Game Business LEVEL UP! Series Powered by SaskTel infiNET
The video game industry is one that’s booming but also highly competitive. In an industry heavily dominated by mega players, small start-ups can find it difficult to overcome the hurdles of breaking into an industry. Experts in the field have come together to design a workshop dedicated in helping new companies Level Up their knowledge of the industry.

Mark your calendars!November 5 to December 3, SaskInteractive is running a weekly series of webinars about the business of making a video game. Look forward to these workshops:

• November 5 – Funding Fundamentals with Jason Delle Rocca. This workshop digs into the relevant funding models for the video game industry, funding sources, appropriate timing of each source, and concrete funding case studies.
• November 12 – IP Law with Joe Gill. In this session, there will be a focus on the start-up ecosystem and the legal issues that go along with it, including tax matters, employee incentive planning, privacy/cybersecurity, and more.
• November 19 – Pitch to Publishers with Jason Delle Rocca. This workshop will focus on delivering the perfect game project pitch, including the process of securing pitch meetings and how to best manage timing and delivery.
• November 26 – How to understand and impress your audience with better marketing with Chris Zukowski. In this session, you will dig deep to define who your audience truly is. Knowing where they live and what kind of games they are looking for will help you market in the right place with the right message.
• December 3 – Discoverability by Design with Jason Delle Rocca. This session will explore techniques to turn your game into a commercial success by thinking about discoverability at the product design level.

Learn more about each workshop and register here!

AI-based digital assistants are beneficial for employees working from home
Chatbots or digital assistants are helpful for businesses when it comes to communicating with consumers. They create a human-like connection with users without having to train anyone and without the consumer having to download apps. Experts have found that digital assistants are also useful for businesses to respond to their remote work inquiries. Oracle shares a list of the benefits for employees, including being able to answer general policy questions, for example, policies on employment. This not only saves time for staff members, but keeps employees safe in the comfort of their work-from-home environments.

Keeping a workforce engaged through remote work
Going from a collaborative office space to working from home can be a dramatic shift for many reasons. Keeping employees connected in this social distance environment is as important as ever. Meraki created a list of helpful tips to keep employees engaged. The first includes establishing consistency. Instead of those hallway conversations that may have happened when everyone was together, establishing a time for bi-weekly meetings, for example, gives employees some sense of stability and routine.

What tech news have you learned recently that has helped you? Let us know below in the comments, or share it with us on Facebook or LinkedIn.