XDS 2015, which is set to occur in just a couple of weeks on September 9-11 in Vancouver, is the only annual international games industry event held in Canada. The event’s primary focus is on external development for art, animation, audio and software engineering.
We had the pleasure to chat with Dilber Mann, the senior project manager at Capcom Vancouver, to talk about his upcoming attendance at XDS. He shares with us what external development means to the games industry and how XDS is helping to bring together developers to learn more about its potential.
Events for Gamers: What exactly is ‘external development’ and why is it important to the games industry?
Dilber Mann: Looking at console, PC, mobile, our technology for these gaming platforms continue to advance, and so have audience expectation and appetites, growing the need for higher quality content and large encompassing gameplay experiences. As a result, scalability and sustainability of resources have become a challenge. External Development looks to solve this by distributing the development of a product across one or more external partners, often at a time when specialist aren’t readily available for a particular domain of game production and to the scale that we need them at.
E4G: We see that you are a Speaker, Advisory Committee Member, and Industry Influencer for XDS 2015 – can you give us a little information about XDS and why it’s important to you?
Dilber: It’s just a great platform for sharing knowledge. We gather to talk about process, workflow, and methodologies that help to not only share our experiences, but to reflect on those experiences and evolve the way we work with external development. As a summit that gathers experts in this niche, we have the ability to collaborate and effect positive change to improve this industry. This is what makes XDS so important to me, but it’s more than just knowledge sharing. XDS is also a great venue for discovering new partners, and to build relationships with key developers and service providers. Further we have a strong line-up of software, tools, and middleware companies that are integral to supporting a wide range of development criteria, making XDS a great forum for these products.
E4G: You’ve attended XDS since its 2014 event, how has XDS since evolved?
Dilber: I have definitely seen changes since I first attended in 2014. The quality and line-up of the presentations for this year are by far the best. We’ve put a process and support system in place that allows us to make the best selections, and pair each presenter with a knowledge expert. This ensures that we can deliver the best XDS experience to our audiences.
E4G: What are you most looking forward to about XDS 2015?
Dilber: I am definitely looking forward to re-connecting with colleagues. Even on the Advisory Committee we may have one or two opportunities to see each other within the year. It’s great to meet up in person, to catch up on the latest and greatest. It’s also great inspiration for me when meeting with like-minded individuals that are tackling similar challenges, and achieving success.
E4G: You’re presentation is on ‘Metrics that Matter’ – are you able to briefly describe why this topic is important to you and external development?
Dilber: The idea behind the “Metrics that Matter” series is to help managers pair analytics with reliable and meaningful metrics that touch their work at an interpersonal level, or on a level that reflects genuine concerns. Last year, my presentation focused on stakeholder concerns, converted those into reliable metrics, and then showed how to use those metrics to make decisions when planning the volume of work for external development. This year, the intent is the same, but instead of external volume planning, the focus will be on external team planning. The list of metrics that we have access to can be exhaustive and time consuming. With “Metrics that Matter”, I do my best to filter through that list and focus on data that is actionable and can be used by managers to make informed decisions that are impactful in a big way.
E4G: You’ve spoken about how office technology is allowing ever more connectivity between global teams. How is the traditional office environment changing towards a more distributed workforce structure?
Dilber: This question is definitely a keynote presentation :), but the best way I can describe this is to talk a bit about “Perceived Comfort”. In the office, we are most comfortable talking to people. For example, a manager just needs to walk a few steps to see how an individual on their team is progressing with their tasks. You don’t have the same “options” of interaction when you work with an external team. My goal in the workplace is to not try and replicate the “options” for when we work with external teams. Instead, the goal is focused on replicating that “feeling”, or “Perceived Comfort”. One of the ways that I try to do that is by using similar processes, workflows, and technologies both internally and externally, creating an environment where development is truly distributed across multiple partner locations. Cloud technology and social intranets are examples of technologies that have worked to re-enforce team interactions.
E4G: For those interested in your talk but cannot attend XDS this year, what online resources do you have available for them?
Dilber: I have a number of articles on Linked-In that I do end up writing throughout the year as supplementary material. They are more of an exploration on topics I discuss at XDS as I can’t always delve into specifics during a 40 min presentation. XDS also has a YouTube channel that publishes a selection of presentations. If you don’t see my 2015 presentation published there, then at the very least people can look back at my 2014 presentation. For those attending the event, but miss out on my presentation, there is also an option during registration where you can choose to purchase all the video content from the summit which includes all the key note presentations.
E4G: Any advice for developers looking to attend XDS for the first time?
Dilber: Don’t be in such a rush. Vancouver is the perfect setting to relax and get to know people. We organize the event schedule in a way that allows you to attend the presentations, meet with business prospects, but still have time to come up for a breath of fresh air. Don’t miss out on the “Welcome Reception”, and other special events that we are hosting during the event.
For more about Dilber Mann, watch his XDS 2014 presentation here:
Did you attend XDS or have your own thoughts about the direction of external development in the games industry? Share with us your thoughts!
