External Development Summit

The External Development Summit (XDS) is a four-day event for the video game industry with its first edition held in 2013,[1] with its standard in-person event held annually in Vancouver, BC, Canada. The summit was established in order to share video game development best practices in the areas of 2D and 3D graphics, Animation, Software Engineering, Audio, Quality Assurance and Localization. Members of the XDS Advisory Committee are responsible for the design and delivery of the event.

The event receives hundreds of attendees annually, representing 45 countries in addition to local Vancouver companies.[2] Notable companies that have attended XDS include Microsoft Studios, Sony Interactive Entertainment, Electronic Arts, Activision, Ubisoft and Riot Games. XDS receives international delegations from countries such as Brazil,[3] Costa Rica[4] and the Philippines.[5] The event traditionally consists of presentations, panel discussions, meeting system, business meetings, an expo and social events.

For 2020, XDS shifted to become a virtual online event in lieu of attendee safety and in following governmental restrictions concerning COVID-19. XDS20 Adapt featured a proprietary event delivery platform, XDS Connect, which facilitated; B2B meetings, delivery of presentations and panels, roundtable sessions, 3D exhibitor booths, and community chat. Attendee who registered before a deadline received a Welcome Kit containing needed items for the event.

Notable Components

Presentations and Panels

Presentations and panel discussions make up the educational component of the event. There is a formal submission process for all topics and speakers. The XDS Advisory Committee reviews all submissions and selects finalists for the event program. Past notable speakers have included Peter Moore and Andrea Reimer.

Expo

Service providers may participate in an expo to create awareness for their offerings. Expo booths are centrally located at the event, and are designed to express the creativity of each exhibiting company.

Charitable Donations

XDS provides an annual charitable donation to an organization that aligns with the goals and values of the event.

  • 2016: XDS partnered with Simon Fraser University to provide a scholarship award[6] to women entering the School of Interactive Arts and Technology.
  • 2017: the award was provided to Canada Learning Code, supporting learning and development for school-age girls 8-13.
  • 2018: a generous donation was made to Make-A-Wish® British Columbia & Yukon, a chapter part of the largest wish-granting organization in the world, making dreams and wishes come true for more than 450,000 children since 1980.
  • 2020: XDS partnered with UK-based charity, SpecialEffect, which uses technology ranging from modified joypads to eye-control, to allow players with physical disabilities to play video games.

Industry Reports

XDS publishes an annual report on the state of external development for the video game industry:

References
  1. "External Development Summit for Video Games is coming to Vancouver". Vancity Buzz. 2013-07-16. Retrieved 2017-02-07.
  2. "External Development Summit to showcase Vancouver's video game talent". Business In Vancouver. Retrieved 2017-02-07.
  3. "Leading Brazilian Game Developers to Attend XDS Canada 2017". Develop. Aug 29, 2017.
  4. "Costa Rican Video Game Companies Take Part of External Development Summit in Canada". The Costa Rica Star. September 8, 2017.
  5. "DTI Pushes for Global Marketing of PHL Game Development". BusinessMirror. September 27, 2017.
  6. "XDS Gaming Award - Faculty of Communication, Art and Technology - Simon Fraser University". Simon Fraser University. Retrieved 2017-02-07.
  7. "XDS 2016 Industry Report on External Development for Video Games". XDS. April 28, 2016.
  8. "XDS 2017 Industry Report on External Development for Video Games". XDS. Mar 16, 2017.
  9. "XDS 2018 Industry Report on External Development for Video Games". XDS. April 4, 2018.
  10. "XDS 2019 Industry Report on External Development for Video Games". XDS. March 11, 2019.
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