From November 21 to 22, the WN Conference WN Conference for game developers and publishers took place in Southeast China. Participants discussed and exchanged experiences on how local Chinese studios can establish themselves in the international market.
The conference gathered over 400 professionals from the gaming industry. 46% of them were business development and sales managers, while about 44% identified as top managers and company owners.
Distribution of guests by specialization
Participants included specialists from well-known Chinese gaming companies - Tencent, NetEase, miHoYo (also known as HoYoverse), BiliBili. Additionally, international guests from AppsFlyer, AppMagic, MY.GAMES, KRAFTON, Reforged Studios, Outfit7 Limited, and many other companies attended the event.
In total, 290 businesses related to the gaming sector were represented. The top three company specializations were game developers (12%), advertising agencies (8%), and service providers (6%).
Distribution of participating companies by specialization (a company may have multiple specializations)
The event took place under the patronage of the local municipal government.
The event's sponsors included the financial services provider Unlimit and gaming accelerator Meridian Play. The conference was also supported by gaming organizations — the China Indie Games Alliance (CIGA) and the Incubation SIG of the International Game Developers Association (IGDA).
The traditional showcase featured indie projects from young studios — WhisperGames, Stray Fawn Studio, Dercetech, Mistold Games, The Nameless Epic, Spoonful of Wonder, Mee Games, Milk Empire, Clay Game Studio, CreSpirit, and others.
Stands of G-EIGHT and CreSpirit
Stands of Ginvo Studio and Clay Game Studio
As part of the WN Conference in Xiamen, the official award ceremony of the international animation contest Golden Dolphin Award took place. A separate category was dedicated to the best games. Almost 400 development teams from 26 countries submitted entries for this category.
Two games from the Shanghai-based studio Spiral Up Games made it to the top three winners: Back to the Dawn — gold, and Cyber Manhunt 2: New World — The Hacking Simulator — bronze.
Back to the Dawn
Cyber Manhunt 2: New World — The Hacking Simulator
The next major WN Conference will be held on February 11-12, 2025, in the capital of the United Arab Emirates — Abu Dhabi.
Below are some photos from the event.
