GDC Focus On: Game Outsourcing Summit Announced

The CMP Game Group, producers of the Game Developers Conference, as well as Gamasutra.com, have announced a new conference entitled GDC Focus On: Game Outsourcing Summit, slated for August 14, 2006 at the Los Angeles Airport Marriott. The event will focus on the topic of outsourcing and off-shoring, and is the only summit in the gaming space entirely dedicated to outsourcing games-related work. The topic of outsourcing is particularly relevant in the face of next-generation game development, for as the number of assets requiring management increases, outsourcing has become a prudent alternative for game development and production. The GDC Focus On: Game Outsourcing Summit will explore these production and development methods and their financial viability. It will also bring together publishers and developers to discuss opportunities and to establish potential partnerships. "Game outsourcing presents both opportunities and challenges to video game development. In some cases, outsourced development has helped reduce costs and improve efficiencies for the production cycle. In other cases, the complexities of outsourcing have inhibited the process," said Neil Kent, regional conference director, CMP Technology. "The GDC Focus On: Game Outsourcing Summit will bring together key players with first-hand knowledge of, and experience with, outsourcing so that attendees leave better prepared to make critical production decisions." The event will feature several conference sessions, each headlined by experienced industry decision-makers who will discuss aspects of the outsourcing process and the development services industry. Session topics will include a case study from a developer featuring five elements that went right, and five that went wrong during a project that utilized outsourcing; a step-by-step guide detailing how to put together a bid, a contract, and how to prepare assets before presenting them to a vendor; a session about how smaller developers can take advantage of outsourcing; and a presentation by two producers sharing their experiences with outsourcing projects, one who used a local resource, and one who used overseas resources. Both will cover the experience of managing their projects. Additional topics will include a look at current and burgeoning outsourcing regions; their differentiators and the strategies used for considering outsourcing to these locales; a case study of an actual deal from the business perspective, including: IP, personnel control and management, and how the financials work, as well as successfully negotiating a contract; and a look at managing the process, the technology used to evaluate the outsourced elements, and understanding how to communicate your needs and requirements to develop an effective pipeline. The official keynote for the GDC Focus On: Game Outsourcing Summit will be announced in July. For more information on the event, registration and sponsorship opportunities, visit the official website.