MEETUP BONFIRE brought together game developers in Zlín for the third time
Zlín, November 11, 2024 - The third edition of the Bonfire@Zlin gaming meeting, subtitled The Infinite Wanderers, welcomed over 50 video game developers to the U7 Student Club of Tomas Bata University to share their projects, experiences and news from the gaming industry. The event, organized by the UPPER, Flying Rat Studio, polyperfect, Bonfire Meetups and Visiongame teams, provided participants with a space for networking, professional discussions and inspiration. During the early evening, attendees were introduced to several inspiring projects and experiences from game industry professionals. Kristýna Böhmová (Flying Rat Studio) shared her personal experience with using AI tools in game development, especially her work with GitHub Copilot and other AI models. The presentation included a reflection on ethical issues such as copyright for AI-generated content and the future of AI-assisted game development. Kryštof Klestil presented the game Fogpiercer, a roguelike deckbuilder genre with a train environment. \"Fogpiercer is a deckbuilder roguelike in which you build and upgrade your train and with it your deck. You then use everything to fight bandits on a square grid using unique carriage cards,\" describes Kryštof Klestil, developer of Mad Cookies Studio. In his talk, he highlighted the key stages of development, from market research, listening to the gaming community, iterations, and deciding on specific game mechanics. Jiří Dočkal from Just Two Studio shared his story of the development of Cloud Cutter, including the successes and obstacles his team encountered along the way. He talked about unexpected challenges, underestimating marketing, and burnout issues within the team. He used his story to motivate detailed preparation, commitment, effective communication, and the engagement of a sustainable and long-term marketing strategy. \"He also stressed the importance of having realistic expectations in the context of the time and resources that will be required to turn a concept into reality. However, as it happens, during the actual development, it turned out that the implementation of such a seemingly simple idea can be incredibly complex,\" adds Nicole Cote, a student at the Game Design Studio, Faculty of Multimedia Communications, Tomas Bata University. The evening was full of interactive discussions, networking and making new contacts resonated among the participants. \"My first Bonfire and definitely not the last. Great atmosphere and lectures full of contemporary topics such as using AI tools in game development, finding holes in the indie game market, but also the experience of starting a small studio with a private investor fulfilled my professional but also social expectations,\" Adrian Gubrica, freelance creative developer. Bonfire Meetups, which regularly take place in Prague and Zlín, have also undergone a major change in visual identity. The new look now better captures the energy and unity of the gaming community and visually unifies the two events.
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