To say that Develop 2022 was hot would be something of an understatement. All the great and the good from the UK Games industry and beyond gathered in a sweltering Brighton to meet one another, watch some inspiring talks from indie and AAA studios and learn a bit about this little-known thing called the Meh-ta-verse… it seemed quite interesting.

Good, then we sent 3 of our most trusted young envoys down the South coast to gather some valuable intel. Here are some notes from each of them about their experience.

Liam Brookes [Junior Developer]

During my first Develop conference, I attended many insightful talks about AI, as well as a fascinating talk about Deathloop’s design. I was unsure of what to expect at first, but it was an excellent experience. Not only was my time at Develop super beneficial, but I was able to spend time with my colleagues, where I discovered my new favourite card game, ‘Cheat’.

Andrew Frost [Junior Developer]

I had a great first experience at Develop. The days were full of interesting-looking presentations and having to decide what presentations to see was a struggle. I went to various presentations both in my area of work and outside, gaining some useful insight and knowledge. I enjoyed the opportunity to meet up with other developers and learn about the industry. I think the experience helped me define where I want to go with my career. Spending time with my co-workers in sunny Brighton was an all-around pleasant experience.

Ben Preedy [Junior Developer]

Develop was a great experience. It was interesting hearing other tech wizards talk about new and emerging technologies, for example, blockchains and the metaverse. It gives you hope that smart people out there want to see these technologies grow and bloom, not just for monetary gain but because they’re passionate and excited about what the future of this tech holds. The first talk I went to, “A beginners guide to AI characters”, was not only funny but insightful and helped me in my own tasks back at the studio.