Unusual Paths Through the Games Industry

Overview

Indie or AAA? Game Designer or Project Manager? Narrative Games or Action? When you're stepping into the games industry for the first time, it can seem like there's so many choices to be made. But careers in the industry are never as simple as it seems.

Join us for a conversation with three industry veterans as they share stories about navigating the ups & downs, and twists & turns of working in the industry.

Panelists

Marina Díez (she/they) is a Spanish award-winning game designer, game director, business expert, filmmaker and Forbes Under 30 lister based in Europe living a semi nomadic life. Marina is also a Game Director for an unannounced game at BTF Games and Principal Game Designer at BTF Games for The Berlin Apartment. Previously, she was the Lead Game Designer for the game Dordogne by Un Je Ne Sais Quoi Studios & Umanimation. Marina is also a consultant on emotional game design for indie and AAA companies. She is involved in many community initiatives and activism. Marina is also a regular speaker at games events such as GDC, EGX, PAX, A MAZE. In 2023 she also hosted Independent Games Festival at GDC in San Francisco. Marina is also a film director and her work has been screened and awarded all over the world. Marina is a lister of 100 Most Influential Women in Games 2022, a Game Dev Heroes 2020 winner, a former BAFTA Crew member, an IGDA Velocity GDC 2019 recipient.

Erika Mariko Olsen (they/she) is a Production and Publishing Specialist, freelance consulting with Pixel Strategy where they guide teams interested in scaling operations, working with publishers, product management, project management, and more. They previously worked as a Senior Producer at Xbox Game Studios Publishing, Humble Games, Google Stadia, and Riot Games. They have supported 20+ games ranging from single player indie to AAA liveops multiplayer. In their spare time, Erika is a mentor and public speaker within the gaming community at large.

Dr. JC Lau (she/they): In addition to being a senior producer at Twirlbound with experience developing multiple award-winning video games, Dr. JC Lau (she/they) is a speaker and advocate for diversity, inclusion, equity, and representation in the games industry. Her professional experience includes development on Destiny 2, BattleTech, Storm Lancers, and the forthcoming Ire: A Prologue. She also previously served as the president of the Board of Directors for Global Game Jam, was a mentor for the inaugural class for Take This Accelerate, and currently leads programming for the IGDA Foundation Virtual Exchange.A fierce proponent of empathy and giving back to the profession, JC’s expertise focuses on sustainable pathways into game development. She is the 2022 recipient of the Individual Diversity Advocate award at the Women in Games Global Awards, and a member of acclaimed industry leadership programs such as the IGDA Foundation’s Next Gen Leaders, AIAS Amplifying New Voices, BAFTA Connect, and the Game Awards Future Class. JC is also the creator of #WhatAGameDevLooksLike, an online movement to celebrate and amplify diversity in game development and challenge stereotypes about game developers. She aspires to build a sustainable games industry where everyone regardless of their background or experience can have a fulfilling and healthy career.

Moderator

Osama Dorias (he/him) is the Creative Director at HeartLoop Games. In the past he has worked at Blizzard, Warner Bros., and Ubisoft on titles like Gotham Knights and For Honor. For the past 12 years, he’s taught game design at Dawson College, where he authored the Independent Game Design program. Osama is one of three hosts on The Habibis podcast and is passionate about amplifying marginalized voices, co-founding the Polaris Game Design Retreat and hosting game jams, workshops, and community events.