Gamescom 2022: doing business while playing
Gamescom is nothing less than a mecca for video game fans. From 25 to 28 August 2022, the biggest names in the gaming world presented their latest digital prowess to their prospective clients, who came from all over the world. The 500 exhibitors included some ten leading Brussels companies that had made the trip to the German city together with hub.brussels. We went to take a look at their stand, between cosplay and Mario Kart: Game on!
Large. Gigantic. Gargantuan.
The German trade fair is a collection of superlatives. Words fail and mouths fall open at the sight of the meticulously designed stands that fill the halls of the Koelnmesse. The emphasis is on experience and spectacle; visitors eager for something new, sometimes dressed like their favourite game character, are invited to plunge from one fantasy world to another and be the first to try out the games.
“Gamescom is a great place to meet people in the video game industry and build relationships for future collaborations.” Tom Verbeek, The Pack Studio.
But Gamescom is more than just a video game fair. Because in the shadow of all the pomp, the fair’s commercial section is also in full swing, in two smaller pavilions. There are no drumbeats and colourful screens here, but rather an oasis of calm where you can do business peacefully. It is smaller but no less effective! This is where countries and regions proudly present their promising projects and entrepreneurs to the international gaming world.
And Brussels, of course, had to be there. hub.brussels set up a Belgian pavilion together with its sister agencies in Wallonia and Flanders. This was an economy of scale for our companies but also allowed increased visibility and the opportunity to establish contacts with colleagues from other regions.
Brussels: a melting pot of talent
Gaming is fashionable in Brussels homes. The figures from Belgian Games, the Belgian video game federation, underline this, as the sector was worth some 600 million euros in 2021, an increase of 4% over the previous year. And our new play.brussels cluster is also seeing an increase in the number of cases it assists.
Like the gaming market, Brussels projects are diverse in terms of genres, platforms and target groups. In addition to classic game developers, hub.brussels also, via its play.brussels cluster, offers support to companies that do not make video games themselves but provide tools to help publishers develop their games. “The entrepreneurs who come to us are often looking for financial support, wanting advice on the viability of their project or looking to get in touch with other stakeholders in the Brussels ecosystem,” explains Emilie Thiery of play.brussels. In addition, play.brussels is also a partner of Brotaru, an informal monthly meeting of game developers in Brussels.
“The advice from the experts at hub.brussels was a real game changer for us, as we were just starting out and didn’t know the ecosystem!” Michael Timmermans, Picksels.
Brussels is a fertile ground for the gaming world, thanks to its central location, its international character and the available support, not to mention the high concentration of audiovisual talent, which makes Brussels so important. Its gamers and game changers are ready to move up a gear. Gamescom 2022 was only the first level…
Fancy an audiovisual adventure yourself?!
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