Xbox @ SIGGRAPH

Interested in the world of Xbox? Here's your chance to speak directly with Xbox Gaming Talent Acquisition at SIGGRAPH in Vancouver, August 9 to 11! Whether you're early in your game industry career, at mid-level stage and seeking your next big move, or a seasoned pro ready to make a change, we want to talk to you about careers at Xbox. While at SIGGRAPH, you can visit the Xbox Game Studios booth on the main show floor. For Xbox career opportunities, visit: Gaming Jobs | Microsoft Careers

Xbox has organized a stellar line-up of sessions at SIGGRAPH, featuring top representatives from Xbox teams. This is a close-up opportunity to hear first-hand stories and experiences from our diverse Xbox Game Studios teams, as they share their best practices, personal perspectives and lessons learned as studio leaders and team staff. These sessions are intended for all audience members, from early-in-career to seasoned game professionals, who are interested in learning more about cutting-edge graphics technology, inclusive culture and talent development at Xbox.

Here's a breakdown of everything we'll be doing at SIGGRAPH:

• How Digital Worlds Today Can Make the Real World Better Tomorrow - Tuesday, August 9 from 9 am to 10 am – Main Stage
• Forza Horizon 5: A Technical Landscape - Tuesday, August 9 from 2:30 pm to 4 pm - Room 220
• Crafting a Healthy Studio Culture at The Coalition - Wednesday, August 10 from 10:30 am to 11:45 am – Room 220
• Our Inclusivity Journey @ Xbox Game Studios - Wednesday, August 10 from 2:30 pm to 3:45 pm - Room 220
• Behind the Scenes of "The Cavern" - UE5 Cinematic Visual Tech Test, The Coalition - Thursday, August 11 from 10:30 am to 11:30 am - Room 220

How Digital Worlds Today Can Make the Real World Better Tomorrow

Tuesday, August 9 - 9 am to 10 am – Main Stage
Featured Speaker: Sarah Bond, Corporate Vice President, Game Creator Experience and Ecosystem at Xbox

Now more than ever, people are experiencing the world through their screens. Games have a unique ability to break barriers, spark imagination, and create empathy. Gaming is the only activity where strangers can come together and work as a team to achieve a goal, even if they don't speak the same language, have never met, live in a different part of the world, or have different abilities. All of this is thanks to incredible creators who craft these amazing worlds. As 3D interactive experiences evolve from gaming to non-gaming, we will see an explosion of fresh content from a wave of new creators – and working together we can intentionally create those worlds to be more inclusive and fuel the empathy that will help us build a better world together.

"The creative talent of artists, animators and designers building virtual worlds has never been more important than it is today. It is the ingenuity and empathy of the SIGGRAPH community that will define the digital worlds we will all experience in the future. Creators have the opportunity – and responsibility – to define these worlds as positive, inclusive, empowering, and of course, fun!" – Sarah Bond, Corporate Vice President, Game Creator Experience and Ecosystem at Microsoft

Forza Horizon 5: A Technical Landscape: Presentation | SIGGRAPH 2022
Tuesday, August 9 - 2:30 pm to 4 pm - Room 220

Gareth Harwood, Tech Art Director for Playground Games, presents an in-depth breakdown of the techniques and workflows used to create the stunning world of Forza Horizon 5. Harwood will spotlight procedural terrain heightmap and material generation, terrain mesh creation and Playground Games' "mega-texture" pipeline.

Crafting a Healthy Studio Culture at The Coalition: Presentation | SIGGRAPH 2022
Wednesday, August 10 - 10:30 am to 11:45 am – Room 220

Join leads from The Coalition's employee resource groups as they discuss the communities they've formed and their efforts to create safe and supportive spaces for those with diverse identities. The panelists represent a range of employee-led groups including Women in Gaming at The Coalition, The Rainbow Coalition for members of the LGBTQIA+ community and Project Spirit, a team of employee ambassadors who aim to reduce the stigma around mental health and point employees to appropriate channels for resources and support.

Speakers: Phil Cousins, Engine Technical Director, The Coalition; Vini Oliveria Bom, Producer, The Coalition; Venessa Nyarko, Narrative and Realization Producer, The Coalition; moderated by Kate Rayner, VP, Technical Director, The Coalition.

Our Inclusivity Journey @ Xbox Game Studios: Presentation | SIGGRAPH 2022
Wednesday, August 10 - 2:30 pm to 3:45 pm - Room 220

Inclusive hiring leaders from across Xbox Game Studios join together to explore and discuss their stories and experiences in building diverse teams, sharing tips and best practices in how to engage hiring teams, identify and support candidates and develop a deeper understanding of hiring in a tight talent market.

Speakers: Nneka Ajufor, Quality Manager for Xbox Game Studios Quality; Celine Morais, Talent and Culture Manager at The Coalition; Sylvia Ashley, senior recruiter, Xbox Talent Acquisition; Brittney Pettway, Senior Talent Pipeline Manager, Mojang Studios; moderated by Fiona Cherbak, Lead Talent Program Manager for Xbox Game Studios.

Behind the Scenes of "The Cavern" - UE5 Cinematic Visual Tech Test, The Coalition: Presentation | SIGGRAPH 2022
Thursday, August 11 - 10:30 am to 11:30 am - Room 220

Colin Penty, Technical Art Director for The Coalition, will reprise his main event presentation for those who missed it as part of the main SIGGRAPH program. Watch The Coalition's most recent UE5 cinematic visual tech test "The Cavern," running in real-time on an Xbox Series X. Penty will provide a breakdown of the visual techniques and pipeline development that enabled them to create "The Cavern" cinematic in a short window of time. 

Xbox is pleased to participate in the 48th annual SIGGRAPH convention, returning this year to this important industry trade show after several years of hiatus due to our global pandemic. We are thrilled to have the chance to share Xbox ideas, technology developments and culture stories with the SIGGRAPH audience, and to have a chance to spend time with our peers and colleagues in the industry.