by Chip Pedersen | at MinneBar 10 | 1:45 – 2:35 in Brand | View Schedule
"You get paid to play games all day?" Everyone thinks the video game industry is just fun and games. I'm here to tell you it's not. It complex software development and problem solving with a twist. Not only do you have to make a solid software program, on time, on budget. You also have to make sure its fun. Building games is hard enough. Building a game that is fun and makes money is even harder.
Discover all the different positions that have to come together to make a hit video game. Learn the differences of working at AAA publisher, a developer to a startup indie studio. The highs, the lows, the late nights, where we harvest unicorn tears and lots of caffeine. Did I mention caffeine? Over my 20 years in video games I have seen it all, and lived to talk about. Please come with questions, prepared to laugh and learn why we don't get paid to play games all day.
Chip Pedersen has been in the tech Industry for over 26 years. Chip has held senior positions at Microsoft Game Studios, Activision, Griffin International, Outdoor Partners Entertainment and Concrete Software. His team and development experience covers numerous platforms and genres. Chip has directly managed AAA development teams of 60 people and working with remote teams around the world. Prior to joining the gaming industry, Chip honed his tech skills as a Research & Development Specialist at Apple Inc. in Cupertino, California and Andersen Consulting's Advanced technology Group in Chicago. Chip’s team building philosophy centers around one key concept: the project always comes first. Born up on the range Chip is back in Minnesota after spending too much of his life on the West coast. One of his major goals is to help build Silicon Prairie and kept talent, teams here in Minnesota.
