THE FOUNDER of Twitter told a packed audience at yesterday’s Dublin Web Summit that there was no better time than a recession to create something. Jack Dorsey said his site was continuing to develop a business model to make it self-sufficient but refused to be drawn any further on that topic.
Mr Dorsey was speaking at the closing session of the event, which saw more than 550 people pack the lecture halls to hear a wide range of speakers. The dreary weather did little to dampen the enthusiasm of those present as topics as diverse as beauty blogs and geo-location technology sat side by side on the day’s agenda.
Throughout the day the summit followed the unusual approach of splitting into four “streams” which ran parallel to each other. This structure accommodated more than 50 speakers during the four-hour timeframe and helped add some liveliness to proceedings as attendees rushed between rooms to catch the various talks.
One of the streams that garnered the most enthusiasm both at the venue and on Twitter was the afternoon’s Gaming Summit. This session featured presentations from some of Ireland’s leading industry figures, as well as talks from international players.
As part of his contribution Barry O’Neill, founder of business development Other Ventures, said Ireland had the potential to become a big international player in the games industry.
“Gaming jobs already in Ireland are great but they are transient. Research and development labs and creative studios are what’s needed to create a viable and vibrant industry in this country,” he said.
He went on to outline three steps that Ireland could take to achieve this, which centred on changes to the tax regime to attract developers and key talent. He said he hoped to put these into a budget submission from the games industry and asked for the support of attendees in doing so.
David Coghlan, managing director of Intel-owned Havok, echoed this sentiment and said there was both a challenge and opportunity for the industry in encouraging students to take up gaming-friendly subjects in school.
“Perhaps there is a role there for the industry to show that these subjects are not abstract but can be used to create very compelling images on the screen. If we do that we can also earn kudos from the likes of Government in tackling what is a very serious problem,” he said.