“With what is falling, it is important that video game professionals are connected.” Antonio Santo, co-director of the BIG Conference, the largest congress of the electronic entertainment sector in Spain that starts today in Bilbao and that will bring together an industry that needs a moment of calm and reflection after a complicated year, is this clear and resounding. Until tomorrow, Saturday, hundreds of professionals will meet at the Euskalduna Palace to exchange ideas and contact cards. All this, while the general public enjoys some of the latest news indie in an open and free area.
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The third edition of this event, heir to the old Fun & Serious, will not be dedicated to the crisis that the video game sector is experiencing worldwide, and which in 2024 has claimed thousands of layoffs and studio closures, but no one doubts that it will be the great topic of conversation among his attendees. “It is paradoxical that we are in one of the best moments in the history of video games in terms of the quality of the titles that come out and, on the other hand, the industry is collapsing,” says Santo in statements to The Vanguard.
It is paradoxical that we are in one of the best moments of the video game in terms of the quality of the titles and, on the other hand, the industry is collapsing
To counteract the general malaise of these complicated times, the event will once again feature a complete program of conferences and workshops by both local and international speakers. This year, the participation of two veterans of the sector who have never been on the front line of development, but who have contributed crucially to growing the sector from areas such as marketing and production, stands out in particular. They are María Jesús López, co-founder of the Spanish publisher Erbe and one of the pillars of the PlayStation brand in Spain during its beginnings, and Debbie Weswick, co-founder of Team17, one of the largest distributors in the sector internationally.
“María López is one of those people who helped start the video game in this country and for the congress it was an outstanding debt to have her,” comments the co-director of the Bilbao International Games Conference. On the other hand, other speakers who will participate in the event will be the creators of some of the most notable indie games of recent years: members of Nomada Studios (Snow), The Game Kitchen (Blasphemous), Brainwash Gang (Friends vs. Friends), Croteam (The Talos Principle) or Rundisc (Chants of Sennaar), among others.
The presentations and workshops are the main activities of the congress for the professional sector
Through its conferences, round tables and workshops, this third edition of BIG seeks to enhance that social component that is often left in the background. “Beyond the creative and commercial aspects, we often forget the human side of this industry and, therefore, it is more necessary than ever to support each other, celebrate the successes of our sector and mourn together the disappearance of those who have not made it.” “says Santo.
Precisely, as a celebration, the event will once again have its traditional awards ceremonies. On the one hand, the Titanium Awards, which recognize the most outstanding video games and creators of the year; and, on the other, the Indie Burger Developer Awards, an alternative, casual and assertive gala that is about to celebrate its fifteenth anniversary and that over the years has become a pillar within the Spanish video game industry. In line with the situation that the industry is experiencing in 2024, those responsible have already announced that more than a party, this year a funeral will be held.
The training offer in video game development in the Basque Country has increased in recent years
BIG Conference has become a benchmark in this type of professional conferences related to digital transformation
As is tradition, in the context of the BIG, prizes will also be awarded for the best game developed in the Basque Country and the best university project. “BIG Conference has become a benchmark in this type of professional conferences related to digital transformation and that help promote the economic development of the entire region,” says the general director of Bilbao Ekintza, Javier Garcinuño.
In recent years, the training offer in video games offered in different centers throughout the Basque Country has increased. In this sense, the congress will also have a space dedicated to this important actor within the video game ecosystem. “We hope that this meeting generates synergies and adds value to the sector, as well as recognition and promotion of entrepreneurship and young talent,” says Garcinuño.
In addition to being a conference dedicated to professionals and future professionals, the event also opens its doors to the general public in the so-called “Fun Zone”. This 2,000 square meter area of free access in the Euskalduna Palace brings together a hundred gaming stands, a retro area and the Video Game x Food solidarity stand, where any visitor can exchange non-perishable food for video games.
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