Puzzle & Dragons dev opens indie game showcase alongside GDC Next

Japanese powerhouse GungHo Online is offering indie developers an opportunity to showcase their game during its inaugural Indie Games Live event on November 3rd at Club Nokia in Los Angeles, a short distance away from the concurrent GDC Next developer conference. GungHo is perhaps best known for its work developing the remarkably popular (and profitable) mobile game Puzzle & Dragons, but the company has also invested in a variety of game companies (including developers Supercell and Grasshopper Manufacture) and GungHo CEO Kazuki Morishita told Gamasutra earlier this year that the firm is focused on expanding to new markets. GungHo is hosting the Indie Games Live event alongside educational indie game studio YummyYummyTummy with the stated goal of exposing the work of indie developers to the world -- and to attendees of the GDC Next conference, which is taking place the same week at the L.A. Convention Center adjacent to the L.A. LIVE event space where Indie Games Live will be held. Developers like 17-Bit (Galak-Z) and Necrosoft Games (Gunsport) will be at the event to showcase their work, and GungHo is encouraging other indie game makers to apply for one of the remaining exhibition spaces. It seems like a good opportunity for up-and-coming developers, as those selected to participate will have opportunities to present their games to attendees and members of the press, participate in livestreams and take part in interviews. Disclosure: Gamasutra and GDC are sibling organizations under parent UBM Tech.