Come to EGX's weekend Rezzed Sessions and be the first to hear about Mediatonic's new game

Earlier this week, we revealed all the cool secret-spilling talks that will be flooding the Rezzed Sessions stage on the Thursday and Friday of this year's EGX, but now it's time for a weekend double whammy. From designing interactive live action game Erica to what it's like for London studio Mediatonic to work with the chaps over at Square Enix (plus a sneaky peek at their brand new game), weekend visitors to EGX 2019, which runs October 17th-20th at London's ExCeL, are in for a real treat. Here's the line-up in full.

All the talks will be livestreamed on the EGX Twitch channel and archived afterwards on the EGX YouTube channel. But you should come along regardless, because it's a scientific fact that game dev secrets are best absorbed straight up your nose holes. Tickets are on sale now.

Here's the Rezzed Sessions schedule for 19th-20th October:

Saturday 19th October:

12.30pm - DF Retro: 8-bit micros and the quest for 'Arcade Perfect'
What made 80s coin-ops so spectacular - and how did developers aim to bring the arcade experience home to computers like the C64 and ZX Spectrum?

1.30pm - Head Cook and Pot Washer - Being an Artist in an Indie Games Company
Coatsink senior artist Hannah Watts gives insights into working at indie studios and highlights why being a "jack of all trades" isn't necessarily a bad thing. The talk will involve general life advice for being an all-round creative in the games industry, as well as tips on how to broaden your skillset and continue learning.

2.30pm - Using violent games to promote peace and tolerance
Most games aren't designed with the intent to educate us, but games - including violent games - can be used not just to satisfy our trigger-happy in-game desires, but to convey a message where war is hard, unforgiving, and something we should never wish for. In this talk, Tsahi Liberman, an award winning narrative and game designer for games, education and impact, would share his experiences of using games to promote peace and tolerance around the world.

3.30pm - East meets West: Game Dev Collaboration Across Continents
Even in 2019, working with Japanese creatives on beloved IPs still remains an elusive feat for western developers. Over the years Mediatonic’s had the great privilege and pleasure to work collaboratively on a variety of Japanese titles, such as our tactical RPG Heavenstrike Rivals with Square Enix, to working with Hato Moa to bring Hatoful Boyfriend to the west. Join Ed Fear (Senior Creative), Naoko Ishibashi (Producer) and Luke Borrett (Producer) to hear the behind-the-scenes tales of what it takes to create games like these - and what it’s like when names like Final Fantasy, Secret of Mana, and Deus Ex are on the line. This panel will also feature a very-soon-to-be-announced title that we can’t wait to tell you all about!

4.30pm - The Past, The Present & The Future of Sea of Thieves
Multiplayer pirate 'em up Sea Of Thieves was released 18 months ago, but there's still a lot planned for the game's future. In this panel, developers Rare join GamesIndustry.biz's Chris Dring for an open and transparent discussion on the game's development journey so far, and where the adventure is taking them next.

5.30pm - The Rat Brigade: Dissecting a distinctly Failbettery story
Award-winning narrative games studio Failbetter Games discuss the development of a favourite story from Sunless Skies, in conversation with Rock Paper Shotgun's Alice Bell. Narrative director Chris Gardiner and writer James Chew will talk about the Failbetter pitching and writing process, and how they developed the companion questline for the Rat Brigade from concept to in-game caper.

Sunday 20th October:

12.30pm - Cloud gaming: What does it actually mean?
Cloud gaming is gaming’s hottest trend, with Google, Microsoft and EA just a few of the big names who are investing. But what does cloud gaming actually mean and how will it change the games we play? Join Mat Kemp, Product Manager of London tech start-up Hadean, for a talk that will explain what cloud gaming is and the technology that powers it, giving examples of games that use it and which will use it in the future.

1.30pm - Tips for building your streaming audience with The Cyber Nerds
Learn how to build and grow a strong streaming audience with the 2019 YouTube Next-Up winners, The Cyber Nerd: They'll be giving out tips on equipment and program must-haves when you are on a budget, how to keep viewers entertained during a stream, and how to grow a fanbase that will support you.

2.30pm - From startup to small: The culture of a growing studio
Building a great team and trying to make a game at the same time is hard, especially when you're just starting out. Keeping that team happy, healthy and productive throughout is even harder - and what do you do when things start to go wrong? Jonny Hopper, formerly of Lionhead and Media Molecule and now studio head and co-founder of Glowmade, a small, scruffy independent studio in Guildford, will explain how to create a great culture and community, and how it can help when it seems like everything is on fire.

3.30pm - Designing for interactive live action
Flavourworks recently launched Erica, a narrative game that is 100% filmed in live action, but with tactile mechanics and branching gameplay. In this presentation, creative director Jack Attridge will talk the audience through the inception of the studio, the challenges of building a new type of game, and explain how they reached the game's final design.