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April 9: Staying Ahead of the Game: The Power of Early Access to Emerging Technology
Adam Creighton and Kevin Nappoly will be give a version of their Arm Summit GDC talk
In the fast-evolving world of game development, timing is everything. Early access to new technology like SDKs, plugins, engine integrations, and all-new technologies is the difference between following trends and setting them. In this session, Enduring Games shares real-world benefits from working closely with technology partners, including Arm and Unreal Engine, to integrate the latest hardware features before launching games.
We walk through the typical lifecycle of a game (concept, mid-development, and release, variations like ports and remasters) and show how factoring in early access to technology enables smarter planning, smoother integration, and better performance.
Through candid case studies and practical examples, we explore the opportunities and challenges that come with early access programs, including managing third-party dependencies and providing actionable feedback to hardware partners. We also explore forward-looking technologies such as AI/ML integration, ray-tracing, and next-generation rendering techniques, illustrating how these innovations should transform production pipelines and in-game quality.
About Kevin Nappoly:
Kevin Nappoly Rendering & Graphics Lead at Enduring Games, focusing on low-level graphics pipelines, platform specialization, early technology proof-of-concepts, and optimization & data-driven profiling
With a strong background in rendering paradigms, extensive experience in console and PC development, and expertise in customizing game engines, Kevin works to advance the state of real-time graphics in games
Games include Borderlands 4, Risk of Rain 2, Immortals of Aveum, Redfall, and more.
About Adam Creighton
Adam Creighton is the Founder & CEO for Enduring Games, an independent studio in Austin, TX. Inside and outside of his studio, Adam works practical processes & create quality strategic partnerships to elevate the people working in the video game industry
He has contributed to more than 40 titles, including Borderlands 4, Demon's Souls & Godfall for the launch of the PS5, Bugsnax, DOOM, Rocket League, Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus, Warframe & Hob for Nintendo Switch, the Disney Infinity franchise, and many more.
- By attending events at venues serving alcohol beverages, you confirm you are legally allowed to attend such events.)
Agenda
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Speaker
Timothy Porter - Mod Tech Labs, Inc. (Co-Founder, CTO)
A 20-year veteran of the entertainment industry, Tim Porter began his career as an artist before transitioning into Technical Art and serving as a Pipeline Technical Director. His career is defined by building scalable infrastructure for industry leaders such as Gameloft, Sony, Paramount, and NBC/Universal.
Hosted By
Adam Creighton, Community Organizer
Founder and Studio Head, Enduring Games – Bringing best-of-class co-development, new IP, and micro publishing to the video game industry.
• Companies include Enduring Games, ex-(Panic Button, The Walt Disney Company (Walt Disney Interactive), Emergent Game Technologies (the Gamebryo game engine), Visa, IBM)
• Key projects and brands include Disney, Marvel, Star Wars, Crunchyroll, DOOM, Borderlands, Warframe, Rocket League
• Professional actor (voice and on-camera)
[PRO] DRAGON, Creative Director/ Community Manager / Game Dev
I’ve spent the last 8+ years living and breathing the Fortnite Creative and UEFN ecosystems. Whether I’m diving into hands-on development or leading large-scale community initiatives, my mission has always been the same: supporting creators with the clarity and empathy we all need to build something great.
Currently serving as Epic Developer Community Co-lead, I’m passionate about keeping the creator’s perspective at the forefront of evolution.
🏆 Epic Developer Community Co-lead
🏆 Award-Winning Game Dev @ProdigyGames
🗒️ Game Dev Writer @thecreativeblok
🎮 UEFN + Fortnite Creative Educator (8+ yrs)
📘 Published Author
🎧 Producer | 📱 App Dev 🎙️ Voiceover
💖 Philanthropist | Leader of 💖 Giving Back
🏆 21x #Epic FNC Featured, including 3+ Epic Picks Feature!
🏆 W3Award Winner for Game Development for Entertainment Branding
Join me for virtual events, tutorials and developer chats. Reach out anytime with questions!
Happy Developing!
Complete your event RSVP here: https://communities.unrealengine.com/events/details/epic-games-austin-presents-staying-ahead-of-the-game-the-power-of-early-access-to-emerging-technology/.
