Talks and Appearances

Below is a list of events where I have either spoken publicly or exhibitions of my work where I have been present:

devcom Developer Conference

Cologne, Germany | August 18th-20th, 2024

The Communication Gap: Utilizing Game Design Storytelling to Talk to Your Team- No two people’s experiences are alike, so there are times when communicating can cause misinterpretations and confusion. As game designers, we have to find the bridge that crosses all those life experiences in order to create a game that appeals to many and evokes the feelings/understandings that we INTENDED. But this all starts within the team, where you have to communicate across the lived experiences of your peers, and interpret what they tell you in return. In this talk we’ll go over common narrative design strategies that can apply good game design to good daily communication.

Cologne, Germany | August 21st-22nd, 2023

You Worked So Hard to Get Here: Fighting Burnout as an Underrepresented Person in the Games Industry– You finally got your dream job…now what? This talk examines the additional pressures of working in the games industry for underrepresented developers. We explore the journey developers have gone through and its consequences while offering affirmations, insights, and solutions.

Shot in the Dark: The Leap of Faith in adding VO to ‘Hunt: Showdown’ – As it reached its 5th year, and its features and player base continued to grow, the team behind Crytek’s Hunt: Showdown knew that an update to the game’s onboarding experience was needed. What followed was the development of a tutorial that would better guide players through the core gameplay of the PvPvE shooter. To achieve a better player experience, the Audio and Narrative team worked together to integrate dynamic Voice Over lines into the gameplay, a first in the history of Hunt. In this talk, Lead Audio Designer Dominik Zingler and Narrative Designer Bri Williams will cover the thought process behind the VO, outline the development history from prototyping to polish, and give some insights into the learnings after the successful release of this feature.

Pocket Gamer Connects: London

London, England | January 24, 2023

Since 2018, Hunt: Showdown has made an impact in the Battle Royale genre thanks to its innovative mechanics and an enticing story world that piques the curiosity of its players. However, as a live game must evolve and grow, so does its lore. In this talk, Bri Williams and Barbara Framil will use Hunt’s most successful live event ‘Serpent Moon’ to share their learnings on developing meaningful narrative content for an ever-growing world.

Game Industry Conference

Poznan, Poland | October 9, 2022

Since 2018, Hunt: Showdown has impacted the Battle Royale genre. This is thanks to not only exciting mechanics but lore that piques the curiosity of its player base. For four years stories have been shared with players that have helped enrich 1890’s Louisiana, however, this hasn’t been without its challenges. In this talk, members of the narrative team for Hunt will explain how they navigate the challenges of narrative design for a live game so players can engage with the bayou on a deeper level.

Blerdcon

Arlington, Virginia | July 16, 2021

The Black community serves as a major consumer base for the video game industry. How do we leverage that to produce more creatives in the industry? We will talk to four Black game designers and developers talking about their experience and how the next generation can make a mark in the industry.

Participated in a post-talk Q&A panel