Agenda

Why do so many transmedia adaptations fall flat — and what can games teach us about doing it right? In this session narrative designer and transmedia strategist, David Daubitz, explores how starting with worldbuilding instead of plot creates IPs that travel better across formats. Drawing on 15+ years of experience in both AAA games and scripted series, he shares a practical framework for designing flexible, emotionally resonant story worlds.

Using real-world case studies, including Anno 117: Pax Romana and an original audio drama co-produced with Germany's national broadcaster SWR, the session reveals how interactive "lived story" structures can inform better adaptations — and how mismatched tone, pacing, and genre expectations often lead to failure.

This talk is designed for creative leads, writers, producers, and IP holders looking to build narrative ecosystems that go beyond a single format — and let games lead the way.

Takeaway

Attendees learn how to design story systems instead of single-format plots. They discover how gameplay verbs, emotional arcs, and world logic can anchor transmedia IPs. The talk offers tools to align tone, pacing, and character intent across media — enabling IPs that adapt, expand, and stay coherent beyond adaptation.

Intended Audience

Narrative leads, transmedia strategists, writers, and creative producers working on story-driven games or cross-media IPs who want to design more resilient, adaptable, and narratively consistent universes from the ground up.