Steel Media’s series of global games industry conferences returns to Finland next week for Pocket Gamer Connects Helsinki. Next Tuesday and Wednesday September 12 - 13, over 1,600 games industry professionals from all around the globe will head to Helsinki for two days full of networking opportunities and game-changing insights from brilliant speakers.

Filling 20 wall-to-wall conference tracks across both days, expert speakers will be delivering their insight on everything from mobile gaming's new monetisation models and new markets to industry trends and predictions. We've covered the mobile highlights from the show but there's more than mobile that will be coming under the microscope. Prepare for plenty of talk about Web3, artificial intelligence, the metaverse, blockchain and more

With four of the 20 tracks focusing on exactly this kind of emerging tech in games here's a preview of the hot hi-tech chat at the show:

AI Advances

PopScreen Games CEO Davy Chadwick will explain how developers can make the leap to generating game content, while Nasser Elmasri, founder at Ludo World will share his journey with generative AI and the exciting possibilities it has opened up. With a particular focus on how this technology has played a pivotal role in developing interactive fiction-type games, Elmasri will also shed light on its limitations.

Toby Smith, head of product at Telescope Labs asks of LLM analysis, ‘Is that the future?’ And anybody looking to add artificial intelligence to their development resources shouldn’t miss the panel session, The Best AI Tools for Game Developers and How To Use Them. You’ll hear how game developers and marketers are incorporating AI tools into their workflows to streamline processes and reduce workloads – as well as retrain staff on AI tools and navigate the ethical issues and legal challenges that come with using AI. Speakers include Davy Chadwick, CEO at PopScreen Games; Daff Kjellstrom, managing director at Dimoso; and Peter Fodor, CEO and founder at AppAgent.

Virtual Visions

The track dedicated to VR, AR and MR kicks off with a fireside chat with Resolution Games’ CEO Tommy Palm as he shares insights from his decades in the games industry and discusses what the future holds for the sector.

Ziad Jarrar, CEO and founder of Mark:MetaEarth explores the blurring lines between real and virtual worlds, while Duc Le explains how to speed up your VR/XR development process.

And the climactic final panel session asks the big question – is spatial computing finally ready for the mainstream? With the launch of Apple’s VR headset soon, hear the latest industry insights from panelists including Jon Hibbins, CEO and founder at Psytec Games; Petri Rajahalme, founding partner at FOV Ventures; Ida-Emilia Kaukonen, senior community manager at Varjo; Eero Tiainen, creator of Avatar’s Journey/FIVR; and Christina Barleben, CEO and creative director at Thoughtfish.

Building On Blockchain and Web3 Wonders

Jure Grahek, SVP of strategic initiatives at Zebedee will lay out the roadmap for the successful implementation of a play-and-earn monetisation strategy that places as much emphasis on fun as it does on finance.

It’s a theme that will also be picked up on by the panel session that’s all about building blockchain games that are actually fun. Experts onstage will include Jari Pauna, CEO at Supremacy Games; Patrick McGrath, CEO and co-founder at Moonlit Games; Elina Arponen, CEO & co-founder at V; Karl Blomsterwall, CEO at Nibiru; and Katerina Burbela, BD manager at remote control productions.

Creative Mobile’s Paul Flanagan will chart Web3’s progress to date in gaming, while FrontRunnrs CEO Mirela Moldovan will dive headfirst into the twisted world of headhunting in the epic battle of Web2 versus Web3.

Lastly, a panel session will explore where AAA web3 games exist on the current timeline. Are they already here or is a AAA web3 game still a pipe dream at the moment? Hear from Orel Sror, co-founder CSO and head of Web3 at OviO Gaming; Marja Konttinen, founder at Transparent Eyeball; and Paul West, CEO at Fumb Games.

And there's more…

Want to know more of what's on show? Get the lowdown on all the tracks at PGC Helsinki 2023 here and browse the full list of speakers here (use the toggle at the top to switch between the two days of the show).

From mobile to big screen gaming, blockchain, virtual reality and more, with PGC Helsinki 2023, there’s always something new to learn so don't miss out.

Find out all about the show and get your tickets here!