Gamescom Asia 2024: Day 1 Highlights – Insightful Chats, Industry Trends, and More

Discover the exciting highlights from Day 1 of Gamescom Asia 2024, featuring insights from Shawn Layden, new titles from Southeast Asian developers, and the rise of VR in indie gaming.
2024-10-18

Gamescom Asia 2024: Day 1 Highlights – Insightful Chats, Industry Trends, and More
Yesterday(October 18) marked the first day of the four-day Gamescom Asia 2024 event. Following the success of its previous year, the event has set the stage for dynamic exchanges within the gaming community. This year, it is being held at Singapore’s Suntec Convention & Exhibition Centre

Let’s take a look at the highlights from Day 1 and see what’s worth noting.

 

Key Highlights from Day 1

Fireside Chat Featuring Shawn Layden

Gamescom Asia 2024-Fireside Chat Featuring Shawn Layden
One of the standout moments of the day was a fireside chat with Shawn Layden, the former Chairman of PlayStation Worldwide Studios, who now serves as a Strategic Advisor for Tencent Games. In conversation with Gordon Van Dyke, Co-Founder and Chief Publishing Officer of Raw Fury, Layden reflected on his career journey, emphasizing the advantages of AA games. He noted that these games can be developed rapidly by smaller, passionate teams and urged attendees to pay close attention to the burgeoning gaming markets in Asia, which he described as essential to the global gaming ecosystem.

 

Empowering Southeast Asian Creators with Xbox

Agnes Kim, Xbox’s Director of Global Expansion, addressed the platform's commitment to supporting Southeast Asian developers. The session featured previews of several upcoming exclusive titles for the region, including SEDAP!, a cooperative cooking-combat adventure by KopiForge, Let’s Build a Dungeon, a management simulator from Springloaded, and the PvP horror game DreadHaunt by Taiwan’s Digital Happiness.

 

The Rise of VR in Indie Game Development

Matthieu Youna, Head of Publishing at MyDearest, shared insights on transforming the indie hit The Exit 8 into a VR bestseller on Meta Quest. He highlighted the adaptation process, offering valuable advice for indie developers seeking to transition from traditional games to immersive VR experiences.

 Attendees experiencing VR at Gamescom Asia 2024

Invest Circle: Bridging Publishers and Developers

 Invest Circle of Gamescom Asia 2024
This year’s Gamescom Asia featured a significant increase in participation in the Invest Circle, a platform designed to connect publishers, developers, and investors. The networking event fostered discussions and collaborations that could influence the future landscape of the Southeast Asian gaming industry.

 

Regional PRIMETIME Broadcast

The first day concluded with Gamescom Asia's PRIMETIME, a regional livestream broadcast in multiple languages, showcasing new game announcements and exciting previews. Available in English, Thai, Bahasa Indonesia, and Vietnamese, the show highlighted the expanding diversity and reach of Southeast Asia’s game development scene.

 

What’s Next?

Looking ahead to Day 2 on October 18, attendees can anticipate a keynote address from Singaporean Minister Alvin Tan, a Pitch Competition featuring 13 finalists from Southeast Asia showcasing their games, and previews from industry giants such as CAPCOM and PlayStation.

 

At FoxAdvert, staying informed about industry trends is an important part of how we help our clients. Our data-driven marketing solutions empower developers, brands, and marketers to connect with the right audiences, driving growth and success in the fast-evolving gaming industry.

Keep following for more updates on Gamescom Asia 2024, and explore how FoxAdvert can help elevate your marketing strategies to the next level.

Mia Mello
Senior Digital Marketer
Mia believes that storytelling and genuine connections are the game-changers. So she spends most of her time strolling around the park near her house and talking with people about different kinds of topics that come to her mind.