Lessons from PGC Nordics and game IPs take the stage in LA | Week in Views
Mariam Ahmad
Agree IP terms early, cut through AI hype, stop overloading players: Four lessons from PGC Nordics
Ask most of the games industry how to fix a problem and the answer is usually to add something. More events, more features, more channels, and these days, more AI. PGC Nordics pushed back on that. Four very different talks and yet all four landed on the same sort of idea: do less.
Outfit7’s Urška Leskovar’s message on live ops is the one that sticks. Anyone who’s opened a mature live game knows the feeling: five events running at once, three currencies, a red notification dot on everything. “Players don’t need more to do,” she said. “They need a reason to care.” It sounds obvious. Yet the default response to a dip in engagement is almost always another event.
Xsolla’s Ola Dokun made the same case for D2C. Since the Epic v Apple ruling opened the door to web payments in the US, it feels like every studio has launched a webshop. “Having a webshop is not the same as having a D2C strategy,” she said. Her advice was to build for flexibility: “Build it around the ability to change paths when the economics change.”
Ex-head of AI at Take-Two Interactive, Luke Dicken, was as sceptical as ever on AI, warning that “people that are chasing the productivity conversation are just running on a treadmill”. And Katharina Schmidt’s IP collab advice was rather practical: pin down length, territory and how the IP appears in the game. “Agree on IP usage rights and approvals early,” she said. “Clarity is key.”
In a year where everyone seems to be adding something, it was refreshing to hear so many people argue for doing less and doing it better.
Aaron Astle
The transmedia trend typically focuses on shows and movies, but music is a form of media too. This week, multiple game IPs are celebrating their brands and their music with real-world concerts in Los Angeles.
First up, on October 17th Kuro Games’ Wuthering Waves offered fans a chance to come together to listen to live music from the game, pose for photo opportunities with cosplayers and check out merchandise and pop-up rewards.
Next, Cygames’ Umamusume: Pretty Derby was expected to host two nights of music in the city on October 22nd and 23rd, taking the game’s idol side IRL. However, a last-minute cancellation has been announced due to US visa issues, preventing the voice cast from attending - and from singing on stage.
Thirdly, Pokemon is hosting a night of EDM music on October 24th, with a concert at the Intuit Dome. Aptly named Pokemon Night Out, it will feature live music and, if the advertising is to be believed, looks to be tapping into a more nightlife-style scene. Pokemon Go players can also expect to find special Timed Research at the venue and potentially capture the musically themed Toxtricity.
Companies
