Why Nordic game companies continue to demonstrate quality, integrity and bold design

• Dodreams CEO Erik Pöntiskoski, Photon Engine CTO Christof Wegmann, and attorney and senior associate at Nordia Law, Tuomas Pelkonen, share their insight into the state of the Nordic games industry.

Ahead of Pocket Gamer Connects Helsinki, which is running from October 7th to 8th, we caught up with some of the show's speakers who are set to share their experiences and expert knowledge at the event.

Dodreams CEO Erik Pöntiskoski is one such speaker, who calls Helsinki one of the world's most vibrant game development hubs.

“What’s special here is the strong culture of knowledge sharing, where studios openly exchange learnings and inspire each other to push boundaries," he says.

Led by the vision of bringing people together in meaningful ways, Dodreams makes social games under the Drive Ahead! brand, allowing players to “compete, collaborate, and express themselves”. 

Pöntiskoski says the Nordic culture is relevant outside of its regional borders too, having a global impact due to its wider ideas and practices.

Hoping to encourage the industry by sharing his own experience, he says joining a B2B games conference such as PGC Helsinki is as much about learning from others and “hearing directly from other creators about their challenges and ideas”. 

It’s a no-brainer

Another industry expert attending the event, Photon Engine CTO Christof Wegmann, says joining PGC Helsinki, “one of the best events in the Nordics”, is “a no-brainer”. 

“It’s the ideal place to connect with developers, exchange insights, and be part of a community that continues to shape the global industry,” he states

Similarly to Pöntiskoski, Wegmann feels particularly compelled by the Nordic region’s “shared culture of quality, integrity, and bold design”. 

He adds: “From groundbreaking studios like DICE (Battlefield) and Housemarque (Returnal), to the spark of Unity in Copenhagen, the region has produced both iconic titles and foundational technology.” 

A similarly bright example, Exit Games has developed Photon, a real-time multiplayer solution currently powering cross-platform play for more than a million developers globally. 

Like many before him, Wegmann identifies market saturation as one of the biggest challenges currently facing game developers.

“With app stores, Steam, and other platforms overflowing with amazing games, gaining visibility and building a player base is harder than ever.”

On the other hand, the sheer quantity of games is an indication of the democratisation of game making. This continues to provide a great opportunity, particularly for smaller teams. 

As Wegmann puts it: “The biggest opportunity lies in accessibility: with free, powerful engines like Unity, Unreal, and Godot, the barriers to entry are lower than ever.” 

Can AI democratise game creation?

Perhaps the strongest force driving this shift in accessibility is AI and its growing use case in game development.

Speaking at the PGC Helsinki partner event, AI Gamechangers Summit, the attorney and senior associate at Nordia Law, Tuomas Pelkonen, can attest to the trend.

With offices across Finland, Sweden, Norway, and Denmark, Nordic law firm Nordia serves the Nordic game sector in legal matters, assisting companies from early-stage startups to listed companies.

With momentum around the intersection of AI in games increasing rapidly, Pelkonen underscores that the industry “should be clear that AI is more of a tool to help our developers do their best work rather than replacing them, whether it is creating state-of-the-art assets, running thorough QA, or managing large volumes of code”.

“What we need are experiences that remain original and unique, reflecting the creators’ creativity and vision. If we get that balance right, AI becomes a tool for better games, not just more games,” he says.

As for studios themselves, he advises that they need to have a clear AI policy, so “the technology is used responsibly with respect for intellectual property and player privacy.”

Like many industry fellows, he sees the two sides of AI.

“The opportunity is enormous: AI can help us build bigger worlds, test faster, and support developers in pushing creative boundaries. But the challenge is making sure we do not drown players in endless AI-generated content that feels generic.”

Already proving its transformative impact, Pelkonen emphasises how “AI-driven NPCs, worlds, levels, and storytelling” is one of AI’s strongest use cases. 

“Imagine characters that do not just follow pre-written scripts but adapt to a player’s choices and evolve in real time. That could completely change immersion, making every playthrough feel unique and personal,” he predicts. 

Back to democratisation, he continues that AI has the power to level the field. It means developers can create more ambitious experiences without the inflated budgets those games traditionally require.

At PGC Helsinki, Pelkonen says he’s looking to continue the conversation and learn from other industry professionals, as well as contribute with his own insights. 

Catch his talk at the AI Gamechangers Summit, alongside other cutting-edge content lined up for the two-day conference on October 7th and 8th. Register your ticket today, saving you up to €230, before prices increase midday on Friday, September 26th.