Keynotes
Heather Kelley
The physical future of digital games
Behind the Eyes: The physical future of digital games For over fifty years, digital games have worked to perfect the
relationship between players’ eyes and hands, with some attention to their ears. Sight and sound, the “wave-based”
senses, are the easiest to digitize, store, codify, transmit, and reproduce. They are also the easiest to sell. In
the last decade, however, there is a growing interest in how games can engage with our other senses, such as motion
and smell. Some of this interest is certainly commercial–novelty and attention sells. But, there are many creators
who are deeply interested in how these modalities can evoke emotions and responses that are difficult to achieve by
other means. At the same time, medicine and science (particularly psychology) have begun to validate the deep importance
of emotions and felt (somatic) sensations that are experienced first through our bodies, rather than our minds. These
physical/neurological reactions are in direct contrast with the dissociated, body-removed state through which most
entertainment is currently delivered.
Societies are becoming increasingly aware of the negative social, psychological,
and physiological effects of over-reliance on this kind of digital interaction. With our minds, bodies, and our natural
world in peril, it seems ever-more pressing that we look up from our screens, breathe the air of the world, and teach
young people a different set of values, no longer based on the disassociation that the first half century of entertainment
technology have delivered to them.
As game designers, how can the tools at our disposal place our players more in tune with themselves and the world around
them, rather than more removed? What is our responsibility as we work in a medium that can be deeply distracting and
dissociative? This talk will be an examination of my sensory game design research, exploring how an expansion of gameplay
into projects that engage with the senses, the body, and the environment might point a way forward for playful planetary survival.
About Heather
Heather Kelley is an award-winning game designer, media artist, curator and researcher. Her experimental game work
focuses on unique sensory effects, integrating perceptions of touch, smell, movement, sound, and nervous system
response. Since 2015 she has taught at the Entertainment Technology Center of Carnegie Mellon University, where
she holds the title Associate Teaching Professor. She serves as the Sensory Director at the LIKELIKE gallery for
independent games and playful arts.
Ms. Kelley was named by Fast Company magazine as one of 2011’s thirty most
influential women in technology, the same year that her innovative mobile app OhMiBod Remote won Best Application
from Vienna Austria’s annual Content Awards. In 2012, she co-curated Joue le jeu, a groundbreaking 5000 m 2 exhibition
of video games and commissioned play installations in Paris, France. In 2013, Microsoft Women In Gaming awarded her
their Innovator Award. Ms. Kelley is a founder of the experimental game collective Kokoromi, with whom she produced
and curated the renowned GAMMA events from 2006 to 2010, promoting experimental games as creative expression in a
social context. In 2016 Kokoromi released the retrofuturistic VR puzzle game SUPERHYPERCUBE on the Sony Playstation 4.
Ms. Kelley’s extensive career in game development has included design and production of touchscreen vibrator controllers,
AAA next-gen console games, interactive smart toys, mobile and handheld games, research games, installation games,
and web communities for girls. She holds a Master of Arts in Communication from the University of Texas at Austin.
With 25 years of experience in emerging technologies and computer graphics, Pablo Bioni is a recognized leader in
VFX, Virtual Production, and Emerging Technologies at MTL. As a former Innovation Manager at TV Globo, he conceived
and managed the Effects and Virtual Production Studio, implementing graphic innovations in over 30 sports shows,
news programs, soap operas, and films. A specialist in New Business, focusing on digital influencers, synthetic
humans, and voice and image synthesis, Pablo is an active member of the Visual Effects Society (VES), Metaverse
Standard Forum, and ACM.
Pablo Bioni
AI Overview - Strategy and Applications in Digital Entertainment
Innovations in artificial intelligence are revolutionizing the way we consume and produce content in the field of digital
entertainment. This lecture will provide a comprehensive view of the evolution of content consumption and how AI is playing
a crucial role in this transformation. We will discuss emerging technologies and their applications in leading companies
in the sector and digital entertainment, showcasing concrete examples of innovative projects that are at the forefront of
this movement. Join us to discover how the present and future of digital entertainment are being shaped.
About Pablo
With 25 years of experience in emerging technologies and computer graphics, Pablo Bioni is a recognized leader in
VFX, Virtual Production, and Emerging Technologies at MTL. As a former Innovation Manager at TV Globo, he conceived
and managed the Effects and Virtual Production Studio, implementing graphic innovations in over 30 sports shows,
news programs, soap operas, and films. A specialist in New Business, focusing on digital influencers, synthetic
humans, and voice and image synthesis, Pablo is an active member of the Visual Effects Society (VES), Metaverse
Standard Forum, and ACM.
Graduated in Computer Engineering from PUC-Rio, with a Master’s in Computer Vision, a Postgraduate degree in Digital
Animation, and an innovation immersion at MIT Medialab, Pablo is the author of publications in renowned conferences
such as SIGGRAPH and GTC. His career is marked by international awards, including New York Festivals and Cannes Lions,
standing out for his innovative contributions and significant impact on the industry.
Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/pablo-bioni
Instagram: instagram.com/digitaltechart
Nickie Maxine
Game Design in the Construction of (In)Visible Narratives
This lecture aims to highlight the importance and best practices of game design from an emotional, social, and cultural narrative
perspective, considering aspects of inclusion and diversity that should be taken into account during game development and creation.
About Nickie
A non-binary person, Game Designer, and Researcher at Sidia - Institute of Science and Technology, Nickie has over 10
years of experience as a developer of both digital and analog games. Their professional background includes expertise
in areas such as arts, engineering, technology management, and natural sciences. Nickie is a leader in national and
international gaming communities, the founder and leader of the first Game Developers Association of Amazonas (AGD),
as well as a Global Leader and Producer for the largest gender-focused event in the world: Women Game Jam and We Game Jam.
