Nexus: Irish Games Industry Conference

Challenges and Opportunities for Irish Game Developers

Nexus Business Conference Report

This week, we attended the Nexus Games Business Conference, a premier event for the Irish gaming industry organized by the GamerFest team. The conference was held at the stunning Saint Mary’s Church close to the RDS.  Congratulations to Stuart and his team for orchestrating the event and such an amazing venue.

The event was attended by close to 300 industry leaders and key figures from the Irish gaming community.

Key Discussions

The roundtable we worked on was focused on the challenges and opportunities for Indie Game Developers in Ireland. Here are the key insights.

1. Challenges for Indie Game Developers in Ireland

• A significant topic was the scalability of indie game enterprises and the unique challenges within the Irish market.
• We’re a small market and a young one too. As a hub for game development, we are expanding at a rapid rate. Similar to the Irish Manufacturing and IT Industries from the 80s supported by Enterprise Ireland and the IDA – we are in a similar growth phase. The engine of support for massive scalability is still being built.

2. Funding for Indie Developers

• There is no straightforward path to funding in Ireland.
• Various options were discussed, including the New Frontiers program by TU Dublin, Enterprise Ireland’s HPSU, and local enterprise office funding.
• The lack of a centralized source of information remains a challenge.

3. Networking

• The conference provided a platform for indie developers, publishers, and funding representatives to share information and support each other. We want to run more of this.
• Most attendees did not see each other as competitors but as part of a community aiming to build a hub of expertise in Ireland.

4. Incorporating Irish Culture into Games

• While there is a unique Irish identity, the challenge lies in making it marketable worldwide.
• Suggestions included integrating Irish elements subtly, such as characters or modern cultural references, rather than focusing solely on traditional folklore.

5. Legal Entity for Investments

• The importance of having a legal entity for accepting investments was highlighted.
• This entity can handle contracts, hire people, and manage finances, which is crucial for growth.
• The business side of game development, including tax obligations and operational management, was emphasized as an area where indie developers need more training and support.

6. Sustainability

• Sustainable businesses are those that can maintain themselves over time without constant external investment.
• Different business models were explored, from small, sustainable studios to large-scale enterprises.

7. Centralized Promotion Agency

• The idea of a centralized promotion agency for Irish games was proposed.
• This agency could represent Irish developers at international events, similar to how Enterprise Ireland promotes other industries.
• This would help young indie developers gain visibility and reduce marketing costs.