GameBCN’s video game studies incubation program closed its ninth edition with a double event during the “Demo Day,” where studios presented their progress to twenty potential publishers and industry professionals. In addition, they participated in IndieDevDay, the country’s largest video game fair.
The “Demo Day” included panels, talks, and presentations by the incubated studios. The event was hosted by Carla Sevillano, a game designer and disseminator at Tequila Works. The panels addressed different perspectives of the industry. Indie studios Melbot with Jangmi Baek, The Breach Studio with Ferran Puntí, and Piccolo Studio with Alexis Corominas discussed survival techniques for independent studios. On the other hand, video game editors Sarah Burns from Marvelous, Magda Buss from Nocturne, and Pablo de la Nuez from Raiser Games debated the evolution of the video game market.
“After helping build 58 independent studios in this program, we are proud that they have collectively raised over 6.5 million euros. Today we continue to celebrate the support of the entire community in bringing new projects to fruition,” highlighted Joan Francesc Bañó, director of GameBCN.
The six studios of this edition, who presented their video games in Barcelona after showcasing them at Gamescom in Cologne and the past weekend at IndieDevDay in Barcelona, are Magic Rain Studios with the game LUA, Juegos Asados with Hellfire Poncho, Dust Games with Roombattle, Half Sunk Games with The Dream Observatory, Notbug Studio with Pranimals, and Not Too Serious Games with the game Akuru. They all received training and mentoring to facilitate game production and maximize business opportunities. They were selected from 190 studios from 54 nationalities.
The promoters of GameBCN, the Barcelona City Council, the Generalitat de Catalunya with Marisol López, director of the General Directorate of Innovation and Digital Culture, and the consultancy Peninsula welcomed attendees to the event. The Catalan Institute for Cultural Companies, through its internationalization brand Catalan Arts, was in charge of the closing with the highly anticipated networking and a round of game testing.
The audience and impact of DemoDay have been growing steadily over the past eight years, at the same time that the international relevance of Barcelona and Catalonia has increased, with over 200 companies in the sector, more than 4,000 workers, and an annual turnover of over 700 million euros.
The teams from the ninth edition left a remarkable impression:
Magic Rain Studios with the game LUA, a game to skate to the beat of the music, where players embark on a musical journey and resolve family conflicts.
Juegos Asados presented Hellfire Poncho. Poncho Rodriguez, the most feared bandit of the Wild West, has died. The devil condemns him to wander the underworld forever, killing all possible creatures. However, he doesn’t really care.
Dust Games introduced Roombattle, a family game where vacuum robots fight, equipped with sharp objects and balloons. The main goal is to be the last one standing and defeat friends, using the environment and power-ups as weapons.
Half Sunk Games brought The Dream Observatory, a dreamlike adventure where players manage, discover, and produce dreams to deliver to each dreamer, according to their desires or concerns. If you make a mistake or don’t arrive before nightfall, you will cause insomnia.
Notbug Studio presented Pranimals, a simulation and strategy experience that transports players to a vibrant and lively world where they collect and care for a wide range of energetic animals, each with their own unique abilities.
Not Too Serious Games showcased Akuru, a unique linguistic challenge where players form words with a limited number of letters before time runs out. The goal is based on scarcity as a motivator and involves clearing the board of consonants.
GameBCN is a program promoted by the Department of Culture of the Generalitat de Catalunya, the Barcelona City Council, and the innovation consultancy Peninsula. It also has strategic partners such as Socialpoint and Cluster. The program, based in Barcelona, has become a hub for gaming talent in southern Europe after years of successful growth, helping relocate studios and energizing ecosystems in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.
Referrer: MiMub in Spanish
