March kicks off with a bang in Germany.
February 23, 2022
[This unedited press release is made available courtesy of Game Developer and its partnership with notable game PR-related resource Games Press]
Author: Gamecity Hamburg
Hamburg, February 23, 2022: Off to new markets: On March 2 and 3, 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. Tickets are available at: https://bit.ly/HGC22. For the on-site part, seats are limited and last tickets are still available.
"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.
An overview of all speakers and talks can be found on www.gamesconference.com.
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, a 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.
Last tickets available for online and on-site
A limited number of tickets is still available for the Hamburg Games Conference 2022: https://bit.ly/HGC22
Business tickets (199 euros) include access to the online conference platform including the expo and the full conference program, the opportunity to arrange meetings via MeetToMatch and exclusive access to the on-site event at the gaming location RCADIA. The opportunity to attend the on-site event is limited to a maximum of 200 guests.
The Basic ticket (25 euros) includes access to the digital conference platform as well as the full conference program and the digital expo. It also includes the opportunity to network with other attendees at video call tables.
All current information about the Hamburg Games Conference is available at www.gamesconference.com.
The trailer for the Hamburg Games Conference 2022 is available for download for editorial purposes on YouTube (https://youtu.be/e9mSPhEbqgE) or via Google Drive: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1_h_RlSrMGY8sxuT6RZ_UnvPfYj7z1HeA . Further image material is also available there.
Please find the following images attached for editorial use:
Key Visual for the Hamburg Games Conference 2022 | Illustration: Sebastian Stamm
Screenshots of the new online world | Credit: Hamburg Games Conference
For further information and questions please contact:
Johannes Klockenbring
Gamecity Hamburg
PR Manager
[email protected]
About the Hamburg Games Conference
Since 2010, the annual Hamburg Games Conference has been a key element of the German and international games industry and one of the most important B2B events for the games sector in Europe.
The Hamburg Games Conference is jointly organized by Gamecity Hamburg and GRAEF Rechtsanwälte. The conference is planned and produced by the event agency Super Crowd Entertainment from Hamburg, which specializes in the games industry and who hosted the Indie Arena Booth Online at gamescom 2020 and 2021, for which it was awarded a special prize by the Deutscher Computerspielpreis (German Computer Game Award).
About Gamecity Hamburg
Gamecity Hamburg supports, connects and makes the gaming hub Hamburg visible. The aim is to improve the general conditions for companies and founders of the games value chain in the city, to support them in their further development and to anchor Hamburg in the public perception as one of the leading games locations in Germany. Gamecity Hamburg is the contact point for Hamburg's games funding as well as the Games Lift Incubator and also offers programs, events, and services in close cooperation with the games industry to strengthen local developers. At the same time, the exchange of knowledge within the sector and with other industries is promoted. The promotion of young talent, the development of new formats that activate the strong network of games companies in the city, and internationalization are the focus of the location initiative's activities. Gamecity Hamburg is part of Hamburg Kreativ Gesellschaft.
About GRAEF Rechtsanwälte
GRAEF Rechtsanwälte, based in Hamburg and Berlin, is one of Germany's leading law firms in the field of media law, entertainment law and intellectual property. The team around Dr. Ralph Oliver Graef and Dr. Christian Rauda represents leading German and international media companies from the complete value chains of the film industry, the games industry, the publishing industry and the live entertainment industry. In addition, the firm represents "creatives" such as authors, directors, actors, photographers, designers, game developers, etc. in the protection of their creative achievements as well as, in the area of crisis communication, companies and celebrities in the protection of their personal rights.
About Super Crowd Entertainment
Super Crowd Entertainment organizes the annual Indie Arena Booth, the world's largest independent developer booth for video games as well as the community fair MAG. With the Super Crowd Framework, the company also offers a comprehensive yet easy-to-implement solution for digital events for all industries that brings a real trade show feeling to life despite COVID-19. With 3.6 million DACH customers reached and over 100,000 visitors, Super Crowd sets new standards for exciting online events and makes it easy to find your friends again via Super Crowd ID and stay in touch with them.
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