Brandon is the CEO of Riot Games (where I used to work) – and a really good guy:
The game industry is undergoing the most dynamic period in its history and your teams must be prepared to adapt to a barrage of new challenges at an ever-growing rate. Traditional, “built-in” strategic advantages such as branded IP, publishing/distribution leverage, and technology no longer have the same strangle hold they once did in determining the success of your games. Ultimately, at Riot Games we have found that great people are the most important driver of the success of games. People make critical strategic, design, technology and business decisions.
People also navigate the one constant that arises in game development – unforeseen challenges. We have found that there is rarely a better investment than in cultivating and refining your talent pool. This talk will explore the impact people have on the success of video games. We will explore core concepts like how do you build a self-sustaining system for attracting and retaining the best talent ? What core philosophies help ensure consistent success? How do you maintain a culture while rapidly growing a company? How do you design an environment where people can create the absolute highest quality work? How do you recruit exceptional talent from other industries?