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World Congress 2021 • Jun 29, 2021

The Story of Games

Brenda Romero

Brenda Romero exposes video games as profound therapeutic tools that can outperform morphine. Learn how diverse developers are coding the future of interactive storytelling.

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#1 about 2 min

Introduction to the six stories of games

An overview of the six core themes that shape the creation, culture, and future of video games.

#2 about 5 min

Dispelling myths about working as a game designer

The day-to-day reality of testing unfinished builds instead of playing highly polished releases.

#3 about 5 min

The role of game designers in building virtual worlds

How designers act as experience planners by defining short-term goals and rules of play.

#4 about 9 min

Early computing influences and career origins

How hacking analog board games and working on early microcomputers launched a lifetime career in software.

#5 about 4 min

Gamer demographics and broader tech cultural impacts

Why modern gaming audiences subvert outdated stereotypes and fundamentally influence internet culture.

#6 about 3 min

The historical evolution of digital entertainment

Tracing the origins of interactive media from early mainframe laboratory experiments to virtual reality.

#7 about 5 min

Balancing pre-written narratives with player-driven experiences

The contrast between carefully scripted lore and the emergent stories players create through gameplay interactions.

#8 about 4 min

Sourcing game themes from history and personal trauma

How developers adapt deeply personal challenges and historical settings into critically acclaimed interactive experiences.

#9 about 7 min

Gamification in healthcare and physical therapy

Strategies for applying digital experiences to encourage physical activity, minimize trauma, and handle painful medical procedures.

#10 about 7 min

Addressing diversity and representation in game narratives

The ongoing challenges regarding the inclusion of marginalized genders, sexual orientations, and races in protagonist roles.

#11 about 5 min

Transitioning into game development from other tech roles

Actionable approaches like joining community jams and learning popular engines to transition into the games industry.

#12 about 4 min

Opportunities for independent musicians in game audio

How networking and volunteering for fast-paced coding events can yield successful audio design partnerships.

#13 about 4 min

Evaluating the maturity of games compared to cinema

Analyzing how interactive media is gradually exploring difficult emotional themes despite structural differences like software patching.

Matching moments

8:11 min

Confronting prejudices in the gaming and tech industries

Chris Heilmann +2 · LIVE

1:18 min

Sharing a personal history of the video game industry

John Romero John Romero · World Congress 2021

3:39 min

Finding inspiration for real-world impact through video games

Johanna Pirker Johanna Pirker · World Congress 2025

1:57 min

The democratization of independent video game development

Johanna Pirker Johanna Pirker · World Congress 2025

6:29 min

Transitioning from open worlds to generative storytelling

Chris Heilmann +2 · LIVE

6:04 min

Academic research in games and virtual reality

Chris Heilmann +2 · LIVE

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Upcoming sessions on this topic

Open session

World Congress 2026 North America

September 24, 2026 · 11:00–13:00

Stage 9

Creating and Sustaining Positive Communities

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Community Developer

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Open session

World Congress 2026 North America

September 24, 2026 · 17:30–18:00

Mainstage

Keynote by John Romero, the Legendary Game Creator

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Legendary Game Creator | Father of FPS | DOOM, Quake, Wolfenstein

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Open session

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Open session

World Congress 2026 North America

September 23, 2026 · 10:00–17:00

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AI/ML product manager, Dell

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