Building community around a game that's years away can be puzzling. Alexandra Orlando from @kitfoxgames.com explored the marketing strategy behind indie titles to showcase approaches and more required to build a supportive and dynamic community.

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Grants, publishing partnerships, cooperative models, and accessible resources are all part of sustainable growth. Corey Caplan, Ryan Sno-Wood, Eileen Mary Holowka, Shelley Coultish mapped out what this looks like for Canadian game studios.

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In this session, Kristian Roberts, CEO of IO Partner @nordicity.bsky.social, dove into Steam data, helping devs to better understand what they can tell us about the success of various indie game titles and broader industry trends.

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Yesterdays ISB Marketing Bootcamp experts once again joined forces to discuss strategies that worked, blind spots that didn’t, and lessons they had to learn the hard way. Their expertise was on display and appreciated by fellow developers in the audience.

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Too many tasks, too little time, too much competition. ISB Expert Jason Della Rocca laid out the clearest path to indie success in today's hyper competitive market. A great follow up to last months Game Business Masterclass!

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A great Indie Superboost Session to start off day 2 of XP Game Summit!
Trusted IO expert Christian Fonnesbech examined the emotional architecture underneath some beloved franchises in games and how to incorporate this into your own projects.

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Koolhaus Games celebrates their 20th anniversary and Wolfgang Hamann shared exactly how they have made it this far. From funding and HR to navigating AI and self-publishing, this was an expert session in building a studio that actually lasts.

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Uncertain times call for adaptable studios. Trang Nguyen and Kaitlin Tremblay of IO Member @softrains.bsky.social shared how leaning into their range of skills helped them to self-publish in a shifting landscape.

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This panel examined the capital landscape for gaming breaking down M&A trends, alternative financing, and how AI is reshaping the path to capital. Thank you to Luiz Vianna, Shum Singh, Pontus Maehler, Jason Della Rocca for sharing your knowledge.

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Whether your team is 2 or 50 people, unclear communication can sink a game before it ships. Rebecca Brooker from @bhvr.com shared a practical system for staying aligned, resolving conflict, and making documentation actually useful.

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Deal terms, timing, and finding the right publishing partner. Pontus Maehler gave an honest breakdown of what it actually takes to close in today's market making this session very valuable for those navigating publishing deals this year.

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Everyone wants to make games that are easy to learn, yet inventive and original. Chris Bateman, one of IO's trusted experts, did an excellent job guiding the audience through this paradox, lending his expertise and experience.

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Ruwan Fernando of IO Partner Go Boldly Design used real case studies from AAA and mobile titles to reframe UX discourse focusing on actionable concepts, helping teams discover missed opportunities, and build games that support creative and business goals.

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These panelists unpacked how strategic partnerships, talent networks, and more are making it possible to discover, and onboard creators at scale. Thank you to Scott Christian, John Nguyen, Gem Johnson, Corina Diaz for sharing your insight and Ontario based experience.

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Studios benefitted from this session by Matthew Walach and Muddassir Mahmood, from IO Partner, Insert Coin. They discussed strategies that enable studios to use financial tools to improve returns, convert sweat equity into cash, and strategies beyond conventional tax planning.
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