Games, now more than ever, are expanding. Reaching new audiences via new devices and technologies, exploring deeper subjects via evolving modes of interactivity, and empowering bright new voices from all over the world. In this talk I will cover my history as a researcher, maker and evangelist of games as an expressive medium. This includes my graduate research on games and AI, my work on inclusive events like the Global Game Jam and Experimental Gameplay Workshop, my career as a professional game developer (most recently on the PS3 title Journey), and my dedication to improving the ratio of women and minorities in the game design and development community. I truly believe that games have the potential to bring new ideas, new feelings and new people into the arts and technology. Please join me in exploring the progress we have made so far, and surveying the opportunities ahead!
Robin is Funomena’s co-founder and CEO. She is a game designer and producer, with a background in fine art, computer science and applied game studies, best known for her role as Executive Producer on the award-winning PSN downloadable title, Journey. Recognized this year for her role as an Ambassador for Woman in Games, Robin is an evangelist for diversity of thought and participation in game design and game culture. In addition to her commercial games work, she co-organizes the annual Experimental Gameplay session at GDC, teaches and lectures extensively on how developers can create novel, experimental designs by focusing on the feeling.