gamescom asia 2024 has finally kicked off today, and Day 1 featured gaming heavyweights sharing interesting insights into the current stage of the industry.
As the first day of the event focused mostly on its industry-focused B2B parts, the highlight of Day 1 was the stage Fireside Chat with Shawn Layden, Former Chairman of PlayStation Worldwide Studios and current Strategic Advisor for Tencent Games. There, Layden talked with Gordon Van Dyke of Raw Fury about his current insights into the gaming industry, with a spotlight on the expansion of Asian developers in Western markets.
Layden also mentioned the strengths of AA games. These mid-budget projects with smaller teams are noted by Layden to be important given the current industry landscape.
Along with Layde’s Fireside Chat, gamescom asia 2024 Day 1 also features other interesting discussions, including:
- Xbox Talks Empowering Asian Creators & What’s Next In 2025
- Here, Agnes Kim, Director, Global Expansion of Xbox dove into the developments of Southeast Asia’s developer ecosystem, along with Xbox’s work in supporting games in SEA. These include games like SEDAP! by KopiForge and Let’s Build a Dungeon by Springloaded from Singapore, and DreadHaunt by Digital Happiness from Taiwan.
- Future Realities Of PC Games – Growing “The Exit 8 VR” From Indie Hit to VR Best Seller
- Matthieu Youna, Head of Publishing of MyDearest shared a report of her experience porting 2023’s The Exit 8 into VR on Meta Quest. Youna specifically highlighted what developers need to know when transitioning traditional “flat” games to VR.
Aside from stage discussions, gamescom asia 2024 also featured the Invest Circle where developers, investors, and publishers were given a platform to meet and discuss potential partnerships.
Finally, the gamescom asia PRIMETIME livestream returned, this time with more regional options as the stream was available in English, Thai, Bahasa Indonesia and Vietnamese.
gamescom asia 2024 is happening now until October 20 at the Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre.