Arctic Game strengthens regional and national ties at Gamescom

Arctic Game, in collaboration with Science Park Skövde, initiated a partnership with Business Sweden, Dataspelsbranschen, and the game clusters Game Habitat in Malmö and The Great Journey in Karlstad, potentially marking the start of ongoing collaboration. This partnership aims for Business Sweden to take the lead in showcasing the Swedish games industry at Gamescom. 

Local representatives from Arctic Game, along with game studios Turborilla and Crypto Rogue Games, attended the event. With support from Arctic Game and the Game Attraction North project, they established valuable contacts and secured new funding for ongoing game projects. 

The Swedish Pavilion served as an excellent networking hub, highlighting potential success stories and providing secluded meeting spaces – something challenging to find at Gamescom without your own booth. 

The studio Turborilla shared a meeting room with several Arctic Game studios, which saw near-constant activity on both Wednesday and Thursday. 

“Gamescom was really good. Daniel Wilén at Arctic Game helped us with introductions and opened new doors in the games industry, giving us great insights and new contacts. We have taken one of these further and are now having a dialogue about how we can work together,” says Mattias Wiking, CEO of Turborilla. 

Crypto Rogue had its own room, used not only for meetings but also for game testing and interviews with the press about their upcoming game, Crystalfall. 

“Our game studios from the region have met with everyone from interested investors and publishers to exciting partners, suppliers, potential recruits, and clients in need of expertise,” says Daniel Wilén, Managing Director at Arctic Game. 

During Gamescom, Arctic Game also connected with representatives from regional game clusters in France and Africa, as well as individuals and organizations behind successful national initiatives in Europe and Canada. This was aimed at planning collaborations around events and education while sharing insights and experiences. 

“We have successfully facilitated collaboration between Arctic Game companies and partners that can significantly improve profit margins for some of our companies. We’ve expanded networks for our junior companies and inspired new connections among our established companies, which is incredibly rewarding,” adds Daniel Wilén. 

This year, Arctic Game took a closer look at developments in Web3, particularly with Crypto Rogue, which is emerging as a rising star among Swedish game developers utilizing Web3 possibilities. In addition to meetings with blockchain players Beam and Immutable, Crypto Rogue and their partners shared insights on how Web3 could present new opportunities for Arctic Game and its companies. 

Opportunities for inspiration and insights into new technology were abundant during the event. 

At the booth of the Spanish company OWO, visitors tried a groundbreaking haptic vest that could revolutionize how we experience games, movies, and music. This advanced technology, developed in collaboration with Unity and Unreal Engine, allows users to physically feel everything from the subtle breeze of the wind to the sharp pain of a gunshot, all in sync with what’s happening in the game or film. 

Another impressive experience was Claire Kwong’s work, where she combines art and immersive technology to create new ways for people to interact, move, and connect physically. In her installation "Between," projections shape a geometric structure in the space between two participants. Through a moment of social gameplay, players are encouraged to use their bodies to move the shape together, blurring the lines between gameplay, physical experience, and bodily expression. 

As the event wraps up, follow-up with all the contacts made and evaluation of the ideas discussed will be crucial for success. Many meetings took place outside formal settings, often through spontaneous opportunities during lunches, dinners, or evening events at the numerous sponsored networking gatherings held throughout Cologne. 

Gamescom is one of the world's largest gaming events, held annually in Cologne, Germany. It brings together developers, publishers, and gamers to showcase the latest games, technology, and industry trends, solidifying its role as a key platform for collaboration and innovation in the games industry.