Jason Hill reported for The Age's Screenplay, that rather than their normal annual meeting, the Australian Game Developers Conference was held somewhere different this year. Where? Why, it was at the new event, Game Connect: Asia-Pacific. The event started yesterday in Brisbane, and Aussie big-hitter developers attended to meet with some of the key industry names from Asia, including Japanese heavyweight, Tsutomu Kono, creator of the title Loco Roco by Sony Japan.
Jason wrote that multiple topics were to be discussed at the game developer conference, such as:
Topics to be discussed at the conference include making the transition to next-gen development, minimising risk, self-publishing, interactive storytelling and developing for PlayStation 3 and Xbox Live Arcade.
According to Game Developers Association of Australia president and chief executive Evelyn Richardson, as reported by Screenplay, the primary motive behind this conference was to, “recognise that the Asia-Pacific region is a very important business environment", and to bolster business ties with Asian companies in preparation for the future. Evelyn Richardson also indicated to Jason that Asian companies appear intent on partnering with Australian companies, in order to use the Aussie industry as a gateway into the American market.
This could be a big step for the Australian industry, due to the foreseen rise in power of the Asian game development market. Strong bonds could mean an increase in projects, employment – and a lot more focus being placed on the industry itself.