can present their games to the conference audience at their personal booths and can get greater coverage in the Streaming Showcase, where streamers will review and playtest the games.

Submit your game by April 15!

Developers will be able to compete for nominations at the DevGAMM Awards. The prize fund, sponsored by tinyBuild and Xsolla, is $20,000!

Job offers from the leading gaming companies will be available on the Career Wall. Everyone can also enjoy chatting with colleagues during Random Networking and an online party.

For more information visit the conference website.

Get 20% off Pocket Gamer Connects Digital #6

Pocket Gamer keeps the online events coming with PGC Digital #6 from April 19-23. The digital events have managed to reach lots of people that normally aren’t able the make the journey to physical events. Participants from more than 75 countries were represented at each of their online conferences in 2020.

This conference will feature all the things that you’ve come to expect: Expert talks, networking opportunities using Meet-to-Match, Big Indie Pitches for Mobile and PC + Console, Careers Week, the investor connector, speed matching, a journalist bar, and the IGDA Mentor Cafe.

IGDA Finland members can get 20% of their tickets using promo code: IGDADIGI5FI20 when registering or by using this link.

DevGAMM Spring 2021 Online Conference

The DevGAMM Spring 2021 online conference will be held from May 12-14 on the PINE Tool platform.

The program includes professional speakers, reviews on game design, art, and marketing, as well as, round tables and workshops.

Developers can take part in the Public Pitch game pitching and present their projects to potential publishers. Participating in the Virtual Showcase, developers can present their games to the conference audience at their personal booths and can get greater coverage in the Streaming Showcase, where streamers will review and playtest the games.

Submit your game by April 15!

Developers will be able to compete for nominations at the DevGAMM Awards. The prize fund, sponsored by tinyBuild and Xsolla, is $20,000!

Job offers from the leading gaming companies will be available on the Career Wall. Everyone can also enjoy chatting with colleagues during Random Networking and an online party.

Registration is now open and free BASIC tickets are already available (for listeners only). PRO tickets are available for the early bird price of $69 until March 30! Register now!

For more information visit the conference website.

The 2021 IGDA Developer Satisfaction Survey

We need YOU to fill out the Developer Satisfaction Survey! This study is about the composition and work experiences of people who work in the game industry because you do work or engage in study that is game-related. Anyone who is involved in the game industry may take part in this survey, including academics and students, contractors, the self-employed, indies, journalists, hobbyists, streamers, eSports, etc.

The results of this survey are used for various reports and cited by others in their studies. Having as many creators included from as many backgrounds and experiences as possible helps us make sure we're representing the global game development community as best we can.

Sign up now for WN Winter '21

The WN Hub is back! From February 8-12, the WN Winter conference will stream lectures with live Q&A sessions by speakers EA, SEGA, Saber Interactive, Wargaming, Facebook, Nutaku, Snap, MyTracker, SayGames and others to share knowledge and help people level up their skills and stay current with trends.

The conference also has a developer exhibition where indies and studios can show off their games, get feedback and meet with publishers. Teams that demo will also get one free business pass to access the conference’s networking system. When signing up on the form, be sure to enter IGDA Finland under “How did you find out about the WN Hub.” The developer exhibition is free, but there some promotional options for additional fees.

Basic tickets to the event are FREE for game developers and gives access to the lectures and the developer exhibition, while business tickets are required to use the networking system. IGDA Finland members who are game developers can get a 10% discount off business passes using promocode: IGDAsecretcode. NOTE: WN will cancel basic tickets or discounted business tickets that are registered for non-game developers. Sign up here. Networking is already open for anyone who wants to get an early start.

Get 20% off Pocket Gamer Connects

Pocket Gamer returns with PGC Digital #5 from February 8-12. The need to connect remains as strong as ever, even though many of us are still unable to travel. Despite hopes of an end to the pandemic, we've all accepted that early 2021 will still be an unusual time. Fortunately, Pocket Gamer Connects is running digital events and has managed to reach lots of people that normally aren’t able the make the journey to physical events. Participants from more than 75 countries were represented at each of their online conferences in 2020.

This conference will feature all the things that you’ve come to expect: Expert talks, networking opportunities using Meet-to-Match, Big Indie Pitches for Mobile and PC + Console, Careers Week, the investor connector, speed matching, a journalist bar, and the IGDA Mentor Cafe.

IGDA Finland members can get 20% of their tickets using promo code: IGDADIGI5FI20 when registering or by using this link.

Indie Teams of less than 10 people can apply for a limited number of subsidized tickets using this form.

Pathfindings: A Global South Initiative

Pathfindings is a celebration of game development from the global south taking place online from November 12-15. Seeking to create direct impact by elevating and giving a platform to otherwise marginalized voices, this three day online conference will touch on development practices, culture, heritage, diaspora and decolonization with developers and the community from global south speakers who deserve to be celebrated streamed by IGDA HQ on Twitch, and can be accessed on MeetToMatch.

The event is free for developers, however a “pay it forward” option is available to help support the initiative and our parent organization, the IGDA. Get your ticket through Eventbrite

Get 15% Off Your DevGAMM Tickets

DevGAMM 2020 conference will be held online on November 9-20. The first week will be devoted to game development and the second to networking and business.

The online part will consist of sessions and workshops, feedback sessions, round tables and showcases, a game contest, and more. Also, expect networking events that will be held offline in Moscow, Minsk, and Kyiv.

Game submissions are open! Show your project to a wide audience of the conference. Take part in the DevGAMM Awards and win cash prizes from sponsors. Submit your project for industry experts’ review on Game Design Review, Marketing Review, Art Review, and Audio Review.

If you want to practice your elevator pitch to publishers live, then Public Pitch 2.0 is exactly what you need. To top it off, draw even more attention to your game by participating at the Virtual Showcase and Streaming Showcase.

Submissions for Awards, Review series, and Public Pitch 2.0 are open until October 20, for Streaming and Virtual Showcases until November 3.

Tickets for DevGAMM 2020 are on sale now. IGDA members use promo code DG&IGDAFinland15 to get a 15% discount on your ticket during checkout.

White Nights Continues Around the World

Are you ready for five days of networking and talks by game industry stars? Are you ready to meet top companies like Rovio, Facebook, Nordeus, Unreal Engine, Unity, VK, Melsoft, TikTok, AppGallery, and others? Are you eager to learn from leading experts, find perspective games, or talk to publishers and platform representatives? Then join the WN Fall’20 on October 26-30.

All the online features of the WN Hub platform are awaiting you: chats, video and voice calls, meetings 24/7, an updated virtual expo that features leading game industry companies, and Media and Publishers Districts. For developers, there is also a great opportunity to take part in the Dev Expo and get one Business ticket for free!

Check the speakers, choose the type of ticket and register on the website! Basic conference passes that give access to the lectures are free!

IGDA Members can use promo code IGDAfriends for a 5% discount on business/all-access tickets.

Finnish Games Career Day – job fair for Games industry professionals on 28 October is now open for applications

Have you been thinking about changing your job or exploring new opportunities abroad in the games industry? Then, Finnish Games Career Day is the place to be! It’s an online and interactive event where you can meet some of the leading Finnish games studios, explore multiple open positions, get advice on how to get into the Finnish games industry and make your job search easier, and chances of scoring an interview for your next career step. Even if you are not ready to change your job now, you can use this opportunity to get to know the companies better, try out their games and network with gaming professionals from all over the world! 

All you have to do is to submit an application and wait for an invitation to join Finnish Games Career Day. 

So what else does Finnish Games Career Day have to offer? You will get to meet participating companies like - Remedy Entertainment, Epic Games, Seriously Entertainment, Fingersoft, Redhill Games, Critical Force, Nitro Games, DoDreams, Panzerdog, Mainframe Industries and many, many more! Apart from studios’ presentations, we will share information about relocating to Finland and the support you and your family members will get if you decide to accept an opportunity in Finland. You will also hear from participants from past events, who already live and work in Helsinki, about their experiences and they will also answer any questions that you may have.

The event will be online and interactive:

• In the main event, participating companies will present themselves, new projects they are working on, talk about company culture, recruitment process and open positions.

• At the expo area, attendees will be able to visit interactive company stands and engage in live sessions with studio representatives.

• On the Career Wall, we will advertise multiple open vacancies from recruiting Finnish studios. 

• You will be able find representatives of any company by associated tags and chat with them or book an online call.

• You can even have a ‘virtual cup of coffee’ with recruiters in the lobby of the event and discuss open opportunities directly with them

Last year, we organized similar job fairs in Helsinki, St. Petersburg and Kyiv and helped 25 professionals to start a new page in their careers in Helsinki. This year, there are over 300 open positions in Finland at the games studios. And one of them could be yours! 

Why come to Finland for a career in the gaming industry?

Firstly, Finland has consistently been rated as the ‘happiest country’ to live in the world. This is based on world-leading education and healthcare systems, safe and clean environment for family living, many social and recreational options and a beautiful landscape that promises over a thousand lakes.

Secondly, “Finland is one of the leading gaming hubs in Europe and has some of the fastest growing game studios in the world.” says Oleg Paliy, CEO of Games Factory Talents. With an annual turnover of 2.5 billion euros per year. This industry employs about 3,500 professionals and about 35% of them are foreigners. Furthermore, with English being the official language in the industry, this presents some exciting opportunities for industry professionals from all over the world. 

There are about 240 game companies in Finland: from small startups to world-famous names like, Supercell, Remedy Entertainment, Rovio, Electronic Arts, Zynga, Ubisoft, Housemarque, Next Games and many others. So, if you have been thinking about gaining international experience and developing yourself in the games industry, then Finland is the right place to do it!

How can you join Finnish Games Career Day?

If you are now intrigued and want to join Finnish Games Career Day, then take a couple of minutes to fill out a simple registration form. You can also find the registration link and much more information on the Finnish Games Career Day website. While filling your registration, please indicate your specialization and skills, attach your resume and a link to your LinkedIn profile, portfolio or GitHub profile. We will assess your experience and match you with relevant job opportunities before the event itself. We will accordingly contact you, before the event, about any matching role(s) and invite you to an online interview with our talent specialist at the event. 

After filling the registration, you will get an email and a link to the online PINE platform and you can use that link to join the event on 28th October.

To help you get comfortable with the online PINE platform and prepare you to get the most out of the event, we will organize a preparatory WarmUp webinar on October 14th. You will get tips on how to fill up the attendee card and attract the attention of recruiting companies, get an overview of the capabilities of the online platform for the event and get answers to any of your questions.

We hope to see you on October 28th at 9.00 am (East European Time) for Finnish Games Career Day! Do not forget to sign up via the registration form before the event!

Inclusion Actions that Actually Matter in Games Companies: Survey & Discussion

We are excited to have Laura Smith, founder of Pluuro, speak at Leadership Day by IGDA Finland on September 28th.

For her upcoming presentation, Laura wants to know, "What is the most impactful action your company has taken to make YOU more empowered, more included, or more productive there?". To have your thoughts or experiences included in the discussion, please respond to the anonymous survey by Monday, September 21st. The survey takes 4 minutes to complete and can be found here:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/InclusionInGames .

In addition to her talk, insight from the survey will be used to help circulate inclusive solutions in the industry and to help companies prioritize actions that have real impact.

Thank you for your support and participation.

Like all things IGDA Finland, Leadership Day is free and open for everyone and made with love by our volunteers. To sign up and learn more visit: https://www.igda.fi/leadership-day-2020

This event wouldn’t be possible without the kind support of our sponsors: RedHill Games, Next Games, Epic Games, and Supercell.

Leadership Day (Sept 28): Better Cultures. Better Teams. Better Games.

IGDA Finland is pleased to announce Leadership Day, a one-day online conference dedicated to how we build companies, teams and working cultures to make better games. This year’s Leadership Day will take place on September 28th. 

Games companies, their inner workings and cultures are some of the least documented aspects of game development. Yet we and our work are all defined by these choices every single day. Join us in learning and challenging the cutting edge of leadership in games from some of the brightest minds in the industry!

This one day event is designed around a thought provoking speaker track and ample room for networking with industry peers, including an IGDA Mentor Cafe to help you grow your professional network! Hear from industry influencers, like our keynote speaker, Joakim Achren of Elite Game Developers, and join in digital discussions to help better your business. 

Like all things IGDA Finland, Leadership Day is free and open for everyone and made with love by our volunteers. To sign up and learn more visit: https://www.igda.fi/leadership-day-2020

This event wouldn’t be possible without the kind support of our sponsors: RedHill Games, Next Games, Epic Games, and Supercell.

PGC Helsinki Digital - Special offer for Finnish Devs!

Pocket Gamer Connects Helsinki Digital is getting closer! And although it will be global and 100% online, we still very much want to celebrate the best of Finland like we always do in September. So we have created a special offer for Finnish developers to make it easy for them to attend.

Exclusively for Finnish developers: if you buy 3 tickets together, you get the third one free. It’s a special ticket type that goes live tomorrow.

The code FinnFree makes the 3-for-2 ticket appear!