Pocket Gamer Connects Seattle 2019 will take place on May 13th to 14th. 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 Seattle and to book a ticket, head to the website here.
Our spotlight today lands on Rebind.io founder Emily Rose, who will be speaking on indie dev representation and social media outreach in Seattle this month.
PocketGamer.biz: Could you tell us a bit about the company?
Emily Rose: Rebind.io is a writing collective focused on high-level critical analysis of Indie arthouse games, showcasing micro-indies with a finite focus on elevating the medium in craft and discourse.
We're excited to show people that business and art aren't at odds, and that good professional practice is easily within reach of anyone willing to learn.
What does your role entail?
Lead operations, lead Writer
Why did you want to get into the games industry?
I already do as a producer on two concurrent projects.
What advice would you give to anyone looking to get into it?
Open a Twitter, start using it. Doesn't matter if you tweet, start following people. It's an easy passive way to broaden your horizons and the RSS feed of our era.
Once you get used to it, it's a powerful tool to forge friendships over mutual interests with those in the industry and ask questions from those with experience.
It is also a fantastic way to display your portfolio in a manner people can engage with passively or actively.
What are your thoughts on the industry in the last 12 months?
The industry is missing out, it's letting incredible talent slip through the cracks. It's hard watching really fresh perspectives go unfunded because triple-A doesn't know how to find indies without social media know-how.
There's more room than ever for publishers to engage micro-indies on low-risk projects with new IPs, and it is vital we adapt to it.
Mutually beneficial relationships between publisher and small studios diversify more than just your portfolio, it builds a stronger, more diverse community that inspires the next generation and prevents things from getting stale.
What major trends do you predict in the next 12 months?
More labour co-operatives, boutique game publishing labels. Self-publishing through Steam or Kickstarter isn't what it used to be, you'll find micro-indies especially huddling together for mutual support and they will start mentoring each other more.
The landscape will begin to look more like Bandcamp and the music scene. Art games will have greater penetration in the VR market, customers are naturally receptive to it in that space due to stimulation overload, they want easy-going experiences that make you think, let you drink in the sense of presence.
How has the games industry changed since you first started?
Less emphasis on Indie darlings taking over the front page of steam, and a forward focus on new hardware platforms. VR will change everything, but not in the ways people think, it also won't make consoles or PC a thing of the past, it will be a value add.
The community is much more diverse professionally, people from all walks of life are starting to make games now, it isn't just guys with comp sci degrees. There's still a long way to go with diversity initiatives and LGBT+ logistical outreach.
Which part of the Connects event are you most looking forward to and why?
I'm thrilled to see new players in the console and PC expo spaces. Connects has a lot of experience working in the mobile sector, which is sorely misunderstood in the rest of the industry,
I think doing events in both sectors will help them understand each other better and be more open to collaboration, celebrating each other's achievements.
Find out more about Pocket Gamer Connects Seattle 2019 on the website.
