Innovation and Video Games: 6 panels rebroadcast to keep up with trends

At this major conference, representatives from Ubisoft La Forge, Behaviour Interactive, and Gearbox Software will share their experiences and potential solutions for reducing friction, optimizing internal processes, containing costs, and unleashing creativity through innovation, a crucial lever for companies that develop games.

What you will learn:

• Concrete examples of innovations implemented within these three organizations

• How the culture of innovation develops and is structured within their respective entities

• The approaches used to manage the risk associated with innovative projects

• The main frictions that hinder innovation in teams and pipelines

• The future prospects for innovation in Quebec's video game industry

• The influence of video game discoveries on other sectors.

Panel #2 : Nouvelles frontières du game design (in French)

The New Frontiers in Game Design panel focuses on the evolution of creative practices, bringing together studios and academia. Presentations will cover gameplay, game mechanics, quests, experimentation, research, and the adaptation of design methods to new user practices on different platforms, consoles, and immersive environments.

What you will learn:

• What is innovation in game design?

• Examples of innovation in game design from different production contexts

• The role of technology and software tools in the emergence of new design approaches

• Target audiences and how players' needs influence designers' choices.

Panel #3 : Scientific trends: methods, tools, and impacts (in English and French)

During this panel discussion, three of the most advanced and applicable research projects in the industry were presented by their authors, Jonathan Dupuy (Intel), Guillaume Gilet (University of Sherbrooke), and Sheldon Andrews (École de technologie supérieure – ÉTS). The discussions highlighted the key role of research and development in the evolution of game development tools, engines, and pipelines, generating insights that can be directly leveraged by organizations.

What you will learn:

• Study 1 - Sampling Visible CGX Normals with Spherical Caps (presentation in French)

• Study 2 - Travaux sur la génération procédurale de contenus virtuels dans les jeux vidéo (presentation in French)

• Study 3 - AI-driven Modeling Pipeline for Physics-based Vehicles in Games

Panel #4 : Player Safety: Respect, Inclusion, and Online Well-Being

This panel focuses on the role of technology, IT tools, and moderation systems in creating more respectful, inclusive, and positive gaming environments. Discussions will cover online behavior, toxicity, community well-being, and publishers' responsibility for interactions between players.

What you will learn:

• Key concepts related to player safety and the well-being of online communities

• How technological advances are currently transforming approaches to player safety

• The different forms of online toxicity and their impact on users and communities

• The influence of game genres and gaming cultures on player behavior

• Corporate responsibility for behavior observed in online gaming environments

• Concrete examples of methodologies and tools used to promote healthier interactions

• The respective contributions of industry and academia to understanding and managing these issues

• How to analyze feedback, measure community climate, and assess the overall health of a player community

• Ideas and examples for improving the well-being and positive engagement of communities

• Inspiring reflections on the future of player safety in the gaming industry.

Panel #5 : Future of Pipelines

The Future of Pipelines panel discussions address the new architectures and frameworks that are transforming the production and quality of new games. Automation, intelligent agents, and resource optimization are at the center of the discussions, with direct impacts on how games are designed, developed, and maintained.

What you will learn:

• How production pipelines have evolved over the past five years

• What video game pipelines look like today

• What the future holds for video game production pipelines

• New technological opportunities for publishers and entrepreneurs in the industry

Panel #6 : Former pour innover : studios, universités et LMS (in French)

This panel explores the various training opportunities available to video game professionals to support skills development throughout their careers, whether they are developers, designers, or project managers. Digital learning tools, university partnerships, and adaptation to production structures of all sizes will be discussed in order to build the future of talent.

What you will learn:

• To what extent training needs to be updated, both in terms of format and content

• What are the most popular and sought-after training courses in gaming today

• The main barriers to continuing education

• The popularity and relevance of different training formats, including in-person, asynchronous, hybrid, etc.

• The importance of personalizing learning paths in andragogy, according to the learner's level and needs

• The most current training topics in the video game industry