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Session Name:

GDC Main Stage: The Developer's Impact

Overview:

In this installment of the GDC Main Stage and follow up to GDC 2019's 'The Developer's Journey', 'The Developer's Impact' is a multi-part presentation delivered by three esteemed game creators: Osama Dorias, lead game designer at Warner Brothers Games Montreal, Ziba Scott, the "Optimist" at Popcannibal, and Lyndsay Pearson, executive producer and GM for The Sims at Maxis, a studio of Electronic Arts.Part 1: 'Heart, the Secret Ingredient to Great Games' (Osama Dorias)This presentation will draw from the experiences of Osama Dorias, Lead Game Designer at WB Games Montreal, as he discusses how his struggles with xenophobia growing up as a Muslim Arab in the west inspired the narratives of the games he has worked on. Osama will also share the stories and experiences of other notable video game professionals, both AAA and Indie, who have similarly sourced their own lives and personal stories when crafting their games.Part 2: Kind Words: Why Be Nice? (Ziba Scott)Being nice isn't the sexiest game mechanic -- nothing explodes and there's no reason to wear cool body armor. So how did Popcannibal convince players to send each other four million uplifting messages? Ziba Scott will share the leap of faith in humanity that birthed Kind Words, and the limits required because humans are messy.Part 3: 'Valuing Inclusive Game Design' (Lyndsay Pearson)Video gamers of today are more diverse than ever before. To begin tapping into the future of the market, it's becoming increasingly important to design games that appeal to a broad audience of players from all backgrounds and cultures. In this talk Lyndsay Pearson will cover how inclusiveness impacts our games, why it's important to grow inclusive culture in our workplaces, and how The Sims has evolved the franchise to reflect this trend.

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  • Game Developers Conference 2021
  • Osama Dorias
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  • Lyndsay Pearson
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  • Ziba Scott
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