The Art of Merging Digital and Physical Play Experiences

In this talk, Anders Rauff-Nielsen will outline the art of merging digital and physical play and game experiences and take a look at the pitfalls, do’s and don’ts. The talk will be based on his own industry experiences – both at Funday Factory and from before joining the studio – and will share insights gained from firsthand experience.

Originally a master of philosophy, Anders has worked with Game design, Concept development and Storytelling for more than 10 years across a wide variety of products ranging from Trading card games over AR games, Mobile games and Roleplaying to Toy’s-to-life play experiences.

Franziska is a game designer and print magazine editor, interested in creating meaningful, user-centered experiences. She is passionate about feminism, quirky games, observing mundane everyday interactions and turning them into digital experiences.

Development of Apps – Frameworks and Tools

In our workshop we will discuss recent trends in kids-app software development. How does the competitive market affect development processes? What are the pros and cons of outsourcing vs. in-house development? Should you use middleware like Unity? And what are advantages of going native?

Already as a kid I was building my own apps and games. Starting with a C64, I could see how computers developed, how the internet grew up and how mobile phones became rounded touchscreens. Working with digital devices was always something playful for me and I decided that I want to learn more about that. So I made my degree in Media Computer Science, build Flash web sites for web agencies, developed Games for Wooga and finally started as Chief Technology Officer for Fox & Sheep.

We can build on that… hang on, we’ve done this before

A look into the LEGO® Games creation process. A camp-fire about how balancing between serious research & analytics, and encouraging crazy ideas delivers on the LEGO® mission – inspire and develop the builders of tomorrow.The talk includes the building instructions for a LEGO® Game, and how the changes in digital family rituals and parents can align to previous trends in physical and digital play. How ‘Only the Best is Good Enough’ is something we can all see, we can all touch – and we can all add back into our own creative works.

Don Meadows has been a part of the Games Industry for 15 years, from handing out change in arcades, developing Spyro the Dragon™ & STAR WARS™ games, prototyping for GAMELOFT® and now working to shape the LEGO® Games portfolio.

Morwenna is a market research professional with over 16 years experience, spanning both qualitative and quantitative research across a wide range of categories.  Her cross-section of experience means she can employ whichever method is most appropriate to the brief; on-line, face-to-face, focus groups or individual depths whilst utilising the most up to date research technology to access hard to reach consumers.

Linda is co-founder and game designer at the Good Evil an indie game studio based in Cologne developing educational games and experiences for kids, teens and adults. Her aim is to secure the upbringing of a better planet through games.

Kid Friendly Monetization – One Tough Playground

Main challenges & dilemmas when looking to monetize kids apps,

Insights & trends affecting our industry

Mistakes & best practices for app developers

Eldad is in charge of company’s revenues, marketing & business development, 

working with top app developers and kids brands to address the booming market of kids on mobile devices. 
Prior to KIDOZ, Eldad served as General Manager at Bluesnap Sold to Great Hill Partners.

Development of Apps – Frameworks and Tools

In our workshop we will discuss recent trends in kids-app software development. How does the competitive market affect development processes? What are the pros and cons of outsourcing vs. in-house development? Should you use middleware like Unity? And what are advantages of going native?

Martin is a game developer and board game creator who joined Fox and Sheep in February 2017. He has been developing software for over ten years in such different areas as scientific data analysis, physics simulations, mobile apps and casual games. His code is clean but pragmatic and he is still looking for a viable solution for testing in casual games.

As Founder and Strategy Partner at The Little Big Partnership, Maurice Wheeler has spent the last 19 years looking at how children engage with the world. This research has helped him develop audience lead strategies for clients including Disney, Google, Lego, The Premier League, Oxfam and the BBC.

Robby is the CEO of Animoca Brands (ASX: AB1), a Hong Kong – based casual game developer & publisher focused on branded games & edutainment. He is a serial entrepreneur and co-founded Redgate Media & One Media Group and founded One Studio & OSMedia. His career began at Metromedia building wireless local loop telephony in Asia.

Make it a classic.

Ever felt like you’ve played this before? Join us and discover how LEGO uses the magic of nostalgia and gets creative with the modern restraints of today’s game platforms. Let’s dive right in and pitch your next great game for kids! Have fun in this paper prototype session where we mash-up classic favorites with something exciting and new.

Part designer, but mostly a big kid, Megan Shellenbarger has spent that past 6 years defining what digital play means for LEGO. With a passion for the brand and all things digital, she is currently working as a Creative Manager for LEGO Digital Games and Apps where LEGO play meets mobile games.

Lucy is owner of Digills Consulting, and supports development of children’s apps, digital toys and EdTech through expert insight and user research. She created the Good App Guide gaining unrivalled experience in children’s apps by reviewing literally hundreds in the process. She has particular expertise with digital/physical cross-over toys and inspiring learning through digital play, and works regularly both with high profile companies and start-ups.

Talk : The Book of Miracles

Raul Gutierrez is the founder and CEO of Tinybop Inc., a Brooklyn-based studio of designers, engineers, and artists building elegant, educational iOS apps for kids around the globe. Their apps include The Human Body, Plants, and Homes. Tinybop champions curiosity, tinkering, and good plain fun. Inspired by vintage children’s books, toys, and films, the company designs digital toys that dive into the wonders of our everyday world.

The Monsters We’ve Created: Parents

While todays kids are the real digital natives – adults/parents are still living in the old world. They grew up with GameBoys, remote controls and other ancient tech devices and are hesitant to let these old things go, which, leads us to a real big challenge when designing apps for kids because we also have to design them for the parents. 

With his experience in working in the casual games business as well as in the kids space, Timo will give us some insights on how Fox & Sheep tackles the problems when it comes to designing one app for two completely different target audiences.

The challenges of publishing global educational apps for children

Developing educational content for children under 13 presents opportunities but also challenges. This workshop will cover topics such as localising, regulations, monetising, etc. and the discussion will be fuelled by your questions and experiences!

Co-founder of Edoki Academy, Valérie has a dual background in Business and Montessori teaching.  She has lived and worked in Montreal, Paris and London where she currently resides and from where she manages the firm’s Marketing and International Development activities.

Verena Pausder is a forward thinking woman with a drive and passion for the digital world. Creating high-quality Apps and being close to the trends in mobile and education motivates her.

She founded the company Fox & Sheep in 2012, which develops and publishes Kids Apps worldwide. The Apps of Fox & Sheep have been downloaded over 15 million times worldwide. At Fox & Sheep, Verena works closely with book authors, animators and illustrators worldwide to bring to life the best Apps for kids out there and help parents guide their children through the digital world.

In 2016 Fox & Sheep also started opening up digital labs for kids, teaching them to code, use 3D printers and learn all about robotics: www.digitalwerkstatt.de. Verenas goal is to have digital labs in every larger city in Germany by the end of 2018.