Off to new markets: On March 2nd and 3rd, 2022 the Hamburg Games Conference will take its visitors on a virtual cruise around the globe. In the five games industry harbors in the online world of the hybrid conference, guests can take part in matchmaking and networking with international professionals from the games industry. 60 partners and exhibitors such as Intel, Xsolla, InnoGames, Bytro, and Bigpoint will also be there with booths and activities. The online conference world itself is designed as a playable game: Sidequests, challenges, collectible items, and level-ups are hidden in its different areas. The extensive program of talks and panels with over 20 speakers from the international games industry will provide inspiring input. Sponsor Xsolla will be awarding prizes with a total value of 55,000 euros among the indie studios exhibiting at the expo. The conference will be opened with a welcoming speech by Hamburg’s Mayor Dr. Peter Tschentscher. Moderator Shay Thompson will lead through the program of the two-day conference.
“Welcome to Futuroka,” visitors are greeted as they disembark at the first virtual harbor. Here, everything revolves around the future of the games industry. Five more virtual locations, each with a thematic focus, are waiting to be explored during the conference: “Businessborg,” where the next big deal awaits, “Indieapolis”, where creative indie studios present themselves, “Multiplayer E-Sport Topia,” where the focus lies on playing together and professional gaming, the home port of Hamburg as “free-to-play land,” and the virtual conference cruise ship as a central hub.
On the custom-made digital platform of the Hamburg Games Conference there is a lot to discover and many opportunities to get in touch with companies and games industry professionals: In the different areas, visitors will find booths and game presentations from development studios and publishers as well as partners and sponsors of the conference. The official conference partners include Intel, with the Intel GameDev Program, Xsolla, InnoGames, Bytro, Bigpoint, Razer, 4Players, and Devcom.
Using the conference’s matchmaking system, new contacts can be quickly made with partner companies and representatives of other big players in the international games industry who will be attending as conference participants.
Focus topic: “Moving Markets” – from 25 international perspectives
A total of 25 speakers will contribute to the program with talks and in panel discussions, showcasing the range in which the games industry is changing – or is itself contributing to change: from the mutual influence of games, society, and politics, to the economic and technological development of the industry and game genres, to outlooks on the near future and tangible best practices.
Martine Spaans (FGL / Tamalaki Publishing) will explore in her talk how lessons learned from previous disruptive changes in the industry can be applied to react quickly to new developments and achieve market advantages with innovative games.
Thomas Shiva (Digital Realm Entertainment) addresses the lack of diversity in the games industry and presents his initiative that aims to empower African creatives who tell stories, myths, and legends of the African continent in games.
Tiago Correira (Warner Games) and Mel Montaño (Userwise) venture a comprehensive look into the future of the games industry in the panel discussion “The immediate future of games”.
The conference also opens up unusual perspectives: Games as a driver of cultural and technical innovation is the focus of a keynote Manouchehr Shamsrizi (gamelab.berlin / RetroBrain R&D), who argues for a foreign and security policy that understands the potentials and risks of the medium and uses them for international cooperation.
The program will be moderated by Shay Thompson, known in the gaming and games industries as a host for streams from Xbox Interactive and the Indie Arena Booth, as well as panels and podcasts from BAFTA and the BBC.
Another highlight marks the end of the conference on the evening of March 3: A jury of independent industry insiders will select the best game of the Hamburg Games Conference 2022 and the “Xsolla Secret Nomination” from among the games presented at the virtual expo. For the winners, the main sponsor Xsolla provides cash and non-cash prizes worth a total of 55,000 euros.
Hybrid event with a gamified online platform
All conference talks will be streamed live via the gamified online conference platform forming the heart of the hybrid conference. In addition to the virtual expo, it offers conference guests the opportunity to broaden their networks and make new connections with each other. Using the MeetToMatch booking system, they can find relevant new contacts among other conference participants in advance, arrange meetings and use video calls directly integrated into the platform during the conference.
In Hamburg, the conference offers an additional in-person matchmaking event exclusively for up to 200 business guests in the gaming location RCADIA. Under strict Covid-safety-rules, personal exchange is possible here. Guests can also follow the streamed talks live in a cinema hall and make contacts in a casual setting at the evening get-together.
