LF08 Keynotes

Each day of the IGDA Leadership Forum will start with an inspiring and insightful keynote lecture, and the entire event will end with a more casual closing keynote panel.

MVP Leadership

- Curt Schilling – Founder & Chairman, 38 Studios / Pitcher, Red Sox

Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling is a two-time World Series champion and six-time MLB All-Star who is equally passionate about video games as he is about baseball. When he’s not on the mound breaking curses, you can often find Curt playing an MMOG on his laptop. He first became involved on the business end of the industry over a decade ago in a relationship with Sony Online Entertainment. In 2003 and 2004 Curt served as the official spokesperson for the 3DO Company’s High Heat Baseball. Curt brought this love for gaming to life with the inception of 38 Studios in 2006. In addition to this industry experience, Curt also brings a unique instinct to recognize talent and lead a championship team.

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Production Methodology: Past, Present and Possible Futures

- Mark Cerny – Cerny Games

Cerny believes that the creation of games is a complex, iterative process poorly served by the traditional techniques of development such as GDDs, TDDs, detailed schedules, frequent project review, and focus tests. But it is hard to form a comprehensive philosophy of production methodology, as what is a truth today may not be tomorrow. Cerny will take a look at a number of strategies he has seen in his 25 years of game development, starting with the golden age of the arcade and working his way forward to the present day, and on to the future of game development.

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Studio Heads on the Hotseat

- Moderator: Jen MacLean – Chair, IGDA Board of Directors
- Mike Capps – President, Epic Games
- Brett Close – President and CEO, 38 Studios
- Tobi Saulnier – CEO, 1st Playable Producions
- Tim Train – Studio General Manager, Big Huge Games

Studio heads discuss their take on the challenges of leading a game company, share some of the problems they face, and compare the diverse approaches used by their different companies. Panel participants represent independent and publisher-owned studios, casual and core game development, US-based and international operations, and multiple game platforms. The studio heads will contrast their approaches to leadership challenges, and discuss why these ideas work well for them. Audience members will learn more about the different problems facing studio heads during different phases of the company lifecycle. Ample time will be given for audience participation.