• Create a detailed roadmap for the online game features and services required to run the game.
• Collaboration with the development team as well as with internal and external services providers
• Designing with LiveOps in mind: Embedding live ops considerations into core gameplay loops and systems from the start.
• Managing productions from incubation to release and throughout live service and live operations.

Michel Aubinais

Live Ops Strategy Director – Online Services
Ubisoft

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• The importance of long-term strategic planning in live service games, emphasizing adaptability to technological advances and evolving player expectations for sustained growth.
• Best practices for integrating external partners to ensure expected quality is delivered on time, and in a sustainable fashion.
• Maintaining a competitive edge through adaptable partnerships, focusing on technological integration, shared innovation, and responsive business models to meet market and player demands.

Johan Petersson

Head of Studio
Thunderful Games

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• Overview of crucial backend services including data storage, player management, in-game economics, and content distribution, highlighting their role in enhancing the game's core and meta experiences.
• Seamless Experience via LiveOps: Discussion on the importance of proactive server monitoring, automated issue resolution, and the use of data analytics within LiveOps to ensure optimal game performance and player satisfaction.
• Addressing Development Challenges: Insights into tackling common backend development challenges such as scalability, security, and synchronization, along with the benefits of rapid iteration processes for continuous improvement.
• Future Directions with Service Marketplaces: Exploration of live service marketplaces and their impact on game development, focusing on community-driven approaches to building, growing, and operating live games through shared backend solutions.

Different perspectives on the pivotal role of infrastructure management in enhancing player experience across different game genres and platforms.

• Designing games with LiveOps in mind: Embedding live ops considerations into core gameplay loops and systems across different genres and platforms from the start.
• Examine scalable, serverless architectures and their benefits in supporting the entire game lifecycle. Shared insight from casual, puzzle, MMORP, strategy and other game types that require frequent content updates and feature rollouts.
• How implementing robust liveops infrastructure and automated issue resolution is crucial for maintaining smooth gameplay. Discussion around strategies for ensuring low latency and high reliability.

Manuel Somonte

Head of Production
Ten Square Games

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Nelle Stahl

Technical Producer
Klang Games

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Tatiana Labkovich

Building Online Services
People Can Fly Studio

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• Community’s Role in Game Longevity: Highlighting the essential role of vibrant player communities in the success and growth of live service games, underlining community engagement as key to player retention and development.
• Event Pipelines for Enhanced Engagement: Describing how structured event pipelines with live events, content updates, and in-game challenges serve as vital tools for maintaining player interest and fostering community involvement.
• Integrating Community Building Platforms: Discussing the strategic use of text chat, video live streaming, and other platforms to support community building and enhance player interactions, emphasizing integration strategies for increased social connectivity.
• Feedback Loop for Game Improvement: Stressing the importance of a continuous feedback loop between the community and developers for tracking game performance and player satisfaction, leading to informed game improvements.

Nino Protic

Head of Studio
InnoGames

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• Examining the use of sophisticated algorithms and player data analytics to customize the gaming experience. This includes dynamic game environments that adapt to individual play styles and preferences, enhancing player satisfaction and immersion.
• The role of real-time analytics in guiding live game updates and content creation. A nuanced approach to data incorporation allows for informed decisions that cater to immediate player needs while considering long-term game viability.
• Adapting to Evolving Expectations with Community Insight: How to transition from initial player excitement to a sustained demand for value requires integrating community feedback and analytics into game development. Ensuring consistent engagement with the delivery of meaningful content and aligning updates closely with player expectations to foster a deeper game-community connection.

• Raindrops In the Flood: What are the key pieces of a living product? How do we create a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts? Live is more than a buzzword - it's a combination of long-term systems design, unique selling points, community support, and brand identity, all of which must be mixed, updated, and rebalanced on a near-daily basis.
• Spoiled and Disloyal: Why do so many live games fail? Just how hard is it to keep a game going? Success, it turns out, is more than mashing a good game into a good community, because most live game designs and business models ignore one vital fact: They're not the only option.
• Execution Is Everything: Live design is deeply simple, yet insanely difficult to pull off. Why is this? What does true, day one, best-in-class product design look like, and how do you salvage a product that isn't trending toward it?

Matthew Laurence

Engagement Director
Avalanche Studios Group

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• Setting a creative vision and delivering a user experience to increase DAU, MAU and player retention.
• Strategies for integrating personalised content and fostering communities to drive player engagement and retention.
• How leveraging player data and behaviour analytics can create personalized game experiences that evolve with the player, ensuring each journey is unique and engaging.
• Leveraging community platforms and live services for enhanced player engagement and feedback.
• The potential of Generative AI to dynamically generate personalized content, elevating replayability and player experiences.

Richard Aldridge

Senior Game Director
Creative Assembly

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Helen Saag

Expert in Marketing and Player Experience
Expert

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Alexandra Perry

Co-Founder and Studio Director
Skeletons

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John Pappas

Sr. Manager, Player Experience
Scopely

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• Relevance and Growth of Cross-platform Multiplayer Games: Technical challenges from development to operations.
• Multiplayer Considerations: Serving players with reliable multiplayer experiences while maintaining a scalable and low latency solution.
• Cross-Platform Development: Considerations for Cross-platform development, ensuring consistent user experiences across all different platforms.
• Launch and Beyond: Strategies to prepare for launch and operating a live game efficiently, providing a reliable game experience for players.

Viviane Costa

Platform Technical Director
Super Evil Megacorp

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• Forever Game Strategy: Brief overview of the shift from traditional boxed game products to a continuous, evolving game model, highlighting the need for innovative approaches in game development and management.
• The importance of prototyping in the early stages of development to ensure the game is designed for scalability, adaptability, and ongoing player engagement.
• Emphasizing the role of player data in guiding game development decisions, from feature updates to content releases, ensuring that the game evolves in line with player expectations and preferences.
• Exploring effective monetisation models that align with the forever game strategy, focusing on sustaining revenue streams while maintaining player satisfaction and trust.
• Addressing the challenges and strategies for changing the DNA of a company to embrace the forever game philosophy, including adopting a player-centric approach and fostering innovation and flexibility in all aspects of game development.

Miguel Angel Pastor Manuel

Chief Technology Officer
Halfbrick Studios

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Fredrik Telenius

Senior Live Producer
Mojang Studios

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James Dobrowski

Managing Director
Sharkmob London

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Tom Westall

Director of Product Management
Super Evil Megacorp

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• Process Design and Implementation: Strategies for designing processes that support the rapid iteration, deployment, and management of live services, including the integration of feedback loops for continuous improvement.
• The essential tools and technologies that enable efficient live service operations, from development platforms to player engagement and analytics tools.
• Building teams - emphasizing cross-functional roles and the importance of clear, agile processes in responding to live game demands.=> how to manage the “live marathon”? How to maintain morale and engagement to operate a service over 10 years+?
• The cultural shift required within organizations to support a live service model, including fostering a mindset of flexibility, innovation, and player-centric decision-making.

• Navigating the Fog of War: Understand the unique challenges and opportunities of LiveOps content development.
• Embedding Product Leadership in Content Roadmaps: Aligning new content with strategic goals of the wider game, focusing on data-driven decisions and player feedback to enhance engagement and retention in live service games.
• Ensure content aligns with creative vision and player expectations, maintain competitiveness with regular updates and balancing adjustments, and continually offer variety and progression to keep the game engaging.

Jane Skullman

Executive Producer
Star Stable Entertainment

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Maria Cornelius

Chief Product Officer
Arrowhead Game Studios

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Puiu Fatulescu

Executive Producer & Studio Head
DECA Games

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• Setting strategic plans spanning alignment strategy, new feature additions, game content portfolio and incremental revenue growth opportunities.
• Content Strategy for Engagement and Personalization: Combining strategic content segmentation with data-driven personalization, this approach aims to balance exclusivity with accessibility, enhancing player achievement and community bonds. Utilizing content analytics, games can tailor content offerings and promotions to match individual player preferences and patterns, optimizing engagement.
• Efficient Content Release and Resource Management: This involves fine-tuning the pace and quality of content releases across various platforms (mobile, console, PC) to sustain player interest and satisfaction. It emphasizes the efficient management of development resources to ensure a steady stream of engaging content that resonates with the community.

• Innovating Map and Mode Development: The creative process and challenges behind developing dynamic, engaging maps and modes for Battlefield 2042, showcasing how live service principles guided the team's vision and execution.
• Adapting to Player Feedback in Real-Time: Explore strategies for incorporating player feedback into live service development cycles, detailing how player insights have directly influenced updates, enhancements, and the overall gameplay experience.
• Sustaining Engagement Through Continuous Content: The importance of regularly releasing fresh content, events, and updates to maintain player interest and engagement, and how this approach has shaped the roadmap for Battlefield 2042’s maps and modes.

Claire Bromley

Maps and Modes Live Service Producer – Battlefield 2042
Criterion Games

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• How to oversee the efficient operation and cost-effective management of production support services department at scale.
• Resourcing the backbone of support to game development, production, and publishing - QA, Localisation, Player Support, Anti-Cheat and External Services.
• Building a Resilient Game Architecture: Emphasize adopting modular, scalable, and cloud-native designs to ensure smooth updates and adaptability to changing player needs. Highlight the role of efficient processes, automation, and CI/CD pipelines in reducing errors and streamlining deployment.
• Evolving Game Content for Enhanced Player Experience: Combine crafting meaningful content updates with outcome-oriented development to ensure updates resonate with players. Utilize player feedback and testing to guide feature enhancements, remaster the core gameplay, and introduce new elements that enrich the player's experience.
• Technical Debt Management: Introduce tools and strategies to map technical debt, prioritizing areas based on their impact on player experience, development speed, and resource constraints. Discuss balancing immediate fixes with long-term sustainable solutions.

• Uncover techniques for identifying which segments of gamers are most likely to engage with your game, focusing on demographic, psychographic, and behavioral insights to ensure your game resonates with its intended audience.
• Maintaining Momentum with a Dynamic Player Base: Discuss the challenges and strategies of keeping a diverse and evolving player base continuously engaged through regular updates, events, and community-driven content.
• Cultivating Loyalty through User Feedback: Explore how actively listening and responding to player feedback not only improves the game but also fosters a loyal community, enhancing player satisfaction and retention.

Payal Shah

Women in Games Ambassador & UX Researcher
Expert

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• Risk Management in Live Service Models: Discuss strategies for balancing risk, including business-led decision-making and the strategic hiring of team personnel tailored to the needs of a live service ecosystem.
• Feedback Loops and Development Integration: How to seamlessly integrate LiveOps into development pipelines to enable effective customer and player feedback loops, ensuring the game evolves in response to community needs and optimal data flows are maintained.
• In-Market Delivery and Engagement: Considerations for delivering engaging live service features and effective community management. Utilize player data to personalise experiences, swiftly address feedback, and optimise player engagement in real-time.
• Launch Strategy: The strategic use of early access as a tool for fine-tuning game mechanics and content, ensuring a robust launch. Explore how this approach facilitates a smooth transition to a live service model, laying the groundwork for sustained success and growth.

Sahil Gupta

Senior Strategist
CCP Games

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Christophe Zerathe

Director of Live Ops
NACON

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Isabel Arjona

Senior Development Director
Criterion Games

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• Understanding Your Audience: Highlighting the importance of demographic research and niche market identification in game development for targeted player engagement.
• Crafting the Right Message: Tailoring content and messaging to resonate with specific demographic groups, using examples of successful engagement strategies.
• User Acquisition: Targeting players through an omnichannel approach, including social media and influencers.
• Addressing a target audience through storytelling and creating loyalty through content.
• Content Creation & Distribution: Discussing the development and dissemination of engaging content that captures the essence of the game and appeals to the target audience.
• User Generated Content Strategies as means to engage players, increase retention and create true community.
• Community Building for Engagement: Emphasizing the creation and nurturing of game communities as a fundamental aspect of maintaining player satisfaction and loyalty.
• The role of digital ownership and player-driven economies in building game communities. How can we build games that are sustainable while adapting to the ever-changing nature of the internet?

Gasper Jager

Head of Creative Production
Ten Square Games

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Anna Stoilova

Co-Founder & CEO
Rogues Studios

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• Overview of F2P: Introduce Free-to-Play as a scalable monetization and distribution strategy, highlighting its potential for sustainable business growth and enhanced player satisfaction.
• Strategic Monetization: Emphasize encouraging regular and extended gameplay through integrated paid features, microtransactions, and premium options.
• Personalized Experiences: Utilize data analytics to tailor marketing and gameplay to individual preferences, boosting engagement and LTV.
• Content and Community Engagement: Stress the importance of regular content updates and gameplay diversification to maintain player interest and community vitality.
• New Revenue Streams: Explore innovative monetization methods such as subscriptions, cosmetic economies, loyalty programs, and brand collaborations.
• Re-engagement Campaigns: Discuss the use of targeted re-engagement campaigns and special events to revive interest among dormant players and sustain an active community.

• Increasing customer lifetime value by choosing the revenue model that works best for your game and target audience.
• Designing core gameplay mechanics that are satisfying, challenging, and encourage progression with long-term appeal.
• Creating monetisation models that offer real value to players.
• Uncover emerging opportunities for revenue generation, service expansion, and shaping the future of player engagement.
• What mistakes have been made in the past and what have we learnt? How do we improve our processes as a consequence?

Michael Hooper

Director of Product Management
Build A Rocket Boy

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Mikhail Shotin

LiveOps & Monetization Manager
MY.GAMES

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Vladimir Tortsov

Director of Live Ops
CD PROJEKT RED

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