Santa Monica Studio’s Meghan Morgan Juinio to Headline MDEV
The UW-Madison Alum and God of War Director of Product Development returns to Madison to headline one of the game industry's fastest-growing events
Madison, WI - August 5th, 2024 -The Wisconsin Games Alliance is thrilled to announce that Meghan Morgan Juinio, Director of Product Development at Santa Monica Studio and a key developer of the God of War franchise, will return to Madison to headline an outstanding lineup of speakers at MDEV 2024—the 6th edition of this premier event for games industry professionals. The event will take place on November 8th, 2024, in Madison, Wisconsin.
“I'm thrilled to be invited to speak at MDEV this year. The chance to connect with both aspiring creators and seasoned professionals in my home state is incredibly exciting. The passion for innovation in game development in the Midwest is inspiring and I look forward to the exchange of ideas and the new connections MDEV will undoubtedly spark.” said Meghan Morgan Juinio.
“Our goal in 2024 is to create an accessible event for our regional developers, allowing for learning, networking, and showcasing of the impressive regional talent that exists outside of the coasts,” said Ben Kvalo, President of WGA, Co-Executive Chair of MDEV, and Founder of Midwest Games. “Meghan is an incredible example of the kind of regional talent that has contributed in huge ways to the industry across her career after leaving Madison. Great talent comes from Wisconsin and it’s awesome to see such an impactful contribution from the region on a huge video game franchise like God of War.”
MDEV has experienced tremendous growth in recent years, doubling attendance last year, with early ticket sales indicating another record-breaking event this year. The conference, which began in 2017 as a celebration of the local video game development industry, continues to establish Wisconsin and the Midwest as a thriving hub for game development and business.
“MDEV began back in 2017 as a celebration of the local video game development industry and the amazing people who make the games. We started the conference with the intent of establishing Wisconsin and the Midwest Region as a great place to make games and do business.” said Tim Gerritsen, Co-Executive Chair of MDEV and COO of Lost Boys Interactive. “Attendees will be able to learn from Meghan’s extensive experience working on hit franchises for Sony’s Santa Monica Studio, Nexon, Activision, THQ, and Konami. This is a further measure of the growing impact and influence of MDEV. With great speakers like Meghan, MDEV is the place to be if you are making video games in the Midwest and beyond.”
The show will feature speakers, panels, and workshops across four tracks, providing a wealth of learning opportunities for attendees. Developers will have the chance to showcase their games, and artists can present and sell their work in the Artist Alley. Additionally, pre-MDEV social events and a Virtual Ticket option will be available for those unable to attend in person.
As the Midwest's games industry continues to grow exponentially, MDEV seeks to be the central meeting point for the region’s community, drawing participants from regional hubs such as Chicago, Minneapolis, Ann Arbor, Indianapolis, Columbus, and Cincinnati.
A big thanks to our sponsors Midwest Games, Lost Boys Interactive, Respawn Entertainment, Wolfjaw Studios, Raven Software, Hoyos Consulting, Guild Software, ZeniMax Media, Unlock Audio, Make Visual, Allison Salmon, and Basementmode. MDEV is also supporting Charity Partners: AbleGamers, Tech for Vets, and Maydm.
Stay tuned as we reveal additional high-profile industry speakers in the coming weeks. If you're interested in joining the lineup, apply here—speaker submissions close on September 1st. For more information visit www.mdevconf.com
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ABOUT MEGHAN MORGAN JUINIO
Meghan Morgan Juinio is a Director of Product Development with over 26 years of successful experience managing the production of video games and interactive entertainment on such beloved franchises as Final Fantasy, Dance Dance Revolution, WWE, Spider-Man and God of War. A Milwaukee native, Meghan graduated from the University of Wisconsin - Madison with a degree in Japanese Language and Literature and Political Science. After a brief stint working for the Japanese government after college, she took on a role at Square USA in Honolulu, Hawaii where she found her home in the interactive entertainment space, discovering the power of games to connect people all around the world.
As a passionate advocate for creating pathways to success for women in the games industry, Meghan regularly looks for opportunities to guide, support and inspire this next generation of talented game creators. She has spoken at events for Women in Games International, participated as a Demo Day Judge for the Girls Make Games summer camp, led training for Girl Scouts to earn the “Video Game Design” badge and crafted a hands-on “Introduction to Video Game Development” experience for Project Scientist. She finds it incredibly inspiring to introduce girls of all ages to the amazing field of video game creation and enjoys offering her encouragement and advice as they identify their strengths and set out to reach their goals.
When not leading teams on exciting new adventures in game development, Meghan can be found traveling the world or relaxing at the beach with her family, enjoying every moment together and living life to its fullest.
ABOUT WISCONSIN GAMES ALLIANCE
A local network of game studios, independent developers, faculty, investors, and regional economic agencies with the shared mission of promoting Wisconsin as a premier site for game development.
The Wisconsin Games Alliance (WGA) is dedicated to advancing the games and related industries in Wisconsin and the broader Midwest and beyond. They believe that game development and enjoyment is for everyone. For more information, please visit www.WisconsinGamesAlliance.com.
ABOUT WISCONSIN’S GAME INDUSTRY
Madison’s developer scene has been bolstered in recent years with brands, like EA’s Respawn Studio and Epic Games, joining the mix. This along with Microsoft’s acquisition of two studios in Madison, Activision’s Raven Software and Bethesda Softworks Roundhouse Studios, along with the growth of Lost Boys Interactive, under the Embracer Group, and Krafton’s PUBG studio has seen Wisconsin become a developer hub. Homegrown game studios like Guild Software, PerBlue, Filament Games, Flippfly, and Pyramid Lake Games have further grown opportunities in the space.
Wisconsin has also seen its first two Video Game Publishers open their doors in Midwest Games, from former Netflix exec Ben Kvalo, and Bigmode, from famous Video Game YouTuber, Jason Gastrow aka videogamedunkey, and fellow YouTuber and spouse, Leah Bee.
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