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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 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.

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