Index Gaming Summit 2022
#indexgamingsummit
Video games have come a long way since the days of Atari’s “Pong.” With advancements in game design, the inclusion of social networking, and the introduction of intricate economies, gaming has transcended into mainstream culture. Today there are 3B gamers worldwide, generating $175B in annual revenue, more than music and box office combined.
With new innovations like cloud gaming, web3, and the Metaverse around the corner, it’s never been a more dynamic time to talk about the future of this industry. At the inaugural Index Gaming Summit we will talk to leaders across the Index portfolio – Roblox, Discord, King, Supercell, Dream Games, and Rec Room, just to name a few – and other industry leaders including Axie Infinity and Polygon Studios, about what we can expect from gaming in the years to come.
Speakers
Agenda
Welcome
Sofia Dolfe
Partner, Index Ventures
Damir Becirovic
Partner, Index Ventures
Secrets to Building Iconic IP
At their best, games become a home for players to experience and express themselves for years on end. But what makes a great game great? Soner Aydemir (Co-Founder & CEO, Dream Games) and Jenova Chen (CEO, ThatGameCompany) discuss how to approach game design, find your target audience, and create memorable and enduring game experiences.
Soner Aydemir
Co-founder & CEO, Dream Games
Jenova Chen
CEO, ThatGameCompany
Sofia Dolfe
Partner, Index Ventures (Moderator)
Into the Metaverse
'Ready Player One' set the stage for the Metaverse in 2011 and we're now on the cusp of realizing that future… or has it already arrived? Daniel Sturman (CTO, Roblox) joins Caroline Hyde (Co-Host, Bloomberg TV) to discuss all things Metaverse; whether it already exists through Roblox today, what challenges lie ahead as it becomes more prevalent, and how it will augment future interactions.
Dan Sturman
CTO, Roblox
Caroline Hyde
Co-host, BloombergTV (Moderator)
Gaming – The New Social Network
Games are the new shopping mall. It's where friends interact with one another, discussing all sorts of topics regardless of whether or not they relate to the game itself. Elizabeth Hamren (COO, Discord) and Nick Fajt (Co-Founder & CEO, Rec Room) discuss how games have evolved to fit this need, the differences between social gaming platforms and incumbent social media platforms, and what problems need to be addressed as gaming emerges as the future forum for socialization.
Elizabeth Hamren
COO, Discord
Nick Fajt
Co-founder & CEO, Rec Room
Danny Rimer
Partner, Index Ventures (Moderator)
Cloud Gaming
Fortnite isn’t available on the App Store… but you can still play it on your phone today? With new services from Xbox, PlayStation, Amazon, and NVIDIA, as well as an M&A race to own the best gaming content, it’s clear that cloud gaming has finally arrived. Maneet Khaira (Co-Founder & CEO, Backbone) shares his perspective on how gameplay is evolving and why the next decade of gaming will be defined by the cloud.
Maneet Khaira
Co-founder & CEO, Backbone
Damir Becirovic
Partner, Index Ventures (Moderator)
Blockchain / Web3 Gaming
2021: Web3 is eating the world!
2022: Web3 is dead.
The past couple of years have shown both tremendous growth and highlighted tailwinds for blockchain gaming. Ryan Wyatt (CEO, Polygon Studios) and Jeff "Jiho" Zirlin (Co-Founder, Sky Mavis) join Dean Takahashi (Lead Writer, GamesBeat) to discuss the merits of blockchain gaming, how to operate in today's dynamic market, and their predictions for the future of this segment.
Ryan Wyatt
CEO, Polygon Studios
Jeff "Jiho" Zirlin
Co-founder, Sky Mavis / Axie Infinity
Dean Takahashi
Lead Writer, GamesBeat (Moderator)
Closing Fireside Chat
After dominating mobile app charts for the past 10 years, Ilkka Paananen (Co-Founder & CEO, Supercell) and Sebastian Knutsson (Co-founder & former CCO, King) reflect on their learnings and share perspectives on operating in today's environment of remote work, Web3, and new form factors.
Ilkka Paananen
Co-founder & CEO, Supercell
Sebastian Knutsson
Co-founder & former CCO, King
Stephane Kurgan
Venture Partner, Index Ventures (Moderator)
Further Reading
- This link opens the post, "A Transformational Moment in Gaming" A Transformational Moment in Gaming
- This link opens the post, "Dream Games: Entertaining the World" Dream Games: Entertaining the World
- This link opens the post, "Index Creator Summit: The Road to the Metaverse" Index Creator Summit: The Road to the Metaverse
- This link opens the post, "Discord: the Community Home with Soul" Discord: the Community Home with Soul
- This link opens the post, "A Place to Create Memories" A Place to Create Memories
- This link opens the post, "Sailing in ODD waters" Sailing in ODD waters