1UpState
About this Event
For its third year, 1UpState will continue to bring quality exhibitors and content in support of the gaming community in the Tech Valley region. The event will consist of three main areas: The Main Hall for Exhibitors, a breakout room for panel discussions and speakers, and an overflow room for additional exhibitors with playtesting for local game designers. The exhibitors in the main hall will range from student teams enrolled in RPI’s GSAS program to independent developers from the Tech Valley region. Additionally, attendees will be able to meet and network with local creatives who also support the games industry.
1UpState Goals:
Ultimately, 1 UpState has three goals:
Goal 1: Full Workforce Development Lifecycle Representation
As gaming grows as a hobby, more high schools are embracing its growth by supporting student clubs and events. The support for gaming continues with more colleges supporting Esports teams and offering Game Development curriculums. Once they graduate from college, they will be ready to work for one of the globally recognized studios right here in the Tech Valley Region. From public schools, through college, and into the local workforce, the full workforce development lifecycle will be represented at the same event.
Goal 2: Supporting the Creative Economy
There is no denying the robust and vibrant creative and technical community in the Tech Valley Region. 1UpState will promote these creative efforts by soliciting exhibitors which are all focused on either Game Development or Gaming Culture. These will include Game Development studios, independent creators, service providers, local creatives, and crafters. It takes more than just writing code to bring a game to life, and we intend to promote all the creative efforts required to do so.
Goal 3: Reduce the Barrier to Entry into the Games Industry
The third goal is for this event to make it easier for gaming enthusiasts and hobbyists to enter the game development industry. Current events serve one of two purposes: Events for consumers of the gaming culture and events that serve as professional networking and development for those already in the industry. Exhibitors and presentation selections will be curated to serve those who are looking to transition their interest into a career.
MR 2A - Presentations
🕑: 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Keynote - Leading Developers to Quality
Host: Thomas Gawrys
Info: Quality is rarely a tooling problem. It is a people problem. Developers do their best work when they understand why it matters, feel safe raising problems early, hear honest feedback, and get support that fits where they are right now.
Over a career spanning more than 20 years, Thomas has applied a range of leadership techniques with real teams under real deadlines, and learned where each one shines and where it falls short. This talk covers six of them: Simon Sinek's Start with Why and The Infinite Game (leading with purpose and playing for the long run), David Rock's Quiet Leadership (improving how people think instead of handing out answers), Kim Scott's Radical Candor (caring personally while challenging directly), Crucial Conversations (staying in dialogue when stakes and emotions run high), and Hersey and Blanchard's Situational Leadership (matching direction and support to each person's readiness).
🕑: 12:30 PM - 01:00 PM
What is Production?
Host: Amanda Kirk
Info: In this presentation will discuss what the production role is, along with tips and tricks for people starting out in the role, or looking to pivot into production.
🕑: 01:00 PM - 02:00 PM
Getting Started in Game Dev!
Host: Rich Calleri
Info: This talk will discuss the overall process and current market of the Indie game process. The goal will be to help people make there first game, or make the next step in whatever stage there at.
🕑: 02:00 PM - 02:30 PM
Roll for Learning: Using TTRPGs in English Class
Host: Will West
Info: Our cultural engagement with stories is expanding in innovative and unexpected ways. Though the traditional image of an English classroom is full of Victorian novels and Shakespearian prose, let’s be honest, kids today just want to play games! As a career educator working in public schools for nearly a decade, I fear we have become so concerned with the ways in which students fall short of our expectations, we are heedless of the ways in which they are engaging with stories and literature. I want to respond to the nationwide challenges of low student engagement and lack of proficiency in literacy skills with curiosity instead of criticism.
🕑: 03:00 PM - 04:00 PM
How Indies can Harness the Power of Audio
Host: Christopher Bolte
Info: Of all the disciplines in game development, audio is still often seen as somewhat of an afterthought, especially when budgets are tight and deadlines are looming. However, your game's soundscape also makes up a tremendous part of what players will ultimately experience.
In this talk, we will explore some considerations on why audio should be considered as early in production as possible, how sound can elevate the player experience and further immersion, how audio cues can be crucial for accessibility and approachability, and how small teams can create better quality audio without falling into the old FreeSound routine.
We will also explore some resources that'll help you create high-quality audio even if you don't have an audio person on-hand and talk about what you should consider when deciding to hire one or more audio professionals to work on your game.
🕑: 04:00 PM - 04:30 PM
From Chaos to Playable Worlds: An Introduction to Procedural Generation
Host: JP Green
Info: How can a handful of rules create a dungeon, a landscape, or even a story? Procedural generation has helped game developers create surprising and replayable experiences for decades—from the dungeons of Rogue to the worlds of Minecraft.
In this beginner-friendly talk, we’ll explore the history of procedural generation and break down a few techniques used to build game worlds, including random walks, Perlin noise, cellular automata, and rooms and corridors. Through visual examples and a group dungeon-building activity, we’ll see how simple rules and randomness can work together to produce unexpected results.
Whether you’re a new developer or a player curious about how your favorite games create their worlds, you’ll leave with a foundation for understanding procedural generation and ideas for experimenting with it yourself.
🕑: 04:30 PM - 05:00 PM
Neurodiversity In The World Of Video Gaming
Host: Kadin McElwain
Info: This presentation will focus specifically on the history of neurodivergent representation in the world of video games, through voice acting, development, and story-telling from the perspective of an autistic individual.
Capital Room
🕑: 01:00 PM - 01:30 PM
New York State Digital Game Development Tax Credit Program
Host: Ami Cai
Info: This presentation will go over eligibility and application process for the New York State Digital Game Development Tax Credit Program. Intended to attract and grow the digital game development industry across New York State, the New York State Digital Game Development Program is designed to accelerate and attract economic development by offsetting some production costs associated with producing digital games in New York State. Economic benefits of this program include increased digital game investment, increased number of jobs and studios, and a bolstering of the existing digital game development industry in New York State.
🕑: 03:00 PM - 04:30 PM
Community Loan Fund of the Capital Region - Financial Workshop
Host: Destiny Watkins
Where is it happening?
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
USD 10.00 to USD 15.00
