It has been a year since the last Gamescom Asia in Singapore. This year, the business-to-business (B2B) convention was bigger than ever, with more game developers onboard showcasing their respective games and speaking on dedicated panels on stage.
Running from the 19th to the 22nd of October, Gamescom Asia had tons of content to offer to those who attended the event. The event was divided into two parts — a physical event known as the Trade Zone, and an online event known as the Entertainment Zone.
Opening Ceremony
Gamescom Asia 2022 kicked off with on the 19th of October with PRIMETIME, a one-hour online show which showcased many games such as Spiritfall by Gentle Giant Games and Against the Storm by Hooded Horse as part of the Entertainment Zone.
The Trade Zone started on the 20th of October, taking place physically at the Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre. One of the key highlights that happened during the day was the Memorandum of Understanding Signing Ceremony between the Singapore Tourism Board and Koelnmesse Pte Ltd.
Witnessed by Mr. Alvin Tan, Minister of State for Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth and Ministry of Trade and Industry, Singapore and Gerald Boese, the Global President and CEO of Koelnmesse GmbH, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed for Singapore to host Gamescom Asia for the next 3 years. The partnership aims to strengthen Singapore’s position as a regional games hub.
“I want to reaffirm Singapore’s commitment to supporting the growth and development of the e-gaming and e-Sports industry. As I shared last year, I am a fan of e-gaming and e-Sports. Beyond the economic value of the industry, I believe that it also helps to instill personal values such as teamwork and creativity. Our team seek to actively promote and ensure that people understand and appreciate the value of the e-Sports and e-gaming industry”.
Mr. Alvin Tan
Panel Talks
Hosted by “Zhi” Liang Chew, the two-day trade conference began with renowned speakers from Blizzard Entertainment, Wizards of the Coast, Meto0, GameDriver, OverWolf, TikTok, Sloclap, Nuvei, and many others. The panel discussions revolved around topics such as cultural references in games and e-sports trends. These hard-hitting and even somewhat controversial topics made up the majority of the panel talks on Day 1 of the trade conference.
On the second day, the panel discussion with speakers from Ubisoft, PixelAnt Games, Boomzap Entertainment, Streamline Studios, and Kepler Interactive revolved around tips for developing a good company culture. Another panel focused on the evolution of game publishing, featuring experts from Take-Two Interactive, Bethesda/Zenimax, Plug In Digital, Majamojo and VNG Corporation. The trade conference concluded with a Developers-Publishers-Investors Speed Dating session and VIP reception, which garnered an overwhelming response of 80 participants.
Altogether, there were some interesting topics being discussed that revolved around the gaming industry and its future. Stay tuned for an article on the different panels, coming real soon!
Exhibitors
Attendees of Gamescom Asia were finally able to meet face-to-face this year with over 80 companies and brands in the exhibition area, connecting both local and overseas industry players. The main highlight of the Exhibition floor were the national gaming island pavilions, which mainly featured game developers and publishers from Germany, Singapore and Sweden. There was also a smaller indie game developer pavilion, which showcased indie developers from around the South-East Asia region.
The Gamescom Biz Community Lounge sponsored by Meta0 was bustling with meetings throughout the event. Visitors got the chance to build connections with various players in the gaming industry’s eco-system through business appointments at the lounge.
SideFX conducted a day of workshops pivoted towards developers, while the Expo Stage drew crowds as companies like TentuPlay, Singapore Games Association, Ubisoft, Neo Tegiol Games, 9GAG and more took the stage. There was also a panel discussion on leadership moderated by Women in Games Asia that happened on the same stage.
End of the Day
While the physical Trade Zone for Gamescom Asia 2022 concluded at 1pm on 22nd of October, the event continued with the Entertainment Zone, which featured a 6-hour online showcase called STUDIO. There were quite a number of games that were showcased during the stream, featuring trailers and interviews with different game developers.
There was also a Fireside Chat where a discussion on the challenges and opportunities within the Japanese game development scene took place, hosted by Q-Games’ CEO Dylan Cuthbert, Creative Director Baiyon and IGN Japan’s Chief Editor Daniel Robson. At the same time, the event also played host to the World Warrior – Capcom Cup IX Qualifiers, hosted by Razer Xian, Shi and Mike Ross. The three casters shared their insights as the intense battle was broadcasted.
Overall, Gamescom Asia 2022 was very eventful, with trade visitors getting networking opportunities, as well as the exquisite variety of games and activities provided by the organisers. It was truly an amazing experience and we can’t wait to visit Singapore again for Gamescom Asia 2023!
