Catch up on some of the best talks and sessions from Pocket Gamer Connects Digital #2

Every recorded session now available on YouTube

• Keynote: How to 'Break-in' to the Games Industry

  Rovio senior recruiter Alexei Ryan has a fascinating story about he broke into the games industry, but even if you don't get to hear about it, his talk on how to make your own big break is still super interesting.

  Ryan digs into what recruiters are actually looking for when they put out a job listing, with culture fit and pedigree ranking pretty highly alongside your specialisation in a certain field.

  But he also explains why hiring itself is a difficult task, breaking down the difference between active and passive candidates and suggesting that you look for internal talent alongside your external search.

  Don't forget to get your ticket to Pocket Gamer Connects Helsinki Digital so you can get all the latest and greatest insights into the games industry straight to your screen!

  
  

• Maximizing Your Game's Reach - A Quick Primer on Culturalisation

  Geogrify's Kate Edwards is a regular on the conference talk scene, and for good reason - she makes some really interesting talks.

  This time around, Edwards spoke about culturalisation, and why it's important to not only localise your game for different countries, but also to consider how your game fits in with your target's culture so that it better reflects the market.

  It's a tough topic to fully grasp, as every culture is vastly different in a variety of tiny ways, so you need to consider geopolitical history, predominant faiths, and whether your game is actively excluding certain types of culture to fit an aesthetic - and how that could change.

  Don't forget to get your ticket to Pocket Gamer Connects Helsinki Digital so you can get all the latest and greatest insights into the games industry straight to your screen!

  
  

• Fireside Chat: Lessons we Learned as a Publisher

  Now I am cheating here slightly because this is a fireside chat that I lead, but our sessions with Gamevil Com2uS USA's Kyu Lee was surprisingly frank and honest, and an amazing insight into the publishing mobile games.

  Lee talks not only about the successes of bringing games to the wider world, but also some of the failures and what lessons the company has learned from them to help improve future releases and ensure their success.

  You'll also find out more about what Gamevil Com2uS is looking for when it's partnering with a developer, which may be handy if you're looking for a publisher right now.

  Don't forget to get your ticket to Pocket Gamer Connects Helsinki Digital so you can get all the latest and greatest insights into the games industry straight to your screen!

  
  

• Building & Running Game Economies

  Nick Murray's talk on game economies was so good that we brought him back to do a Masterclass session for us recently, so if you missed out on your chance to learn directly from him, then this is a good starting point.

  Inside, you'll find a detailed look at building your economy, including how many currencies you should be using and what value you should be attributing to those currencies, as well as how to more accurately show this to the player.

  He also digs into how time is a currency players spend in your game, and details ways on balancing time sinks and sources to ensure players are investing enough time while still getting plenty out of the game.

  Don't forget to get your ticket to Pocket Gamer Connects Helsinki Digital so you can get all the latest and greatest insights into the games industry straight to your screen!

  
  

• Working Smart - Machine Learning in Art Asset Creation for the Games Industry

  Machine learning can seem like witchcraft to people who don't already understand it, but So Real's Kelly Vero helped to break down some of those walls with her talk on how it can be used for art asset creation.

  It's all very technical, of course, but you're sure to learn something about segmentation, clustering, and a whole heap of other terms that I couldn't explain to you here, but Vero can in her talk.

  And what's the overall benefit to you, the developer? Faster asset creation, leading to quicker prototyping, game development, and populating vast worlds with art efficiently.

  Don't forget to get your ticket to Pocket Gamer Connects Helsinki Digital so you can get all the latest and greatest insights into the games industry straight to your screen!

  
  

• Panel: Inspiring the Next Generation of Talents

  A panel so good we did a follow-up article for it, our own Dave Bradley led a group of industry members on a discussion on how we can inspire the next generation of talent to get into the games industry.

  He's joined by an all-star line-up, with Melissa Phillips, Silver Rain Games' Melissa Phillips, Splash Damage's Leanne Peppiatt, Aquiris' Sandro Manfredini, and Fellow Traveller's Des Gayle all offering their insights.

  It's a great resource for anyone looking to get their first job in the industry, or for those who are looking to make a change to their recruiting practices and help a new generation of developers shine.

  Don't forget to get your ticket to Pocket Gamer Connects Helsinki Digital so you can get all the latest and greatest insights into the games industry straight to your screen!