November 3rd, 2023
SGW More Than Games
Corinthian, Glasgow
The global games ecosystem is far larger than anyone suspects. Alongside millions of consoles, billions of players, hundreds of billions of dollars and blockbuster franchises, games are quietly transforming our world.
Games represent a transformative technology, playing a role in areas from education and healthcare, to the future of film, TV, performing arts and music. From immersive technologies to the emergence of the metaverse, videogames are playing an increasingly important role.
Yet many people remain unaware of the ways in which games are changing our world and shaping our digital future.
More Than Games is a unique event designed to highlight and showcase the transformational power of games in our digital world – for people who don’t make (or play) videogames.
Now in its 6th year, the award-winning event series Art of Possible (a fringe series for the CAN DO Innovation Summit) brings together an eclectic community of innovators, technologists, creatives, academics and entrepreneurs (and from a range of sectors) to offers practical insights on how the right tech as well as progressive business practices & cultures can accelerate and enable competitive advantage and growth for Start-ups and SMEs.
Now partnering with More than Games on 3rd Nov 2023 to explore how games are changing our world and shaping our digital future.
Day Programme
Keynote
Kelly Vero, Editor in Chief, Metacrun.ch
Date: 3rd Nov
Time: 09:30
Location: Flying Scotsman
From Pixels to Portals: The Rise of Interoperable Technologies
Join games veteran and metaverse maven Kelly Vero in shaping a world where metaverse experiences; health advancements, femtech innovations, immersive video games, wearables, and digital fashion intertwine—fostering a harmonious technological tapestry.
Keynote
Jörg Tittel, Director, RapidEyeMovers
Date: 3rd Nov
Time: 10:30
Location: Flying Scotsman
Escape or Travel – Identifying Abusive Game Mechanics and Alternate Paths
Our world is gamified, perhaps it always has been, with kings, emperors, queens, down to today’s techno-feudalists shifting and discarding us like chess pieces. It is hard to unpack the mechanics that make our society run, but why not start by unpacking the meaning – or lack thereof – behind the mechanics in the games we play? Games aren’t just the most popular entertainment medium – or escapism – in the world. They may be the key to unlocking a better tomorrow. Let’s travel together.
Session
Dr. Eve Poole, OBE, Interim CEO, Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland
Date: 3rd Nov
Time: 11:30
Location: Flying Scotsman
Robot Souls
Artificial Intelligence is about copying human intelligence. But in our haste to program only the very best of our known design into AI, we seem to have left out all the ‘junk code’: the bits we’re ashamed of, or struggle to understand, like our emotions, uncertainty, mistakes, and intuition. Might a re-think about the value of our junk code help to address these issues in AI?
Session
Kate Edwards, CEO, Geogrify
Date: 3rd Nov
Time: 12:00
Location: Flying Scotsman
The Quiet Cultural Influence of Video Games
As games have grown exponentially in their financial impact over the last couple of decades, they have also emerged as a key means of conveying real-world cultures. As a geographer who’s worked on over 265 games in her 30 years in the industry, Kate will provide compelling examples of how games not only reflect culture, but actually help to inform and influence it as well.
Session
Lee Kirton, Entertainment Director & Creative Producer, 4Media Group
Date: 3rd Nov
Time: 13:30
Location: Flying Scotsman
Bringing Games to Life
Games are not just marketable ‘click bait’ media buying products. They are art which deserve respect and therefore in marketing it’s important to be creative, bring those ingredients to life in the physical world with performances, interactivity, putting focus on writers, composers, directors, and talents. These all need to be celebrated.
Session
Brian Baglow, FOUNDER & DIRECTOR, SCOTTISH GAMES NETWORK
Date: 3rd Nov
Time: 14:00
Location: Flying Scotsman
Game Apocalypse
Session
Sean Taylor
Dr. Chris Lowthorpe
The Applied Games Lab, InGame
Date: 3rd Nov
Time: 14:30
Location: Flying Scotsman
Game Tech is eating the World
This practical and interactive workshop unpacks the principles, processes and products of the InGAME Applied Games Lab. Discover how we harness the awesome power and potential of game design and technologies to provoke innovations in response to societal challenges and deliver a 15x return on public investment.
Session
Hilary Philips, Youthlink Scotland
Bronwyn Strachan, Youth Highland
Luci Holland, Tinderbox Collective
Date: 3rd Nov
Time: 15:00
Location: Flying Scotsman
Making and creating with young people
Hilary Phillips, YouthLink Scotland talks to Luci Holland, Tinderbox Collective and Bronwyn Strachan, Youth Highland about using games design in a youth work setting as a powerful tool to unlock young people’s confidence and creativity. We’ll share about involving young people in making digital content, and our thoughts on the value of games design skills and the industry for inspiring young people.
Session
Dave Jones, CEO, Naemair
Date: 3rd Nov
Time: 15:30
Location: Flying Scotsman
How industries are assimilting gaming tech, and how games are assimililating industries
Using personal experience from games and technology like Fortnite, Grand Theft Auto, Unreal Engine and others, Dave Jones looks at the relentless push from gaming and its technology into and out of other industries, presenting unique opportunities for developers, brands, and companies.
Session
Graeme Stevens, Director, New Frontier
Date: 3rd Nov
Time: 16:00
Location: Flying Scotsman
Metinburgh: Blockchain and Tourism
This talk will cover why we are building Metinburgh and the (strong) case for it, unpack the argument and case for a Hybrid Economy, explore what Metinburgh will contain and our vision for it, and explain how you can participate and help. shape the platform
Session
Maxwell Scott-Slade, Company Director, Glitchers
Date: 3rd Nov
Time: 16:30
Location: Flying Scotsman
Can games really do good? The impact of Sea Hero Quest 7 years on
It was in 2014 that Max’s drive to bring science and gaming together was brought into focus after his brother Josh’s Schizophrenia diagnosis. This passion lay a new path that led to him to design Sea Hero Quest – the world’s first game where anyone can help scientists fight dementia. This talk is intended to raise awareness about the massive impact of Games for Good projects and demonstrate the amazing possibilities available by breaking away from industry trends.
Session
Dr. Jackie Mulligan, Co-Director, Game Republic
Date: 3rd Nov
Time: 13:30
Location: Langley
Cultivating creative thinking when you’re all too busy
Creativity fuels the success of the games industry, but in the day to day and middle of projects and deadlines, it is easy to lose that creative space. This 1 hour workshop will provide attendees with tips to stimulate creativity within themselves and within their team and company culture based on her own extensive research in this field.
Session
Brent McKenzie, Professor, University of Guelph
Date: 3rd Nov
Time: 14:30
Location: Langley
Is The Medium Still the Message? Gaming and Dark Tourism
Dark tourism, or the travel to sites and attractions related to death, tragedy, or the seemingly macabre is a growing tourism sector that has been influenced by the growth of various media, including gaming. Call of Duty 4 and Chernobyl, games centred on 9-11, The Town of Light, and numerous titles focused on actual battlefield conflicts provide entertainment, and education. But what impact do these games have on travel and tourism to the actual sites, and to what degree does the game shape the visitors expected level of darkness?
Session
Naysun Alae-Carew, Managing Director, Blazing Griffin
Date: 3rd Nov
Time: 14:45
Location: Langley
Narrowing the gap between film and games
Is it finally time for truly independent franchises? A brief look at copyright and creative ownership in the age of digital natives. Current studio and platform business models appear unsustainable, and yet demand for expansive and authentic story worlds across media has never been higher. Can independent franchises offer an answer?
Session
Shivoh Chirayil Nandakumar, PHD Researcher, National Robotarium
Date: 3rd Nov
Time: 15:15
Location: Langley
Unlocking Robotics: A Gaming Odyssey for the Next Generation
A glimpse into the ambitious plan of making the world’s best video game for children to learn robotics: Robolore. From the author of the children’s book “What Makes a Robot Tick”.
Panel
Dr. Jackie Mulligan, Co-Director, Game Republic
Noirin Carmody, Commercial Director & Executive Producer, Revolution Software
Kimberley Turner, Finance and Commercial Director, Double 11
Marcia Deakin, Co-Founder, NextGen Skills Academy
Date: 3rd Nov
Time: 15:30
Location: Langley
Elevating Game Development: Strategies for Leveling Up the Industry Environment
A panel of women who run game studios, discussing the topics of investment, management, how to get more women into games, and how to secure more investment in women-owned companies
