Pocket Gamer Connects Hong Kong 2019 will take place on July 17th to 18th. To give you a taste of what to expect, we'll regularly be publishing interviews with the speakers at the show.
For more details on PGC Hong Kong and to book a ticket, head to the website here.
Today we're speaking to Dark Horse Digital founder and director Jason Frazer, ahead of his talk on ‘Success Bi Design: How we embraced what we knew (in a field we didn’t) to achieve success’.
Besides his role at Dark Horse Digital, Jason has professional expertise in training and e-Learning. He is also a proud member of the Brisbane International Game Development Association. Since launching single-player card game BAM! on the Google Play store last year, the firm is following it up with its multiplayer title BAMBoozal, which is currently in development.
PocketGamer.biz: Could you tell us a bit about the company?
Jason Frazer: Dark Horse Digital is a two-person, bootstrapped Australasian start-up founded in 2013 by me and Gail Penney. We make games delivered on smartphones, tablets and other connected devices. We’re creatives and the truth is, if it wasn’t games, we’d be creating something else.
What does your role entail?
I’m the project manager and the ‘hustler' in our team/company. The two roles go hand-in-hand; one creates the best conditions to ensure the other can do their job of encouraging great growth.
Why did you want to work in the games industry?
To make our games. Our games reminded me of spending time with my friends at University. I wanted to make games that would reconnect us because we were spread out all around the globe. I wanted to recreate that feeling of connection and friendship. I knew if we could, others could too. That’s what drives me.
What advice would you give to anyone looking to get into it?
Be a self-starter. Know what you want to do before you get there. Make yourself a roadmap of where and how you plan to get where you want to be. If it’s your own business in the industry, remember, most skills you need can be learned or outsourced. Last but not least, create work you're proud to put your name on.
What are your thoughts on the industry in the last 12 months?
Hundreds of thousands of games are being made, last year Google deleted 700,000 misleading, inappropriate, or harmful apps from their store. It’s important for the industry (as represented by companies like them) to be self-regulators. Without those line-in-the-sand actions, it’s harder for players to identify the developers that do care about how we treat them.
What major trends do you predict in the next 12 months?
The rise and rise of business creatives like us. People who are equally at home and capable outside this industry, as well as in it. Secondly, Blockchain as both a digital indicator of trust and customer protection; and finally, a move towards more sociable-type game experiences.
How has the games industry changed since you first started?
Technology is smaller but more powerful now. Mobile games have become more accepted in the games industry, and even appear to be edging ahead of PC and console.
Which part of the Connects event are you most looking forward to and why?
I'm looking forward to the opportunity to present our story to others and help them learn from our experiences, as well as meet those that can help our company grow.
Find out more about Pocket Gamer Connects Hong Kong 2019 on the website.
