Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is the conference in English?
A: Oui! Naturellement. Last year, a majority of the audience came from outside of France to attend the event. We picked Paris again because it’s a convenient (and very attractive) place for English-speakers around the world to meet — plus there are many AI companies and game studios around!
Q: I’m not a professional game developer. Can I come?
A: Of course! Students and programmers from different industries are more than welcome. In fact, you’ll learn a great deal from the presentations if you’re not yet working as a game developer, and the people working in industry are easy to approach and talk to! Last year, almost a quarter of the audience wasn’t actively working in the games industry.
Q: What time does it start and finish? I need to book plane tickets.
A: You should ideally aim to arrive on the 22nd in the evening. There’s a nice reception starting at 19:00 with posters & demos, and you’ll be able to pre-register. The main conference starts at around 9:00 on the 23rd (with registration taking place just before), and finishes around 18:00 on the 24th. If you must arrive late the first day or leave early the second day, that’s fine; there’ll be people around for registration if you need them. However, don’t kick yourself later for missing great sessions or networking opportunities!
Q: I hear there’s a workshop/symposium on the 22nd. What’s that about?
A: The day before the main conference brings together veteran game developers for a standalone symposium about Combat Games & Shooters. It’s a combination of game specific post-mortems and panel discussions on specific features in a workshop-style format. You can find out more soon!
If you’re serious about combining traditional animation with procedural techniques, you don’t want to miss this.
Q: What about social events?
A: In 2009 and 2010, some people met for drinks briefly the day before. We encourage people to stay in a similar area to the venue for this reason… The first evening features the official AiGameDev.com party, so keep June 23rd completely free. On the second evening after the conference, there will be people still around for drinks. One year we had dinner at Ratatouile!
Q: How does the discount work for being a student?
A: You’ll need to email us before you pay from your university or college email account, so we can verify your story! Then we’ll send you a link to the lowest price tickets for you to register.
Q: Will this be useful to me as a researcher / academic?
A: Absolutely! We’ve realized over the last few years of running AiGameDev.com, since there are so many theoretical outlets for academia, what can benefit research the most is an understanding of what professional developers are already doing in industry. It’s happened recently on multiple occasions that cutting-edge white papers are independently reinventing techniques that were used by developers a few years ago. Practical conferences like this are our solution.
Q: Why is it so cheap? What’s the catch?
A: There are a limited number of places and you will have to get your own lunch! That aside, there’s no catch. We’re partnering with the CNAM and they are providing the amphitheatre; the rest of the event is organized by people & speakers who are genuinely passionate about their topic. We “sold-out” for the last two years and found that this model works very well — even better than the most expensive conferences — to the benefit of everyone in the game AI community!
Q: Is the venue easy to find?
A: The CNAM is at the center of Paris, so is easily accessible by public transport (map). It’s also well signpost and there will be banners and people standing outside for the event itself. We’ll also email you with detailed instructions to find the exact building; once you’ve registered you’ll be on the attendee mailing list, as long as you didn’t request to unsubscribe.
Q: Where can I buy the tickets?
A: Just visit the official store and click on the ticket you’d like to buy: Bronze, Silver and Gold — depending on availability. You’ll then be required to login using your AiGameDev.com account. Click on Checkout and then type in your credit card details!