Speakers & Talks
Jennifer Estaris, ustwo games
Jennifer Estaris (she/her) is a game director and climate activist. At ustwo games she directed Monument Valley 2's The Lost Forest, which petitions for forest conservation, and is game directing Monument Valley 3 which launches on December 10!
Jennifer has over 20 years experience in game design, at SYBO (Subway Surfers), Nickelodeon, Disney, and social change indie studios, and speaks regularly about social impact in games.
A Filipina-American immigrant in London, Jennifer is involved with UN’s Playing for the Planet (Advisory Council), the IGDA Climate SIG, and Extinction Rebellion, advocates for cyclists, and writes with her 11 year old. child.
At Games First, we are taken on the creative, iterative journey of Jennifer Estaris and Monument Valley!
Dish M Eldishnawy, Metacore
Product & Growth Lead for Metacore’s hit mobile game, Merge Mansion, helps shape the game’s product strategy and drives its growth.
By merging creative innovation with data-driven decision-making (pun intended), he ensures the creation of features that captivate millions of players and keep the game on an upward trajectory.
With over 14 years of experience in the digital entertainment and communication sectors Dish has contributed to companies like Unity, Rovio and Orange, while also offering strategic insights to firms like Netflix and Ipsos.
What’s on the menu? Practical strategies that combine creative design and behavioral insights keep both the players and the business happy.
Markus Hjort & Markus Kiukkonen, Bitmagic
Co-founders of Bitmagic talk about co-prompting in next-gen game development!
With over 17 years in game-making, Markus K has built games for all kinds of studios, from startups to major international publishers. As the former Studio GM of EA Finland, he led the team behind SimCity: BuildIt. His passion? Creating games that grow with their communities and evolve over time.
Tech wizard Markus H has over 20 years of experience, starting with programming on the Commodore 64! He’s led tech startups from idea to product and is a champion of open-source development. He also hosts a popular podcast on backend technologies in Finland.
Trip Hawkins
A meandering adventure of a talk by the legendary Trip Hawkins.
With a remarkable history in both the personal computing and video game industries, Trip was a driving force behind Apple's early success and went on to found Electronic Arts, shaping the gaming industry as we know it today. As the visionary behind EA Sports, he led the creative and product strategy that made it a household name.
Trip’s insights on leadership, innovation, and the future of gaming are invaluable. He’ll be sharing his thoughts on the metaverse, Web3, cross-platform development, and more. Not only will you hear about his journey from Apple to EA and beyond, but you’ll also gain key lessons on entrepreneurship, personal growth, and the importance of emotional intelligence in the gaming world.
Fernanda Oliveira, Supercell
With 17 years of experience in Concept Art, Storyboarding, Character Design, and Animation, she’s worked in Advertising, Animation, and Mobile Gaming, spending the last seven focusing on mobile games and leading the creative vision for Brawl Stars.
In her talk, “Making of a Brawler – Character Creation for Brawl Stars,” Fernanda dives into her journey since joining the Brawl Stars team in 2021.
She’ll reveal how she helped solidify the creative pillars that keep the game’s universe cohesive while developing fresh and exciting characters.
Drawing on her love of humor, nostalgia, and 80s movies, Fernanda explores how these elements shape the Brawl Stars world and build a lasting connection with players.
Expect an inspiring session from one of gaming’s top creative talents!