This edition of the newsletter became special because it included two important moments in the games industry: the results of the BIG Festival, devcom and gamescom, which this year had Brazil as a partner country. The largest games fair in the world had an incredible stand from Brazil, which participated, via the Brazil Games Export Sector Project, a partnership between Abragames (Brazilian Association of Game Developers) and ApexBrasil (Brazilian Export Promotion Agency and Investments), with an agenda full of activities. The BIG Festival exceeded all expectations, with record numbers of visitors and business meetings. Not to mention the lectures, the exhibitors, the public, The Enemy and eSports Stages and the cosplayers. Devcom and gamescom were not far behind: for the first time the Brazilian delegation participated in gamescom with almost 60 studios, which moved the B2B area. The expectation is that gamescom will have brought together more than 350 thousand people this year in which Brazil was honored.
BIG FESTIVAL
The 11th edition of BIG broke records
The 2023 edition, which ran from June 28 to July 2, was the biggest ever.
The 2023 edition of the BIG Festival was the biggest ever, with more than 50 thousand participants throughout the festival. Furthermore, the event reached three million people online, impacting 20 million people.
This year, the BIG Festival received more than 8 thousand requests for meetings between companies in the sector. In total, 725 companies from 56 countries participated, 482 of which were Brazilian. In total, 1,486 industry professionals were registered. Additionally, through the BIG Festival Business Platform, more than 900 games were submitted for commercial opportunities. The festival was also attended by 1,100 influencers, who participated in more than 300 Meet & Greet sessions. Participants also had access to more than 256 lectures, which totaled 200 hours of programming.
In addition to the records achieved, the BIG Festival 2023 was marked by the worldwide launch of two Atari games in Brazil: Quantum: Recharged and Haunted House. The event also hosted the global launch of the trailer for Martial Arts Tycoon: Brazil, developed by Good Dog Studios and led by Chance Glasco. In total, BIG had the participation of 156 publishers, more than 240 titles, 50 releases and 50 studios with playable games.
During the festival, the public can follow and photograph several cosplayers, who paid homage to their favorite games and embarked on the spirit of BIG. See below some of the cosplayers who attended the event.
The 2023 edition of the BIG Festival was the biggest ever, with more than 50 thousand participants throughout the festival. Furthermore, the event reached three million people online, impacting 20 million people.
This year, the BIG Festival received more than 8 thousand requests for meetings between companies in the sector. In total, 725 companies from 56 countries participated, 482 of which were Brazilian. In total, 1,486 industry professionals were registered. Additionally, through the BIG Festival Business Platform, more than 900 games were submitted for commercial opportunities. The festival was also attended by 1,100 influencers, who participated in more than 300 Meet & Greet sessions. Participants also had access to more than 256 lectures, which totaled 200 hours of programming.
In addition to the records achieved, the BIG Festival 2023 was marked by the worldwide launch of two Atari games in Brazil: Quantum: Recharged and Haunted House. The event also hosted the global launch of the trailer for Martial Arts Tycoon: Brazil, developed by Good Dog Studios and led by Chance Glasco. In total, BIG had the participation of 156 publishers, more than 240 titles, 50 releases and 50 studios with playable games.
During the festival, the public can follow and photograph several cosplayers, who paid homage to their favorite games and embarked on the spirit of BIG. See below some of the cosplayers who attended the event.
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Another new feature of BIG Festival 2023 was the live broadcast of lectures and discussions on YouTube and Twitch, through The Enemy channel. There were more than 2,000 hours of content broadcast, resulting in more than 750,000 views of the lectures and other content on both platforms. The festival's awards ceremony, the BIG Awards, was also streamed on Steam, achieving worldwide attention and accumulating over 1.6 million impressions.
One of the festival's new attractions was Pitch@BIG, a space where five previously selected studios presented their games. The expert in the gaming sector, Jason Della Rocca, was responsible for, in addition to presenting an enriching talk about the expansion in the world of games, coordinating the Pitch which included a jury made up of renowned publishers and investors. The winning game was Ghetto Zombies by Fogo Games (Brazil), which won a pair of tickets to the BIG Festival 2024 Business Meetings (with access to the VIP Cocktail). To find out more about it, see the BIG page.
Abragames, which was responsible for curating BIG 2023's B2B lectures, took to one of the stages to present the Brazil Games Project, created in partnership with ApexBrasil. The project, which aims to attract opportunities to the Brazilian games market, was presented in a lecture attended by Eliana Russi, operational director of Abragames, and Eros Silva, from ApexBrasil. See more in the article published in The Enemy.
Among the speakers who excited the audience were Takashi Tokita and Chance Glasco, who gave unforgettable presentations and were present at several moments of the event. BIG Festival has already announced next year's dates: from June 26th to 30th, 2024, at São Paulo Expo. Wait for more news to come. See more HERE.
Among the speakers who excited the audience were Takashi Tokita and Chance Glasco, who gave unforgettable presentations and were present at several moments of the event. BIG Festival has already announced next year's dates: from June 26th to 30th, 2024, at São Paulo Expo. Wait for more news to come. See more HERE.
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Google for Games was not left out of BIG
BIG brought great partners to help game developers even more.
Google for Games, together with the Cloud, Play, Ads, Monetization and Youtube teams, was present at BIG 2023 to contribute to game developers and also expand their operations on the global stage.
Shortly after BIG, Google announced the Indie Games Fund, a program that will invest around 10 million reais to support independent game developers in Latin America. The program, which is in its second edition, will benefit ten Latin American game developers and studios that have already launched a game on any platform.
The Indie Games Fund will also offer technical support, training and monitoring for recipients, who must make their game available on the Google Play app store and offer it on the Google Play Pass subscription service.
Registration closed on September 1, 2023.
Google for Games, together with the Cloud, Play, Ads, Monetization and Youtube teams, was present at BIG 2023 to contribute to game developers and also expand their operations on the global stage.
Shortly after BIG, Google announced the Indie Games Fund, a program that will invest around 10 million reais to support independent game developers in Latin America. The program, which is in its second edition, will benefit ten Latin American game developers and studios that have already launched a game on any platform.
The Indie Games Fund will also offer technical support, training and monitoring for recipients, who must make their game available on the Google Play app store and offer it on the Google Play Pass subscription service.
Registration closed on September 1, 2023.
The BIG Festival awards
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One of the most anticipated moments: discovering the best games at the Festival.
The BIG Awards is a classic award ceremony that takes place at the Festival, where selected jurors and the popular vote are responsible for choosing the best games within the categories in which they were nominated. Below we have the names of the winning games and developers of the BIG 2023 edition:
Best game:
Best game: Brazil
Best game: Latin America
Best new game:
BIG Educational Impact
BIG Impact: Social Issues
BIG Impact: Diversity
Best XR/VR
Best Sound
Best Narrative
Best Gameplay
Innovation
Best Multiplayer
Best Children's Game
Best Mobile Game
Best Student Game
WINGS Spotlight
Brazil Direct - Best Pitch
The BIG Awards is a classic award ceremony that takes place at the Festival, where selected jurors and the popular vote are responsible for choosing the best games within the categories in which they were nominated. Below we have the names of the winning games and developers of the BIG 2023 edition:
Best game:
- SEASON: A letter to the future | Developer: Scavengers Studios (Canada)
Best game: Brazil
- Bloodless | Developer: Point N’ Sheep
Best game: Latin America
- What Lies in the Multiverse | Developer: IguanaBee & Studio Voyage (Chile)
Best new game:
- Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical | Developer: Summerfall Studios (Australia)
BIG Educational Impact
- Turma das Patinhas (Scrooge Class) | Developer: Crenix Games (Brazil)
BIG Impact: Social Issues
- Atuel | Developer: Matajuegos (Argentina)
BIG Impact: Diversity
- A Year of Springs | Developer: npckc (Japan)
Best XR/VR
- YUKI MRrcade Mode | Developer: ARVORE Immersive Experiences (Brazil)
Best Sound
- Sunday Gold | Developer: Tmesis Studio (Italy)
Best Narrative
- SEASON: A letter to the Future | Developer: Scavengers Studio (Canada)
Best Gameplay
- RAILGRADE | Developer: Minkata Dynamics (Japan)
Innovation
- Touch Type Tale | Developer: Pumpernickel Studio (Germany)
Best Multiplayer
- Doorfs: hammers for hire | Developer: Ravegan (Argentina)
Best Children's Game
- Turma das Patinhas (Scrooge Class) | Developer: Crenix Games (Brazil)
Best Mobile Game
- Sequenza | Desenvolvedor: An Otter Game Studio (Argentina)
Best Student Game
- Animal Planner | Developer: MittagPause Studio (Aalto University) (China)
WINGS Spotlight
- A pet shop after dark | Developer: npckc (Japan)
Brazil Direct - Best Pitch
- Wheel Stars | Developer: IzyPlay Game Studio
gamescom
Brazil was the country honored at the biggest gaming event in the world
Brazil stands out as it is celebrated at gamescom 2023.
Gamescom is recognized as one of the most important and anticipated events on the global gaming calendar. With an impressive scope, the event brings together developers, gamers, enthusiasts and industry professionals in an atmosphere of celebration and innovation.
Abragames' participation in gamescom was an incredible opportunity for our developers to showcase their games, make contacts with international partners, share knowledge and find inspiration in the latest trends in the sector.
Gamescom was a global showcase for Brazilian creativity. And the country's representatives did well in the year in which the country was the Country Partner of the biggest gaming event in the world. The Brazilian stand was a success in the B2B area, with many people visiting to learn about Brazilian projects and schedule meetings with professionals in the games sector. German and Brazilian authorities, such as the Brazilian Ambassador to Germany, Roberto Jaguaribe, who participated in the opening ceremonies of gamescom 2023, circulated around the Brazilian stand.
Gamescom is recognized as one of the most important and anticipated events on the global gaming calendar. With an impressive scope, the event brings together developers, gamers, enthusiasts and industry professionals in an atmosphere of celebration and innovation.
Abragames' participation in gamescom was an incredible opportunity for our developers to showcase their games, make contacts with international partners, share knowledge and find inspiration in the latest trends in the sector.
Gamescom was a global showcase for Brazilian creativity. And the country's representatives did well in the year in which the country was the Country Partner of the biggest gaming event in the world. The Brazilian stand was a success in the B2B area, with many people visiting to learn about Brazilian projects and schedule meetings with professionals in the games sector. German and Brazilian authorities, such as the Brazilian Ambassador to Germany, Roberto Jaguaribe, who participated in the opening ceremonies of gamescom 2023, circulated around the Brazilian stand.
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Abragames' partnerships with Rio Grande do Sul, which offered a lunch for the Brazilian delegation and their guests, and with São Paulo (InvestSP, SPCine, São Paulo Negócios, AD Sampa, City and Government of São Paulo) were a success, which participated in gamescom with its own stand and also received many visitors.
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See photos of the Brazil Games stand below:
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Afrogames: TikTok took five young people from the AfroGames project, a training center for eSports athletes in favelas, to gamescom. The young people, Renan de Farias, Márcio Correa, Caio Luiz da Silva, Maria Luiza de Sousa and Maria Luiza Santos, aged between 18 and 25 years old, were invited by Abragames to participate in a panel, where they had the opportunity to show some skills and project results. The presentation was incredible and moved the audience.
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Brazil's agenda at devcom/gamescom
Brazil had an amazing agenda at gamescom 2023.
See the pictures below to have an idea of the agenda.
See the pictures below to have an idea of the agenda.
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Which studios were at devcom/gamescom?
See the Brazil Games catalog and find out more.
The studios that participated in gamescom are:
Aiyra
Aoca Game Lab
Arvore Immersive Experiences
Beta 2 Games
BIG Festival Ltda
Canvas Games
Clap Clap Games
Coffeenauts
Cyan Heart Studio
Druid Creative Gaming e Comunicação
Druzina Content
Eldorado Studio
Epopeia Games
Eter Games
Evo Game Studio
ExtraordinaryGames.fun
Flutu Music
Flux Games
Fogo Games
Game Audio Sounds
Games Dev Hub
HAMMER95
Hermit Crab Game Studio
Hyper Dive Studio
Ignite Game Studio
Ilex Games
Infinity Green Game Studio
Izyplay Game Studio
Kokku
Kreativitas
Lab Secreto
Limiar Studios
Luski Game Studio
Mad Mimic
Main Leaf
MEMY
Minimol Games
Mr. Dev Studio
Nuuvem
Petit Fabrik
PUGA Studios
Pulsatrix Studios
QUARTOMUNDO
Radioativa Game Sounds
Rockets Audio
Rogue Snail
RoundTable Studio
Savegame
Smash Mountain Studio
Sorora Game Studio
Split Studio
Tempo Filmes
Theogames
Webcore Games
White Wolfy
Yellow Panda Games
Aiyra
Aoca Game Lab
Arvore Immersive Experiences
Beta 2 Games
BIG Festival Ltda
Canvas Games
Clap Clap Games
Coffeenauts
Cyan Heart Studio
Druid Creative Gaming e Comunicação
Druzina Content
Eldorado Studio
Epopeia Games
Eter Games
Evo Game Studio
ExtraordinaryGames.fun
Flutu Music
Flux Games
Fogo Games
Game Audio Sounds
Games Dev Hub
HAMMER95
Hermit Crab Game Studio
Hyper Dive Studio
Ignite Game Studio
Ilex Games
Infinity Green Game Studio
Izyplay Game Studio
Kokku
Kreativitas
Lab Secreto
Limiar Studios
Luski Game Studio
Mad Mimic
Main Leaf
MEMY
Minimol Games
Mr. Dev Studio
Nuuvem
Petit Fabrik
PUGA Studios
Pulsatrix Studios
QUARTOMUNDO
Radioativa Game Sounds
Rockets Audio
Rogue Snail
RoundTable Studio
Savegame
Smash Mountain Studio
Sorora Game Studio
Split Studio
Tempo Filmes
Theogames
Webcore Games
White Wolfy
Yellow Panda Games
market
11 Brazilian studios visited Finland after gamescom
Mission Finland was coordinated by Business Finland with the support of Abragames.
Right after gamescom 2023, on August 29th and 30th, a delegation, which had the support of Abragames and traveled at the invitation of Business Finland, was in Helsinki to participate in Mission Finland.
The delegation of eleven national game development studios completed a vast agenda, with meetings with important people for the gaming ecosystem in Finland, a country well known for hosting large companies in the sector, especially in the mobile segment.
Right after gamescom 2023, on August 29th and 30th, a delegation, which had the support of Abragames and traveled at the invitation of Business Finland, was in Helsinki to participate in Mission Finland.
The delegation of eleven national game development studios completed a vast agenda, with meetings with important people for the gaming ecosystem in Finland, a country well known for hosting large companies in the sector, especially in the mobile segment.
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The trip, whose main objective was to generate new business and expand Brazilian projects on the international market, was coordinated by Business Finland, a Finnish government organization for financing innovation and promoting trade, travel and investment. |
BRAZIL GAMES EXPORT PROGRAM
The Brazil Games Export Program is the export program created by the Brazilian Game Companies Association, Brazil Games Association, in partnership with ApexBrasil, the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency. Our goal is to promote the Brazilian Game industry internationally, developing new business opportunities for our companies. The Brazil Games Program also promotes Brazil as the hub for business in Latin America and invites buyers, investors and publishers for BIG Festival, Brazil's Independent Games Festival, the most important international indie games festival and the hub for international business in Latin America.
BRAZILIAN GAME COMPANIES ASSOCIATION
Brazil Games Association, the Brazilian Game Companies Association, was founded in 2004 and represents Brazilian studios developing games on various platforms. Besides catalyzing the game production in the country by training and promoting expertise, Brazil Games Association aims at making Brazilian creativity and technology available to the main players of the international game industry.
ABOUT APEXBRASIL
The Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (ApexBrasil) works to promote Brazilian products and services abroad, and to attract foreign investment to strategic sectors of the Brazilian economy. The Agency supports more than 12,000 companies from 80 different industries, which in turn export to 200 markets. ApexBrasil also plays a key role in attracting foreign direct investment to Brazil, working to detect business opportunities, promoting strategic events and providing support to foreign investors interested in allocating resources in Brazil.
Disclaimer: Sponsored events and games showcased on this Newsletter may not reflect Abragames/Brazil Games opinion.
The Brazil Games Export Program is the export program created by the Brazilian Game Companies Association, Brazil Games Association, in partnership with ApexBrasil, the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency. Our goal is to promote the Brazilian Game industry internationally, developing new business opportunities for our companies. The Brazil Games Program also promotes Brazil as the hub for business in Latin America and invites buyers, investors and publishers for BIG Festival, Brazil's Independent Games Festival, the most important international indie games festival and the hub for international business in Latin America.
BRAZILIAN GAME COMPANIES ASSOCIATION
Brazil Games Association, the Brazilian Game Companies Association, was founded in 2004 and represents Brazilian studios developing games on various platforms. Besides catalyzing the game production in the country by training and promoting expertise, Brazil Games Association aims at making Brazilian creativity and technology available to the main players of the international game industry.
ABOUT APEXBRASIL
The Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (ApexBrasil) works to promote Brazilian products and services abroad, and to attract foreign investment to strategic sectors of the Brazilian economy. The Agency supports more than 12,000 companies from 80 different industries, which in turn export to 200 markets. ApexBrasil also plays a key role in attracting foreign direct investment to Brazil, working to detect business opportunities, promoting strategic events and providing support to foreign investors interested in allocating resources in Brazil.
Disclaimer: Sponsored events and games showcased on this Newsletter may not reflect Abragames/Brazil Games opinion.
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