Changing tide

Develop prepares for celebratory looks at the past mixed with uncertain glances to the future

- 

The title of a talk at this year's Develop conference will no doubt ring true for many attendees at Brighton's Hilton Metropole: 'I Did Survive 'Til 25: Now What?' In a sign of a battered industry grasping for a way forward, it's joined by not one but two talks on bouncing back from redundancy. Still, amid the gloom and hand-wringing, there's also plenty of time for celebration on the schedule.

The conference kicks off on July 8 with a keynote from Jens Andersson and Pete Ward of MachineGames on their approach to adapting Indiana Jones. Given the success of The Great Circle, it's sure to be well attended by those looking for guidance on handling precious IP.

In another keynote on July 9, Remedy's Sam Lake will reflect on 30 years of storytelling, a period that has seen videogames advance their narrative chops — a topic we discuss in depth with him in this issue (see p72). Nonetheless, we're yet to find the man short of words, so he'll no doubt have yet more wisdom to share throughout this session.

Develop's third keynote sees actor Jane Perry (whose many roles include Selene Vassos in Returnal) exploring the importance of performance in modem games. Frustratingly, it's scheduled for exacily the same time as Lake's talk, leaving an agonising choice for attendees. The keynote conflict is all the more galling given that acting is a hot topic right now as a result of the controversy over Al's encroachment.